With all the must-have, electronic doodads most cruising sailors desire these days-from VHF radios to AIS transceivers-finding places onboard to mount all of the required antennas can prove to be Mission Impossible. However, a new multi-band antenna from South Carolina-based Shakespeare Marine aims to make the challenge easier.
Designed to reduce the number of antennas sprouting from your vessel, the Jellyfish (JF-3) is a three-in-one antenna that offers cellular (2G, 3G, and 4G), GPS, and Wi-Fi (802.11a, 802.11b/g/n and emerging 802.11ac) capability in a single, compact antenna. The Jellyfish is omnidirectional, meaning it can send and receive cellular signals in all directions. It also has an internal ground-plane, allowing it to radiate equally well on any mounting surface (metal, plastic, or fiberglass).
Practical Sailor testers found the Jellyfish to be compact (similar in size to a typical GPS antenna) and well-constructed. The base has a mounting thread (M20 x 2.5-millimeters), and the antenna can be flush mounted (using the accompanying threaded-base washer) or attached to any thread-compatible antenna mount.
Three 25-foot cables exit the bottom of the Jellyfish and terminate into appropriate connections for each of the internal antennas: Wi-Fi (R/P SMA Male), GPS (BNC Male), and cellular (FME Female). Having three separate cables (rather than a single larger one) should make it easier to branch out cables to their respective gear (GPS, cell, and Wi-Fi), particularly for simple deck-mounted installations. On the flip side, while the Jellyfish saves mounting space on your radar arch (or wherever you mount it) by doing the work of three antennas, it doesn’t reduce the number of cables required, meaning youll still have to deal with fishing three cables (with plugs) during the installation.
The Jellyfish has an MSRP of $289, but a quick Internet search shows prices as low as $130. Frugal by nature, we searched around for possible cheaper alternatives and found a few multi-band antennas designed for land-based vehicles (RVs, buses, etc.) for around $70. The cheaper price looked good initially, but none of those alternatives met the IP67 waterproof rating of the Jellyfish or Shakespeares two-year warranty.
Bottom line
If you need the big three and want them combined into a single antenna, the Jellyfish is a good, marine-grade unit that promises to provide years of reliable service at a decent price.
