Shakespeare is the first to use silver plating

“As far as we know we’re the first to use the new technology,” so says Chris Catoe of the Shakespeare Antenna Group, speaking about the use of silver plating on antennas. “We’ve not seen anyone else doing it out of our competitors.”

The new line of antennas for commercial vessels – Shakespeare’s Phase III product line - was launched this month (June), though Mr Catoe, sales manager, marine, points out the antennas were already available for the leisure side of the industry and the technology has been pulled over to make the antennas suitable for the commercial market.

“We wanted to push the envelope of efficiency and performance,” he said. “Physical design of antennas has not changed much over the years so we need to play around with materials to increase the efficiency.

“Silver is a better conductor than brass at all normal temperatures. Gold is better still but too expensive.”

And he explained how the technology of increasing the diameter of the tubing – coating it with silver plating - improves the efficiency, using the same principles as a garden hose – the larger the diameter of the hose, the more water which can be pushed through.

The silver plating counters the ‘skin effect’, which is the tendency of high frequency radio antenna currents to flow on the outside and a shallow depth ‘skin’ of an antenna’s conductor.

The silver is applied through plating at the surface area to ensure currents flow optimally and in addition to radio performance, a key benefit to the end user is that the antenna maintains its high quality over a longer period of time. Whereas brass goes green when exposed to the elements which tarnishes the conduction, in contrast, silver tends to oxidise over a period of time and as the metal gets older, conduction actually increases.

“The element is more resistant to environmental exposure which secures a longer lifetime for the antenna and greater reliability in VHF radio communications on board,” explained Mr Catoe.

“We’re continuing to invest in new product materials that can be used, based on new technology.”

And it’s not only the silver plating which enhances the conductivity of the antennas but also the finish and the paint used.

“The use of high performance materials such as brass, copper, and silver plating will enhance the performance of an antenna,” says Mr Catoe.

“The antenna housing and ferrules must also be of high quality to endure the harsh marine environment. Shakespeare has spent decades improving our technologies and manufacturing processes to ensure that our products are truly best in class. We continuously strive to find the most innovative materials that can be used to maximize performance, which include silver-plated brass elements and surface mount technology.”

However, it’s not just the silver plating which makes a good antenna, says Mr Catoe. The use of high performance materials such as brass, copper, and silver plating will enhance the performance of an antenna but the antenna housing and ferrules must also be of high quality to endure the harsh marine environment.

“In addition to optimising the internal materials of the antenna, we also use our 100 plus years of experience to manufacture a very high quality reinforced fibreglass radome,” he said.

“Finish and paint – we use US stabilised paint - are two very important factors to make an antenna which exceeds our customers’ expectations for performance.

“In addition, all electrical connections on the antenna element are crimped and soldered to yield the best result.”

He added: “Technology advancements have made the antennas perform better and last longer.”