Hole for antennae

[Eric C Lindstrom]

I've successfully installed my VHF and purchased the niftiest little gasket to run the antennae through ... but now I can't find a place to enter the boat.I'd love to come in port side, just next to the forward stern rail attachment but I don't think this would be accessible from inside.Please help! Two weeks to launch and I can't figure this one out.Thanks in advance,Eric

 

[Russell]

its not easy

You can come in, and get to it, but its not going to be easy. The area that your are referring to is the area that houses the positive flotation that you read about in the brochures. My engine throttle is installed on the other side, thats how I know. Being a car audio installer in a past life, heres what I would do. Drill your hole, be sure to miss the backing plate of that stern rail. Bend a fish wire, you can get one at your home center, and push it towards the back. Once it comes through the styrofoam, attach about a 12 guage wire to it and pull it back through. Now you can attach your coaxial cable with electrical tape and pull it through. REMEMBER, I have not done this, but I know whats behind the seat of the boat. You may want to see what Dave Condon says. Russells/v Summer Luvin'

 

[Dave Condon]

antenna

VHF is line of sight; therefore, the taller the antenna, the farther the reception. I suggest mast head antenna.This is what I would do. First, get the fat squatty 3 foot antenna to go on top of the mast. You could drill a small hole on the side of the antenna for the wire to go through. Make sure the hole is angled so the wire will not be cut. You could run the wire up and through the mast head which some would prefere as not to drill into the mast.Next, run the wire down the mast using a snake with the mast angled down. YOu will need to exit from the mast at the bottom/ The next item is running a wirethrought he deck. Two ways to approach this. Drill through the deck with drill but slighltly larger than the cable. Run Cable thruough a cable coax deck fitting to prevent leakage. I would still caulk anyway. Wire exits near compression post. On the forward portion of compression post, you will find a piece of wood screwed into the compression post. run wire down this and then feed back to your radio. As for the wires on top, use aPL258 double female connector to attach the PL259 fittings onto the connector.If you wanted to use a Coax Deck Feed Through by Ancor#200250, This can be done but the location is critical. Inside the boat on cieling near compression post, you will see a ridge.Drill with small bit up througgh the ridge and deck as a pilot hole near the mast. If location is fine then drill hole large enough for deck feed through. The hole inside will need to be larger as to put the washer type nut in. Before installing, I would snake down this ridge on starboard side to yank cable through. Install deck feed through and then hook up with pl259. You will not have much tolerance for the connector and feed through so make sure there is only enought to screw the pl 259 on in the inside only. Again caulk like mad on the outside and in the hole from the deck. 5200 is what I would use and let it cure first. Cover hole inside with piece of teak or lexan.Hope this helps yaCrazy Dave