What grade VHF Antenna Coaxial Cable was used in 2000 Hunter 340

[sailcapt340]

Their reply was you try about 150 times and then you finally get lucky!

That just about sums it up. Don’t think I quite reach the 150 mark, but came real close. My arms and back would tell you more though.

I ended up taping the end heavily and wiping it with PTFE spray. Seemed to help getting it through the conduit.

Great tip, thank you.
While 90% of my cable layout is opened up to me, it’s the first 5 feet or so that will cause me the most concern. It‘s tight in there.
I’ve decided I will pull the cable from the long open access I have - to the mast opening above the table. This way I am only pulling a short distance (app. 5 feet) through a really confined space. I can swing the cable through the cabin as I need to, to be able to get it behind the closet wall.

Now, back in post number 13 of this thread, I managed to make John smile. I thought that was good.
And in post number 56, John mentioned a word I actually had to look up in the dictionary, as I have never heard it before.
Now I know, just what is a “Helper”. As I have never seen one before, I will be sure to be on the look out for one. Should one ever appear.
Thank you all for the great tips…..Here’s to the smiles!

 

[BAD ORCA]

That just about sums it up. Don’t think I quite reach the 150 mark, but came real close. My arms and back would tell you more though.

HA! My back has been sore for like a week straight. Now that i'm almost finished i'm starting to get used to it, go figure.

 

[sailcapt340]

In a long ongoing saga of my radio relocation, I finally caught a break in the severe cold temperatures to be able to get back into the boat and finish running my cables. The coax is in place, fittings all crimped, soldered and adhesive heat shrinked.
I’m installing a Standard Horizon GX2410 VHF. The remote Mic came with a 23 foot cable of its own, but its short by about 8 feet. So I had to get the extension cable, which leads me to my questions.
The connection between both cables is secure but should I heat shrink it just to be safe? It will be in the open in my battery compartment.

And what is this sealant? It seals the wiring harness to the fiberglass leading under my pedestal. It‘s pliable, I think I can pull out enough of it to get the remote cable through but I need to reseal it afterwards.


Thank you in advanced for the help.

 

[dlochner]

And what is this sealant? It seals the wiring harness to the fiberglass leading under my pedestal. It‘s pliable, I think I can pull out enough of it to get the remote cable through but I need to reseal it afterwards.

It is probably this stuff or something similar. Find it on the very bottom shelf in a Lowe's Electrical department along with electricians tools, zip ties, and that sort of stuff. I just bought some to seal up a hole for refrigerant lines. Electricians use it to seal the hole where service lines enter.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gardner-Bender-16-oz-Duct-Seal/4595233

 

[jssailem]

This is a new idea for an antenna from Shakespeare. Share the light. A LED Lighted VHF Antenna.

Comm-Light™ VHF Lighted Antenna – Shakespeare Marine

 

[colemj]

You don't need to heat shrink that connection, but it would be a belt and suspenders to do so. Or give it a wrap with some self-amalgamating tape or silicone tape.

At first glance I also thought that was duct seal or coax seal like @dlochner mentioned, but with a closer look, I think it is just silicone calk.

Mark

 

[dlochner]

You don't need to heat shrink that connection, but it would be a belt and suspenders to do so. Or give it a wrap with some self-amalgamating tape or silicone tape.

At first glance I also thought that was duct seal or coax seal like @dlochner mentioned, but with a closer look, I think it is just silicone calk.

Mark

Heat seal the coax to the connector and in a salt water environment wrap the connecter with self-amalgamating tape.

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

Some good guidance above. A couple of points to add to the discussion:
1) Considering OP is out of Wickford (love the town) you deal with frequent fog and large commercial traffic. I heartily encourage you to get an AIS transceiver while you're upgrading, if you don't already have it. It's a big safety advantage to see and be seen electronically! Consider one that has built in WiFi hotspot and splitter. (That WiFi signal will add AIS and GPS feeds to your phone/tablet navigation software too.) If you don't want to spend for the transceiver, some VHFs have an AIS receiver built in, which can feed AIS to your chartplotter and overlay AIS information in your onscreen charts.
2) Also, I recommend you look for a VHF that has a built-in fog horn function. You can add a speaker horn at the spreaders or beneath your radar dome if you have it.(Some higher priced VHF radios may have this AND AIS receiver. The Standard Horizon GX2410 is an excellent radio that has all the features above. I suggest you also compare other brands.)
3) You noted the difficulty of running a wire to the pedestal for the remote mic. Is there another convenient spot in easy reach of the helm where you can mount a wired remote microphone and hear it well? Perhaps a coaming?
4) My experience with wireless microphones has been mixed. I do not recommend the Standard Horizon RAM4x. I gave mine away and upgraded to a wired remote. The improvement in voice quality of the wired version is tremendous on both send and receive. Having to ask people to repeat or being asked to repeat is a PITA and might even be a safety issue. I also had the RAM4x run out of power once when trying to communicate with an opening bridge (fortunately I was wearing a handheld VHF because I couldn't leave the helm in that situation).
5) I have had outstanding customer experiences from Milltech Marine Milltech Marine. Not only are they competitive on price, they are knowledgeable and can provide decision support on the phone, and pre and post-sale tech support -- it's a small business (might be one guy) and they answer the phone. I have no business relationship except as a satisfied customer.
Edit - Also, if making the choice between white or black: Black is more UV-resistant.

 

[jssailem]

I have had outstanding customer experiences from Milltech Marine

 

[sailcapt340]

You noted the difficulty of running a wire to the pedestal for the remote mic. Is there another convenient spot in easy reach of the helm where you can mount a wired remote microphone and hear it well? Perhaps a coaming?

Getting into the pedestal is a real challenge without a doubt. I am considering mounting the remote mic under the helm seat. As the seat is in position while sailing it would be out of the way of legs walking by it, but the remote mic itself would not be so easily reached. Last resort I guess. I went with the wired mic for the same reason as you stated, from others as well.

It was extremely Difficult running wires for this upgrade. I can say for certain, that my manual “shows” 1” pvc wire chases in the headliner on both sides. They do not exist. And if they did, given the wires up there, a 1” tube would never allow for another coax cable. The only PVC tube I can say for certain that does exist is a 1 1/2 “ length that runs from the aft starboard locker to the navigation station next to the electric panel.

At first glance I also thought that was duct seal or coax seal like @dlochner mentioned, but with a closer look, I think it is just silicone calk.

I agree, its a silicone caulk, just discolored over the years. At first glance I thought it was duct seal also. It will break off and pull, with a pair of pliers. Not easily, but I think I can get enough out to be able to fish the cable through. Just need a good silicone to reseal the access afterwards.

I have the self-amalgamating tape as well. Just wanted to verify before sealing it up.

Prior to this John and I had a good laugh together regarding “a helper”. I highly recommend getting one if anybody wants to tackle this upgrade for themselves.
Thank you all again.

 

[colemj]

Heat seal the coax to the connector and in a salt water environment wrap the connecter with self-amalgamating tape.

For sure treat the coax connectors like this. The specific connector he was asking about was the RAM mic extension cable (multiwire, not coax), which uses a waterproof o-ring sealed connector and is located in his battery compartment, which I'm guessing is pretty dry.

Mark

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

It was extremely Difficult running wires for this upgrade.

I understand that the headliner is the only path for the antenna cable to the mast bases, but for the remote microphone wire is it an option to route lower? e.g. Behind the seat backs to the cockpit coamings, or beneath the cabin seats or bilges (drill through a bulkhead if needed) to beneath the cockpit seats?
Edit - It seems I missed some posts in this thread before I contributed. Mea culpa

 

[sailcapt340]

Capt,
I guess by difficult I mean “alone”. It’s always easier if you have someone on the other end of the cable. Someone who could pull with me, back and forth to get the cables through the tight spots. And there were a few.
In my case the headliner access was only about 6 feet of hell, just wide enough that you could not hold both ends of the cable and shake it through. Simple thing like that.
The remote mic wire got caught up halfway through the pvc wire chase on, my guess is, a clump of wiring in there. That involved me going back and forth from the navigation station to the aft locker.
And that darn hanging closet, it‘s 4 feet deep to the area where all the cables come through in the back. And a 12 inch wide door! And no one can get themselves in there, so I used my 2 foot long dropped screw grabber from engine repair days to reach in and grab the cables.
I wouldn’t tell someone NOT to do this upgrade, but just be prepared for it.
Now all my wiring is in place waiting for me to cut the opening, mount the radio and connect it all up. The remote wire can wait for better days right now, we got some really cold weather coming again.
For now, I earned my drink by the fireplace with my feet up.

 

[jssailem]

Cheers