FM Antenna

[50/50]

I am currently fitting a VHF and CD / FM radio. A few questions that I can't see clearly answered here are:

What do you do for FM Radio reception on board

Where do you put / ground the antenna.

How do you run speaker wires from the standard speaker mounting place above Vee berth

What kind of thru-deck connection do you use for the VHF coax

I like the fact that I can ask these questions and have wealth of information come back to me. It takes the stress out of making the wrong choice.

[DLT]

My VHF antenna is mounted on the mast arch/crutch, that never leaves my boat. The coax runs down to the motor cabling exit in the motor well. My block box VHF (Standard Horizon PS-2000) sits just inside there.

I have this mounted under that dropdown liner starboard of the daggerboard. The fm antenna is simply run up into the liner, and taped against the hull. The floatation foam was simply put back in, essentially hiding the FM antenna between the liner/hull/foam... This works great for Radio. It sucks for TV, but I'm still working on a better solution for that...

The above entertainment unit runs off 12vDC, as its standard power supply just converted AC into 12vDC...

You can also see that the unit has integrated speakers. Where I have it mounted, its all the power you would ever want inside the cabin. It, however, is not ideal for cockpit entertainment when running at full throttle and sitting right above the motor...

[David Mellon]

My installation can be found by searching Stereo Installation and my name. Sorry, I'm not literate enough to provide a link. My antenna is on the gallows which I leave up at all times. FM reception is excellent. In the past I have tangled my lines on it while raising the mast, but I am more careful now. I have a portable DVD/TV which I keep in it's bag and use in my car when not sailing. I don't watch broadcast TV while on my boat, it interfers with my enjoyment. I'm still thrilled by my speaker mount, so far they haven't been in the way at all. Crisp clear sound inside and out. I also ran my wires through the motor cable boot in the well. I used a screw retriever (long springy thing with lil' claws at the end operated with a plunger) to feed the wires both through the hull and up the pedestal.

I agree, I also like to make the wrong choice without any stress.

[kmclemore]

I just use an FM splitter off of the VHF radio antenna.. seems to work just fine!

[beene]

I just use an FM splitter off of the VHF radio antenna.. seems to work just fine!

Is that on the back of the VHF or at the base of the antenna?

ie Are you using only the one antenna for both VHF and FM radio?

Sounds like a great idea to me. I have yet to purchase a newer VHF with GPS link up, but was planning on hooking up the antenna in the mean time.

g

[DLT]

Here is the sort of thing Kevin uses. I'm sure you can find one cheaper somewhere else.

Basically, rather than plugging into the radio directly, you plug the VHF antenna into a splitter box. Then, you run a cable from the splitter to the VHF and a separate cable to the AM/FM radio.

Understand, though, that antenna systems for a FM radio are going to be among the simplest you will have on your boat. Look at how cheap you can get a FM radio these days... What I'm saying is that you may well be able to just run a couples of pieces of wire along the inside of the boat (preferably hidden between the hull and the liner) and get good reception for REAL cheap... This is basically what I did...

With that said, of course, you should expect better reception (at longer distances, etc.) from purpose built hardware... Expect, yes, actually get, I dunno...

Kevin, if you use something significantly different, please accept my apologies...

[kmclemore]

Kevin, if you use something significantly different, please accept my apologies...

Yep, that's pretty much like the puppy, DLT, although I got mine at Radio Shack, I think. Works a treat.

Is that on the back of the VHF or at the base of the antenna?

My radios happen to be mouted side-by-side, so I placed the splitter down near the backs of the radios.

Are you using only the one antenna for both VHF and FM radio?

Yep, just one antenna - I subscribe to the "KISS" theory, and basically hate running more wires than I have to.

My VHF antenna is mounted to the top of the mast, of course, but when I go out without a mast I use a shorty Shakespeare antennna with a suction cup on the bottom and I stick it to the mast pulpit (the metal thing on the deck where the mast mounts).


BTW, it bears mentioning for any "newbies" out there - *NEVER* operate your VHF without the antenna attached! You'll risk ruining it.

[beene]

Thanks for the info, DLT and Kevin.

Nice pics too, but, Kevin ... what happened to your port lifeline poll? I can't remember the tech term for that. Looks like it has a nasty bend, unless it's just the photo angle.

g

[kmclemore]

Thanks for the info, DLT and Kevin.

Nice pics too, but, Kevin ... what happened to your port lifeline poll? I can't remember the tech term for that. Looks like it has a nasty bend, unless it's just the photo angle.

g

Good catch. Yes, the aft-port lifeline stanchion does have a nasty bend to port - I bought the boat that way and I haven't had time/energy/need to fix it yet... it's on the list, though!

(I've got the length of chain - anybody got a small hydraulic ram I can borrow?)

[kmclemore]

With that said, of course, you should expect better reception (at longer distances, etc.) from purpose built hardware... Expect, yes, actually get, I dunno...

BTW, DLT, this splitter setup works very well. I get great reception even in remote areas. I only wish I could work out TV reception so easily!

[DLT]

BTW, DLT, this splitter setup works very well. I get great reception even in remote areas. I only wish I could work out TV reception so easily!

Yeah, FM is easy. My embedded antenna works great too (as well as my car stereo, where I dock the boat...)

TV is another matter... I've made field expedient antennas, like we used to do in my army days and run them up the mast. That has worked even better then store bought amplified antennas... But, it leaves a mess of wire to deal with later... Besides, with the Mac's anchor dance, you just can't align an antenna properly and keep it there...

I'm thinking I may just bite the bullet and buy a marine TV antenna...

Of course, I've done just fine watching DVDs and such without it, so we'll see...

[beene]

Nothing much on TV these days anyways. All we do is use the latop and watch DVD's. But then again, my kids are young enough that playing a game with Mom and Dad is still a viable option. When they are teenagers.... aaaaaa they probably won't even want to come with us anymore, who knows.

Right now, 5 & 7, I'm loving every minute of it.

g

[kmclemore]

Well, the main reason we like to watch TV is to catch the evening news to see the weather report for the next day/week. In these days of syndicated programming radio, nobody seems to give local (or indeed any) news or weather forecasts anymore!

(Yeah, I know I can use the VHF to get the weather, but it ain't quite the same... nothing like seeing those pretty maps and such! ).

[Night Sailor]

I use an antenna splitter and one Shakespeare 5' fiberglas antenna mounted on the stern arch. Before I built the arch it was mounted on the stern pushpit rail.
The FM radio, and VHF with Weather Radio all work just fine with this set up.

[Tahoe Jack]

Re antennas and TV, you may want to look at my mod posted under electrical....title was 26XMasthead...etc. I use a mast-mounted Triax TV amplifier...works great, and, when on the road, it rotates to horizontal and a jumper TV cable does the job. My AMFM came with a wire antenna lead...which I wrapped over the head door interior...works great. That is posted under a seperate mod. Jack