V.H.F. wiring

[Joel]

Has anyone pulled a vhf coax from starboard of mast to port of walkthru to cabin on 26m. My fuse panel is right in same location.

Thanks Joel

[Joe 26M Time Warp]

Hi Joel. I probably went into this once before on the old board, and I was surprised I never really discussed it on the Time Warp page.
I've got a slightly different plan for our new boat which I actually thought of and was over-ruled on by the admiral regarding hull #32.
The plan for #358 is to run the antenna wire inside a piece of 3/4" cpvc along the port side of the hull liner just above the top windows. Using a heat gun for permanent bending, the single piece of pipe will turn and closely follow the contour of the ceiling and then terminate when it reaches the daggerboard trunk.
Some of the logic for the above;
CPVC pipe looks almost exactly like the color of the M ceiling.
Using 3M Structural Adhesive, or 3M 5200 (no drips) for fastening means this is totally permanent, and could almost be used as a hand hold.
It also means (using some other CPVC fittings modified as clip-on's) we have a curtain rod to cover the port side windows and another to close off the v-berth and potty area.
Finally, it's bound to be easier than the next method.

On hull #32, I ran the RG8U wire completely enclosed between the inner hull liner and the deck top. This is not a wire pull for the faint of heart, or in the words of the famous Red Wing, Mickey Redman, "this is no place for a nervous person".

I drilled two 1" holes at the lower corners on either side of the companionway opening. You'll find a line of similar holes where the stairs are bolted at their top that coordinates with the nut access holes for the main sheet traveller. See this http://members.aol.com/jd8flying/rg8upull.jpg
There is enough room that with great patience you can snake a piece of #12 THHN (strong enough, stiff enough, and flexible enough) through all the way around the companionway step area.
In my case, I used one wire to pull about 6 more pieces of #14 thhn, and that group to pull the RG8U. Plan on using a lot of Scotch 33 electrical tape, and having some scraped up knuckles reaching your arm through the round mirror hole on the starboard side.
To pull the almost 1/2" diameter RG8U through there without damage is the next trick.
The wire went from the back of the radio into a hole toward the companionway, then down and around the bottom of the companionway opening, then across to the starboard side and along the inner liner (with the Mac wiring) to the galley area. I never got the wire to turn and run up the side in the liner there by the sink however. Instead I ran the wire up the wall on the inside of the potty enclosure wall. Once inside that box with the access cover I put a through-deck coax connector and then up the mast.
Good Luck.

[craiglaforce]

If you had a wireless ram mike and speaker then you could just put the VHF under the mast through deck connection.

[craiglaforce]

"
Here are ads for the radio and wireless remote ram mikes from a quick google

The remote (second remote)
http://www.boatersworld.com/webapp/wcs/ ... d=13073902

The radio
http://www.boatersworld.com/webapp/wcs/ ... d=13073904

I think for the first remote; must include a do-hickey at the VHF base station so it would cost more.

Who's your daddy?

[Jim Bunnell]

I found I had little trouble pulling the coax down from above the sink and running it along the bottom of the windows with the other wiring. I put the radio on the starboard side and ran the electrical across the companionway. Much easier that way. Taking off the bolt covers below the traveller allows fairly easy pulls down, then across, then up. Once you combine all three directions into a U there is a tendancy to jam; make sure you have enough wire pulled before you tighten it up.
Good luck.

Jim

[Paul S]

FWIW,

On our M, I mounted the radio above the galley area (starbord side). Also used RG-8U. I didn't like the idea of running a lot more wire to the fuse box area, considering how tall the mast is. Don't have a stove, so not worried about heat damage.

I have a handheld for 99% of daily use out in the cockpit

Paul

[Joe 26M Time Warp]

I have the Icom 402 with a wired remote mic that allows us to do everything with the radio from the helm pedestal. The remote is both mic & speaker. You can see the way I installed it on my site.
I wanted to keep the radio separate from the compass, hence the starboard location. Also, I wanted to keep the area above the galley clear.
I like the starboard stairway corner for the radio base unit and that's the same area we choose for computer, fuses & switches, & etc.

[Paul S]

I have the Icom 402 with a wired remote mic that allows us to do everything with the radio from the helm pedestal. The remote is both mic & speaker. You can see the way I installed it on my site.
I wanted to keep the radio separate from the compass, hence the starboard location. Also, I wanted to keep the area above the galley clear.
I like the starboard stairway corner for the radio base unit and that's the same area we choose for computer, fuses & switches, & etc.

Agreed. Couldn't put it on the port side (my first choice) because that is where I will mount the bulkhead compass too.

It is not bad above the galley area. If I get some time, I might flush mount it, instead of bracket mounting it, along with an AM/FM/CD some day. With the bracket, you can remove it easily (not sure if flush mounting can be quickly removed).

My radio did not have a remote mic option. Did not want to buy another radio, so I just got a handheld. Plus having another radio gives some redundancy.

I may do something like you did on the pedestal (build a recessed area). There is a sign company local that I get plexiglass/lexan from pretty cheap. They cut it and everything. Pretty good. I need to have them make me a smoked hatch cover (older M's). It would be nice to have that so you can see out. Don't like the fiberglass cover as much (at least it floats) while inside the cabin.

Paul

[Paul S]