Association Forum - Installing fixed VHF, masthead antenna

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Installing fixed VHF, masthead antenna

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

britinusa
Web Editor

Member Avatar

USA
5404 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/08/2005 : 20:36:52

Next project - install fixed VHF.

Purchased WM VHF500, masthead antenna, 45' and coax connectors

Fixed the Antenna to the masthead

Now the difficult bits:
Running the coax cable down the mast.
I'm guessing I should dremmel a hole in the mast away from the shroud connector, then thread the coax down the internal conduit and out near the base of the mast near the other two connectors (lights and wind).
Then attach a coax connector to the end of that
Now drill down near the existing connectors just through the outer skin.
The Cable seal should go there with a pigtail of the coax from the cabin.
But how to route the cable inside the cabin roof ridge

and then back towards the cabin bulkhead near the cockpit where the radio will get installed.

When all of that is done, I need to connect to the electrical panel. The wiring diagram in the owners manual is cute, but does not help much.

Any help in this area? would really like to get it done before the weekend.

TIA.

Joint Decision. (Sold)
PO C250WB 2005 Sail # 841.

Moved up to C34 Eximius

Updated August 2015

Edited by - on

frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2005 : 00:04:09

Paul, pictures of my install. I do not trailer the boat so I did not need the extra connectors or splice. Needless to say two of the PL259 connectors and the splice will be on deck. The other into the radio.

The balck stuff is and electronic weather seal available at Radio Shack/

Black wire is coax cable to the Radio.

To run the cable inside you will have to take out the light on the starboard side of the mast support and the electrical panel. Just disconnect the battery before you do. The electrical for my radio hooked to the top accessary switch. Red wire (+) the black goes to the ground block. If you look in the panel hole just to the right you will see it with all the black wires attached. To run the cable it goes from the deck down between the liner and hull to starboard. Pull it all the way through. Then between the liner starboard back to the electrical panel hole. If you install the radio were I did you will have to remove the cabin light. The lens twists off so don't pry it off or you may break the taps.
Forgot, you will have to remove the mast plug at the bottom to be able to run the cable down the race and through a hole to the outside. Just drill out the rivets. I use screws to resecure after I finished.

Edited by - on

britinusa
Web Editor

Members Avatar

USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2005 : 06:37:30

Thanks Jerry, (pictures say 1000 words)
Is the roof ridge hollow?

Curious on two issues.
a) How did you get the wire into and down the masts internal conduit?
b) How did you fish the wire in the cabin roof and back to the panel?

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2005 : 11:30:50

I picked up a fish tape for pulling wires at ACE hardware to pull the coax through the mast. I removed the mast head and fed the fish down the conduit tube. I drilled a hole near the bottom of the mast in-line with the conduit. The conduit does not run the full length of the mast it stops about a foot of so from each end of the mast. I was able to hook the fish (sounds like I'm fishing uh)

through the hole I drilled with a scribe and fasten the coax to the fish and pull it through without removing the bottom plate on the mast. One other thing, you may want to pick up a couple rubber grommets to put in holes you drill in the mast so not to chafe the coax. I picked up mine from Catalina Direct, cheap about a buck a piece. I think you can pick them up at auto parts stores as well, think they call them firewall grommets. Keep in mind the size of the grommet dictates the size hole you have to drill in the mast I believe mine was about 1/2 inch. If you look closely you can see them in Frog's pictures. I also looped the coax (U shaped) near the antenna before it feeds into the mast and also before it goes through the deck so the water would drip off and not run down the wire.

Edited by - Tom Potter on 06/09/2005 11:33:21

britinusa
Web Editor

Members Avatar

USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2005 : 15:14:55

Tom, thanks for the pic.
understood the need for looping the coax outside of the mast.

Q. Your VHF looks very similar to mine, you have it mounted in the port companionway bulkhead. I like that location, but I presume it sticks out of the wall in the head. Is that an issue (cables hanging around, routing to the port side, cracking your head in the head if you get what I mean.)

someone emailed me with their phone number regarding this, but I must have goofed up the phone number. So email me again whoever you is.

Edited by - on

Tom Potter
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1913 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2005 : 17:11:28

The wife uses the head area more than I, so I just asked her.. "its no problem" she says.

I got some white wire loom from a local auto parts store and neatly stuffed all the wires and coax in it, then ran it along the bulkhead and secured it with some of those plastic loops that you put a screw through. The VHF only sticks out a maybe 3" into the head and its high enough were its not a problem. I put it there so it would be easy to get to and you could hear it from the cockpit.

Edited by - on

frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2005 : 19:46:57

Paul, I forgot to mention the grommets at mast entry and exit. Good pick up Tom. Since you are first owner you will find a pull string inside the mast that goes through the tube for pulling additional items. Like Tom, I use a electrical fish tape to pull the cable back to the radio location. Purchased mine at Harbor Freight for $4.00. There is about 2-3 inches between the interor cabin top and outer skin. I also took off the teak rail on the side I ran the cable so I would not snag it on a screw when I pulled it through. Also recommend you put an inline fuse for your radio the size the manual recommends. Usually about 0.5amp. If you wait for the CB (10amp)on the electrical panel to pop I will guaranty you will have fried your radio and any other electronics that you have that is not protected. My knot and depth meters recommends 0.1amp max fuse for both. Another couple of things I forgot to mention. Ageing is a wonderful thing until you get there.

Edited by - frog0911 on 06/09/2005 19:59:15

Keith D.
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
233 Posts

Response Posted - 06/09/2005 : 22:40:14

I took the top of the mast off and the foot also. The foot needs to be re riveted, the top is just a screw. Fishing was easy then. Getting through the cabin roof is a little harder. I drilled a ¼” hole just forward of the socket for the mast lights down into the opening where the two lights are on both sides of the compression post. If you take one of the lights down you will see the large space. You will need a long drill bit because you will be going down through about 6” of wood that surrounds the compression post. Once to this point you can fish back through the liner to the access panel above the counter. Catalina bonded the liner to the roof just in front of the cabin table lights. You will have to punch or drill a hole in this aria. After that it will go anywhere you want it to go, port or starboard side. This was a hard run but was made easier when I took the molding strip off from around the companionway. The liner may have been glued to the fiberglass around the companionway but mine came apart easily. I will re glue it when I am finished with some of the other changes I am planning to make. At this point the molding strip which I put back with the screws is holding up the liner. The radio is above the counter next to the light. In this position I can get to the mic from the cockpit. I added a small piece of wood in the liner to screw the radio bracket into. Though the radio is light I just thought it needed a little more. The wood was put in through the access panel, which the light is attached to. I ran the coax without an end on it and soldered the end on it after it was in. here are some pictures from the companionway.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.