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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

VHF antenna

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Sam Plummer
1st Mate

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USA
35 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/01/2004 : 18:03:22

I am mounting a VHF antenna on top of the mast. Has anyone run the cable inside the mast, or is this possible? If not, is there a good way to install the cable? (2001 250-water ballast)

Sam Plummer
2001 250WB
Tellico Lake (TN river)

Edited by - on

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2004 : 19:34:13

Sam, the 250 mast is provided with conduit for running the coax... use a fish tape to pull the coax through. It may require removing the base but the upper end should be no problem.

I think in fact an exit hole the size of a grommet could be drilled near the bottom of the mast and the fish tape inserted from the top and it should be easy enough to snag the fish tape through the grommet hole.

Edited by - on

dswenson
Deckhand

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USA
3 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2004 : 14:54:11

Is this the Sam Plummer formally skipper of the Charlie Brown?

Dave

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Keith D.
Navigator

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USA
233 Posts

Response Posted - 04/02/2004 : 19:41:43

I took the head and the foot off and ran the cable down the conduit in the mast with a standard snake. The antenna is mounted on a small angle iron and goes into and out of the mast via a grommet. The head came off with just the bolt and the foot required drilling out the pop rivets and replacing them when I was done. Here is a picture though of the wrong side you can still see the antenna. http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4da23b3127ccebb85079b65e20000001610

Edited by - on

Sam Plummer
1st Mate

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USA
35 Posts

Response Posted - 04/04/2004 : 10:55:24

Keith--Sounds simple--Thanks for you help!

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Sam Plummer
1st Mate

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USA
35 Posts

Response Posted - 04/04/2004 : 10:58:25

Arlyn--I located the conduit, thank you for you help.

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Wayne Wallace
1st Mate

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USA
28 Posts

Response Posted - 04/06/2004 : 19:42:38

I am considering the same thing. Where is your VHF radio located and how did you get the coax from the mast to the radio?

Wayne Wallace
Z MAJESTIC

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Keith D.
Navigator

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USA
233 Posts

Response Posted - 04/06/2004 : 22:34:00

Wayne 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. 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. Keith

Edited by - Keith D. on 04/07/2004 22:55:54

Wayne Wallace
1st Mate

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USA
28 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2004 : 14:02:21

Keith,
I tried to fish back to access panel but without any luck at all. It appears that the space between the liner and the deck is completely blocked. The electrical cables from the distribution panel to the lights will not budge at all either. Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem as well?

Thanks
Wayne Wallace
Z MAJESTIC

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Bay Tripper
1st Mate

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USA
56 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2004 : 17:20:01

I just did this same project this weekend and ran into the same problem getting the line in the liner. I'm planning on running the line on the ceiling and putting a teak cap to cover.

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2004 : 18:03:17

I did not have luck going thru there either... instead, I fished the wire down to the starboard side liner joint with the hull which is open (right behind the teak strip). There, it can be led forward and when aft of the power panel can be led up through the space between the liner and the cockpit bulkhead and into the space above the galley light fixture.

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cathluk
Admiral

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USA
513 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2004 : 21:39:29

On our boat the previous owner pulled the wire through near the spotlights over the table then ran the wire across the ceiling on the starboard side to where the radio is mounted near the hatch (hanging from the ceiling in a bracket). It white wire is visible, but not very noticable.

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Keith D.
Navigator

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USA
233 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2004 : 22:22:01

Wayne as I mentioned in the first post
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.
Here is a picture of what I was talking about, it is out of focus but you can get the idea. http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4da33b3127ccebccc8f21bc930000001610
I will reglue it when I am done. I will be putting deck organizers in and clutches and will bolt them to the main deck inside the liner.
Here is a picture of the cable coming from the front http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4da33b3127ccebcc348d01d7e0000001610
And this is along the side
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4da33b3127ccebcc36beb5dcc0000001610
As you can see there is a lot of room for the cable to come through. The worst place is just past the lights by the compression post and I was able to make a large enough hole there by pushing a screwdriver through the hole in which the light is mounted. All of the wires, which Catalina put in on my boat, were put up with duck tape and then fiberglass resin was put over the top of that to keep it from falling apart. So you will probably not be able to move them. I hope this helps. You may not want to separate your liner from the hatch opening but in my old boat it just fell apart.

Keith

Edited by - on

528
Navigator

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USA
181 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2004 : 20:45:59

I was able to run between the deck and liner on both sides. In both cases, remove the lights adjacent to compression post. Fish with a coathanger guage wire forward about 45 degrees. Tapping on the liner will sound out the best path of getting through. It took 20 minutes per side, but once the line comes through, you can go all the way to the back, up and under the teak trim. I flush mounted the radio into the head (shown in Never Enough Time thread), no pun intended! On the starboard side I ran the cable for the Navman Wind instrument. Good luck.

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