Nexus
Jet Boat Junkie
- Messages
- 261
- Reaction score
- 152
- Points
- 137
- Location
- Baltimore, MD
- Boat Make
- Scarab
- Year
- 2019
- Boat Model
- 195 ID
- Boat Length
- 19
So today I (almost) completed my vhf radio install that I started in this post.
I used @kthrash's idea of using a speaker clamp to attach my antenna to my wake tower.
At first, I attached it to the diagonal pipe/tube of the wake tower:
The problem was that I couldn't screw in the Shakespear quick connect antenna since it was being interfered with by the OEM tower speaker mount (the silver block). I guess I could remove the mount, since I have no tower speakers, but then I'd be left with 3 holes to fill.
So instead I moved the mount to the rear tube (the front tube has a larger diameter):
As you can see in the picture I drilled a hole into the front tube and fed the antenna wire down it. I pulled it out where the tower speaker wiring came out (blue arrow):
Unfortunately, the hole/grommet will not fit the added thickness of the antenna wire, so I'll probably cut the grommet and seal the hole with silicone sealant (suggestions welcome). It's impossible to see from the angle (there weren't any very good angles) but I drilled a second hole in the tower base for the antenna wire as it wouldn't fit in the speaker hole.
*EDIT* After further review you can just bearly see where the hole for the antenna wire is (red arrow). The black on black (because I wrapped it in heat-shrink) makes it difficult. Also, that isn't actually the base, but the bottom of the tower arm (lower elbow?).
I then fed the wire down the tower base following the speaker wire and attaching it with zip-ties:
I didn't really like how it didn't really follow the speaker wire exactly so I decided to wrap them both in electrical tape together:
The final result:
I say I almost finished but although I was able to fish the wire down into the aft compartment, it still has to be fed to the front cockpit area where the radio is installed (in the "glove box"). I forgot to bring my fish tape with me (It's at least a 1-hour drive each way to the boat) so this last bit will have to wait. Frustrating because I was only 15 minutes away from finishing this @#$! install!
I used @kthrash's idea of using a speaker clamp to attach my antenna to my wake tower.
At first, I attached it to the diagonal pipe/tube of the wake tower:
The problem was that I couldn't screw in the Shakespear quick connect antenna since it was being interfered with by the OEM tower speaker mount (the silver block). I guess I could remove the mount, since I have no tower speakers, but then I'd be left with 3 holes to fill.
So instead I moved the mount to the rear tube (the front tube has a larger diameter):
As you can see in the picture I drilled a hole into the front tube and fed the antenna wire down it. I pulled it out where the tower speaker wiring came out (blue arrow):
Unfortunately, the hole/grommet will not fit the added thickness of the antenna wire, so I'll probably cut the grommet and seal the hole with silicone sealant (suggestions welcome). It's impossible to see from the angle (there weren't any very good angles) but I drilled a second hole in the tower base for the antenna wire as it wouldn't fit in the speaker hole.
*EDIT* After further review you can just bearly see where the hole for the antenna wire is (red arrow). The black on black (because I wrapped it in heat-shrink) makes it difficult. Also, that isn't actually the base, but the bottom of the tower arm (lower elbow?).
I then fed the wire down the tower base following the speaker wire and attaching it with zip-ties:
I didn't really like how it didn't really follow the speaker wire exactly so I decided to wrap them both in electrical tape together:
The final result:
I say I almost finished but although I was able to fish the wire down into the aft compartment, it still has to be fed to the front cockpit area where the radio is installed (in the "glove box"). I forgot to bring my fish tape with me (It's at least a 1-hour drive each way to the boat) so this last bit will have to wait. Frustrating because I was only 15 minutes away from finishing this @#$! install!
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