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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Radio Antenna?

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moserd
Navigator

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USA
149 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/31/2005 : 12:32:28

Anybody have any luck with a radio antenna that does NOT mount on top of the mast? I would like to add an AM / FM / CD player to the boat but am reluctant to go to the trouble to mount an antenna on the mast and run the wires through the deck etc. I have seen previous threads on radio installation but did not see any information RE the antenna.

Don Moser

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frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 05/31/2005 : 13:11:07

Don, I found that the upper shroud makes a great antenna for Am/Fm reception. I just install a crimp on connector the size of a chainplate screw to the antenna, remove a chainplate nut, hook the antenna to the screw and reinstall the nut. No holes anywhere and it doesn't mess up the inside of the boat. The one thing I would advise, if you are in a thunderstorm area to remove the radio or disconect the antenna from it as part of your end of sailing checklist. That way if you have a strike you may lose the antenna cable, but not the radio.

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moserd
Navigator

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USA
149 Posts

Response Posted - 05/31/2005 : 14:02:49

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by frog0911
 Don, I found that the upper shroud makes a great antenna for Am/Fm reception. I just install a crimp on connector the size of a chainplate screw to the antenna, remove a chainplate nut, hook the antenna to the screw and reinstall the nut. No holes anywhere and it doesn't mess up the inside of the boat. The one thing I would advise, if you are in a thunderstorm area to remove the radio or disconect the antenna from it as part of your end of sailing checklist. That way if you have a strike you may lose the antenna cable, but not the radio.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Is the antenna mounted external or internal? Is this a standard auto antenna or are you simply connnecting the antenna cable from the radio to the chainplate? Do you have any pictures?

Thanks for the info, I am into miniumum 'holes'.

Don

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Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 05/31/2005 : 14:37:12

I use a 5/8 wave Shakespear mounted aft on a quick release pivot mount. When down, the antenna lays next to the life line. The coax is plugged into an FM radio pickoff and then fed to the VHF. If going this route, get the right pickoff as a 5/8 wave and 1/4 wave for the mets require different FM pickoffs.

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Bay Tripper
1st Mate

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USA
56 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2005 : 09:24:03

I just installed a FM/AM radio on my boat and used a flexible antenna from WM. You install the antenna inside the boat near the radio. The antenna works great. The antenna is on page 173 of the WM catalog and cost $17.99.

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frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2005 : 11:23:51

Don, sorry no pictures, but you just connect the antenna cable from the radio to the chainplate. That is the way I had it on my C25. Don't have a built-in in our 250, but I would do it the same way. I don't know were you mounted the radio, but in the C25 I mounted mine on the bulkhead between the main cabin and the head. The chainplate was between the bulkheads separating the head from the main cabin and the v-berth so it may it simple and a very short run.

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JohnMD
Navigator

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USA
207 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2005 : 12:38:03

Here's what I was told and here's what I did (right or wrong). When I installed my AM/FM/CD I was looking for the easiest/most economical way to get good reception so I went to a place that installed boat radios and asked. They told me that you don't even need coax or antenna wire. Said that the lake provides the mesh part of the coax so that all you need is a piece of regular old 18 gauge wire inserted into the center portion of the radio's antenna receptacle and run it out. They said that the length of the wire was more important than the height. With that said, I ran the wire from the radio, thru the setees and around the bow. It's about 30 feet long or so. It works really well and it was cheap. I did solder the wire into the end fitting from a old car antenna I had just to make inserting it easier. As I said, I don't know if it's the proper way, but, it works really well. Try it before you spend 50 bucks on an antenna.

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Turk
Admiral

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USA
736 Posts

Response Posted - 06/01/2005 : 19:57:28

Well, I took a different approach and it works so well I had to chime in here. Last Christmas my son gave me a XM sattelite receiver for my truck. It came with a simple mount that connects to the cigarrette lighter. The model is the SKYfi2. I say that because that model has a built in FM modulator and requires no wires to hook to your car radio. It has superb sound and is very simple. Because the mount allows you to remove the receiver, I purchased another mount and sattelite puck antenna ($49) for the boat. Here is were it gets good. I figured I would have to mount the antenna puck outside on the deck for it to work and worried that the fine wire would not fair well with a deck clam. What to do. As you enter the cabin on the right ceiling is a removeable panel that gives you access to the underside of the deck. The one inch space between the liner and the deck was the perfect place to place the antenna puck and it works perfectly with the signal passing through the deck. I mounted the receiver mount nearby and ran DC to it from the cabin light nearby.

Here is the best part. I do not have a radio mounted anywhere on the boat. I just bought a Sony boombox. The FM modulator in the sattelite receiver will travel far enough to reach any part of the boat, inside or out. Just tune your FM radio to the frequency you set in the receiver. I can bring the tunes with me up in the cockpit or down next to the sink or even up in the bow. Sattelite radio is a marvelous addition to my radio listening and offers many different kinds of music, talk radio, comedy, audio books, quite frankly it is much better than TV.

The sattelite signal is not directional so you do not lose the last out in the inning because you tacked! (All the baseball games are broadcast on XM) This all sounds like a commercial for XM, but I wouldn't do without it. It is wonderfull on long trips in the car and you always have cd quality broadcasts that do not fade as you travel city to city.

Check it out. My next mount goes in my home next to my home theater. Cost is $10 a month if you sign up for 2 years. Less than that and it is now $12.95 / month.

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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.