VHF Radio Installation w/ Pics

[tpenfield]

Re: VHF Radio Installation w/ Pics

Another Update:

I was out in Buzzards Bay today with the boat and thought to do a radio check . . . The closest SeaTow check station was located about 5 miles away over both sea and land.




The playback reception was loud and clear. So, I think the radio and antenna installation is good to go.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: VHF Radio Installation w/ Pics

I was up near the opening to the Cape Cod canal yesterday and did another radio check to the same station, which was about 9 miles away at that point. Trx & Rx was still good. I thought that the previous test, at only 5 miles distance, may not have been a good enough test.

Thoughts???

 

[jhebert]

Re: VHF Radio Installation w/ Pics

I was up near the opening to the Cape Cod canal yesterday and did another radio check to the same station, which was about 9 miles away at that point. Trx & Rx was still good. I thought that the previous test, at only 5 miles distance, may not have been a good enough test.

Thoughts???

Continue testing with the automated station until in your mind the test has been good enough.

My expectation for a marine radio installation in which a 25-watt transmitter is connected to an antenna at least 10-feet above the water is for a range of communication of about 15-miles at a minimum.

 

[brooksville_rebel]

Re: VHF Radio Installation w/ Pics

To the OP,
I have the same VHF and Garmin. Was wondering if you hooked up the DSC/NMEA wires ? If so could you let me know what you did ?
Between the manuals its confusing to me. The Uniden manuals says just its bare to the garmin black ground and its green to the garmin blue.
THanks
Mark

 

[tpenfield]

Re: VHF Radio Installation w/ Pics

No, sorry . . . I started to read that part of the manual, but then my eyes glassed over and I almost fell out of my chair.

Figured, if I had to make a distress call I could read the GPS location Lat. & Long,. I might take another run at it next year . . .

 

[bruceb58]

Re: VHF Radio Installation w/ Pics

No, sorry . . . I started to read that part of the manual, but then my eyes glassed over and I almost fell out of my chair.

Figured, if I had to make a distress call I could read the GPS location Lat. & Long,. I might take another run at it next year . . .

LOL...Its only connecting a few more wire pairs!

If it makes you feel better, I haven't done mine yet either.

 

[jhebert]

Re: VHF Radio Installation w/ Pics

Interconnecting NMEA-0183 serial interfaces is made simple by the method explained in

continuousWave: Whaler: Reference: NMEA-0183 Interconnection Guide

 

[brooksville_rebel]

Re: VHF Radio Installation w/ Pics

The electrical connections were a bit 'interesting' so, I set up a quick power on of the radio, before I continued to figure out the best way to connect the power, etc.

The lights on test worked out fine.

I hooked up the power lead to the electronics circuit breaker, but could not find a bus-bar or anything like that up in the instrument panel area for the ground lead. So, I had to improvise and connected it the the ground side of a close by 12V outlet. We shall see how that works out :noidea:

Here is a picture of the power-up once the electrical connections were complete.

Tomorrow, I will work on installing the antenna. . . I plan on mounting that on the starboard side of the boat, near the helm.

Hey Ted
In the pic with the jump starter did you just hook the radio cables to the cable jumpers like jumping a battery ? Or does it have some other type of DC output so you don't get the full force ? I was gonna do that but thought it might zap the radio.
Thanks
Mark

 

[tpenfield]

Re: VHF Radio Installation w/ Pics

No, it is just straight to the jump start battery cables. I wanted to make sure it had lights on power before I routed an terminated the wiring, etc.

once installed, I put it to a dedicated circuit breaker.