300DB Radar & Charger/Inverter Addition

Pack66Dad

Pack66Dad

New Member
Aug 26, 2010
1,427
Browns Point, Washington
Boat Info
1997 41 Convertible
Engines
Caterpillar 3126 Diesels
Day one did not go as well as planned. We got the arch up and inverter installed but there were some complications (ie: missing nuts & bolts, bad/unsafe wiring, bad battery switch, missing network component for radar......)

Here are a couple of pictures from "day 1":

IMG_0356.jpg


IMG_0358.jpg


IMG_0360.jpg


IMG_0364.jpg
 
Packdaddy, your hole just got a little wider and deeper!

That arch looks like on there. It's a good size for the boat and the asthetics are good. Nice job.
 
Nice looking arch, be glad you found the bad wiring and switch now not when something shorts out. Where did you get the arch I've been looking for one similar to also use as rod holders.
 
Cool Arch! MMM looks familiar! I like the way you brought the hight down and you mounted yours above the hand rails. Because mine swivals back, I had to mount mine below the the hand rails. Looks great!

Oh forgot to add. You will say a few choice words when you run the wiring through the arch. Not an easy process sometimes. I also repositioned my anchor light to the arch and got rid of that ungly pole SR mounted on the forward bridge!
 
Last edited:
Last edited:
AKBASSKING said:
Cool Arch! MMM looks familiar! I like the way you brought the hight down and you mounted yours above the hand rails. Because mine swivals back, I had to mount mine below the the hand rails. Looks great!

Oh forgot to add. You will say a few choice words when you run the wiring through the arch. Not an easy process sometimes. I also repositioned my anchor light to the arch and got rid of that ungly pole SR mounted on the forward bridge!
Click to expand...

It was rather interesting getting that arch mounted and since I mounted it higher above the rail we had to make some shims for the two forward mounts. The body curves in there about 3/4". We also needed to make a small adjustment to a couple of the braces on the fly bridge canvas framing because it was hitting the arch.

Thankfully my electrician will be running those wires, not me. I got an anchor lite from Atlantic Towers and a TV antenna that will also be mounted on the arch. I can't wait to get that "ugly pole" off the forward bridge. I have another thingy up there between the spot light and the anchor light that I want to get rid of as well. Its a mount of some kind but it was abandoned by a PO. I haven't taken it off because I don't want a hole in the boat. I think this fall when we haul her for bottom paint and stuff I'm going to have both those items removed and patched as well as an antenna that we have no idea what it goes to. I'll post more pictures as soon as the radar is mounted and the charger/inverter is finished being installed.
 
Day two of this adventure did not go well either.... The Radar dome, anchor light and TV antenna are mounted on the arch now, that's good.
The fact that I need a network expansion hub and a gyro fluxgate compass smileyvault-wtf.gif to make the radar show up and overlay on both displays, not so good.

I also forgot to mention the Extreme Bilge Heater installation..... it keeps blowing the breaker :smt013 Seems I got the biggest baddest version of the Extreme Bilge Heater so we need to get a larger breaker for that circuit.

Hopefully day three will be the final day, I'll let you know.

It was getting a bit dark when I went to the marina so the picture is not great but you can see the radar dome and TV antenna.
IMG_0392.jpg
 
Looking great! I wish I would have seen this sooner. I build custom radar arches and usually pre-wire them with a tracer wire so you can just pull the new wires through easily. If your electrician has problems, tell him to go get a spool of phone line. That stuff is just rigid enough to feed, yet bends around the corners easily. Then, just wrap your wires to that and pull them through.

After reading your posts, I had the bad memories of getting my radar up and running....

I ended up passing on the fluxgate compass and just having separate displays for radar and GPS.
 
AKBASSKING said:
Looks good, now it's time to get your antennas up there too and off the sides. Hurry up, this weekend in the 70s!!!!!Come on summer.
Click to expand...
My antennas are happy where they are!
I swear, this is the most frustrating project I've done so far. The electricians dog is sick so he couldn't come finish today.....
omg.gif


Its going to be a perfect weekend and I'm stuck at the dock :smt013
 
crybaby.gif Inverter/charger installed and working, done. Took the boat out in the bay drove around in a circle until the fluxgate compass got configured, done. Turned on the chart screen, did a little set up hit radar overlay and it looks awesome. Took off at about 16 knots and went by as many boats, buoys and kayakers as I could find, radar works great, done.
Head back to the barn for a beer and a little celebration...... port engine sputters and quit smileyvault-wtf.gif mechanic meets me at the dock, thinks its an ignition module? :smt013

hell of a way to start the season :smt009
 
Damn Pack, what's the deal a lot of us classic guys are having a rough start this year...

Everything else looks great though. The old chargers are huge arnt they...
 
Got to admit that I love the look of that radar arch! I read AKBASSKING's thread on when he did his too and I think they look awesome.

I am in PA, probably only about 2.5 hours from Atlantic towers but I haven't given then a call yet for fear of "sticker shock." So I will ask here instead, do you mind sharing what that arch set you back? Radar arch only, no labor, shipping etc. you can shoot me a PM too of you would rather.

Boat is looking great by the way!
 
Pack had the same thing happen to me when I rebuilt my heads on the port engine. Ingnition sensor was $45.

The sticker shock wasn't too bad on the arch. Biggest differance between Packs and mine is I can swing mine back and rest it in a cradle so I can trailer.
 
Captain B said:
Got to admit that I love the look of that radar arch! I read AKBASSKING's thread on when he did his too and I think they look awesome.

I am in PA, probably only about 2.5 hours from Atlantic towers but I haven't given then a call yet for fear of "sticker shock." So I will ask here instead, do you mind sharing what that arch set you back? Radar arch only, no labor, shipping etc. you can shoot me a PM too of you would rather.

Boat is looking great by the way!
Click to expand...

Thanks, I like the way it looks too.

Unfortunately the radar arch was the cheapest part of this project.

Prices are on the web site: http://www.atlantictowers.com/products_radar_arch.php I got mine for a little better deal than they list (boat show price) and I got free shipping too.

If you decide to get one PM me. I can tell you about the extra stuff you will need and some tips to make the job much easier.
 
Thanks. That's not to bad at all. First I need to get some new canvas done, then we will see where it falls on the wish list.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,186
Messages
1,428,173
Members
61,097
Latest member
Mdeluca407
Back
Top