Installing New VHF & Antenna on 18' Sea Ray - Where to Put Them?

[mgmidget72]

Hi,

I recently bought a Standard Horizon GX1150 VHF radio and a Shakespeare 5206 antenna with a ratchet base for my 1999 Sea Ray 180 bowrider. I'm looking for some ideas about where to put them.

I'd like to flush mount the radio just to the left of the steering wheel (shown in attachment). There's a nice flat spot there with nothing behind it. I know it's partly blocked by the wheel, but I don't need to be continuously watching it. However, the fiberglass is thicker and reinforced on either side of where the steering wheel mounts. That reinforcement ends about in the middle of where I'd like to put the radio. I'm sure it's reinforced for a reason, so I'm very cautious about cutting through it. Anyone else with the same or similar boat mount a radio here?

About the antenna, my first thought was to put it on the right side of the boat, just forward enough that it wouldn't hang off the back and so it could be reached from the steering wheel. This puts the antenna pretty close to the radio though, and the manual says to keep it minimum 1 meter from the radio. If I go far enough forward, then I start getting into the curved area of the bow. So I'm thinking to mount it on the side, near the back, and fold it forward when not in use. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Scott

 

[blaster]

I drilled a hole in that spot for my depthfinder when I had a 180 br and never had any problems or cracking. I don't know about a larger hole but I think it would be ok. I have a handheld VHF but I saw a 180 recently with a fiberglass antenae mounted on the starboard side as you described but I didn't see where the radio was mounted.

 

[mgmidget72]

blaster - when you drilled through the reinforcement, was it just thicker glass or was there wood in there? what year was your boat?

thanks

 

[blaster]

Mine was a 2001. Where I put the hole it was just fiberglass. I taped the area and used a holesaw. I imagine a cutout for a radio will be a little more involved.

 

[Mikeyf]

I had a similar dilema to you as I've got the 175sp. With almost exactly the same dash. In the end I decided to make some stand-off brackets and mount it in the starboard pocket just by my knee. If I get a chance tomorrow i'll take a pic. I've also decided to mount the antenna off the bimi cover pole. All works very well.

 

[cbjr]

I have the 195 and was going through the same dilema as well. I ended up hanging the radio below the dash to the right of the steering wheel and mounted a Shakespear 5226 antenna on the left side in front of the left front corner of the engine cover and seat. Granted you cannot get to it from the helm but it works well and I ran the cable under the hood so I didn't have to drill a hold for the antenna wire. I put it on the left side because the rear navigation light is on the right side and I didn't want to clutter up the gunwale in that area.