Radio antenna situation...

[QT1]

To make a long story short, AM/FM antenna was broken by high winds and cover during the off season. installed new nylon mount and new antenna. What I dont want to do is run the wire the entire length over and under to get to the radio. Was considering a splice since the original is right there in the radar arch. Any thoughts?

 

[Stee6043]

I believe they sell nifty connector/splice kits at West Marine to splice VHF coax. I've seen 'em though I've never done one myself...

 

[QT1]

Yes they have them, but this is not a vhf antenna, an AM/FM radio antenna. If Radio Shack was still around, Im sure they would have something to make this easy!

 

[be_prepared]

You could put a new connector on what's left of the old cable, and then connect it to the new antenna directly, or with a barrel connector to the new antenna cable if it's hard wired to the assembly. Unfortunately, you lose signal strength with every connection in the line.

As an alternative, you might be able to use the old antenna cable like a snake to pull the new one through your radar arch and down to the stereo. (Unless they were too good with the cable ties along the route.)

 

[QT1]

I looked at it in depth yesterday and I think I'm going to run the line down through the radar arch. Thanks

 

[Tim Lanham]

I just ran an HD TV antenna from the arch to the cabin. WOW what a pain in the butt. I have a small trick. I took a piece of coax cable and taped an openend wire coat hanger on it for support. Then tied a string to the tip. So i had a little control when it would hit a wire tie or something. I could pull the string and this would move the tip over the obstacle then i could push the stiff coax and got it where it had to go.

 

[QT1]

Was at the marina yesterday and finally got my wire ran for the new VHF antenna through the arch to the helm. There is a spot under the arch on the port side that I can poke through to start the run on the radio antenna. Off work on Tuesdays, that's the next day to start again on that project.