How-to Install Marine VHF Radio with PL-259 Connector & VHF Antenna

How-to Install Marine VHF Radio with PL-259 Connector & VHF Antenna
we did this on the Tahoe 25ft center console Tritoon we own and love it, added safety and great weather channel reception
/ farminghomesteadingfamily
/ rmspeltz

[@michaelburgett5007]

Now here's a guy that knows how to produce an excellent instructional video, straight up to the point without a lot of blah blah

[@davidrempel8897]

If its any comfort, replacing my antennae took me 2 1/2 hours when I though it would only be 30 minutes. The things one discovers when the last person who put it together never gave a thought to taking it apart again. Thanks, your placement of the PL259 was the missing link for me.

[@KennyFishbone]

Good job slowing down and rethinking the antenna connection that looked wrong...thats usually where it fails. Good thing you recognized it and did the right thing

[@user-we2qc8lh5h]

One addendum- if you chose BNC connectors get the 50 ohm version (they're also available in 75 ohm mainly fot CCTV applications)

[@user-we2qc8lh5h]

I feel your frustration with PL-259's. They're basically used in applications about 170 MHz and below due to their poor impedance matching at higher frequencies. I used to sell these things to mainly CBers, Hams and Marine VHF applications, my advice to those looking is if you want to attempt this pick up the better PL259's with the Teflon insulators as the others tend to melt with the high heat needed to solder the braid. Better bet if your going to be installing a few adapt these dopey connectors to BNC's and pick up the correct crimpers for the BNC's as long as your not exceeding about 100 W.

[@bobshearer7345]

One of the best illustrated & narrated install videos out there on radio installations!!! I’m a fan! Thanks

[@robertboardman100]

Brilliant clear not rushed and no music thanks !

[@ralph9987]

You really need to heat things up alot more than what you did. That's why the solder didn't flow properly to give the correct connection. If you have already, I suggest you heat those connections up again to get rid of the blobs and let is flow.

[@seeharvester]

He's a farmer, not an electronics tech! (read like Dr. McCoy to Capt. Kirk) :) But seriously, I came down here to say the same thing. Horrible soldering job. No offense. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4avfpWnhp5_gJo

[@FaithisKey792]

Greatest video. Very thoroughly narrated. God bless.

[@snakeeyes4424]

Great install I had done this a number of times and always comes off but yours looks really good I like soldering the main cable...I will try it....thank you for sharing

[@zaccarrigan]

Great video. Thanks for uploading!

[@billwaterhouse5894]

Great video, thank you.

[@joshking3295]

long winded as most American narrated videos are, but very helpfull

[@Dmnazdaq]

Nicely done. Very descriptive. How long is your antenna- 4’? How did you know to solder the wire to connector?

[@cornishplanthunters4768]

Thanks mate

[@davidfraser4830]

Looks slick. Thanks

[@paulblanke3581]

What about the annoying alarms that force you to buy an MMSI number and then the annoying Alam that forces you to buy a gps antenna?

[@hfd1153]

I was thinking the same thing

[@Multigarve]

In most radios you can check the manual and you can turn those alarms off for GPS and for the MMSI aswell.

[@donbrloks3959]

Ive checked the manual with no help. If you know how, lease let me know.

[@Dmnazdaq]

I bought this same radio. Did you run a separate ground wire to the boat’s bus bar? It is not supplied but recommended to add. Place on the back of the radio for one.

[@boostburner]

Looking for product info and where you bought antenna wire and fittings

[@dekydhermawan7572]

Nice

[@darknomad911]

im trying to figure out a antenna install for my boat but told to make sure antenna is 1 metre above head height to avoid rf issues does this matter?

[@boostburner]

Do you have a link for the antenna or where di you buy it

[@geneanthes]

I'm also curious about the GPS issue. I have the GX1400 that I bought from westmarine but it doesn't have an input for a GPS antennae and there's no way to turn off the alarm. Have you run into this issue? I'm thinking about taking it apart to see if there is an internal spot to solder my GPS antenna wires to.

[@paulblanke3581]

The gx1400 uses SCU-31 GPS antenna connected to the green and yellow wires of the radio. So ones I purchased the antenna, a gps coordinates was displayed and no more alarms.

[@lydiaknoblauch6897]

Is there a way to not plug gps in and make the alarm go away. The one that goes off every 10 minutes?

[@seeharvester]

Yes. First go to your nearby big box hardware store/home center and purchase a BFH. Then apply it to the radio. 🤨

[@chrisj.9129]

i have a pontoon boat and my dipole antenna has terrible fm and weather band reception. trying to figure out an external antenna to use rather than one under the dash... also what is that white round 6 inch plastic hole that unscrews to the left of the radio? my boat has that too below the dash

[@kd5you1]

Is your dipole antenna horizontal or vertical? If it is horizontal then your reception would be about 20 dB lower than if it was vertical. I'd also suggest mounting the external antenna as high as possible and as far away from people & other metal objects as possible.

[@captbill]

Chris, I believe that's just an inspection hatch. The fuse panel seems to be directly behind it, so this would give quick access to those fuses.

[@hondaturbo666]

Use solder paste man that soldering looks bad

[@seeharvester]

ditto

[@Anderson-wk9rv]

what type of radio is this?

[@joeross952]

What is the range?

[@RMSpeltzFarm]

Not really sure but I reach the farm via the lake 6 miles away

[@wombatillo]

I can't understand why the marine industry still uses PL-259 connectors and not even the better kind such as from Amphenol. The UHF connector is garbage from an RF engineering point of view and it is not moisture tight by any means. They could easily move to TNC or even N connectors and get so much better signal integrity and water tightness. Many of them can be assembled with rather basic crimp tools.

[@peterpace2463]

It’s NOT sorta, its solder!

[@BobChanter]

Dear god you talk a lot.