I’m in the process of installing and testing the Maritech Virtual Lifeline, a man-overboard alarm and engine shut-off device. Except for one element, installation has been incredibly easy. I’ll discuss the entire procedure in more detail later.
Today want to demonstrate how I solved the difficult problem: mounting the supplied antenna. Let’s cut right to the chase, shall we? Here’s the solution:
The clever part is that angled piece of white plastic, which became necessary because of the available mounting surfaces on Two Lucky Fish, my C-Dory 22.
I want to mount this little antenna where it will have a clear line-of-sight aft (since that’s where most overboard victims are expected to end up), and I would rather drill tiny holes in vertical, uncored fiberglass than one large hole in a horizontal, balsa-cored surface.
I’ve selected the spot, right aft on the motor-well side of one of the lazarettes.
As I will describe later, the Virtual Lifeline came with almost everything I needed to install it. If only I had a piece of plastic, aluminum, or stainless steel bent into a simple angle, with some holes drilled in it…
Obviously, this isn’t rocket science here. But I couldn’t find an off-the-shelf mount to do what I wanted. Not for less than about $30, anyway. Overkill! So I says to myself “Self, you can prob’ly just make the dang thing.”
See, I enjoy solving problems like this. “Better living through cheesy fabrication!” is my motto. Or it should be. Here are some of the tools I used:
The heat-gun allowed me to bend the material, which was some scrap I bought at TAP Plastic a few years ago. I’m not even sure what it is, but it’s probably some form of Polyoxymethylene: Glue and paint don’t stick very well to it.
The miniature table saw—a tool I got for model building—allowed me cut the bracket to shape. The 7/8″ spade bit cut the hole for the antenna.
And presto! Well, andante, anyway…
I plan to mount it with some sort of stainless bailing wire, if there is such a thing. Bailing wire, it seems to me, is an ideal semi-permanent mounting option for something this small. It allows me to drill very small holes, and if I decide the antenna needs to be mounted elsewhere later, I’ll have just four tiny holes to fill.
But is there such a thing as stainless bailing wire? That is the question!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Stainless bailing wire – Yes. You should have a piece of it around the shackle of your anchor to keep the pin from backing out.
As for your mount – I love it! I have done something similar for my homemade high power WiFi antenna. At any hardware store that has a good size pluming department they sell a PVC piece that looks like a T connector with the long side of the T about 1/4 of the wall of the long side of the T removed. This allows it to be pressed over a rail and will hold on quite nicely. The short side of the T is threaded so you can take any PVC or other mount. You can screw your antenna into the threaded portion (for a horizonal rale) or use another PVC threaded 90 degree for a vertical rail. It allows the antenna to be snapped onto the rail and removed easily. I use it for WiFi and plan on using it for my new AIS antenna.
Stainless bailing wire? 304, 316, or 400? Take your pick:
http://www.clamptitetools.com/
They sell the wire for use with their clamp making tool (which works very well – I picked one up last year) but their eCommerce site offers small spools of the wire as well.
“I’ve selected the spot, right aft on the motor-well side of one of the lazarettes.” Wire is a great idea because after you lose your first big fish by having this mount cut your line it will be easy to remove. Dont you have a radar arch. If not heres a good reason to buy one. Also if you dont add smiley faces to this site how will you be able to tell I’m smileing