antena replacement

[saltshaker28]

Has anyone replaced their antena on a 28 te and if so how hard wasit to snake the wire to the area behind the gauges ?

[Yearwood]

I have snaked cables around for GPS, fish finder, vhf speakers, anchor windlass, head, etc. and it is not tough. Gauge panel is accessible through the "medicine cabinet", side panels come off, etc.

[Rx-scape]

I have replaced my antenna, the bundle of wires through the overhead above the helm is tight. My radio is overhead above the helm i could get a fishing tool through the tube but when the wires were installed there are cable ties down inside the tube. I would have pulled the new wire through using the old wire but could not get it to move due to being tied together with all the other wires. There was not enough room for another wire without removing the original, even then the connector would not go through. I ended up using the original wire to the back panel and splice into the new wire on the antenna. Using PL259 connecters and a double female connector there is very little loss of power over no splice.
Each Albin is different but it would be easy to run the wire down and under the deck to behind the
gauges if the radio is in that area.

[Rx-scape]

The top white wire is the radio lower is radar the splice in this area should stay dry but I used wet suit glue and waterproof tape over the splice and left a loop so and water running down the wire would not wet the splice. I did not get an after picture.

[saltshaker28]

Thanks for the info

[Serenity]

The VHF antenna cable is not a problem however, you might have to cut the cable and re-splice the 259 connector. The one thing I found useful is a fiber glass snake. Harbor Freight sells them at very reasonable prices. The snake works great in the radar arch tube and running cables to the forward part of the boat.

[saltshaker28]

The metal snakes are no good?

[Serenity]

Metal snakes are great for empty conduits, long runs and 600 volt cables. Fiber glass snakes are more flexible and won't pinch, cut the insulation on cables normally installed on boats. They are a lot easier to pull through. It you come in contact with a live circuit or hit a buss by mistake there will be no continuity. Big advantage, easier to roll up and no rust. I also use a short piece (3-4 feet) of a fresh water fishing rod with the guides removed to snake a wire for a short distance when I do not require the flexibility of a snake.
Personally, I don't like working with metal on live circuits, 12vdc or120 plus ac.

[saltshaker28]

I agree makes alot of sence to me I did not think about the live circuits

[saltshaker28]

Serenity I took the starboard panel off today to see how hard it would be to snake the new antena wire does not look to bad but there is a bondiig wire in there and it is not connected to anything do you know where this wire should be connected?

[Chris & Dale]

I just did mine about 2 weeks ago. I cut the cable and pulled it back outside some to give me some working room. I opened and peel back the jacket of the old one to expose about an inch of the center cable. Make sure you take a close look at where the cable will feed into the radar arch to make sure you route the cable correctly from the new antenna BEFORE splicing to the old one. (I didn't and it was a mess to redo after I'd fed it down into the pilot house.) I then twisted the 2 inner cables together tight, used several strips of electrical tape long ways from one cable to the other, and then wrapped electrical tape around the cables a good 2" each side of the splice. The strength is in the cable twist connection, with the tape preventing strain on that joint. I was then able to slowly feed and pull the old and new spliced cable thru to the bathroom medicine cabinet area. Your biggest challenge will be that distance if it's been tie-wrapped where you can't reach it from the back panel of the dash. My cable ran underneath the ledge that has the throttle assembly. I was blessed that the one tie wrap holding that cable into another bundle wasn't real tight and I could reach it when the taped splice got there and worked it through. Once beyond that it was smooth sailing. You will be removing I'd estimate a good 3' of the new cable. Follow the antenna instructions for installing the connection and you're done. If it hadn't been for my mistake outside splicing the 2 cables, I'd say the whole job didn't take 3 hours. I apologize for not taking pictures like I normally do, but it really wasn't bad. Next is the radio replacement. Good Luck!

[saltshaker28]

Thanks very informitive what antenna did you replace the old one with and do you have a bonding (green) wire in the area where you took the starboard panel off?

[Serenity]

Saltshaker, what color is the wire and is it coming from the overhead channel that leads to the forward part of the helm. I pulled off one of those covers on the overhead and there were a black and white that were open, the pink wire was hot, and the purple and yellow were grounded. These five wires wound up behind the instruments at the helm station.

[saltshaker28]

this is a green bonding (ground) wire that comes out fo the bildge and it is right behind the starboard window you see it when you take the panel cover off

[Chris & Dale]

Saltshaker28...It was a Galaxy 5225-XP, 8'.