VHF Antenna

[David Desforges]

Hi all. We recently purchased Hull #18 and will be stepping the mast and loading her on a truck on the 23rd to ship back to Nashville if all goes well. The boat came with an aluminum Atlantic Towers Arch that I do not need (anyone interested in buying it?). The VHF antenna is mounted on to of the arch and I'd like to mount it to the top of the mast.

Has anyone else done this?

Whit is the conduit run like inside the mast step? Anyone have any pictures?

David Desforges

[Frank Chopin]

Hi everyone, was interested to install a class B transponder, either the Raymarine AIS700 or the EM-Track 953.  In Canada, there is a huge difference in price $1600 vs $1200.  

Does anyone have experience with installing the em track 953? It has its own internal gps and I am concerned about signal quality when mounted in the cubby next to the nav table. 

Many thanks for any advice.

Frank Chopin 

SV Isabella 

Hull #132

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[Jon Vez]

Congratulations!

These photos may be of some help. I took them during the commissioning process ((Solstice #17)

Sent from my iPad

[Kenneth Oates]

Hello Frank,

Not exactly the same, but we installed a SI-TEX Metadata MDA-5 Class B AIS last season.

The box with the internal antenna was installed above the drawers between the nav desk and the head (where the VHF is installed, at least for us).  With just the internal antenna we got barely adequate signal.  By placing the remote antenna in the cabinet next to the circuit panel above the nav table (in my boat that’s where the breaker for the windlass, the battery and tank monitors are mounted, and I have previously placed the MPPT for my solar array in this dead space) we added a couple of satellites and significant signal strength.  This position allows you to put the antenna just below the decking on the port side with a minimal wire pull—I didn’t even need a fish stick, I just threaded the wire down by hand.

Hope that helps,

Ken Oates

Kshanti, Hull #151

oat...@gmail.com

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[Frank Chopin]

Hi Ken

Many thanks for this. The QOS was my big concern. So maybe the Raymarine with the separate antenna deck mounted might be the way to go. It comes with a 10m cable. 

Again many thanks.

Frank

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[Kenneth Oates]

Frank,

Just a thought, I don’t know what the Raymarine antenna wire looks like, but the one on mine was a coax cable with a fairly sizable fitting on the end.  I wasn’t keen on drilling another hole with another gland to put this through, and the GPS antenna for the chart plotter is way around in the starboard transom lazarette, which is quite a wire pull through the head and the cockpit locker, around the gas locker and the steering mechanism.  The internal mount just below the deck gave excellent signal strength and was way easier to do.  The Raymarine GPS antenna for the chart plotter is also under the fiberglass, so not sure being “inside” is much of a problem.  I think the difference is mainly due to the antenna being better than the internal one in the box.

Just my two cents, good luck.

Ken Oates

oat...@gmail.com

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[Frank Chopin]

Thanks Ken 

You're right. I think you're right. An underdeck mounting shouldn't be a problem for signal. 

Best

Frank

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[David Desforges]

Thank you Jon, those photos are a huge help!

David

[bill pittore]

There is a Selden document that discusses this. Not sure what your mast section type is but mine on #77 is F228. It is part of the serial number in your list of equipment that you might have or you can read it at the base of the mast where it’s etched into the metal. Don’t know if these conduits actually exist in the mast but I know that there is another conduit that goes from an access hole at the front of the mast just above the steaming light and it runs down the front of the inside of the mast. I ran my radar wires down that conduit.

Here’s the Selden doc.

Bill

[bill pittore]

I would get the em-trak B954 (not the 953) which has wifi capability. My older Vesper XB8000 has wifi and it makes it really easy to get the AIS data onto my Navionics app running on my phone and iPad. Can’t speak to the antenna question as I have an external GPS antenna mounted on the solar arch.

Bill

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[Jerry Harris]

Frank,

We have hull 140 and have a Raymarine AIS700. It was added by a marine electrician while the boat was in Annapolis. The GPS antenna is in the space in the head cabinet above the toilet. It generally works well, but we do periodically (about once or twice a day) have signal drops. It isn’t a big deal to us, particularly now. We moved to Holland MI and there are very few boats with AIS. Other than the signal drops, the AIS is well integrated into the system. A local marina was even able to track our progress up Lake Michigan when we were transiting for service.

Jerry Harris

On Feb 12, 2026, at 14:50, Frank Chopin <chopin...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Andrew Wild]

Hi, we have hull 114 in Australia, we fitted the Raymarine 700, connected it to the existing mast top VHF Ariel via a splitter

Works perfectly and never lost signal

Fair Winds

Andrew & Karen

Wildlife

0418713228

~~~_/)~~~_/)~~~_/)~~

On 13 Feb 2026, at 11:39 am, Jerry Harris <gerald....@gmail.com> wrote:



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[David Desforges]

Thanks for the Selden Doc Bill!