This was the weekend to open up the flybridge steering console and see what was going on with that tangle of wires and connectors. We needed to add the radar power and antenna cables and connect the chartplotter's GPS output to the radar's GPS input. We simply couldn't tack on more wiring to the mess that we found under the bridge console. So, we did some surgery. Almost all of what we cut out was unused, apparently the function of adding accessories over the years and not taking out the associated wiring. The photo shows some of the junk we took out, not including 6 feet of 16-2 marine cable that was coiled up behind the console and was used to connect the horn button on the lower station with the one on the bridge. That cable was shortened and mounted neatly under the console. We also provided wiring for the horn air compressor. That will go in next weekend. Air horns rule, especially if you have ever owned the winpy electric horns.
When we finished, everything including the radar, worked, so we haven't lost our touch.
Next we'll have to drag some antenna cables from the flybridge down to the lower steering station, where we'll install a second VHF radio and an AM-FM-CD player. This area, shown in the photo, has a nice little storage area to the right of the steering station that was probably intended for charts. The previous owner used a sazs-all to cut holes in the bulkhead to mount a bilge sniffer and some other piece of equipment. We've made an attractive mahogany face plate to cover the old holes. In that, we'll mount a the VHF radio and the AM-FM-CD player. We test-fitted it this weekend and it fits perfectly. The VHF marine radio we'll use was on the boat when we bought it and the AM-FM-CD player is on its way via an Ebay seller.
Having some trouble finding a place to mount the radar display, since there isn't room for it on the top of the bridge console that doesn't obstruct our line of sight. We have an idea for that, however, but it may take some digging to make it happen.
Air horns rule. Perhaps you can defray the cost of the horn by taking the extraneous wire to a scrap yard?
ReplyDeleteAnnie,
ReplyDeleteAnd your humor fractures!
I asked Bill to install the old air horn on my car, for use when driving on I91 (CT version of the autobahn...). He said he wouldn't visit me in the slammer.