installing an antenna on boat.

[Dan_o]

I am installing an 8' radio antenna on my boat. It is for a marine radio. I have a metal piece to attach it to my boat. It's the kind where you can loosen a knob and put the antenna up or down then tighten the knob back up. There is a flat piece that gets fastened to the boat somewhere.

My question is: Can I use SS sheet metal screws, or should I use small SS bolts to fasten it to my boat.

I was worried about the SS sheet metal scews pulling thru the aluminum of the boat where I would be mounting it, with the antenna whipping back and forth as I cruise along in the waves. Any input would be helpful. Thanks

 

[BaileysBoat]

Re: installing an antenna on boat.

Bolts if you can.

 

[boat1010]

Re: installing an antenna on boat.

I would also go with bolts and maybe a piece inside the boat to help so it doesn't pull the bolts through.

 

[Expidia]

Re: installing an antenna on boat.

Ya, I second the bolts and another piece of metal behind the aluminum. Lowes or Home Depot has a section where they sell many sizes of metal stock. The wind on an 8 foot antenna while you are at cruising speed can do a job on the thin aluminum. Cheap insurance to use a backing plate. I think I paid about $5 for a four foot length of metal stock that I'm sure I'll use the extra for future projects.

I'd use those self locking barrel nuts too (the ones with the plastic inserts in the threads) so the whipping and does not eventually loosen the mount up.

When I installed the almost 1/2 thick metal mounting plate (its about 10 inches by 10 inches) for my Canon downrigger I went as far as to spend another $25 and I bought a second mounting plate and I mounted the other plate underneath which sandwiched the deck in between. The matching plate made for easy bolt alignment and no having to drill through a 1/2 thick aluminum plate.

The materials they make stuff out of now a days is pretty cheaply made.

 

[ziggy]

Re: installing an antenna on boat.

i would think thru bolting would be in order too.

i didn't have a lot of room on my boat for a backing plate so ended up using ss bolts + ss fender washers backed by regular ss washers. then used ss nyloc nuts to tighten it down.

 

[slasmith1]

Re: installing an antenna on boat.

through bolt and don't forget to use the appropriate bedding compound (3m 4200).