Radio Installation on Boat

[Oliner67]

Great advice has been given above.

I worked for about a decade for a company that used Motorola CDM-1250's, Vertex VX-3200/4200, Icom IC F-1020/2020, and now XPR4550 Trbo mobiles on vessels for pretty much the same use you describe. Some were mounted under the steering console, with glands for the mics and antenna penetrations. Others were mounted in boxes, those smoke tint front panel boxes work well. Others were left mounted exposed under the house roof, which rusted the metal cases, but took several years to do so.

For 1km range, we also had handheld Vertex Standard and Icom water resistant radios that allowed for commercial LMR frequencies and marine VHF use in the same radio. Vertex HX-370 was one model used. These radios can take some water spray, are handheld, and operate on VHF marine frequencies yet allow for the addition of some commercial VHF channels. You mentioned UHF use, so you would need another radio, or a VHF licence, but may be easier for your purpose.

Thanks for the reply. Much appreciated, will look into it.

 

[Oliner67]

Some final thoughts if you put the portable radios inside a weatherproof electrical box (a good idea), you have to consider how you turn on and off power to the now inaccessible radio.

For some radios it is simple, if the volume knob is set on, the radio will power on with battery voltage applied. But a lot of new radios have soft power switches which means either an internal modification or a mechanical means to press the power switch without causing a water intrusion. So choose wisely the radio.

Also you will need a battery eliminator of some sort because most modern radios run on 9 volts or lower. So this battery eliminator must also be switched off to save the starter battery, must filter out alternator noise as well. If you choose to run the radio and its own battery from a "charger", will the charger keep up with the battery drain, and will it start in charging mode reliably?

Thanks for the reply. Will be using a battery eliminator with any portables. Have had some issues with interference in the past, but nothing noticed by the untrained ears of staff (nothing mentioned to them by the trained ear, either!)

 

[Oliner67]

I'd actually look at mobiles. What comes to mind is something like the Simoco SDM610. Basic HHCH that's somewhat weather resistant but uses a standard RJ45 connector. The RF brick can be housed in a waterproof enclosure and weatherproof boots can be used to pass the control cable, speaker/power lines through.

Of course, there are may different ways to accomplish that using other manufacturers radios.

Thanks, will take a look into it.

 

[kb4mdz]

OP, any update on this?

And I stand corrected; it was in batboard that someone put a remoted CDM1250 in a couple of heavy duty plastic boxes

https://batboard.batlabs.com/viewtopic.php?t=94156