Cockpit vhf radio extension

Many thanks -Julian ISOTOPE H312

I don't have a stationary VHF, but I have a garmin 315i black box VHF incoming, so I face the same dilemma as you.

I almost never use the chart table - it is almost a waste of space. For me it doesn't make sense, to have a VHF there.

When the box arrives, I'll have to see about cable lengths and so on. But my initial favourite is to place the cable exit above the companionway with the rest of the instruments, marked "1". The handset cradle I would place the same place, and maybe have a rubber thingy to let it dangle from the sprayhood "3" when in an area where communication is used, to bring it closer to the tiller. It might interfere with the port side winch, but after the genakker is hoisted, I rarely use the winch.

With "1" I have to remove the handset when leaving the boat, which is doable but somewhat annoying.

Alternatively, I might place the handset around "2", but I fear, that someone might bump into it during sailing in animated weather. 

I can leave the handset in all the time.

I don't fancy having instruments on the bulkheads.

Routing cable to cockpit (h445) was a challenge made slightly difficult by interconnecting cable connectors and cable being ~1m too short! To aid installation, we cut cable roughly in the middle so any joint would fall in the aft cabin. This allowed cable to be routed from each end without hinderance of the connectors. We then jointed the cable which consisted ~6-8 small wires plus a small screened audio cable so we used a length of 8-core screen signal cable plus a single screened audio cable, all soldered and neatly heatshrinked. If you are reasonably confident with a soldering iron, don't to shy of cutting the cable.

Cheers.

We regularly do passages of two nights plus, sometimes with family/friend aboard and ditched the wireless for wired. Three reasons:-

(1) The battery lasts 24-hours at best ... frequently found it dead battery. There is no shelter at our helm positions for charging cradle.

(2) The thing kept going missing. Often in the off-duty crew's jacket, maybe in galley next to kettle or even in the head.

(3) They are vulnerable ... and very expensive to repair or replace. Ours was damaged by lazorette lid.

It's a nice idea and very sexy in our wireless world ... but it's a valuable piece of safety kit and we couldn't rely on it. For other scenarios like day-sailing or with more disciplined crew, it probably works very well.

I'm a believer that VHF should ideally be accessible by helmsman/helmswoman. Some watches, he/she may be only person awake and the boat is managed from helm. 

Our boat is not a 312 so wheel/binnacle/instruments may be different. The wired handset plug/socket is mounted below chartplotter in central binnacle where cable is long enough to reach either helm position. Routing cable did take a couple of hours.

Cheers.