Stereo antenna

[MarkCK]

I am going to install a stereo in my boat and I was wondering what to do about an antenna. The stereo is a typical power boat/car type stereo where you are supposed to use an adaptor to wire it directly into the existing wiring. I plan on wiring it directly to my 12v house battery. Red/Yellow wire positive, black negetive etc.

My question is since I dont have an existing antenna to connect to what kind of antenna fabrication should I come up with?

[nereussailor]

I bought a regular auto antenna at an auto parts store and connected it to the stereo. Then I stuffed it up under the fiberglass headliner It works great, and you won't trip over it or see it.

Dave

[rodgerdodger]

Originally Posted by MarkCK

I am going to install a stereo in my boat and I was wondering what to do about an antenna. The stereo is a typical power boat/car type stereo where you are supposed to use an adaptor to wire it directly into the existing wiring. I plan on wiring it directly to my 12v house battery. Red/Yellow wire positive, black negetive etc.

My question is since I dont have an existing antenna to connect to what kind of antenna fabrication should I come up with?

I got one at west marine for about $10 that is just a cable and you can feed it up under the headliner. Very Convenient

[MarkCK]

Will I need any sort of connecting hardware? All there is is about ten inches of wire coming out of the back of the radio.

[hellosailor]

Yeah, what Dave did. Or you can get a wire coathanger, unfold it to about 36" long, and plug that into the center contact of the antenna socket if the back of the radio is someplace conveniently out of sight and touch.

Any generic car antenna, even one from a junkyard, should do you. Unless you're planning to listen to a lot of music from "far away", antenna height and placement won't be critical.

[MarkCK]

Never mind on the single black wire part. That was something else.

[MarkCK]

The radio is going to hidden back in a quarter berth so looks arent that big of a deal. I may try the coat hanger first but it if any auto antenna works this should be a lot easier than I originall thought.

[rodgerdodger]

Originally Posted by MarkCK

Will I need any sort of connecting hardware? All there is is about ten inches of wire coming out of the back of the radio.

It has the antanna connector on the end of the wire

[trantor12020]

markck, any car audio/stereo antenna would work. even a piece of wire would.

[Faster]

I took a piece of antenna extension cable (so I had a good fit at the antenna socket of the stereo) and stripped the other end and connected it to my shroud tie rod - we're using the entire rig as an antenna!