Cost of VHF and plotter fitting please?

[sonicoid]

Hi
Has anyone got a ball park figure for fitting a fixed radio and a fixed GPS unit into a console with no previous wiring or holes?
Thanks

[Chanchan168]

Do it yourself, it’s fairly straightforward.

All plotters and vhfs come with templates for cutting out and measuring. If it’s an older unit, you can either measure and cut or find a template online.

Use masking tape to ensure you don’t scratch the gel coat if you slip. Drill a hole in one corner, big enough to fit a jigsaw blade and the cut out the template. Simples.

To wire them up, just find a common ground and then run each positive wire to your fuse board. If you haven’t got a fuse board, make sure each unit is fused inline and run them to a common positive terminal.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Yer DIY if not talk to Jason at central marine services in Ilkeston

[Bucksribster]

You might need to connect the plotter to the VHF if it is a DSC unit

[Pikey Dave]

Are you running cables around the boat for VHF, GPS antennae etc? That will take as long as cutting the holes in the console. Especially if you have to start drilling holes for mounting etc. It would probably take me a weekend to do it properly with tidy wiring, heat shrink terminals etc. At marine engineer rates that would be around the £500 mark.

[sonicoid]

Thanks for all the replies and the DIY advice. I drilled a whole in the bathroom and it leaked for a week so me, power tools and a boat wont be a good cocktail!! I am wanting to pay a professional to get it right. Now I'm clear what they should be expected to do. Is £500 the general view on a rough cost for this installation?

[Tim M]

Probably not far off. 10 hours at £50/hr. as stated - a decent days work if doing it from scratch with no other power in the console, running cables can be time consuming if you want it done properly (if you have an aframe holes might need to be drilled and the cables run through the tube for the antenna etc). If you don’t have a fuse / distribution board then those will also need to be supplied - if he uses decent stuff (Blue sea) that could add another £100 to the bill to include cabling etc as required.

[jeffstevens763@g]

i spoke to central marine services [walter] if your supplying everything cables etc around £300 off top of his head which is very fair i would give him a call to nail him down

[sonicoid]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

i spoke to central marine services [walter] if your supplying everything cables etc around £300 off top of his head which is very fair i would give him a call to nail him down

Thanks very helpful.

Thanks everyone for the replies. It will be money well spent.

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Are you running cables around the boat for VHF, GPS antennae etc? That will take as long as cutting the holes in the console. Especially if you have to start drilling holes for mounting etc. It would probably take me a weekend to do it properly with tidy wiring, heat shrink terminals etc. At marine engineer rates that would be around the £500 mark.

A weekend …………. Get a move on for Pity's sake

One day is plenty of time

[willk]

Originally Posted by Bigplumbs

A weekend …………. Get a move on for Pity's sake

One day is plenty of time

Remember Rule#2 Dave!

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by willk

Remember Rule#2 Dave!

Why? Did someone say something, I thought it was a weasel farting[emoji57]

[GuyC]

Originally Posted by Chanchan168

Do it yourself, it’s fairly straightforward

With a virgin console I'd spend at least a week prevaricating as to where to put the bloody things. By then I'd have done enough research to work out I should have bought a different plotter. It's all part of the fun though.

£500 / a couple of days doesn't sound unreasonable.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by GuyC

With a virgin console I'd spend at least a week prevaricating as to where to put the bloody things. By then I'd have done enough research to work out I should have bought a different plotter. It's all part of the fun though.



£500 / a couple of days doesn't sound unreasonable.

Yup[emoji106] when I rigged BP, I cut out templates for all the bits & stuck them on the console, positioned the seats, helm etc. & spent hours juggling them around until I was happy. You then have to check clearances behind the console to ensure you have the depth to include the cable plugs etc. There’s a lot of work before you sump in with the Fein.

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Yup[emoji106] when I rigged BP, I cut out templates for all the bits & stuck them on the console, positioned the seats, helm etc. & spent hours juggling them around until I was happy. You then have to check clearances behind the console to ensure you have the depth to include the cable plugs etc. There’s a lot of work before you sump in with the Fein.

Yea and if like me wish you'd put it half inch the other way first time out boats do your head in but it's fun though boys and toys

[willk]

I have found my Tribe!

At that point, the console hadn't been moulded, but it worked out pretty close.

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by willk

Remember Rule#2 Dave!

No I am not arguing with him

[smallribber]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

Why? Did someone say something, I thought it was a weasel farting[emoji57]

Which of course would have been audible not written. Be careful you don't argue with your self...… That would mean 2 under rule 2

[GuyC]

Originally Posted by Bigplumbs

Which of course would have been audible not written. Be careful you don't argue with your self...… That would mean 2 under rule 2

Is someone trip trapping over your bridge?

[willk]

Originally Posted by GuyC

Is someone trip trapping over your bridge?

trump-trump-trump he went....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsLbJ9w3ZMs