[C320-list] GPS Antenna Installation

[bruceheyman at cox.net]

Quentin,
Are you sure that the base of the stanchon doesn't already have a hole in it?  I've always done the job you are doing by losening enough of the stanchon bases so the you can drill the hole from the top down.

I have not taken the pushpit apart but I do have the gate stanchon off now for replacement.  The brace tube has the same base plate that the pushpit has and it has a good sized hole almost the same as the inside diameter of the pipe.  

This afternoon I took a look at the area below deck under the two stanchons next to the ladder.  I don't see anything that could hold water.  However the tube could.  Perhaps you are drilling just to the side of the hole but were close enough to break the seal from the bedding compound and empty the tube.

We have hull 671 so they should be similar.

Bruce
Somerst 671 SoCal
Sent via BlackBerry from Cingular Wireless  

-----Original Message-----
From: "Quentin Murphy" <qmurphy at sympatico.ca>
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 2006 12:52:15 
To:"C320-List" <C320-List at catalina320.org>
Subject: [C320-list] GPS Antenna Installation

I'm installing a chart plotter on the pedestal and will be mounting the GPS
antenna on the pushpit starboard side of the ladder.  From inside the
starboard aft locker I'm able to get a drill to the underside of one of the
pushpit's "stations".  When I drilled through the fibreglass from the
underside about two shot-glasses of water came out which I found strange.
Anyway, past that point the going got extremely difficult and completely
dulled five titanium drill bits in no short order.  I then tried with a tiny
bit which has unfortunately broken off up in the hole which I cannot get
out. I presume I will have to abandon that hole now and try another route. I
would think I'm encountering problems because the stainless steel tube is
welded to the flat mounting bracket and there could be a big glob of wend in
there at the base.  I was also planning on using this route as a feed for
the starboard observation seat speaker as my boat is not prewired like later
models.  Can anyone tell me how you managed to drill through this very tough
material?

Quentin Murphy
Celtic Knot #667