I bought a Standard Horizon Intrepid VHF and RAM microphone. Got a great deal on the radio, it is a refurbished model, but still has the full 3 yr warranty. From BoatersWorld.com (I dont work for them in any way). The radio was about $130, normally retails around $200. It is DSC capable and takes a GPS NMEA input.

I started by laying out all the tools and materials I thought I would need. I brought a cordless drill and screwdriver to make the work go quicker. (Make sure they are charged before you make that trip in the dinghy...)

Geting started

I made some wood blocks with plastic cable clips screwed into them, then used the epoxy to attach them under the bulkhead coaming up inside the starboard lazarette. I routed the RAM cable and my engine’s electric start/ battery charger cable thru the clips, no more tangling in the anchor line or boat hook!

I bought all stainless hardware at the local hardware store, cheaper than the local Marine retailers. The radio came with mounting bolts, but I cannot access behind its mounting location, so I got some screws. they will be going into balsa cored fiberglass.

Getting started 2

I decided to mount the radio to starboard just inside the companionway, near the electrical panel. There were holes in the fiberglass already where another radio or something had been. When I take the radio out (if I get a larger boat) I can repair all the holes together, and they are not visible from the cabin anyway. You can see there was a mic hanger there already by the electrical panel. The one you see is corroded, I replaced it with the new one.

Radio location

I decided to mount the RAM microphone through a deckplate that was already installed above the cockpit drain. I can still use the deckplate to get access to the cockpit drain tube, and when I remove the RAM mic I can just replace the deckplate for $10 and I won’t have a visible repair to do in the cockpit.

RAM mic location

To mount the radio I simply held it in place and got “approval” for the location from the Captain. I marked the screw holes with a pencil and drilled pilot holes almost as big as the body of the stainless steel screws I was using (as close as I could get it without being too big). That way the threads will still bite, but the screw won’t have to enlarge the hole, which could crack the gel coat. Here is the radio in its installed location.

Radio is installed

I have read that you can get radio interference from things like other electronics, battery charger, etc. I also read that you should install some things, like the radio and the GPS, directly to the battery. I bought and installed a bus bar terminal to keep the wiring neat at the battery.

Wiring

The RAM mic went in last. It came with about 30 ft of cable, which I routed through the cable clips in the lazarette. I coiled up excess cable against the bulkhead forward of the battery after I passed the head of the cable through to the cabin and connected it to the radio. I left a little slack at the aft end so I could get the deckplate unscrewed if I need to for access. The mic holder for the RAM mic is just tied off to the backstay. I may mount it instead of the cup holder, which is pretty brittle and sun-damaged anyway, or I may drill new holes and mount it pretty much where it is. The RAM mic is very convenient for use in the cockpit, it controls all of the radio functions except for the setup menu, and has a built-in speaker. Also provides intercom to the cabin.

RAM mic is installed