Where should i route coax for a VHF antenna on a T-top?

[PaisleyPC]

I’m trying to figure out the best way to mount a new VHF antenna on my center console’s T-top without causing interference or a weak signal. The metal frame and the existing wiring for the navigation lights have me a bit unsure about where to run the coaxial cable for a clean installation.

[Kyle23]

I did something similar last season. The metal frame and nav-light wiring made the area noisy. I kept the coax away from that bundle, used marine shielded coax, and ran the line along the T-top edge where the metal is thinner. Signal improved a bit, but in rough water it still wasn't great.

[Jeffrey_C]

I found the biggest gain was lifting the antenna a bit higher and away from any ground planes. I mounted on a small nonconductive spacer and ran the coax through a clean conduit, not along the light wiring.

[Robert65]

Do you really need to mount the antenna on the T-top at all, or could the real problem be something else?

[RyanOG]

A buddy tried a ferrite choke on the coax and swore the VHF audio chatter dropped.

[Jonathan88]

Grounding scares me; I kept the coax shield bonded at one point and avoided multiple ground paths.

[PaisleyBC]

I ended up using handheld checks to see if the signal was usable, which made me decide not to chase perfection this season.

[EthanNH]

One day I wandered off topic about the cushion color on the captain's chair, then remembered the path of the cable matters more than the color.