1/8/2007
I applied fiberglass tape along the sides where they are next to the Plexiglas bubble. This is to allow the skirt to rest flush since I am not going able to pull the fiberglass in with rivets and screws. I again trimmed more material away from F-821PP.
Not related to the finish kit but today I received more BNC connectors. I put a connector on the end of my GPS cable and plugged in the antenna and it didn't work. Not surprising since it is inside my garage under a 2 story house. Even so, I decided to do a continuity check and found the cable to be shorted. I loped off the end near the GPS and checked it and found the short to be in the BNC connector. I didn't have a clue how to attach BNC connectors when I first started doing it. I then checked my NAV cable and found a short in it too. Again, the short was in the BNC connector next to the radio. I replaced both of them. Something I have learned through trial and error: the ferrule needs to click into position. Another lesson: all strands in the center conductor need to be in the ferrule before crimpling. I know this sounds obvious but it is a tight fit and it is easy to have one loose and unnoticed wire.
I put a BNC connector at the antenna end of the NAV cable, plugged it into the GPS port in the '430 and the other end into the GPS antenna. I did this because this cable is very long. I placed the antenna outside on my wall air conditioner and amazingly it worked.