Raymarine Ray215e, Owner'S Handbook Manual

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2-9 Installation
If the antenna RF connector is likely to be exposed to the marine
environment, a protective coating of grease (Dow Corning DC-4 or similar)
can be applied to the connector before connecting it to the radio. Any
other extensions or adapters in the cable run should also be protected by
silicon grease and then wrapped with a waterproofing tape.
2.4.5 Antenna Mounting Suggestions
The best radio in the world is useless without a quality antenna and good
location. Mounting the VHF antenna properly is very important because
it will directly affect the performance of your VHF radio. A VHF antenna
designed for marine vessels should be used.
• Since VHF transmission is essentially Line-of-Sight, mount the antenna
at the highest possible location on the vessel and free of obstruction to
obtain maximum range.
• If you must extend the length of the coaxial cable between the antenna
and the radio, use a coaxial cable designed for the least amount of power
loss over the entire cable length.
• Remember to maintain the recommended minimum 3 feet between the
radio and antenna.
2.4.6 Grounding
While special grounding is not generally required for VHF radiotelephone
installations, it is good marine practice to properly ground all electronic
equipment to the ship's earth ground system. The RAY215E can be
connected to ground by attaching a wire to one of the screws on the unit's
rear panel and then to the nearest ship's earth ground connection point.
The recommended wire to be used for such grounding is #10 AWG.