Antenna cable through the mast - some help please

[cmedsailor]

I have just bought a TV antenna and planning to install it soon. This requires passing the antenna cable through the mast from just above spreaders height, above the radar, and then through a little hole at the bottom of the mast (it’s a deck step boat). Any tricks in passing the antenna cable (it’s quite thick and not very flexible) through the mast and then “fishing” it through the hole at the mast base?
Thanks

 

[nigelmercier]

First drop a thin "mousing line" through, with a nut on the end; then tape it to the cable.

 

[geem]

We have recently had to do the same job. We had difficulty due to the number of existing cables in the same conduit. We used stiff fencing wire bent over at the end so no sharp bits and pushed it through. I then used a torch to locate the bent over end and hooked this with another piece of wire to pull it out through the hole at the bottom of the mast. The mast was off the boat whilst we did this job.

 

[Daydream believer]

If you do not have anything to push though a "nylon draw tape" from Wickes will do the trick
Code No 711858
Possibly get from screwfix or toolstation etc

 

[maby]

http://www.cef.co.uk/catalogue/products/1069432-super-mega-set-c-w-16-rods-accessories

Can't see a price, and these look expensive, but if you shop around you can find similar at less than a tenner a set. If your mast is high you may need two sets - they screw together like thin, flexible drain rods.

Don't try to pull the antenna cable through directly - use the rods to mouse a line through, then attach this to the cable (and another line) before pulling both through. Make the attachment of the line to the cable using a series of loops running along the cable for a few inches and taped onto it so that the line is well attached with nothing to catch against anything on the way down. Tape round the end of the cable and extend along the line for an inch or two to make sure that there is no step at the join to catch there either. Always pull a spare mousing line through when ever you use the previous one and tie it off both ends - you'll be really pleased you have the next time you need to get a cable through.

 

[Bobobolinsky]

I would seriously look at whether you need to mount a TV attenna at the top of the mast. I have a portable sat dish, sat solid at the side of the boat, £49 from Aldi including vacuum mount, 12v receiver and cable.
Others have scaff tubes attached to the walkons

 

[maby]

I would seriously look at whether you need to mount a TV attenna at the top of the mast. I have a portable sat dish, sat solid at the side of the boat, £49 from Aldi including vacuum mount, 12v receiver and cable.
Others have scaff tubes attached to the walkons

I've wondered about using a dish - certainly more channels to be had! I think it depends a lot on the nature of your boat and the locations where you moor. Any significant amount of movement and you will lose the picture - a large boat moored to a pontoon should be fine, but on a swinging mooring I would expect that you would be constantly having to repoint the dish.