Best deck socket?

stuartwineberg

stuartwineberg

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 Oct 2007
Messages
1,813
Location
Romsey, Hants
Visit site
I need to deck mount a 2 pin socket to take a lead from solar panels. Needs to have a waterproof cap as the panels will be off while underway. I know some are a pita to wire up and others aren’t really waterproof. What do you suggest?
 
Good thought Minn, an appropriate index deck gland with a couple of small tails with MC4 connectors or trailing Bulgin plug and socket/ similar on will get rid of a deck plug and bring the connections up off the deck. Depends how often you'll be disconnecting really.
 
matthewriches said:
Good thought Minn, an appropriate index deck gland with a couple of small tails with MC4 connectors or trailing Bulgin plug and socket/ similar on will get rid of a deck plug and bring the connections up off the deck. Depends how often you'll be disconnecting really.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I did exactly that with all the connections - all nav lights, deck lights, VHF - on my ex boat - a 38ft gaff cutter - because they necessarily went up the shrouds not up the mast, so they had to pass through the covering board and were under water when well heeled on the wind. Everything lasted 20 years for me and the new owner tells me they have done another 5, so I reckon that is a fair testimonial.
 
matthewriches said:
Good thought Minn, an appropriate index deck gland with a couple of small tails with MC4 connectors or trailing Bulgin plug and socket/ similar on will get rid of a deck plug and bring the connections up off the deck. Depends how often you'll be disconnecting really.
Click to expand...

Seems to be a lot of votes for this. Why is it better than a deck socket?
 
I have just brought my new antenna cable through a deck gland all the way to the radio to avoid joins. When the mast needs to come down in the future I will cut the cable inside the boat and make the join inside where it is dry.
 
matthewriches said:
Good thought Minn, an appropriate index deck gland with a couple of small tails with MC4 connectors or trailing Bulgin plug and socket/ similar on will get rid of a deck plug and bring the connections up off the deck. Depends how often you'll be disconnecting really.
Click to expand...

stuartwineberg said:
Seems to be a lot of votes for this. Why is it better than a deck socket?
Click to expand...


If you use MC4 connectors can you water proof them when disconnected?

I am not sure I fancy the idea of a trailing Bulgin socket on the deck either even though it can be fitted with a sealing cap.

For your purposes, ie frequent connection and disconnection. I would stick to your original idea of a deck socket.

Ordinarily I would not use the type suggested by PR in #2, and have replaced those I did fit with Dri-plugs. The main problem is that the screw up retaining ring on the plugs becomes corroded and difficult to undo but this should not be a problem if undone/ done up frequently esp if greased lightly.
I would look at Bulgin deck sockets these days as the Dri Plugs seem to have gone out of fashion and may not be as readily available was they once were but for your purposes with regular use Id be happy with those PR suggests
 
stuartwineberg said:
Seems to be a lot of votes for this. Why is it better than a deck socket?
Click to expand...

For the purpose you describe in post #1 MC4 connectors are unsuitable. They are designed to be semi permanent, rather than being connected/reconnected every time you go out.

Deck glands are good for installing the odd cable through the deck, such as the antenna cable described by Tam Lin. If there were several cables i'd suggest a swan neck to be a better method than deck glands or deck sockets, again with any joins that allow mast removal to be below decks.

For something that you want to unplug/reconnect every trip i don't think you'll beat a simple deck socket, fitted out of the way of course. These have been around for many decades, they don't leak, they are simple to connect and they have waterproof caps for when the plug isn't in place. A little silicon grease will ensure they stay corrosion free, watertight and easy to undo.

Nothing wrong with the Bulgin plug and deck socket Minn linked to, although it's double the price of the ASAP ones.
 
I would not have an ASAP style fitting on my boat in a purple fit.... two words come to mind... cheap... nasty ...

I use a Bulgin style plug/socket combo with my AquaAerogen arrangement... they don't flop around on the deck.. they are 'cable tied' to the taffrail..

Through the deck I use 'Index' fittings... https://www.indexmarine.com/products/waterproof-glands/

Use them for everything from outside to inside ... radar... vhf... hf ... lights ... solar....

Worked OK so far... over a cupla miles....
 
stuartwineberg said:
Seems to be a lot of votes for this. Why is it better than a deck socket?
Click to expand...
A lot of experience with "waterproof" deck sockets I guess.

I agree with them. When the boat had "waterproof" sockets it was very hard to get both them and the cable entry totally waterproof so over time a little water got in and corrosion was the result. Replacing them with waterproof deck glands and that is not a problem - even if a little water does get in it goes no where near the sensitive parts.

The only exceptions are things that have to be undone regularly (e.g. my autohelm) when I have to rely on waterproof connectors, but try to mount them in sheltered parts of the boat and the cable part (the weaker part in my experience) stays dry when not in use
 
The best... by far!

I have an electric griddle to go on the flybridge once I’ve finished laminating the cupboard to hold it in. Will be using one of these to go into the flybridge arch and down to the distro board.

Frank Holden said:
I would not have an ASAP style fitting on my boat in a purple fit.... two words come to mind... cheap... nasty ...

Through the deck I use 'Index' fittings... https://www.indexmarine.com/products/waterproof-glands/

Use them for everything from outside to inside ... radar... vhf... hf ... lights ... solar....

Worked OK so far... over a cupla miles....
Click to expand...




Of course if you have to make the joins above deck then I’d be wanting the best I can get. If you can join below decks then as already mentioned, the umbrella handle through deck is a sensible choice.
 
I've never had problems with sockets but the ones metal from asap (and elsewhere) have fiddly screws that are prone to corrosion. So I would you the Bulgin ones that are better made. I've taken to using butyl tape to seal to the deck as it doesn't grip so tenaciously but still seals well.
stuartwineberg said:
Seems to be a lot of votes for this. Why is it better than a deck socket?
Click to expand...
 
I have always used a combination of deck glands and deck plugs, depending upon what the cable is used for or if I may with some form of regularity need to disconnect.
Nav lights on pushpin and pulpit are wired through deck glands, as are the cables for Navtex and AIS aerials which are on more or less permanent mountings. Masthead nav lights, vhf aerial, wind speed/direction and mast mounted steaming/deck light are all on deck plugs at base of mast, I like to drop my mast at least every two years to check on condition of standing rigging etc. so find it easier and just as reliable to use deck plugs, I don’t like cutting and re-joining wires ((especially vhf) if it can be avoided.
Re the solar panel, if it’s loose and is ‘put away’ when sailing I don’t see any problem in using a Bulgin type socket which you connect and disconnect, after all most of probably do exactly that with our tiller pilots and similar kit without any problems. If the solar panel is fixed in position with no need to move it or it’s cable then use a deck gland.
 
that was the advice from the rigger who just renewed my boats rigging. i had installed two new vhf deck plugs but will change them again to standard deck glands and connect inside
 
I also only use Dri-Plugs for deck connections - the ones as mentioned from ASAP are, in my opinion, rubbish...(well, may be ok for some but in my experience the Dri-plugs are superior. Just my experience and opinion of course!
It is also better, where possible, to run cables through a deck gland and have a connection inside.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top