Electrical connections exposed to salt spray.

[TQA]

My bow lights are mounted on plates on the pushpit and are connected to wires that emerge from the pushpit tube. The PO used a crimp and covered the joints with self amalgamating tape. It lasted a few years but has corroded away.

I could repeat the crimp but would soldering the wires be any better?

I think dipping the connector in liquid electrical tape has got to be better than self amalgamating tape.

Any other suggestions?

 

[lpdsn]

My bow lights are mounted on plates on the pushpit and are connected to wires that emerge from the pushpit tube. The PO used a crimp and covered the joints with self amalgamating tape. It lasted a few years but has corroded away.

I could repeat the crimp but would soldering the wires be any better?

I think dipping the connector in liquid electrical tape has got to be better than self amalgamating tape.

Any other suggestions?

Crimp connectors with heatshrink.

 

[simonfraser]

Crimp connectors with heatshrink.

Shove some hot glue into the heat shrink.
I have soldered, glued , heat shrunk and amalgamated my solar panel wires, still ok 4 years on ....

 

[macd]

Shove some hot glue into the heat shrink.
I have soldered, glued , heat shrunk and amalgamated my solar panel wires, still ok 4 years on ....

Wouldn't adhesive-lined heatshrink be simpler?

 

[prv]

I would solder and then cover with correctly-sized adhesive-lined heatshrink. Inspect the ends of the heatshrink once cooled to ensure there is a continuous bead of glue squeezed out all round the wire. If so, this should be impervious for many years to come (eventual failure by UV breakdown of the plastic, I guess).

Pete

 

[TQA]

So is adhesive lined heatshrink thought to be better than the can of liquid tape?

I had not heard of adhesive lined heatshrink before. Need to see if Budget Marine carry it.

 

[oldvarnish]

Lanocote seems quite good on contacts, and nice on your hands.

Only watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9YulktReUI if you think you can stand the full-on sell

 

[prv]

So is adhesive lined heatshrink thought to be better than the can of liquid tape?

Don't know, I've never tried the liquid tape. The idea sounds good, though.

Pete

 

[simonfraser]

All of the above is likely to work well, keep the moisture / movement out.
Good write up in the PBO recently.
Even choc connectors did ok, if wrapped sufficiently.

 

[KevinT1]

On our HR there are no external connections - the wires are terminated in the front cabin having run down the inside of the pulpit tube and then through a deck fitting and through the anchor locker.

That means I disconnect the cables if I need to remove the Pulpit, but it also means I don't have any connections exposed to seawater.

Cover the connections inside the light units with Contralube 770 and use tinned wire should prevenet any other corrosion.

Kevin

 

[johnalison]

Loose ends can be covered with various things. I have used setting silicone or Bluetak successfully at various times when I was too lazy to get anything better. Bluetak is good for bare aerial plugs too but obviously, not for nav lights.