Feeding VHF cable through the mast?

[Pavel]

Hi,
I've decided to get a fixed VHF on my 21-foot cruiser; as far as I understand, it's never been fitted with one, although I can remember the previous owner mentioning to me that there used to be an antenna cable.
I am sort of fine with all the electrical and cabling work, but the thing that I am still puzzled with is how to get the cable through the mast. It's a hollow aluminium extrusion affair, and there are two corresponding holes near the top and the bottom, but they are about 10 mm each if I am generous. The mast's top an bottom seem to be riveted.
So how do I feed the cable through seven meters of mast? Even more so, how do I feed it through the "out" hole? Are there any tips or advice?

Thanks,
Pav

 

[owen-cox]

The usual way is to poke a piece of wire through the hole to a halyard exit/entry to the mast then attach a piece of cord to the halyard and pull it all the way through the mast then hook it out of the cable exit at the other end of the mast the you have a cord running all the way through the mast through the correct holes. Tie the cord to the VHf cable and tape it up so it passes easily through the 10mm hole and pull it all the way through the mast. Job done.

 

[VicS]

If you already have wire for a light use that to pull though a thin line. Then pull it and the new VHF cable back with the line.
That's how I did the VHF cable.

The cable for the light was done a few years earlier by dropping a weighted line line down through the mast while it was propped up against the end wall of the house.

If you have the mast lying down and cannot lean it up against something convenient then a electrician's fish tape should do the trick http://www.screwfix.com/p/spring-steel-fish-tape/67849
or http://www.screwfix.com/p/cable-flex-draw-tape/75807

 

[john_morris_uk]

Another way is to drop a light line (called a mousing line) from the top of the mast down to hook out with a bit of wire from one of the holes at the bottom. Weight the line with a few small nuts or ideally a few links of small chain.

Use the line to pull the VHF cable through - rolling hitch and then make a taper with tape to ensure that the cable follows the mousing line through the holes.

 

[NUTMEG]

Curtain wire?

The plastic coated stuff from a well known hardware chainstore. Worked like a charm as a mousing line with the mast down. This was on my old Seawych.. On current boat I ran it up the backstay, secured with cable ties every two foot, looks horrible!

 

[CreakyDecks]

I've bought a set of wiring rods off Ebay. Not tried them yet but they look like they will work, they are fibre glass rods about 5mm diameter with brass screw-in ferrules on each end, ten rods each a meter long and a few things to screw on the end rod (a hook, an eye and a flexible thing). All in a storage tube. Only cost £12 including delivery.

 

[ianat182]

Another method ; if the mast is laying down tie a nail to a thin fishing line and insert through the upper or lower hole so that the nail is laid on the lower inner surface . Using a strong magnet place this on the outside of the mast at the position of the nail,then drag the nail up or down the mast and out of the second hole. Attach the cable to the line and remove the nail; pull through to the upper/lower exit hole. Fit rubber grommets at both positions.
Thatv part of the job is done,however there may still be a problem of the wiring rattling inside the mast when trying to sleep aboard.
Also beware of trapping the wire beneath internal halyards as these may be also at the lower position inside the mast when threading the line through initially.


ianat182

 

[Mike2309]

Another method ; if the mast is laying down tie a nail to a thin fishing line and insert through the upper or lower hole so that the nail is laid on the lower inner surface . Using a strong magnet place this on the outside of the mast at the position of the nail,then drag the nail up or down the mast and out of the second hole. Attach the cable to the line and remove the nail; pull through to the upper/lower exit hole. Fit rubber grommets at both positions.
Thatv part of the job is done,however there may still be a problem of the wiring rattling inside the mast when trying to sleep aboard.
Also beware of trapping the wire beneath internal halyards as these may be also at the lower position inside the mast when threading the line through initially.


ianat182

I can vouch for this method too. You can get a decent magnet from an old microwave oven. (If it's still working why not try some of the fun things on the "Dangerous Laboratories " website first? )
My local "skipdiver" gave me a stack of 5 magnets for a pound. If the exit hole is going to be a tight fit follow up the fishing line with something that will stand more of a pull.