How to join new bow nav light cable to existing supply cable?

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Pinnacle

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Looking for some advice.

I have purchased a new bow bi-colour nav light. It is a sealed waterproof unit that has quite a long power supply wire. The cable will need to be threaded through the pulpit ( I will use the old power cable to pull a mouse cord through and then use the mouse to pull the new one through the same route ) and it looks likely I will need to join the new cable to the exising power supply cable somewhere in the anchor locker. If I am unlucky, the supplied cable won't actually reach the anchor locker and so the joint will be inside the pulpit tubing.

How would you suggest I make this joint

A If in the anchor locker, and
B If inside the tubing?


TIA
 
Cut the 2 wires so the ends are well apart.
Solder supply line 1 to existing power line. Wrap well in insulating tape. Wrap again in duct tape.
Repeat for wire 2. Repeat wrapping.
Wrap both wires together with duct tape.
 
Pinnacle said:
Looking for some advice.

I have purchased a new bow bi-colour nav light. It is a sealed waterproof unit that has quite a long power supply wire. The cable will need to be threaded through the pulpit ( I will use the old power cable to pull a mouse cord through and then use the mouse to pull the new one through the same route ) and it looks likely I will need to join the new cable to the exising power supply cable somewhere in the anchor locker. If I am unlucky, the supplied cable won't actually reach the anchor locker and so the joint will be inside the pulpit tubing.

How would you suggest I make this joint

A If in the anchor locker, and
B If inside the tubing?


TIA
Click to expand...

For both, 1st choice the correct size adhesive lined heat shrink but crimp done with a proper crimp tool.
 
Yes, I did all my connections on a complete rewire with heat-shrink crimps. You buy a big box of them with the tool and you never have to worry again. Crimp a straight connector on and then heat or add heat shrink tubing.
 
Thanks for the replies gents. Looks like the shrink wrap adhesive crimps are the way to go.

Would there be any merit in putting the swac's in a "waterproof" box of some sort?
 
Pinnacle said:
It is a sealed waterproof unit ...
Click to expand...

If it's sealed, how do you replace the bulb? I'd expect that you can get into it, albeit carefully, and simply replace the wires provided with your existing wire. Doing it this way prevents any additional joint which is just another point of failure.

I'd certainly try to avoid a joint within the pulpit (imagine what would have to be done if it failed) or in the anchor locker (where something will snag on it and pull it apart sooner or later.)
 
I had an intermittent bow light. I found a join in the cable behind the carpet in the headlining. It was in a sealed plastic box smeared with silicon sealant. Even so the copper had gone green.

But in my experience green copper conducts fine! The actual fault was further up the cable. The builder had put a brass nail through the cable which had eventually shorted out.

If at all possible don't join cable. It was a lot quicker to replace the whole wire than to find the fault.
 
Gents, its a new LED unit which is completely sealed, so there is no way of making the connections inside the unit ( as with the current Aqua-Signal filament bulb unit ).

Its this one. They are made by Osculati.;

View attachment 35393
 
On our Hallberg Rassy the cable is lead through a hole high up inside the Anchor Locker ( near to the gunwhale ) and then across the inside of the forward bulkhead to a junction box where both port and starboard are joined to the supply cable.

That way there are no joins in a damp area..........

Smear vaseline or better still better still Contralube 770 over the terminals to guarantee they will not corrode
 
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Crimping is only reliable with a good crimp tool that actually fits the crimps, and crimps that are the right size for the cable.

For the amateur who does not have the right tools, soldering may be better.
Heat shrink is way better than tape, but self amalgamating tape is useful.
It may be good to join the wires at home on the bench where you can do a proper job, then make the connection to the boat somewhere 'indoors' in the dry?
I.e. lead new wires back to the loom or switchboard?
This may not work with crimps due to their size.
 
I'm not an expert on joining cables, but I would reccomend not having the join somewhere inaccessible...like inside a tube, then if it does develop a fault it will be very difficult to get to.
Better to shorten the lead and have any joins where you can get to them easily.
 
lw395 said:
For the amateur who does not have the right tools, soldering may be better. That sounds like me.
Heat shrink is way better than tape, but self amalgamating tape is useful.
It may be good to join the wires at home on the bench where you can do a proper job, then make the connection to the boat somewhere 'indoors' in the dry? I.e. lead new wires back to the loom or switchboard?
That sounds like a very good idea. Thanks.
This may not work with crimps due to their size.
Click to expand...
.
 
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