Jointing a Raymarine Radar Cable

[Anwen]

My Raychart 435 plotter has just gone phut, so I have succumbed to temptation and bought one of the Raymarine C70/ radar scanner combinations that are on offer at the moment. I'm now starting to plan the installation and pondering about how to wrestle this fat cable through the boat and up the mast, and it seems like the best plan is to cut and joint it inside the boat near the foot of the mast. All the other cables which run up the mast are jointed to allow the mast to be removed easily, so it seems daft to have a radar cable which doesn't do the same.

I've done some research, and there is nothing about doing this (except it is discouraged) on the Raymarine site, and nothing in the installation instructions. I've searched this forum but nothing appropriate came up. It looks like a couple of the cores are carrying video, so I assume that these are best screened?

Has anyone here done this, and what connector system did you use? Thanks in advance.

PS, regarding how high to put the dome, it looks like most people go for around 4 - 5 metre up the mast. This would put mine above the single spreaders, just about where the Echomax is currently located. Is this about right? Boat is a Jeanneau SO32.

 

[cagey]

Yes have done it twice (as an upgrade)
Put joint behind Dis board as far away from water as I could ie not at bottom of mast.
Made joint in ip 65 box threading cable through waterproof glands.
Bared cable very carefully, kept screening, both foil and cable as intact as i could. Screening had its own connection
Joints made with choc blocs and then plastered with vaseline.
Not difficult as it is colour to colour but fidily, suggest the enclosing box is at least 2x the size you think you need
k

 

[mainmarine]

I have joined mine with male and female bullet crimp connectors, about 1 meter from display, with no problem.

 

[RMA]

My Koden radar was fitted professionally about 3 years ago. The cable went through a deck gland and was then joined using simple connector blocks. Each wire was fitted with a cord end terminal which I have used ever since and can highly recommend. I have had no trouble with it at all since then.

 

[Talulah]

There are if I remember correctly about 13 wires to join.
For most of them I use butt terminals to rejoin.
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=getProduct&R=2393988
With that many cables the choc blocks just become too cumbersome.
These connectors are filled with gel. When you make the connection the gel squeezes out making the connection waterproof.
The downside is that you'll need to allow enough slack in the main cable if you frequently have to cut and redo your connections.
You'll still need a choc block as not all the wires will fit into these butt ends.

 

[robbieg]

Other option is put it on a pole at the back of the boat-probably cost more than a mast bracket holder but means you haven't got to cut the cable, easier to get at for servicing and you have a good place to put other kit (AIS ariels etc). Mine is about 6ft above the deck which gives plently of range and means the scanner does not tip as far when heeled as it would 4 m up a mast. Worth thinking about if not considered already.

 

[Anwen]

Thanks very much for the feedback everyone. I'm reassured to know others have done it without any problems (ie the radar still works afterwards!).

The gel filled terminals look the same as the ones Raymarine are supplying with current kit for joining cables - the Raystar 125 GPS for example, but as said, the wires would need to be cut and rejoined every time. My current thinking is along the lines of multi pin in-line connectors, something like DIN plugs and sockets. If they have metal shrouds, presumably these can maintain the screening?

 

[jfm]

I've done it too, with both analogue and the new digital Raymarine radars. Many (motor) boat builders do it as part of the standard build, so that the radar tower can be removed for transportation. So long as you use good connectors and suitable waterproofing, you can ignore Raymarine's "don't do it" advice