Radar – to cut the cable or not

[LadyInBed]

I am about to install a JRC1000 and will still need to be able to lower the mast.
I do not want to have to extract the whole cable to do this and a deck plug is nothing but trouble, so I am thinking of using a goose neck to go through the deck and use a tag block below deck.

Will there be any significant signal loss through a ‘joined’ cable or interference induced through a break in any screening?

 

[jfkal]

Eeach joint cost you. Use professional tools and material to do the cable joint and it should be OKAY.

 

[Guest]

We have a Furuno with similar situation but I cut the cable and used a block connector but with crimped conections. So far no problems but have only disconeccted and taken the mast out once since installation 2 years ago. I never tried it before cutting the cable but have done this before on previous boat.

Brett.

 

[steffen]

I have a Raytheon RL9 radar with a (useless) joint under deck by means of a connector.
I cut the cable close to the connector and after placing the mast i re-solder the connector. Sofar no problem with signal loss, but i am not sure how many times i can re-solder the connector before its worn out.
I am thinking about a goose neck myself; big enough to pass the connector through.

 

[AndrewB]

My previous radar had a cut cable just below the deck gland. It gave no problems. But the join had been done professionally, a beautiful job, lines carefully separated and fitted with terminaters that just slipped through the deck gland, all carefully screened.

When I fitted a new radar (myself) I was afraid to cut the cable, which was exactly the right length, with nothing to spare. So now for lowering the mast I just undo it at the radar end reversing the original fitting instructions, and lower it down inside the mast with a whipping twine 'mouse' which will rehoist it after. This has the added advantage that the deck gland need not be disturbed. Once you get used to working on the mast, it's not difficult. It takes a little more time, true, but not that much longer and how often do you lower the mast?

 

[ArthurWood]

There was an article in MBM or MBY about a year ago describing a JRC 1000 installation which involved cutting the cable. They used a connector thingy which is specifically for joining radar cables.

 

[toad]

yes cut it

I joined the cable on a raythion radar with a chocolate box type connector housed in a plastic box mounted on the deck head.Use a marine one with stainless screws etc.After two years no problems no leaks and no deck plug to play up.

 

[Guest]

Avoid at all costs

From a tchnical point on RF cables, each connecter correctly fitted can cause a 3dB reduction in signal, not a problem but that could be the liitle boat you just hit!

Make sure connections are of the correct type, I dont have a radar on my boat but I am an electronic engineer, DC conectors are fine when kept in good condition but care has to be taken with RF cables also is the transmitter in the scanner or the base unit, if in the base then VSWR can be altererd affecting the power and subsequent sensitivity.

 

[brianrunyard]

Cut it

I've seen this done several times with no apparent problems. As far as people saying you need special connectors, all the connections at the antenna end of my radar (Koden) are made by push on connectors to a connector strip.