Radar cable outside the mast?

[wizard]

Just as I am preparing to fit a radar reflector and radar on my mast someone has suggested running the radar cable outside the mast. Whilst I don't particularly like the idea myself I can see the advantages of keeping the cable in one piece rather than a join in the coachroof void (especially when it comes to lowering the mast) as it is easier to disconnect the cable end from the radar body.

So, out of interest has anybody done it? and did you find a neat way of leading the cable down the mast (in conduit perhaps) and were you happy with the end result?

 

[pvb]

ScanStrut do a special conduit for this - see here.

 

[jeanne]

We used to keep our boat on an exposed mooring, and so we were hauled out every winter, by a mobile crane, and the mast had to come down. So the Radar was arranged to be disconnected easily. The cable was led through external plastic trunking with a removable lid. The deck seal was large enough to pass the plug, as were the holes through the various bulkheads that the cable had to pass through. It took about five minutes to disconnect it.
On the other hand, the radar itself has proved to be a fog prevention system, rather than a navaid. Since we bought it we have never sailed in fog!

 

[john_morris_uk]

Our radar cable runs outside the mast in a conduit with a semi circular cross section and very neat appearance. It was routed this way on the mast when we bought the boat and I needed to get a section to replace a bit that had cracked. Recently I noticed that the conduit is available through Waypoint One in Plymouth although I got mine from some distributors in Plymouth six year ago and whose name I have completely forgotten.

ed It took me so long to post this that someone else has posted a link to the product from Scanstrut. Its exactly the conduit that we have - although I think its available direct from some electrical factors.

 

[Billjratt]

Mine was in plastic conduit when I bought the boat (second hand). The stuff wasn't UV resistant with the result that the cable ended up flapping in places.
A previous boat had had aluminium conduit self-tapped in place, but a section flew away and sank somewhere off Arran.
Last year, I drilled holes and took it inside the mast. Both boats had a break in the cable which has never given operational problems. (a good waterproof box does the trick.)

 

[Tintin]

Did mine last year - used curved conduit (grey / silver). Didn't fancy paying high price for the specialist (!!!) trunking so found the same stuff a lot cheaper at TLC - D-line mini trunking. Added a few rivets for good measure as I didn't trust the stick stuff

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_In...Aluminium_Index/Dline_30_15_Alumin/index.html

rgds
chris