Tri Colour and Anchor light problems

[rogerthebodger]

+1
I have also done this. If you spread the filaments out on a hard surface, you can scrape the corrosion off with a knife and sandpaper.

I used some fine wire wool to clean corroded copper wires. I have also soaked then in coke cola which also removes corrosion on copper wire.

 

[FulmarJeddo]

When faced with oxidised wires I needed to make a connection to have cleaned the worst of the oxide off with fine abrasive paper, spreading and rolling the filaments to get as much as practicable off, before twisting them back together again to make the connection. I can't say this is a good method, but it certainly worked OK.

Thanks, I also meant to comment on this. I will give it a go, but I think on my last attempt to solder the join, I twisted the wires together and "plumbed" it with solder. The solder stuck to the clean wire, but I think just encased the oxidised wire. My first task will be to get it apart and clean it up. There is very little wire to play with. Originally the cable came out of the mast straight into the deck plug with very little slack. Probably why it kept getting pulled out.

 

[mattonthesea]

+1 And it makes a good cockpit light for those warm evenings when you finally make it to the Med or Tropics

 

[Sandro]

When faced with oxidised wires I needed to make a connection to have cleaned the worst of the oxide off with fine abrasive paper, spreading and rolling the filaments to get as much as practicable off, before twisting them back together again to make the connection. I can't say this is a good method, but it certainly worked OK.

+1
I use a blade - scissors edge have the correct angle - instead of abrasive paper. Next time I'll try it.

 

[FulmarJeddo]

I know I'm waking up an old thread, but thought I'd put an update on what I have done. Firstly I opened up the joint again and had a good prod around with a meter and power seemed to be getting through the suspect joint. I pulled it apart and gave the oxidised wire a scrape and re-soldered it using Stannol flux as suggested. The bulb still didn't light so I bought two 3A Schottky diodes. The weather was reasonable enough to go up the mast last Saturday, so I confirmed that no power (just 3v) was reaching the top of the mast on the anchor light wire. I connected the diodes in as planned and a pair of LED bulbs. Yesterday I returned and wired in a DPDT toggle switch and I now have a fully working Tri and anchor light at the top of the mast.
I have also added a 12v socket in the heads wired into the old anchor light feed, that I can plug in the auto switched hanging light via the opening roof vent. That also now has a LED bulb and is much brighter, so I have the option of either when at anchor.