USB connector through deck

[laika]

In a moment of madness at the boat show I impulse bought a "wifi bat" device which is an 802.11 chipset integrated into a high gain antenna. On getting it home I discovered that one end of the 10m cable is welded into the device's body, the other has a type A usb connector.

Consequently I'm faced with chopping the connector off or drilling a large enough hole through the deck to get it the connector through and putting a split through the side of the deck gland. The supplier has (naturally) advised me against the former course but I'm unhappy about drilling a hole that large for quite a thin wire.

Am I being overly paranoid, and I really shouldn't worry about having a hole much larger than the cable if I have a decent deck gland? If not, can anyone recommend a nicee USB "A" housing (or possibly panel mount socket)? The only one I've seen is a nasty looking rigid plastic one.

I presume this will be a solder job as I don't recall encountering a usb crimp tool

 

[knuterikt]

Use one of these (There are similar products from other manufactures)
http://www.scanstrut.com/products/product-page.php?range_id=10039&type=Deckseals

 

[Nostrodamus]

I it going to be a temporary or permanent mounting and where.
Could you use the mast?

 

[Tranona]

Use one of these (There are similar products from other manufactures)
http://www.scanstrut.com/products/product-page.php?range_id=10039&type=Deckseals

But you still need the hole in the deck to put the plug through.

However, not something I would worry about too much as this type of gland is very reliable.

 

[laika]

I it going to be a temporary or permanent mounting and where.
Could you use the mast?

Permanent and probably on the pushpit. Through the swan neck and up the mast sounds attractive but knowing what I'm like I'll spend all year worrying about how to attach it so as to not get whacked by the genoa. Top of mast would be too long a cable run.

I do have an index marine gland, but it's having a hole large enough to get the connector through (much larger than the cable) underneath the gland which (perhaps needlessly) worries me

 

[Nostrodamus]

Through a stantion?

 

[nimbusgb]

Whatever you do you need a hole through the deck to get the cable through so whether you cut off the connector or not makes little difference but better not to i guess ( USB is only 4 wires and a shield so not rocket science though ). One of the suggested deck glands is probably the way to go the ones that are about 40mm OD will easily cover a hole big enough to get a Type A USB moulded plug ( about 17mm od or 17mm *8mm ) through.

 

[prv]

Personally I'd cut and re-join the cable.

Pete