VHF aerial question

[Ardenfour]

The mast is off my boat at the moment, and I started to replace all the cables for lights and VHF. The aerial is made by Vitronics, the type which has the cable gripped in a gland where it enters the black plastic aerial mount. I unscrewed the gland and removed cable, which has a brass ferule crimped on the end. I want to replace the cable while the mast's down. My questions are this:
When I unscrew the whip, a prise-off lid with o-ring can be removed, inside this is a heavy copper wire coil inside a foil surround. Is this an extension of the screen on the cable as the end doesn't seem to be connected to anything?
The brass ferule on the cable end has a small hole about the size of the centre conductor - should the centre conductor be protruding from this to enter a matching hole on the underside of the mounting? There is some green corrosion at this hole so I don't know if the wire has broken off.
As the whip is screwed in from the top, should the base of the stainless mast touch the brass contact inside the mount?


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[Burnham_Bob]

As to any of the questions you ask, I just don't know but as a fellow Halcyon 23 owner I'd suggest you buy a new ariel. I had problems when a racing boat came trhough the trots and as it was heeled over it clipped my ariel. If in doubt replace it. At around £20 its much easier than finding it's dud when you have the mast up and try a radio check. Green discolouration sounds a bit worring anyway.
As for running the new cable down the mast, it should be a doddle if you attach strong fishing line to the old one and pull the new one through with it. (Just make sure the ends lie falt where you attach the line) It was easy on mine, and all I had to do was pop rivet a new mount at the top.



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