Where could my mast head antenna go to? Not to the radio or AIS as I've checked

[KevinV]

Then its most likely to have a splitter connecting the two units to one antenna - if you do not have two antenna.

And I'm guessing it's in the "switch panel cavity" next door. 3 black cables going there, two confirmed as AIS and vhf, so a reasonable punt that number 3 is the masthead antenna feeding into the hidden splitter.

Ritchey, your 25w sending power has no bearing on how far you can hear, and the French you're hearing could be from the next berth - do a radio check to someone/something at 5/6 miles distance (I don't know the area well enough to make a suggestion - I'd do a dsc call to a boat you can see on AIS, saves cluttering ch16 as well - try to choose someone that isn't racing!).

Once you've confirmed that you're receiving and sending okay you can start thinking about pulling that (then proven) redundant coax. One step at a time.

 

[ritchyp]

Refueler, I totally agree with you. Its all working ok so leave it alone.

My biggest concern is fitting the Wind transducer in a week's time.

I'll have an assistant but hes more of a contrsuction and landscaper and doesn't have a clue about electronics. I'm going to be in a basket lifted by a crane and I suspect the fitting of the unit won't be a a long job. I can't keep asking them to lift me up and down so once I'm up I'm up.
I'm worried that we won't have enough room to drop the cable down the mast. It is deck stepped but a steel tube come down through the ceiling and the saloon table and it's screwed to a cross member on the hull. There's a little panel you can lift on the floor.
The cables come out through holes drilled in the front. There are 3 holes and the middle one is vacant. I have never done this before and he won't be a massive help. I am worried that we will be fannying about for ages trying to get the cable down the mast and through the vacant hole IF the cable will even drop that far.

I don't know why previous cable runs have come out of the mast just above the deck and then sent through the ceiling.

 

[Refueler]

Its common to exit cables above deck and then gland them through.

The old trick to drop a cable is to use a length of bicycle chain or thin long fishing weights ... in fishing shops you can get thin clear tube with lead weight in one end ... they are used as sinkers ... use thin strong line to feed down mast ... not the cable

Its fiddly at bottom - but sometimes a thin metal rod with hooked end can 'catch' the ,line and pull it through that spare hole ....

cable is then attached to thin line and pulled through carefully.

Why use thin line ? To get through the holes etc.

Of course if that other cable is suitable ?? Why not use that for the new gear ?

But at 150 quid an hour for the crane ... ???? fingers crossed it goes well.

 

[ritchyp]

Thanks refueler,

We will give that a go. I'll try to get it all the way down first but if there too many cables. I'll make sure we can get down to deck level and drill a hole and go through the ceiling. The bottom of the steel tube going down to hull is preferable as There are conduits to pull it under the floor and up to chart table.
I found a a hidden conduit in the head that can let me get the cables up to where the old instruments were, above the hatch and at eye level from the helm and mostly out of the sun and no spray.

Perhaps if we wiggle the chopped off coax at the top, I can use it to pull the new cable right down and fish for it once we know it's down below floor level.

Many thanks and all the best Ritchy

 

[KevinV]

Thanks refueler,

We will give that a go. I'll try to get it all the way down first but if there too many cables. I'll make sure we can get down to deck level and drill a hole and go through the ceiling. The bottom of the steel tube going down to hull is preferable as There are conduits to pull it under the floor and up to chart table.
I found a a hidden conduit in the head that can let me get the cables up to where the old instruments were, above the hatch and at eye level from the helm and mostly out of the sun and no spray.

Perhaps if we wiggle the chopped off coax at the top, I can use it to pull the new cable right down and fish for it once we know it's down below floor level.

Many thanks and all the best Ritchy

Just use the old instrument cable to pull a mouse through, ignore the coax unless it causes a problem