Wiring mast to boat

[Highndry]

I've got the mast down and the boat tucked away in a barn. One of the jobs I want to complete over the winter is installing a VHF aerial and a mast head tricolour.

The boat is a Hunter Medina and the mast comes off for towing so I need a solution that will allow me to disconnect both the aerial cable and the lighting cabling easily.

There's one of these on the right of the mast which could be an old SO239

View attachment 22579

And one of these on the left

View attachment 22578

The two attachments/threads shown don't appear to be currently connected to anything.

Should I replace both with separate deck glands and if so, can the panel recommend fittings that don't cost the earth?

 

[VicS]

For the light i would use a "Dri Plug" ( I have a Dri Plug... been on there for over 30 years ) They come in two pin and three pin versions . Has a cover for the socket when not in use. (Several othe rDriplugs as well for other things)

http://www.force4.co.uk/Search/Driplug/

A little silicone grease around the O ring makes it easy to plug in / unplug


A have a Vtronix plug and socket for the VHF aerial. Been in satisfactory service for over 25 years. Comes with a plug and cap for sealing when not in use

http://www.force4.co.uk/485/Vtronix-Coaxial-Deck-Plug---Socket.html

A little silicone grease on the cable makes it easy to slide the boot up and down .

Dri Plug also do a VHF aerial connector.


I unplug these two and lower the mast every winter.

 

[Highndry]

That's good to hear, I thought I was going to have to make the connections inside the cabin. Your way is much neater once installed.

 

[prv]

That's good to hear, I thought I was going to have to make the connections inside the cabin.

Inside the cabin, with a gland that you can fit the plug in and out through, is the more reliable solution really. But a deck-mounted plug may be a better compromise for a trailer-sailer whose mast goes up and down often.

Pete

 

[VicS]

That's good to hear, I thought I was going to have to make the connections inside the cabin. Your way is much neater once installed.

Some people do prefer to take the cable through glands or swan-necks and make the connections inside in the dry.

For a trailer-sailer, where you will be lowering the mast regularly, IMHO the plugs and sockets are a more satisfactory solution

 

[maxi77]

Bulgin Buccaneer plugs are excellent widely available at sensible prices and include many different versions including 50 ohm coax for your radio and up to 12 pin for your other connections. They are modular and spares for all parts are obtainable. You can even convert the plug/socket casing from one type to another, say coax to 4 way or whatever.

 

[chewi]

Bulgin Buccaneer plugs are excellent widely available at sensible prices and include many different versions including 50 ohm coax for your radio and up to 12 pin for your other connections. They are modular and spares for all parts are obtainable. You can even convert the plug/socket casing from one type to another, say coax to 4 way or whatever.

I had these, but the plug/socket combo is quite tall and vulnerable on the deck.

I have now settled for a box seled to the deck, all the boat wires coming up into that and connected to a mu;ltiway strip connector. The mast wiring goes through a flange seled to a lid that matches the box.

A matching pair of box and lid are kept to fit to both during winter to keep the weather away from both ends. So to drop/erect the mast each winter I unscrew the lid, disconnect/connect the strip connector and fit/unfit the dummy box and lid.

 

[VicS]

I had these, but the plug/socket combo is quite tall and vulnerable on the deck.

I have now settled for a box seled to the deck, all the boat wires coming up into that and connected to a mu;ltiway strip connector. The mast wiring goes through a flange seled to a lid that matches the box.

A matching pair of box and lid are kept to fit to both during winter to keep the weather away from both ends. So to drop/erect the mast each winter I unscrew the lid, disconnect/connect the strip connector and fit/unfit the dummy box and lid.

Your attachment wont open, a least to a full sized picture.

For another purpose I might interested in your terminal box. What is it and where can it be obtained

 

[maxi77]

I had these, but the plug/socket combo is quite tall and vulnerable on the deck.

I have now settled for a box seled to the deck, all the boat wires coming up into that and connected to a mu;ltiway strip connector. The mast wiring goes through a flange seled to a lid that matches the box.

A matching pair of box and lid are kept to fit to both during winter to keep the weather away from both ends. So to drop/erect the mast each winter I unscrew the lid, disconnect/connect the strip connector and fit/unfit the dummy box and lid.

I must admit that despite having them in all sorts of positions on 3 boats I have never had any vulnerability problems, mind you in some situations I used the low profile mounts which do need a slightly larger hole.

One presumes you have another bottom and top to protect your terminals etc when the mast is down and your box is disconected

 

[ianfr]

I removed a manky old collection of wires and plugs with one of these
http://www.saltyjohn.co.uk/cableport_boat_product.htm

I have a junction box on the deck head below it, and all the connections are made off there. The VHF aerial feeds directly without a joint to the set.

They are not cheap, but then 3 DRI plugs or equivalent aren't either.

No connection with Salty John apart from being a satisfied customer.

Regards

Ian

 

[prv]

I removed a manky old collection of wires and plugs with one of these
http://www.saltyjohn.co.uk/cableport_boat_product.htm

Been meaning to ask - does it actually seal around the cables, or is it just like a dorade box with a convoluted path that water's unlikely to get through?

Pete

 

[chewi]

Your attachment wont open, a least to a full sized picture.

For another purpose I might interested in your terminal box. What is it and where can it be obtained

it was only a tiny picture, i cropped it off my desktop pic of the whole boat.

I bought it from www.cpc.co.uk a judicious search would prob find it..
i think this was it, or similar.

http://cpc.farnell.com/fibox/pcc-65g/ip67-sealed-enclosure/dp/EN81973

 

[William_H]

Mast wiring

"And now for something completely different" don't put any wiring in your mast. It is just too much trouble when removing the mast. Or so I found..
I fitted nav lights to cabin sides ands a stern light. The VHF antenna is on the pushpit and works extremely well. If you need a steaming light or anchor light haul one up on a halyard. It is just that I kept forgetting the wiring when dropping the mast. good luck olewill

 

[john_morris_uk]

There's one of these on the right of the mast which could be an old SO239

Its not an SO239. That's an 'N' connector fixed socket. They are designed to be water proof and are a lot higher quality than SO239's. However I am not sure I would use one on the deck unprotected. The cable needs fitting very accurately for it to be waterproof as well. What about a Swan neck you can feed the cable through and have the connectors in the dry down below?

"And now for something completely different" don't put any wiring in your mast. It is just too much trouble when removing the mast. Or so I found..
I fitted nav lights to cabin sides ands a stern light. The VHF antenna is on the pushpit and works extremely well. If you need a steaming light or anchor light haul one up on a halyard. It is just that I kept forgetting the wiring when dropping the mast. good luck olewill

Except a steaming light needs to show the correct arcs and that is difficult to achieve with a light you pull up on a halyard. I appreciate that on a small craft you can use an all round white in place of a stern light and steaming light, but you still need a socket on the deck to plug the thing into so you aren't gaining very much.

Also many people like to have a tricolour on the masthead for sailing as its more easily visible when offshore and uses less power.

Your idea is a worth considering, but personally speaking, its not my preferred option.

 

[Highndry]

Its not an SO239. That's an 'N' connector fixed socket. They are designed to be water proof and are a lot higher quality than SO239's.

So if I had the opposite part of an N connector on the coax, that might be the aerial taken care of?

Any idea what the other one might be if it was installed at the same time?

 

[ianfr]

Been meaning to ask - does it actually seal around the cables, or is it just like a dorade box with a convoluted path that water's unlikely to get through?

Pete

Hi Pete

The two entry points have high density foam inserts which compress with cables in place. On my boat I only have cables coming in one side, and have seen no water inside the enclosure.


Regards

Ian

 

[prv]

Any idea what the other one might be if it was installed at the same time?

Is it even a connector? Just looks like a bolt to me.

Either there is or was something substantial secured at that point, or someone has filled an old cable hole by bolting a washer over it.

Pete

 

[prv]

The two entry points have high density foam inserts which compress with cables in place.

Thanks - I thought that might be the case but wasn't sure.

Pete

 

[Highndry]

Thanks - I thought that might be the case but wasn't sure.

Pete

You could be right although it seems odd that the bigger 'washer' looks exactly the same as the base of the N connector. I'll take the spanner to it.

 

[john_morris_uk]

So if I had the opposite part of an N connector on the coax, that might be the aerial taken care of?

Any idea what the other one might be if it was installed at the same time?

Yes - if you mean an N conector plug with the correct glands on it for the cable you are using. They are not easy to fit unless you are used to doing them.

Here's one guide I found on the web: http://www.mgs4u.com/type-N-male-connector.htm If that doesn't put you off then have a go - but make sure your soldering is up to speed and you order the correct N plug for your VHF antenna cable size. You also need to be confidant that the connection of the coax to the underneath of the existing female socket that you have mounted on the deck is sound.

Although they are classified as waterproof to a reasonable spec, I emphasise that I wouldn't trust the waterproofing and would wrap the whole thing up in amalgamating tape once it is fitted.

Having said all this, N connectors are excellent cos-axial connectors which are good up to much higher frequencies than Marine VHF so if you can fit the cable and make the connection and make sure its waterproof it will work very well.