Tom Nadeau
Port St. Lucie, FL.
Boat Name: Finalee
Model/Year: C22/ 1982
Hull No. 11178
Hailing Port: Port St. Lucie, FL. |
 10/27/2004 5:25 PM Pacific Time
Hi all,
Getting ready to install a mast mount antenna and can't seem to find an unpluggable thru-deck fitting similar to the one used for the mast light wiring. Any suggestions? |
Chip Ford
Marblehead, MA
Boat Name: Chip Ahoy
Model/Year: 1974-Swing Keel
Hull No. CTY032820374
Hailing Port: Marblehead, Mass. |
10/28/2004 4:03 AM Pacific Time
Tom, I ran into the same problem last year. I solved it by picking up a pair of universal coaxial deck connectors at BoatUS for about $18/each if I recall: got them so the hole diameter was just large enough for the coaxial connector on the end of the VHF anetnna to pass through.
Then I drilled a hole from the cabin top all the way through to the cabin interior overhead -- again just large enough for the coax connector to fit through.
The deck connector is in four pieces. (I use one on the top-outside of course, then one below on the overhead just for a finished look.) The base is permanently fastened to the boat, through its rubber gasket, by three or four self-tapping screws. The cap is in two pieces: a white nylon/plastic outer "donut" with four small machine screws that fasten it to the base, and a rubber plug in its center.
The slightly beveled rubber plug comes solid. You must drill out a hole in its center the diameter of the cable, then cut from that hole out through one edge, so you can spread it and squeeze in the cable.
Then you drop the coax cable through the hole in the nylon/plastic cap, then through the base (now fastened to your cabin top) and run it to the VHF radio to insure its length. Cut the coax at the appropriate length and apply the connector. (Remember before cutting it to route the cable in the cabin where you want to permanently mount it.)
Back topside, spread open the drilled and cut rubber plug and insert the coax cable, then push the beveled plug back inside the nylon/plastic cover tightly. That'll give a watertight seal. Fasten the cover to the base with the four screws and you're done.
Down in the cabin I did the same, then used small plastic cable clips to route and fasten the coax cable to the overhead. It takes about 10-15 minutes to install or remove. When I remove the cable for the winter, I use a small circle of rubber cut from a tire inner-tube between the plug and "donut" cover to seal the drilled hole in the plug, then tighten the cover back down over both.
See photos of this at:
http://chipford.com/chip_ahoy_9.htm
under "mast step plate"
Chip Ford --
Marblehead, Mass.
1974 C22 Swing Keel #3282 - "Chip Ahoy"
Chip Ahoy website: www.chipford.com
|
Chip Ford
Marblehead, MA
Boat Name: Chip Ahoy
Model/Year: 1974-Swing Keel
Hull No. CTY032820374
Hailing Port: Marblehead, Mass. |
10/28/2004 4:16 AM Pacific Time
BTW, I forgot to mention -- when I drilled that hole through the cabin top, I used a small brush to soak the plywood core with epoxy, just in case water did somehow manage to leak past the plug, so the plywood wouldn't soak it up and sooner or later rot. I used masking tape over the new hole inside the cabin to prevent any excess epoxy from dripping into the cabin, then removed it as soon as the epoxy began setting up.
Chip Ford --
Marblehead, Mass.
1974 C22 Swing Keel #3282 - "Chip Ahoy"
Chip Ahoy website: www.chipford.com
|
Tom Nadeau
Port St. Lucie, FL.
Boat Name: Finalee
Model/Year: C22/ 1982
Hull No. 11178
Hailing Port: Port St. Lucie, FL. |
10/29/2004 5:44 PM Pacific Time
Chip,
I looked at those, but I want something I can disconnect each time I step and unstep the mast. One of the JOYS of trailering...lol. But on the plus side, with all of that practice it only takes a half hour to go up or down, Then again I don't have roller furling. (I've been following your annual haul-out ordeal on the c-22 sailnet list). What I hoped to find is sort of like the mast light plug. I did come up with a viable solution, although somewhat bulky and not really water tight, but with a little modification will work. I would think that there's an easy way to do this with a ready made, water tight fixture that I can simply unscrew from the deck fitting when I lower the mast.
Tom |
Chip Ford
Marblehead, MA
Boat Name: Chip Ahoy
Model/Year: 1974-Swing Keel
Hull No. CTY032820374
Hailing Port: Marblehead, Mass. |
10/29/2004 6:27 PM Pacific Time
If and when you find it, please let me -- us --know. We're waiting to hear.
Chip Ford --
Marblehead, Mass.
1974 C22 Swing Keel #3282 - "Chip Ahoy"
Chip Ahoy website: www.chipford.com
|
R. C. Luiken
Milford, DE
Boat Name: Ricochet
Model/Year: C-22 Swing Keel/1986
Hull No. 13560
Hailing Port: Milford, DE/St. Michaels, MD |
10/30/2004 8:57 AM Pacific Time
If I read the CD owners handbook correctly, what you are looking for is described on pages 4-21 and 4-22. It is item D 1691. I'd call CD before ordering. |
Artur Piotrowski
Burlington, Ct
Boat Name: Spirit
Model/Year: C22 1986
Hull No. 13485
Hailing Port: Bantam, Ct |
10/30/2004 6:59 PM Pacific Time
Yeah, sounds good but I have those pages missing in my book. Also, I can't locate that item number. |
R. C. Luiken
Milford, DE
Boat Name: Ricochet
Model/Year: C-22 Swing Keel/1986
Hull No. 13560
Hailing Port: Milford, DE/St. Michaels, MD |
11/01/2004 11:59 AM Pacific Time
If you care to e-mail me off list at [email protected] I'll scan the pages into my computer and attach them to a reply |
Ryan Graham
Douglasville, Ga.
Boat Name: Luana Cordelia
Model/Year: C22 1978
Hull No. 8587
Hailing Port: Douglasville, Ga (on the hard) |
02/23/2010 3:01 PM Pacific Time
You really dont want to have any breaks in your coax. This will add noise and problems. But if you still want to try it look for N type fittings and connectors. they are large and will probably do the trick. I would add a drilled flat square of SS inside and out to back up the post.
I looked into doing this and talked to a few radio guys. If your resistance of the cable changes with corrosion or failure to bond properly at the connector, when you transmit, your radio could overload and burn up your transmitter or reciver.
I'm a comercial aircraft mechanic, and I looked into how we wire our radios. Sure enough even those coax are run in one section... |
paul osborne
Lima NY
Boat Name: Emy Lyn II
Model/Year: 1984
Hull No.
Hailing Port: Rochester |
02/23/2010 4:47 PM Pacific Time
I use a 3" through hole uhf female to female. seems to work fine . I see no loss to speek of , using a power meter . with a uhf connector in the cable from the mast you can plug in and out with ease. just remember to plug in before you use the radio to transmit or you will more than likely blow the radio. |
