i'm installing radar on my 40.5, any ideas, suggestions or tips for running the cable down the mast and fishing it through the (short) already crowded pvc tube and then down between the deck and roof liner. Jim Vincent, Toucan
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Doug Alden
What goes down must come up!!
Hi Jim, I'm not sure if this will be any help or not, but here goes. I just installed a Raytheon radar unit on my 376 this last weekend. The cable has to go from the display head up to the antenna because thats the smallest end. I mounted mine on a pole but the same principal applies. I have run cable down my mast for a tv antenna and if your set up is simmiler to mine you will have to drop a weighted line down the mast to the base then go below and remove the plate and stick a hooked coat hanger up through the center wher the wires come out fo the pvc. it's probably caulked and hard to get too....but can be done. I hope this is some help. Good luck, Doug Alden
Hi Jim, I'm not sure if this will be any help or not, but here goes. I just installed a Raytheon radar unit on my 376 this last weekend. The cable has to go from the display head up to the antenna because thats the smallest end. I mounted mine on a pole but the same principal applies. I have run cable down my mast for a tv antenna and if your set up is simmiler to mine you will have to drop a weighted line down the mast to the base then go below and remove the plate and stick a hooked coat hanger up through the center wher the wires come out fo the pvc. it's probably caulked and hard to get too....but can be done. I hope this is some help. Good luck, Doug Alden
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G. Richard Stidger
An alternative that works for me
Jim, I chose to put my RL74 radome on a backstay mounted pole. See my photos and article at http://www.c-2.com/upload/display.tpl?folder=Stidger73066233408&fno=17 Like you I had my mast in place and did not want to unstep to install the radome. If you mount the radome on the backstay, you have several benefits. First, you can do the entire installation without pulling the mast. I am told by my yard that trying to get the radome cable in the PVC tube where it belongs is near impossible with the mast up. The run to the display head is much shorter and you will save $$ on the cable by using the shorter standard cable. Also the route of the cable is much less complex. If you need to service it, the radome is easy to get down. There is no abrasion with the head sail. If you look at the way the headsail is cut, it is always going to hit the radome on every tack. Bad for both the sail and the radome. Yards typically charge a premium for pulling an storing a mast with a radome attached. Save $50-75 every storage season. The only downside that I can see is that the range is less due to the lower height of the radome. Do the calculations: I get about 4.25 nm and if I had it on the mast I would get 6.75 nm. That is to the water's surface- higher targets will be seen much further. Good Luck. Rich
Jim, I chose to put my RL74 radome on a backstay mounted pole. See my photos and article at http://www.c-2.com/upload/display.tpl?folder=Stidger73066233408&fno=17 Like you I had my mast in place and did not want to unstep to install the radome. If you mount the radome on the backstay, you have several benefits. First, you can do the entire installation without pulling the mast. I am told by my yard that trying to get the radome cable in the PVC tube where it belongs is near impossible with the mast up. The run to the display head is much shorter and you will save $$ on the cable by using the shorter standard cable. Also the route of the cable is much less complex. If you need to service it, the radome is easy to get down. There is no abrasion with the head sail. If you look at the way the headsail is cut, it is always going to hit the radome on every tack. Bad for both the sail and the radome. Yards typically charge a premium for pulling an storing a mast with a radome attached. Save $50-75 every storage season. The only downside that I can see is that the range is less due to the lower height of the radome. Do the calculations: I get about 4.25 nm and if I had it on the mast I would get 6.75 nm. That is to the water's surface- higher targets will be seen much further. Good Luck. Rich
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Chuck Wolfe
Radar Cable Down the Mast
I've helped two or three people who led radar cable back to the mast and did not, I repeat, did not have to put it into a PVC Pipe. What we did was get the big cable ties and then. 1. Drop the line down the mast 2. Pull up the cable a foot and a half at a time 3. Every foot and a half attach a big cable tie circle it around the cable so that when it lets go inside the mast, it puts pressure on the mast. 4. Bingo. Nary a sound. The bad news on my boat was that I didn't have enough room to get the cable end into the mast after spending forever getting the silicone whatever gunk out of there and besides that, whoever put the radio cables and wind/instrument cables in took up the entire channel so that I couldn't pull them through my overhead. So I also put them on a post although I;m now sorry that I didn't gimbal it. Look at the Garhauer Stainless Post about $400 with a motor lift. Incredibly cheap. Also look at one of the new split-backstay gimballed mounts. chuckwolfe@mail.com
I've helped two or three people who led radar cable back to the mast and did not, I repeat, did not have to put it into a PVC Pipe. What we did was get the big cable ties and then. 1. Drop the line down the mast 2. Pull up the cable a foot and a half at a time 3. Every foot and a half attach a big cable tie circle it around the cable so that when it lets go inside the mast, it puts pressure on the mast. 4. Bingo. Nary a sound. The bad news on my boat was that I didn't have enough room to get the cable end into the mast after spending forever getting the silicone whatever gunk out of there and besides that, whoever put the radio cables and wind/instrument cables in took up the entire channel so that I couldn't pull them through my overhead. So I also put them on a post although I;m now sorry that I didn't gimbal it. Look at the Garhauer Stainless Post about $400 with a motor lift. Incredibly cheap. Also look at one of the new split-backstay gimballed mounts. chuckwolfe@mail.com
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Jeff Ream
Radar Cable in 40.5 mast
Just did same thing, routing a Furuno 1622 cable through the PVC mast conduit in my 40.5. I chose the Furuno 16 mile radar because the size of the cable is fairly small (about 3/8 in.). Mast must be down. My mast has two PVC tubes, and neither are very full for their size, so space in the PVC conduit was not the problem. Drill about a 3/4in. hole in LE of the mast at the proper spot. With care and a focused light beam one can see the PVC pipe through the hole. I then used a very long 1/2 in. drill bit through the mast access hole and with care and feel one can drill a hole in the PVC pipe. Then with a long plumbers snake, it's possible with a lot of patience to push the snake even with the hole in the PVC pipe, fish it out with a hooked coat hanger, and get it through the mast access hole. From there, pull through a stout string or wire as a messenger. Now, the hard part, which is to pull the radome end of the cable from the bottom of the mast through the mast access hole. This was impossible without taking apart the 9 pin connector, and eventually destroying the little spring clip connectors. So I cut off all the sockets and finally got the cable routed through and out the access hole. Then I had to crimp on new sockets that I ordered from a Furuno (dealer), with a proper crimp tool from NAPA. Be sure to install the sockets in the correct slots in the connector. It was a real bear, but it can be done. I suspect other brand of radar cables might be harder.
Just did same thing, routing a Furuno 1622 cable through the PVC mast conduit in my 40.5. I chose the Furuno 16 mile radar because the size of the cable is fairly small (about 3/8 in.). Mast must be down. My mast has two PVC tubes, and neither are very full for their size, so space in the PVC conduit was not the problem. Drill about a 3/4in. hole in LE of the mast at the proper spot. With care and a focused light beam one can see the PVC pipe through the hole. I then used a very long 1/2 in. drill bit through the mast access hole and with care and feel one can drill a hole in the PVC pipe. Then with a long plumbers snake, it's possible with a lot of patience to push the snake even with the hole in the PVC pipe, fish it out with a hooked coat hanger, and get it through the mast access hole. From there, pull through a stout string or wire as a messenger. Now, the hard part, which is to pull the radome end of the cable from the bottom of the mast through the mast access hole. This was impossible without taking apart the 9 pin connector, and eventually destroying the little spring clip connectors. So I cut off all the sockets and finally got the cable routed through and out the access hole. Then I had to crimp on new sockets that I ordered from a Furuno (dealer), with a proper crimp tool from NAPA. Be sure to install the sockets in the correct slots in the connector. It was a real bear, but it can be done. I suspect other brand of radar cables might be harder.
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Chuck Vincent
Put it on a pole
First, I am assuming that you are going to put the “Radar Display” at the pilot station. Anyone who has ever flown an airplane knows that it’s best to have your instruments within easy view. Another assumption I have is that you have other cables, wind and VHF going through that little hole at the base of the mast of your little boat. I have my unit mounted on a pole and you know first hand it works well, so stick it on a pole. Your Brother Chuck
First, I am assuming that you are going to put the “Radar Display” at the pilot station. Anyone who has ever flown an airplane knows that it’s best to have your instruments within easy view. Another assumption I have is that you have other cables, wind and VHF going through that little hole at the base of the mast of your little boat. I have my unit mounted on a pole and you know first hand it works well, so stick it on a pole. Your Brother Chuck
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