Having run my wife up the mast of our H35.5 three times this weekend, we have finally gone brain dead in regard to our electrical problem - we could use some thoughts.... All mast lights were out, but after many hours aloft, the steamer and deck lights are lit again. Our anchor light remains the problem. For some reason we are only getting 10.5 volts at the masthead, while we have 12.6 coming out at the circuit board. Wires have been stripped and cleaned at the top, but the juice just isn't getting through. We have what appears to be a pink and a blue line at the top. Here's the question: am I right that somewhere along the line in the mast we have a fraying cable, producing the drop in power? If so, is it necessary to take off the cap on top of the mast in order to access and loosen the wires, so that we can thread some new ones down the mast? Lastly, am I correct in assuming that the wires are fed down a guide, or conduit inside the mast? Any info on the internal wiring of the mast would be appreciated.
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Your mast wiring...
...all runs through a junction box at the base of the mast under the cover plate on top of the mast support. If you remove that cover you have access to that junction box. This is where you should start with your voltage drop test. Also don't forget that the ground circuit is the 'other' half of that circuit and many times is overlooked. PS. The anchor light wire from the main panel is red. At the junction box it changes to brown for the trip up the mast. The ground cicuit from the light is light blue and changes to black back to the panel.
...all runs through a junction box at the base of the mast under the cover plate on top of the mast support. If you remove that cover you have access to that junction box. This is where you should start with your voltage drop test. Also don't forget that the ground circuit is the 'other' half of that circuit and many times is overlooked. PS. The anchor light wire from the main panel is red. At the junction box it changes to brown for the trip up the mast. The ground cicuit from the light is light blue and changes to black back to the panel.
Splice
You probably have a bad splice at the junction box in the cabin roof. Remember if you ever pull your mast, all those wires must be pulled back up through the mast tube and the tube is normally sealed with something. My advice is to have your mast pulled on about every third bottom job and check everything out. And while you have it off, pull the wires out and inspect for bad spots.
You probably have a bad splice at the junction box in the cabin roof. Remember if you ever pull your mast, all those wires must be pulled back up through the mast tube and the tube is normally sealed with something. My advice is to have your mast pulled on about every third bottom job and check everything out. And while you have it off, pull the wires out and inspect for bad spots.
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