How do I lay a vhf arial cable from the top of the mast. The mast has foam in it in several places. I would have thought it to risky to lay it inside the main sail sleeve. Help please. Marcus
Arial cable from top of mast
- Thread starter mrmetaluk
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drill through mast foam
I don't know if you have the same concrete reinforcment rod in the UK that we have in the US, it is the least expensive long steel rod that I could locate. Get one of the desired thickness, , heat the end with a welding torch and it will shove throught the foam in about a minute. If your mast is very long you could use the torch to weld two together. Leaving a hole just the right size for a cable. After it cools, tape a string to it and pull it back through, now you can pull the antenna cable through.
I don't know if you have the same concrete reinforcment rod in the UK that we have in the US, it is the least expensive long steel rod that I could locate. Get one of the desired thickness, , heat the end with a welding torch and it will shove throught the foam in about a minute. If your mast is very long you could use the torch to weld two together. Leaving a hole just the right size for a cable. After it cools, tape a string to it and pull it back through, now you can pull the antenna cable through.
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Steve Paul
Another thought
Just for kicks, if you don't have access to a torch or long steel rod. I have used plastic pipe for cutting through the foam. One could use EMT or light duty conduit as well. Either material can be joined with connectors available for their normal use. Just do this; file teeth on one end and proceed to drill by hand ( I suppose one could fashion a drill holder and use a power tool) by turning the pipe back and forth and pushing. Once in awhile pull it out and clean the debris from the inside of the pipe and go on. You can experience the pipe skewing off to one side or the other but shouldn't matter in the long run. One could also leave the plastic pipe in the mast if you don't mind the small extra weight. Would make fishing wires a whole lost easier down the road. Just another thought. Steve
Just for kicks, if you don't have access to a torch or long steel rod. I have used plastic pipe for cutting through the foam. One could use EMT or light duty conduit as well. Either material can be joined with connectors available for their normal use. Just do this; file teeth on one end and proceed to drill by hand ( I suppose one could fashion a drill holder and use a power tool) by turning the pipe back and forth and pushing. Once in awhile pull it out and clean the debris from the inside of the pipe and go on. You can experience the pipe skewing off to one side or the other but shouldn't matter in the long run. One could also leave the plastic pipe in the mast if you don't mind the small extra weight. Would make fishing wires a whole lost easier down the road. Just another thought. Steve
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Jeff K
I've done it twice
The rebar concrete re-enforcing rod can be heated with a 5-10 dollar propane torch and pushed through in <1 minute. One was not long enough so I duct taped 2 of them end to end. then I duct taped the wire to the end and pulled it through. Be careful the end of the rebar stays hot for quite a while. The Duct tape has never failed. when pushing it through end to end is the key phrase. The ends should not be side by side.
The rebar concrete re-enforcing rod can be heated with a 5-10 dollar propane torch and pushed through in <1 minute. One was not long enough so I duct taped 2 of them end to end. then I duct taped the wire to the end and pulled it through. Be careful the end of the rebar stays hot for quite a while. The Duct tape has never failed. when pushing it through end to end is the key phrase. The ends should not be side by side.
M
Mel E.
I would think
the 1/2" pvc pipe and left in place would be best, seems I heard of one case where the loose wires rubbing against the stay bolts shorted out causing the whole business of running the wires done again. Just a thought as my VHF, and Lightning arrestor cable are still doing fine even though I can hear them contacting the inside of the mast once in a while .
the 1/2" pvc pipe and left in place would be best, seems I heard of one case where the loose wires rubbing against the stay bolts shorted out causing the whole business of running the wires done again. Just a thought as my VHF, and Lightning arrestor cable are still doing fine even though I can hear them contacting the inside of the mast once in a while .
K
Kaizen
Cable Ties inside mast
Mel E, I tie three cable ties, don't cut the ends off, every 3-4 feets interval in a star shape i.e. 120 degrees from each other. Do this before pulling the cables through. Essentially the cables are held away from the inside of the mast by the cable ties. No slaping noice in the wind. Sleep nights.
Mel E, I tie three cable ties, don't cut the ends off, every 3-4 feets interval in a star shape i.e. 120 degrees from each other. Do this before pulling the cables through. Essentially the cables are held away from the inside of the mast by the cable ties. No slaping noice in the wind. Sleep nights.
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Simon
use a drill and some sailing rigging
We just some tough old sailing rigging from a yard and put one end in a drill and the other down the mast. Be sure to drill with in the same rotation as the wire is bound to prevent it unravelling. Took 2-3 minutes to drill though. Then attached cable to drill end and pull whole wire through so cable pops out through bottom.
We just some tough old sailing rigging from a yard and put one end in a drill and the other down the mast. Be sure to drill with in the same rotation as the wire is bound to prevent it unravelling. Took 2-3 minutes to drill though. Then attached cable to drill end and pull whole wire through so cable pops out through bottom.
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Greg Pecaut
Just a though
While you are at it, when ever I have to pull new wires anywhere, I always pull a string with them. That way if I need to pull a new wire through I can use the string already there. Oh, and when you pull another wire through, don't forget to pull a replacement string with it, so you still have a pull string there for next time. I just use that nylon survey string, it's cheap and doesn't rot away.
While you are at it, when ever I have to pull new wires anywhere, I always pull a string with them. That way if I need to pull a new wire through I can use the string already there. Oh, and when you pull another wire through, don't forget to pull a replacement string with it, so you still have a pull string there for next time. I just use that nylon survey string, it's cheap and doesn't rot away.
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