Deck Connector for 5-Conductor Multicable Wire

[DinoKanuck]

Ahoy

How does a person connect an Ancor 14 gauge 5-conductor multicable in the mast to an Ancor 14 gauge 5-conductor multicable coming through the cabin roof? Not seeing any deck connectors with more than 4 pins in the catalogues.

Maybe use 5-wire flat connector for an automobile trailer?

The plan is to run that 5-conductor multicable up the mast for a steaming/deck light combination (3 wires needed) and a tricolour/anchor light combination (2 wires needed with reverse polarity switch).

The boat is a Sandpiper 565 which we plan on trailer sailing so some sort of easy connector is needed.

Dino Kanuck

 

[Fred Villiard]

Aqua signal p/n 80100-7

I think WM stocks it among other places about $45.00
Also look in Digikey or Mouser for other ones

Fred

 

[Jackdaw]

With that many connectors, typically I end up with the wire going thru the deck with a CableClam and joining the other side of the cable with a connector strip belowdecks. I hear you about being on a trailer. This takes maybe 5 minutes each time.

CableClams
http://www.discountmarinesource.com/p-34389-blue-sea-systems-cable-clam-625-inch-1001.aspx

Strip connectors:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103986

 

[justsomeguy]

How many of the five are ground wires?

 

[mitiempo]

2 are ground wires I believe but the 2 wires to the trilight/anchor light are reversed to switch between trilight and anchor light. The ground for the trilight/anchor combo cannot be combined with the ground for the steaming/decklight fixture.

 

[DinoKanuck]

Thanks..

Thanks... lots of options in the above replies and with the part number provided by Fred V I was even able to find this link on using the Aqua Signal product..

http://slowflight.net/upgrades/elec-deck2mast.html

I'll report back on how this turns out.

Dino K.
Sandpiper 565 Electrician
Dufour 24 Skipper

 

[DinoKanuck]

2 are ground wires I believe but the 2 wires to the trilight/anchor light are reversed to switch between trilight and anchor light. The ground for the trilight/anchor combo cannot be combined with the ground for the steaming/decklight fixture.

Yes, Mitiempo is right. The reverse polarity thing is something of a black box to me and all I know is that BlueSea has a double-pole double-throw on-off-on switch that is needed for my BlueSea panel

PS This is all part of a stem to stern wiring job being done on a Sandpiper 565. I wanted to learn about 12 volt marine wiring and there were no courses being given so.... I'm letting the project take me to school. It has been fantastic so far... Chatting with guys like you and even met Maine Sail when I visited the Boston States.

 

[DinoKanuck]

This product looks well built but there is an issue and a question.

Question.... Is the most isolated of the 5 pins the one to make the Negative Pin?

Issue....

The 5 wire cable we are using is 12 mm in diameter but the e connector unit is designed for 10 mm cable.

The choice is...

.....A) Strip off 3 maybe 4 inches of the thick rubber coating plus the non-wire fibres and then replace it with enough shrink coating to seal up the wires and

.....B) Ream out the unit and force the full cable into the unit and risk breaking the unit.


There is enough extra cable to allow me to try A first and see how that works. Choice B is not reverseable.


Dino Kanuck

 

[Fred Villiard]

I reamed my 2 out about 2mm and the first one has been doing fine 4+ years, the second one won't be in use untill spring.

Fred

 

[kenn]

Salut! Hello to another Canadian Sandpiper 565 owner!

(Check out the official Sandpiper 565 forum, and watch for announcements re the 2012 Sandpiper 565 Rendezvous)

On our 'piper, I put the red/green lights on the pulpit, white on the stern, and I just have an anchor light and a steaming light on the mast, because I wanted to minimize weight at the masthead. So for that, I'm using a standard 4-wire trailer connecter set (under $10 with 20 ft of wire). I also use Grote corrosion sealant (around $5 for 4 oz) to protect the pins, and if I remember I usually wrap the connector with two turns of electrical tape.

Trailer light connectors aren't the most robust connectors, but they're molded, kind to the deck, can be stepped on, and they are both common and cheap. I haven't yet seen anything outside of a military-spec connector that seemed more durable.

If I remember I'll post pictures of the new electrical panel I installed last year.