I am installing a mast-top antenna for my new marine radio and need to run the antenna wire through the deck. What is the best sealer to seal the hole?
Deck sealer for radio antenna wire
- Thread starter novelman17128
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The very best would be a piece of tubing
bent like a candy cane and glassed into the deck. The coax would then be led through that conduit with a drip loop on the outside and a threaded compression seal on the outside end of the conduit.
bent like a candy cane and glassed into the deck. The coax would then be led through that conduit with a drip loop on the outside and a threaded compression seal on the outside end of the conduit.
Do it right
I can't believe this... Hey Ross, Why not just pound a coke bottle through the deck, glass it in and then build a dorade box around it? Novelman, just go to a marine hardware store and buy a waterproof deck gland. They make them specifically for this and they cost all of $15. Or you could do it with a bunch of crap from the junk yard. That would really enhanse the value of your boat.
I can't believe this... Hey Ross, Why not just pound a coke bottle through the deck, glass it in and then build a dorade box around it? Novelman, just go to a marine hardware store and buy a waterproof deck gland. They make them specifically for this and they cost all of $15. Or you could do it with a bunch of crap from the junk yard. That would really enhanse the value of your boat.
Yes, install a connector. It is the proper
and least expensive way in the long run. Besides having to reseal often you may get humidity and rot on the deck wood.
and least expensive way in the long run. Besides having to reseal often you may get humidity and rot on the deck wood.
Liam he asked for the best not the most practical.
Have you ever tried to pound a coke bottle through a deck? You have to drill a pilot hole first. The big problem is they are only open on one end. That makes it hard to feed the wire through. ;D
Have you ever tried to pound a coke bottle through a deck? You have to drill a pilot hole first. The big problem is they are only open on one end. That makes it hard to feed the wire through. ;D
The problem that I have with coax feed thru
connectors is the multiple breaks in the cable. Each one has the potential for trouble. I really wasn't being a smart a** when I sugested what I did earlier. Several thousand U.S. Taxpayer dollars provided me with an education in ground radio repair will I was in the Air Force. 99 percent of the transmitting trouble can be laid to the coax connectors. Silicone grease will indeed keep the water out. Salt air can effectively short out the antennas. On the coast of the Philipines we had to clean all of the insulators on all of the antennas each month and coat them with silicone grease. If the coax runs down the outside of the mast all of the water that hits the cable will drain onto the connector hence the drip loop.
connectors is the multiple breaks in the cable. Each one has the potential for trouble. I really wasn't being a smart a** when I sugested what I did earlier. Several thousand U.S. Taxpayer dollars provided me with an education in ground radio repair will I was in the Air Force. 99 percent of the transmitting trouble can be laid to the coax connectors. Silicone grease will indeed keep the water out. Salt air can effectively short out the antennas. On the coast of the Philipines we had to clean all of the insulators on all of the antennas each month and coat them with silicone grease. If the coax runs down the outside of the mast all of the water that hits the cable will drain onto the connector hence the drip loop.
Oh - we thought he may want to drop his mast,.
You know, like maybe when he takes down the stick for trailering? Do they make stretchy coax?
You know, like maybe when he takes down the stick for trailering? Do they make stretchy coax?
Do you already have a wire chase ...
inside the mast and through the mast step plate? Most sail boats do for the various mast lights; anchor, running, etc. If so use the existing chase rather than cutting a new one somewhere outside the mast. I always get good performance using 3M4200 sealant on our boat. Home Depot carries it. I never use Silicone II on our boat. Terry
inside the mast and through the mast step plate? Most sail boats do for the various mast lights; anchor, running, etc. If so use the existing chase rather than cutting a new one somewhere outside the mast. I always get good performance using 3M4200 sealant on our boat. Home Depot carries it. I never use Silicone II on our boat. Terry
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