I need to change the in-mast portion of the VHF cable on my H26. (it got damaged and is now too short at the protruding ends.) Should I just be able to attach a new length of cable to the old one and pull it through from mast head to foot?
H26 Coaxial VHF cable
- Thread starter Fred
- Start date
I used this company to build VHF cables one for the mast and one for mast base to vhf. They configured the fitting to fit from the top down to fit through the chase in the mast. Not sure what the fitting is called small fitting with nothing to field attach by me. I was VERY happy with the price, and service. It will be made to the exact size you need. They also have an amazon store. PROUDLY made in NORTH AMERICA by an employee that earns a fair wage.
https://www.customcableinc.com/
https://www.customcableinc.com/
Last edited:
Before pulling, I would make the center conductors into a hook, then solder the center conductors. After that, used some tape around the cable to prevent any snags. It is your choice to go up the mast or let gravity assist by going down the mast. If you are taking the mast down, then it makes no difference.
What cable will you replace the bad one with? RG8X? RG-213? LMR-240? LMR-400?
What cable will you replace the bad one with? RG8X? RG-213? LMR-240? LMR-400?
Without treading closer to a political statement that necessary, “gadd, I sure hope not!”
Any suggestions on the cable type? My first search seemed to indicate that RG8X is available at the local chandlery.
Check out any of the various coax loss calculators on the internet to see how much power loss occurs over the length cable you will have. Doing that will provide you some clarity on what difference better coax will provide.
Whichever type you choose, don’t buy the marine store/big box store coax. Go to online store like Cable Experts, HRO, DXengineering, etc... to ensure quality of both the cable and connectors as there are lots of cheap crap around.
If you are trailering a lot, then I suggest for the deck fitting seen in the attached photo with cover cap. Easy to remove and better than other fittings.
The LMR cable may be too rigid for the turns needed in your setup. There are specific bend radius in their specs, be sure to check that out.
RG-8X of good quality will be fine for your application, if there is room in the chase a jump to the 213 (larger diameter, lower loss) is a good one. Usually double the price of the 8X, or more.
Use silver plated Amphenol or better connectors, don't skimp here...use the good stuff.
on good-quality connectors. LMR Ultraflex cables have really nice tight bend radii.
Times Microwave specs:
LMR-400-UF: Bend radius: 1"; 1.8 dB/100' loss (150 Mhz)
LMR-240-UF: Bend radius: .75"; 3.6 dB / 100' loss
Available from DX Engineering
400: https://www.dxengineering.com/searc...es-microwave-bulk-coaxial-cables?autoview=SKU
240: https://www.dxengineering.com/searc...es-microwave-bulk-coaxial-cables?autoview=SKU
I ended up purchasing 40 feet of RG8x ($0.61 / foot) as it was available at the local chandlery. After some tugging and pulling and removal of the mast head it became obvious that the old cable was ty-wrapped to the electrical cable going to the mast light so the whole bundle had to come out. Not sure if this is how the boats are originally constructed or if the PO had already changed the cable. This made it a bigger job than expected but I finally got it done.
For those who may not be familiar, the bundle is ty-wrapped each foot (three ties) and half with the tails of the tie left on. This is a scheme used to prevent the cable from slapping inside the mast. As I didn't have that many ties with me, I left the bundle intact and used electrical tape every 1.5 foot to tie the new cable to the existing bundle.
I have attached a picture that gives a view of how the bundle is constructed. The white cable is the original coax (VHF) and the black one is the electrical cable for the masthead light.
For those who may not be familiar, the bundle is ty-wrapped each foot (three ties) and half with the tails of the tie left on. This is a scheme used to prevent the cable from slapping inside the mast. As I didn't have that many ties with me, I left the bundle intact and used electrical tape every 1.5 foot to tie the new cable to the existing bundle.
I have attached a picture that gives a view of how the bundle is constructed. The white cable is the original coax (VHF) and the black one is the electrical cable for the masthead light.