I am ready to run my antenna coax down through the mast on my new 2001 H260. I have read some discussion on this site regarding a pvc conduit inside the mast. I have sighted up the mast using a flashlight and can see the factory installed wiring for the masthead lights, but I don't see any conduit. Am I missing something, or is there no conduit in the H260 mast? If there is a conduit, can someone tell me where to find it? In the near future, I will post some completed projects with photos of projects that I have completed on my H260, including shore power, battery charger, remote controls for engine, and remote station mic.
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Ross
T-track
I also have a 2001 H260. I spoke to Julian at US Spars about this. There is a "T" track that runs the length of the mast. The theory is that you take conduit and rip it lengthwise and slide it down the track. The wiring then fits inside the conduit. I took the mast head off and found that the "T" track is very small and wasn't able to find conduit with walls thin enough to fit under the "T". 1/2" pvc electrical conduit is too thick. I embarked on this project because the mast light wire is banging around inside the mast making an annoying noise everytime the boat heels. If anyone has a solution, I'd be glad to hear it. Ross "Odyssey"
I also have a 2001 H260. I spoke to Julian at US Spars about this. There is a "T" track that runs the length of the mast. The theory is that you take conduit and rip it lengthwise and slide it down the track. The wiring then fits inside the conduit. I took the mast head off and found that the "T" track is very small and wasn't able to find conduit with walls thin enough to fit under the "T". 1/2" pvc electrical conduit is too thick. I embarked on this project because the mast light wire is banging around inside the mast making an annoying noise everytime the boat heels. If anyone has a solution, I'd be glad to hear it. Ross "Odyssey"
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Pat
Wiring in the H-260 mast
Greg and Ross, I also have a 2001 H-260 (great boat) and the mast did not come with a conduit for wiring inside the mast. The wiring was slapping inside the mast and keeping me awake at night on the boat. I found some thin walled PVC tubing at a heating and air conditioning supplier. They use it for condensate drains, and it is about half the wall thickness of the standard Schedule 40 PVC at your building supply/depot. Based on previous posts on this informative website, using my table saw, I cut a thin slit down the length of the tubes. I removed the mast head and base by drilling out the four pop rivets in each. I slid the tubes down the inside of the mast with the slit over the "T" inside the mast. I used an electrical snake to pull the wires up through the PVC, connected them to the mast light and new VHF mast antenna, then reinstalled the mast cap and base with new pop rivets. Works great and now there is no mast slap noise! Others have taken wire bundle ties and have installed four together at about one foot intervals 90 degrees apart on the mast wiring without clipping the "tails" off. This keeps the wiring from banging against the inside of the mast also. This is fine if you don't need to add additional wires later or you will be starting over again. The conduit approach allows you to add additional wiring easily later. Hope this helps, let us know how it goes. Pat
Greg and Ross, I also have a 2001 H-260 (great boat) and the mast did not come with a conduit for wiring inside the mast. The wiring was slapping inside the mast and keeping me awake at night on the boat. I found some thin walled PVC tubing at a heating and air conditioning supplier. They use it for condensate drains, and it is about half the wall thickness of the standard Schedule 40 PVC at your building supply/depot. Based on previous posts on this informative website, using my table saw, I cut a thin slit down the length of the tubes. I removed the mast head and base by drilling out the four pop rivets in each. I slid the tubes down the inside of the mast with the slit over the "T" inside the mast. I used an electrical snake to pull the wires up through the PVC, connected them to the mast light and new VHF mast antenna, then reinstalled the mast cap and base with new pop rivets. Works great and now there is no mast slap noise! Others have taken wire bundle ties and have installed four together at about one foot intervals 90 degrees apart on the mast wiring without clipping the "tails" off. This keeps the wiring from banging against the inside of the mast also. This is fine if you don't need to add additional wires later or you will be starting over again. The conduit approach allows you to add additional wiring easily later. Hope this helps, let us know how it goes. Pat
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Bob Fliegel
Had The Same Problem
I had the same problem. The mast wiring noise is a very serious problem. I addressed it by removing the top of the mast, cutting the wire to the mast light and pulling it through the small hole at the botton of the mast which is used to step the mast - BUT I HAD A DRAG/SERVICE LINE ATTACHED TO THE MAST WIRE. Then I used the drag/service line to pull standard pipe insulation (Home Depot maybe $10.00) taped together from the top to the bottom of the mast - BUT I HAD A DRAG/SERVICE LINE INSTALLED IN THE PIPE INSULATION. When the pipe insulation reached the bottom of the mast, I got the service line and attached to it 1.) the mast light wire, 2.) my VHF antenna wire, my FM antenna wire and 4.) another drag/service line. I then pulled these wires through the pipe insulation from the bottom of the mast to the top of the mast. The rest is history. I was thinking of gluing PVC pipe to the inside of the mast (I did not know of the "T" inside the mast) but the pipe insulation just seemed much easier. It worked wonderfully - have never had any problems. Good Luck!
I had the same problem. The mast wiring noise is a very serious problem. I addressed it by removing the top of the mast, cutting the wire to the mast light and pulling it through the small hole at the botton of the mast which is used to step the mast - BUT I HAD A DRAG/SERVICE LINE ATTACHED TO THE MAST WIRE. Then I used the drag/service line to pull standard pipe insulation (Home Depot maybe $10.00) taped together from the top to the bottom of the mast - BUT I HAD A DRAG/SERVICE LINE INSTALLED IN THE PIPE INSULATION. When the pipe insulation reached the bottom of the mast, I got the service line and attached to it 1.) the mast light wire, 2.) my VHF antenna wire, my FM antenna wire and 4.) another drag/service line. I then pulled these wires through the pipe insulation from the bottom of the mast to the top of the mast. The rest is history. I was thinking of gluing PVC pipe to the inside of the mast (I did not know of the "T" inside the mast) but the pipe insulation just seemed much easier. It worked wonderfully - have never had any problems. Good Luck!
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David
Installed PVC as well
Thankfully I bought my boat when it was a year young and the previous owner already installed the PVC. Save me the hassle and works wonderfully. I added a VHF radio over the winder and used a standard piece of wire to snake the coax down the tubing, very easy. However, snaking the coax inside the cabin became the major pain. The tubing that runs inside the cabin from the mast plate to the breaker box stopped about 18 inched short of the breaker box... was not able to snake it the rest of the way. I did however, pull down the light over the galley and drilled about a 1 inch hole and used that as a short stop to pull the coax. I then ran another snake and pulled it through to the breaker and then ran it to the back of the boat where I mounted the VHF. All turned out beautifully after a few choice words and a long day. I had pics in anyone wants to see.
Thankfully I bought my boat when it was a year young and the previous owner already installed the PVC. Save me the hassle and works wonderfully. I added a VHF radio over the winder and used a standard piece of wire to snake the coax down the tubing, very easy. However, snaking the coax inside the cabin became the major pain. The tubing that runs inside the cabin from the mast plate to the breaker box stopped about 18 inched short of the breaker box... was not able to snake it the rest of the way. I did however, pull down the light over the galley and drilled about a 1 inch hole and used that as a short stop to pull the coax. I then ran another snake and pulled it through to the breaker and then ran it to the back of the boat where I mounted the VHF. All turned out beautifully after a few choice words and a long day. I had pics in anyone wants to see.
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Mark
Ross
Lots of posts on thisa one. The best solution by far and the easy one is to use the Zip ties. I guess there may be 15-20 posts on this in the archives.
Lots of posts on thisa one. The best solution by far and the easy one is to use the Zip ties. I guess there may be 15-20 posts on this in the archives.
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Tom
1999 H260 came with conduit...
Hi, My boat came from the factory with conduit installed. You cannot see it very well from the mast base, but is is just a few inches from the top of the mast. For my VHF wiring, I took off the mast base and top plate, then fed a wire snake through the existing conduit from the top. To reach the mast head, I raised the mast base (pivoting on the provided mast support arms) to the top of its travel, which lowered the top to within easy reach using a step ladder. For ideas on connecting the VHF end, see the link to the Foto Forum, below. Fair winds, Tom
Hi, My boat came from the factory with conduit installed. You cannot see it very well from the mast base, but is is just a few inches from the top of the mast. For my VHF wiring, I took off the mast base and top plate, then fed a wire snake through the existing conduit from the top. To reach the mast head, I raised the mast base (pivoting on the provided mast support arms) to the top of its travel, which lowered the top to within easy reach using a step ladder. For ideas on connecting the VHF end, see the link to the Foto Forum, below. Fair winds, Tom
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Greg Zigmont
Thanks everyone
Thanks everyone. I took a little advice from everyone, includingJulian at US Spars. I took the top of the mast off, attached a signal line to th mast light wire and pulled it out the top. I then sisteredmy coax to this wire an did the zip-tie trick. I put new rivets in the top and I'm ready to go. I already had the connection throuh the deck figured out. I'll post some photos soon.
Thanks everyone. I took a little advice from everyone, includingJulian at US Spars. I took the top of the mast off, attached a signal line to th mast light wire and pulled it out the top. I then sisteredmy coax to this wire an did the zip-tie trick. I put new rivets in the top and I'm ready to go. I already had the connection throuh the deck figured out. I'll post some photos soon.
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