I'm getting ready to rewire the mast lights and thinking of using trailer wire. it seems to hold up well for trailer lights. Any comments?
Mast wiring
- Thread starter Jerry10776
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Just did it...
... bought a kit that had 20 feet of wire on the trailer side and 4 feet on the car side. One conductor for anchor light, one for steaming light, one for spreader lights, and a ground. Depending on your mast height, you will probably have to extend some. I extended the anchor light and steaming light conductors, and the ground. Soldered all joints and coated them with about 2 layers of liquid tape, one heat-shrink tubing, and again all over with liquid tape. Taped the harness from end to end. Epoxied the car end socket inside a pvc pipe fitting epoxied to the case for the original 2-conductor socket. Bitter end of mast harness covered with two layers of electrical tape, then flexible plastic tubing for physical protection. Still to do: push a few pieces of foam rubber up the mast to prevent clanging. -Paul
... bought a kit that had 20 feet of wire on the trailer side and 4 feet on the car side. One conductor for anchor light, one for steaming light, one for spreader lights, and a ground. Depending on your mast height, you will probably have to extend some. I extended the anchor light and steaming light conductors, and the ground. Soldered all joints and coated them with about 2 layers of liquid tape, one heat-shrink tubing, and again all over with liquid tape. Taped the harness from end to end. Epoxied the car end socket inside a pvc pipe fitting epoxied to the case for the original 2-conductor socket. Bitter end of mast harness covered with two layers of electrical tape, then flexible plastic tubing for physical protection. Still to do: push a few pieces of foam rubber up the mast to prevent clanging. -Paul
TRAILER TRASH*YKS
FOR A FEW $ MORE USE MARINE GRADE WIRE.IF YOU DO IT RIGHT WITH CRIMP CONNECTORS (NOT SOLDERED)AND TINNED WIRE (NOT JUST COPPER) IT WILL LAST MANY YEARS AND WILL NOT CRAP OUT ON YOU WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST....EASY TO REPLACE IF NECESSARY ON A TRAILER, NO SO ON THE MAST... EBAY USUALLY HAS GREAT PRICES ON MARINE GRADE WIRE FWIW
FOR A FEW $ MORE USE MARINE GRADE WIRE.IF YOU DO IT RIGHT WITH CRIMP CONNECTORS (NOT SOLDERED)AND TINNED WIRE (NOT JUST COPPER) IT WILL LAST MANY YEARS AND WILL NOT CRAP OUT ON YOU WHEN YOU NEED IT MOST....EASY TO REPLACE IF NECESSARY ON A TRAILER, NO SO ON THE MAST... EBAY USUALLY HAS GREAT PRICES ON MARINE GRADE WIRE FWIW
LONG WIRE TIES
JERRY, YOU MIGHT CONSIDER ATTACHING VERY LONG PLASTIC WIRE TIES EVERY 12" - 18" TO WHAT EVER WIRE YOU END UP USING. DON'T CUT OFF THE TAIL AND IT WILL KEEP THE WIRES FROM SLAPPING THE INSIDE OF THE MAST WHEN THE BOAT ROCKS. IF AT A LATER TIME YOU NEED TO RUN ANOTHER WIRE IT WILL IT WON'T BE A HARD JOB. GOOD LUCK.
JERRY, YOU MIGHT CONSIDER ATTACHING VERY LONG PLASTIC WIRE TIES EVERY 12" - 18" TO WHAT EVER WIRE YOU END UP USING. DON'T CUT OFF THE TAIL AND IT WILL KEEP THE WIRES FROM SLAPPING THE INSIDE OF THE MAST WHEN THE BOAT ROCKS. IF AT A LATER TIME YOU NEED TO RUN ANOTHER WIRE IT WILL IT WON'T BE A HARD JOB. GOOD LUCK.
I don't know...
my trailer lights seem to last 4 or 5 years before they run amuck. Salt from the road... is probably a lot like salt from the sea. Wires are not tinned... however if you made all connections weather tight... with proper connectors and heatshrink tubing... you might have something.
my trailer lights seem to last 4 or 5 years before they run amuck. Salt from the road... is probably a lot like salt from the sea. Wires are not tinned... however if you made all connections weather tight... with proper connectors and heatshrink tubing... you might have something.
It's easier if you use separate grounds
for the steaming light and anchor light. Run a triplex to the steaming/deck light with its ground and a separate duplex to the anchor light. Many folks suggest using a common ground (to save weight, etc.) but later on, when you have to replace the wiring, you'll be glad you separated them. Tie the grounds together at the base of the mast. Use the right wire - tinned - or you'll eventually be sorry.
for the steaming light and anchor light. Run a triplex to the steaming/deck light with its ground and a separate duplex to the anchor light. Many folks suggest using a common ground (to save weight, etc.) but later on, when you have to replace the wiring, you'll be glad you separated them. Tie the grounds together at the base of the mast. Use the right wire - tinned - or you'll eventually be sorry.
Most ...
The vast majority of trailer wiring kits are either 16 ga or 18 ga wire. The ABYC minimum gauge is 16 but NOT for that length of run. One other thing to consider is a jacket. Trailer wire has no jacket on it and is very prone to chafe and wear as the wires in a mast are oscillating, vibrating and chafing quite a bit. Here's an example: If you have a mast that is 45 feet tall you multiply by 2 for 90 feet of run. Next add the distance from your panel to the base of the mast, say 15 feet, and then also multiply by two. So 45' X 2 = 90 feet + 15' X 2 = 30 feet. Now add 30 to 90 and you have a 120' run from your panel to the top of the mast. The minimum wire size for the run above according to ABYC TABLE XI CONDUCTORS SIZES FOR 10 % VOLTAGE DROP at a 5 amp max rating is a 12 gauge wire!!! Even at a 60 foot round trip length or 30 feet of total wire for pos and negative you'll need a minimum of 14 gauge. One other thing to consider is that most trailer wire does NOT have waterproof jacketing and will oxidize inside the jacket.. Use 3 conductor jacketed & tinned marine grade wire for a PITA job like this so you don't have to do it again for a long time! Per ABYC: 11.16.1.1.2. Conductors shall be at least 16 AWG. EXCEPTIONS: 1. 18 AWG conductors may be used if included with other conductors in a sheath and do not extend more than 30 inches (760mm) outside the sheath. 2. 18 AWG conductors may be used as internal wiring on panelboards. 3. Conductors that are totally inside an equipment housing. 4. Conductors on circuits of less than 50 volts having a current flow of less than one amp in communication systems, electronic navigation equipment and electronic circuits. 5. Pigtails less than seven inches (178 mm) used as wiring on panelboards.
The vast majority of trailer wiring kits are either 16 ga or 18 ga wire. The ABYC minimum gauge is 16 but NOT for that length of run. One other thing to consider is a jacket. Trailer wire has no jacket on it and is very prone to chafe and wear as the wires in a mast are oscillating, vibrating and chafing quite a bit. Here's an example: If you have a mast that is 45 feet tall you multiply by 2 for 90 feet of run. Next add the distance from your panel to the base of the mast, say 15 feet, and then also multiply by two. So 45' X 2 = 90 feet + 15' X 2 = 30 feet. Now add 30 to 90 and you have a 120' run from your panel to the top of the mast. The minimum wire size for the run above according to ABYC TABLE XI CONDUCTORS SIZES FOR 10 % VOLTAGE DROP at a 5 amp max rating is a 12 gauge wire!!! Even at a 60 foot round trip length or 30 feet of total wire for pos and negative you'll need a minimum of 14 gauge. One other thing to consider is that most trailer wire does NOT have waterproof jacketing and will oxidize inside the jacket.. Use 3 conductor jacketed & tinned marine grade wire for a PITA job like this so you don't have to do it again for a long time! Per ABYC: 11.16.1.1.2. Conductors shall be at least 16 AWG. EXCEPTIONS: 1. 18 AWG conductors may be used if included with other conductors in a sheath and do not extend more than 30 inches (760mm) outside the sheath. 2. 18 AWG conductors may be used as internal wiring on panelboards. 3. Conductors that are totally inside an equipment housing. 4. Conductors on circuits of less than 50 volts having a current flow of less than one amp in communication systems, electronic navigation equipment and electronic circuits. 5. Pigtails less than seven inches (178 mm) used as wiring on panelboards.
Others have it right.
Since you are obviously in fresh water, you will get longer life out of the trailer wire than you would in salt. But it still will not be fixed right, and will have to be replaced at some time. If you enjoy the job, and aren't worried about failure, go ahead and use the trailer wire. If you want to do it right, and not worry about it, use a good grade, triplex marine wire. No smaller than 14ga. You can buy a 50' spool of Anchor marine wire on ebay for very small dollars. Thats just too much work to not do it right. Unless of course you just enjoy the doing.
Since you are obviously in fresh water, you will get longer life out of the trailer wire than you would in salt. But it still will not be fixed right, and will have to be replaced at some time. If you enjoy the job, and aren't worried about failure, go ahead and use the trailer wire. If you want to do it right, and not worry about it, use a good grade, triplex marine wire. No smaller than 14ga. You can buy a 50' spool of Anchor marine wire on ebay for very small dollars. Thats just too much work to not do it right. Unless of course you just enjoy the doing.
The cost of tinned wire is insignificant when
compared to the job labor and the increased possibility of failure . Do it once, do it right.
compared to the job labor and the increased possibility of failure . Do it once, do it right.
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