P30 mast wiring

[Timc]

The PO of my new-to-me 1978 P30 removed some of the electrical wiring from the bottom of the mast and the labeling on the various screws has long faded away. The bow light works. The masthead and deck light are not hooked up. I've tried various combinations of wires but nothing works, so I'm trying to be more technical about it. I am unable to find the power wires (12V, I assume) with my multi-meter, I think because I cannot find a good ground. Where do I find a ground wire at the mast base? Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[Wandering Cs]

;D Can't resist the pun...

To be 100% positive it is a negative connection (good ground), run a wire from the negative post of the house battery. Confirm all relative circuits are "on", test for power. Next test is to identify each wire to the mast by testing individual circuits, et cetera. Remember, ground wires must also be tested. Tedious but effective.

 

[sailme2]

I have

a '78 P30 now. Once the wiring disappears in the headliner, it's nearly impossible to trace or splice. If you can't ID the wiring coming up through the tube in the mast base and come up with working wires, it's easier to just run new wires....been there, done that. For the wires that you add, the easiest thing to do is use a Cable Clam to get your wires through the deck. I set mine up so the connectors are inside the head area where they won't get wet. If you do this, stagger the length of your leads so when you have to unhook them to step the mast you're not trying to pull too many things through too small a hole. Outside, I bundled the wires and put heat shrink over the bundle. Then,I put spiral wrap over the heat shrink for added protection. To get into the mast, I drilled 2 holes and put grommets in the holes. The Pearson wiring diagram calls for 12ga stranded wire, and you can get wire in varios colors. Be sure to label....label....label everything. Good luck