My Catalina 30, hull #658, has the original wood spreaders. Where can I purchase replacements for the spreader boots? JSL
Spruce Spreaders Replacement Boots
- Thread starter Joseph S. Latoff
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Thanks for the information. I would prefer the original style rubber boots. Any ideas where these may be available? Joe L.
vhf cable. Have been researching this for my catalina 30. Need info on what cable iis best for runs over 50'. JSL
west marine sells them and they are pretty cheap and they look identical to the ones on my cat 30
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=100550&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=50045&subdeptNum=50088&classNum=50094#.UmxG-JT6MYI
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=100550&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=50045&subdeptNum=50088&classNum=50094#.UmxG-JT6MYI
Most people like LMR400 or RG8. Those cables, especially RG8 is rather thick and a little more difficult to route in tight quarters or sharp turns. For runs <100'@vhf frequencies, i suggest LMR240 which is slightly more loss, but the difference is insignificant at these frequencies and length. It's .24 inch in diameter and very flexible. This could be significant if you're running a separate antenna for something like AIS and need the extra space.
Whatever you do, don't use RG58. Some will say you need other types of connectors like N, TNC, BNC, etc. While superior performing than the standard PL259, the difference is tiny and only noticeable with highly accurate test equipment. I like crimp on connectors over solder and you'll save yourself some future pain if you don't even consider the twist-on type. A cheap crimp tool can be had for $25-30.
Seal any exposed connectors. If you wrap with electrical tape, that may last a few months. Heat shrink a little longer, but doesn't seal well unless it's he adhesive filled and designed for exposure. An effective method is to wrap with electrical tape, followed by butyl tape, and finally wrapped again in electrical tape. You can substitute self amalgamating tape or silicone sealing tape for the butyl if you can get it. The butyl can be a little messy, but it's not bad. Regarding heat shrink, i use it on connectors that are stressed, like a handheld radio connected to an external antenna. I put 3 concentric layers up to the base of the connector. This holds up really well.
i have a '77 cat and the first thing i did after purchasing it was to dump the wood spreaders and replace them with new stainless ones. no matter how good you think they are, they're still wood and over 20 years (minimum) old. getting new boots is secondary!
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