radar installation - cable path

[bruce]

Where have other folk with a mast mounted radar scanner run the
interconnect cable? ie cable bewteen scanner & display.

cheers
bruce

 

[Steve]

Where have other folk with a mast mounted radar scanner run the
interconnect cable? ie cable bewteen scanner & display.

Ideally you should run the cable inside the mast and again, ideally you
should install it while the mast is out of the boat. This would allow you to
get secure it and keep it clear of the internal halyards. (seperate topic).

The biggest problem is the connectors on the end of the cable. In my
experience, (three Furunos) the antenna end connector are the smallest and
if these connector shells are still to big to pass through access
holes/wireways, then the shells can be removed. (for the Furuno, no special
tools are requird (seperate topic, again). Once the shell is removed the
contacts on the ends of the wires should be protected, especially the small
coax cable.

The above being stated, you would of course, start from the radar display
location and work you way to the mast and then just follow the route of the
mast electrical wiring. I always feel that a mast junction box for the
radar cable should be part of the standard installation but I have never
seen one yet. I guess if you were going to pull the mast in the future, you
could disconnect at the radar scanner and pull in a chase line while pulling
the radar cable out.

The connector shells at the radar would have to be done while aloft but,
again, I found no need for special tools. Just a list of which wire goes in
which connector shell and in what location. My Furuno manual provided all
that detail.

(All the above was learned the hard way and only after I had damaged that
little coax signal wire. Your welcome to benefit from my experience.)

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

 

[Glenn Ashmore]

Which brings up an interesting question. Is it permissable to install a
plug and receptical at the mast partners so that you don't have to
unwire everything back to the display when you pull the mast?

Ideally you should run the cable inside the mast and again, ideally you
should install it while the mast is out of the boat. This would allow you to
get secure it and keep it clear of the internal halyards. (seperate topic).

The biggest problem is the connectors on the end of the cable. In my
experience, (three Furunos) the antenna end connector are the smallest and
if these connector shells are still to big to pass through access
holes/wireways, then the shells can be removed. (for the Furuno, no special
tools are requird (seperate topic, again). Once the shell is removed the
contacts on the ends of the wires should be protected, especially the small
coax cable.

The above being stated, you would of course, start from the radar display
location and work you way to the mast and then just follow the route of the
mast electrical wiring. I always feel that a mast junction box for the
radar cable should be part of the standard installation but I have never
seen one yet. I guess if you were going to pull the mast in the future, you
could disconnect at the radar scanner and pull in a chase line while pulling
the radar cable out.

The connector shells at the radar would have to be done while aloft but,
again, I found no need for special tools. Just a list of which wire goes in
which connector shell and in what location. My Furuno manual provided all
that detail.

(All the above was learned the hard way and only after I had damaged that
little coax signal wire. Your welcome to benefit from my experience.)

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

 

[Steve]

Which brings up an interesting question. Is it permissable to install a
plug and receptical at the mast partners so that you don't have to
unwire everything back to the display when you pull the mast?

I can't see anything wrong with this or a junction box, IMHO and limited
experience.

In my Furuno cables there is only one small coax cable and that problem
would have to be dealt with, perhaps with just weather proof connector. The
remaining 10 are ordinary color coded stranded conductors.

Of course if supplied an inline connector, they would use something
propietory and charge 10% the price of the radar for it. (Still bitter about
$35 for a NMEA data connector/pigtail)..

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

 

[maxlynn]

Interesting question. Raymarine had at one time strictly recommended
against breaking their radar cable and adding an in-line connector anyway,
anytime. I did it with a cheap ten pin connector on an SL-72, and had no
problem for several years. I then took that radar from one boat to another
boat, and after reading the FAQ's on their web site, which grudgingly
admitted that a terminal board or connector was possible, substituted a
terminal board for the old connector. I was unable to get the radar to work
until I replaced the terminal board with another connector. I sense that
these connections are indeed sensitive. I'm not sure which lines are
sensitive, but suspect that it's the coax leads.

Max Lynn

 

[Dennis Gibbons]

I installed a Raytheon on my boat and the dome was on one of the late,
lamented Waltz poles on the back stay. As I remove the mast every season, I
had to have an easy way to disconnect the dome. I put a connection box in
the lazzerettte and split all (10-12) wires and shields and fed them into
the junction box. It looks like a mess, but it has not effected the
performance of the unit

 

[jonathan rees]

Shouldn't be anything wrong with putting an interconnection in the radar
multicore as long as it stays clean and dry, but remember that the co-ax is
an impedance matched RF cable and so a suitable RF connector should always
be used for this core and its braided screen (BNC, SMA, N-Type etc) these
can be bought from any electronics caltalogue or shop.