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4-Pin Deck Connector Project

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Cate
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Initially Posted - 05/19/2006 : 10:04:45

This weekend's project is to replace the 2-pin deck connector seen here:
http://homepage.mac.com/poolec/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2006-04-15%2019.22.54%20-0700/Image-DD87C7E3CCEE11DA.jpg

With the 4-pin connector seen here:
http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=289

I have 30 ft. lof 4-plex marine wire that will go from the connector back to the electrical panel. (new panel coming soon)

The idea is to connect the wires from the three plugs seen here:
http://homepage.mac.com/poolec/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2006-04-15%2019.22.54%20-0700/Image-DD879FA0CCEE11DA.jpg

into one plug.

Among the foreseen challenges are:
-Twisting 3 ground wires into one
-Fitting four wires into one little hole to connect the 4-pin plug
-Tightly connecting wires to plug and deck connector with the tiny little screws
-Matching up the plug wire configuration to the deck connector configuration so the proper connection is made from light source to panel
-Hoping the new deck connector holes match the old deck connector holes so I don't have to drill new holes
-Running 4-plex wire from the deck all the way back to the panel and hiding it as best I can
-Not having any tools or parts go overboard while fiddling around with this project

Any pre-project advice is most appreciated. I'll share the results after the weekend.

1983 C-25, Standard rig, swing keel

Edited by - on

JimB517
Past Commodore

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Response Posted - 05/19/2006 : 10:29:23

(1) get a busbar at Home Depot, use it as a common negative.

(2) drill the hole just a little bigger, seal the inside with epoxy

(3) tin the wires with solder first. it gives the screws something to bite into.

(4) There should be one fat pin and one fat socket so thats not a problem.

(5) the hole will have to be drilled through the deck and into the head area. From here you can route the wire behind the storage area outboard of the toilet. Drill a couple of holes and the wire can be routed into the port setee lockers. From here its easy to route the wire all the way back to the panel. The only place you can see my wire is behind one of the setee cushions for about 2 inches and in the head area. I installed a towel rack that hides that wire.

(6) Neptune or Posiedon really likes tool and part sacrifices. Be very cautious and don't rest anything on the deck unattached.

Edited by - on

Cate
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Response Posted - 05/19/2006 : 11:36:33

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by JimB517
 (1) get a busbar at Home Depot, use it as a common negative.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Not sure where I would use this. The three black negative wires will have to be made as one and inserted into one of the pins in the plug.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">(2) drill the hole just a little bigger, seal the inside with epoxy<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I have to fit four wires into a small hole that leads to the four plug pins. Not planning on drilling the deck.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">(3) tin the wires with solder first. it gives the screws something to bite into.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Excellent suggestion!!

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">(4) There should be one fat pin and one fat socket so thats not a problem.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yeah I noticed there was only one way to plug into the connector. I guess wires leading from the three lights sources will line up if I keep track of that one-way connection.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">(5) the hole will have to be drilled through the deck and into the head area. From here you can route the wire behind the storage area outboard of the toilet. Drill a couple of holes and the wire can be routed into the port setee lockers. From here its easy to route the wire all the way back to the panel. The only place you can see my wire is behind one of the setee cushions for about 2 inches and in the head area. I installed a towel rack that hides that wire.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
The current deck connector wiring is exposed by a PO. It runs the same path you are describing. My issue is that the 4-plex wire is fatter than the current two wires.

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">(6) Neptune or Posiedon really likes tool and part sacrifices. Be very cautious and don't rest anything on the deck unattached.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Maybe I'll just throw in an old tool of mine before starting this project as an offering:)
Thanks for great advice JimB!

Edited by - on

Champipple
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6855 Posts

Response Posted - 05/19/2006 : 12:29:11

You only need 1 negative wire, three positive. Use the same negative for all 3 lights (deck, steaming and anchor)

Get a set of those small eyeglass screwdrivers too

also, no need for fourplex - your wires are going to be running in a 30 foot conduit already., just tape, or use mini zip (really really small) ties ever 18 -24 inches.

Edited by - Champipple on 05/19/2006 12:40:21

Cate
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Response Posted - 05/19/2006 : 13:18:52

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Duane Wolff
 You only need 1 negative wire, three positive. Use the same negative for all 3 lights (deck, steaming and anchor)<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Right, but as you can see in this picture there is a negative for each light source. Are you saying I only need to connecct one of these three?
http://homepage.mac.com/poolec/.Pictures/Photo%20Album%20Pictures/2006-04-15%2019.22.54%20-0700/Image-DD879FA0CCEE11DA.jpg

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Get a set of those small eyeglass screwdrivers too<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Got em' last night

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">also, no need for fourplex - your wires are going to be running in a 30 foot conduit already., just tape, or use mini zip (really really small) ties ever 18 -24 inches.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Well I bought the 4-plex wire already so I'll just run that in the same path as the current wiring, which is mostly hidden. Have the small cable ties ready.

Thanks for the good input Duane

Edited by - on

Champipple
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Response Posted - 05/19/2006 : 14:40:55

Each of your devices – lights, radio, fan, bilge pump etc needs to be connected to a hot wire (positive) which normally runs from a panel and is connected to a switch. They also need to be connected to a negative which in essence is one big return circuit.

The DC current only needs to complete the circuit – meaning the electricity has to connect the positive and the negative from the battery with the device being in between the two. As long as that negative, somewhere along the way gets to the battery and gets to each device you are fine. Each device doesn’t need its own.

See my example below The crazy looking circle on the bottom is supposed to be my example of a deck plug.

by the way, the easiest way to wire the negative is to start it in the middle and fish it to both ends. trying to find that hole when starting at one end is a bear.

Also, if catalinas original foam to keep all that crap from banging around is still in the mast, you might have a bear of a time trying to use the old wires as a fish line.

Edited by - Champipple on 05/19/2006 14:43:52

Cate
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Response Posted - 05/19/2006 : 15:12:01

Duane,
Thank you for explaining how this wiring should go. Nice picture too.
Right now each light has it's own negative and they are not connected to each other as a circuit. I am not really interested in re-wiring the mast so I can have one negative for each light source as your picture illustrates. I think I will have to twist those three negatives together.

If I have missed something in your careful explanation I apologize. Luckily the PO is a couple of slips away from me and is a Master electrician. I sure he can set me straight with this situation.

Edited by - on

Champipple
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Response Posted - 05/19/2006 : 15:59:28

Then I would recommend splicing the three together and using a single wire into the plug. Fitting 3 negatives plus 3 positives into that thing is not possible. I upped the guage on our wire and had a difficult time with just the 4.

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Champipple
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Response Posted - 05/19/2006 : 21:26:04

okay - I'm back. Due to difficulties that I prefer not to mention, I am unable to view anything referincing a personal home page, blog etc during the weekday....now that I see the pics...What kind of lunacy was that? plug in what you need when you need it? If the DPO was an electrician, I'd love to hear why he didn't rewire everything?

Out of curiosity, do you have a shore power connection? and is the master switch still in the setee or do you have a panel?

Take your three negative wires and buy one of the 4 way connectors. Next time you drop the mast rewire the hole thing top to bottom...with just 4 wires.

Instead of running all that tape, I'd get some of the wire covers from Home depot in the electrical section. for two dollars you can get 7 feet. its the split corrugated stuff. You can run a foot or so of that stuff from the mast to the connector and it will look extremely professional.

Lastly, the old connection could be glassed into place. You might need to drill it out and relay it with glass....

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Cate
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Response Posted - 05/21/2006 : 20:15:51

Okay I'm back from my weekend project. Here are some pictures of the project.
http://homepage.mac.com/poolec/Mysterious/PhotoAlbum23.html

As I thought there were 3 individual ground (negative) wires for each light. I used a butt connector to make 3 into 1 so I could fit the wire in the tiny plug hole. I tinned all four wires and was able to squeeze them through the plug hole and screw them into the plug.
The deck connector was wired with 4-plex, which was a good choice for running the wire inside. All the screw holes lined up from the previous 2-pin connector, except I did have to drill into one to make things line up perfectly. I bedded the deck connector with 3M 4200.

Still to do is heat wrap the plug wire with tubing for a finished look and connect the 4-plex to the new panel (when it arrives from backorder). We don't know what wire goes to what light,but will test a label with new panel.

Short of re-wiring the mast, I think this was a good solution.

Warning: Those $20 Cold Heat solder tools suck for deck wiring.

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