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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Installing VHF antenna cable in mast

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turnwald
Deckhand

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USA
2 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/31/2011 : 13:38:18

By way of introduction, I have a 2001 C250 WK. I have been an Assn. member since 2009.

Thank you to all those C250 sailors who have used the Forum to post a lot of very useful information!

This is my first post. I am in the process of installing a fixed mount VHF radio. I have installed a mast-<div align="right"></div id="right">head antenna on an L-shaped (cross section) aluminum bracket attached to the fitting at the top of the mast. I now need to install the antenna cable (1/4" diameter) inside the mast; I do not see information pertaining to the topic in the forum.

Questions:

Where specifically should the cable enter the top of the mast so the cable does not interfere with halyards (internal and external including spinnaker), 135 head sail (rolled up and unrolled), and does not damage the electrical wiring in the mast?

Is fish tape appropriate to thread the cable?

Are there other potential problems I need to be aware of?

I would be grateful for any assistance.

Grant

Grant Turnwald
2001 C250W #534
Alibye
Claytor Lake, VA

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britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2011 : 17:50:37

Welcome to the forum Grant.

I moved this post from the 'First things First' forum. It' best to make posts to the most applicable forum. As this is about the C250 I moved it here. You'll get more responses than when it was incorrectly in the previous forum.

Anyway.. here's my tuppence worth..

I'm assuming the 2001 mast is the same design as our 2005 WB mast.

It's an easy task to remove the mast from from the mast extrusion (same with the mast head removal)

There's a pvc pipe that is riveted to the front inside of the mast.

When I installed our VHF antenna on the mast head, I ran an electrical snake (flat steel wire) down from the top of the mast and into the internal tube with the masthead and mast foot removed.

Then pull the cable up the mast by securing it to the end of the snake.

This method helps avoid twisting the cable amongst the internal lines.

You'll have to drill a hole (if there is not one already available) near the foot of the mast so that the cable can exit the mast extrusion via that hole.

Not as difficult as it sounds.

Paul

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turnwald
Deckhand

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USA
2 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2011 : 18:05:37

Paul:

Thanks for moving the "post" to the correct place and for the prompt response.

Specifically where does the antenna exit the top of the mast?

Grant

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 03/31/2011 : 19:57:45

Grant,
I've pulled new cable through my mast, [url="http://www.catalina-capri-25s.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=16750&SearchTerms=coax,mast"]here's the post with some pictures to give you an idea what you're looking at[/url]. My antenna is mounted similarly to yours, and I don't think the point of the coax penetration is critical, as long as it's out of the way of the halyard sheaves, electrical connections, etc. Don't forget to plan for a drip loop so the cable doesn't go directly into the mast, you want the water to run off of it, not guided by the cable into the interior of your mast.

What type of coax are you running? There's no point in spending the time to run cheap coax, use higher quality stuff since this is (hopefully) the only time you do this. There are recommendations in the thread I linked to above.

Make sure to pull extra pull cords through your mast when you snake it. One of my PO's ran an extra down the tube which I was able to use & then retrieve for use again. I also ran an extra pull cord down the tube, and a third down the outside in case I ever needed to pull a halyard up through the mast, or service the wiring for the lights.

Are you also running coax through the cabin? If so, I think I have another post with photos showing how to do it so it doesn't show on the inside (with lots of help from other folks who showed me how).

Edited by - delliottg on 03/31/2011 20:05:55

aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2011 : 13:58:57

I've done this twice on my C25. Assuming that the pvc tube in the mast is the same size, and your mast is down, run your forstay up the tube, attach the wire with tape, and pull it down.

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britinusa
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5404 Posts

Response Posted - 04/01/2011 : 15:22:09

Good idea Al!

Guessing that Grant's 250 has a furler, then he could use the backstay from the top down. (It's plenty long enough to not even have to disconnect it from the masthead. Just feed it down (along) and put a line on the end. Pull that line up with the antenna (so that there is an easy way to pull later if needed.)

Paul

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