Best practice - antenna cable exits at masthead

[RoyB]

I'm going to be installing some antenna and electrical cables in a Selden mast soon.

I'm curious what people think is the state of the art / best practice for managing the cable exits from the mast at the head. The cables will be run through the neat dual channel that Selden provides.

I've considered:

Smoothed elongated slots cut into the mast (like a smaller version of a halyard exit)

Rubber grommets in oversized holes

Cable glands threaded into the mast section

Cable gland threaded into the cast head fitting

Type N connector feed-throughs in the mast wall

Thanks in advance

[Patrick_Seattle]

I spent weeks researching this and fretting and asking people and came up with no satisfactory answers. I originally wanted to use a kellum (looks like finger handcuffs) but couldn't come up with a way to attach them. I ended up using cable clams at the exits and securing the wires externally with p-clips and I think they will work out very well.

If you have the option and can cut off the mast head so you can work inside you will have infinitely more flexibility and re-attaching it isn't that big a deal.

-p

[Douglas]

Currently I am struggling with the same problem.

BTW how do you support the weight of the cables from the mast head that are inside the 1 1/4" PVC conduit which is inside the mast tube ?


Douglas , S/V Calliste

[Patrick_Seattle]

They are 'supported' by the rubber grommet in the Cable Clam (see the links above) and then held in place by a p-clip outside the mast. Here's a good shot of that: http://www.flickr.com/photos/deeppla...7622793614824/

The original 30 year old wiring was held in place with a knot and some 4200 for the most part. In some places there was a passthru similar to this one: http://www.shakespeare-marine.com/co...?menupick=4184

The cable clams surpass those IMHO.

-p

[Robbie.g]

i have had success with a grommet round the hole as the wires enter the mast [to avoid chafe], then supporting the wires with a cable tie attached to the 'lid' of the mast if the hole is on the side, or cabletie the wires to an upstand for the light/wind wand maybe, then sealing around the wires at the point where they enter the mast with silicone.
2 cents delivered
Rob

[Patrick_Seattle]

Originally Posted by Robbie.g

i have had success with a grommet round the hole as the wires enter the mast [to avoid chafe], then supporting the wires with a cable tie attached to the 'lid' of the mast if the hole is on the side, or cabletie the wires to an upstand for the light/wind wand maybe, then sealing around the wires at the point where they enter the mast with silicone.
2 cents delivered
Rob

I was totally going to use grommets, problem is finding ones that are sized to the holes in the mast, the thickness of the wall of the mast and have a center hole that matches the size of the wire you're running. If you have a virgin mast you can control all of this and plan better, but if you have existing holes of various sizes, in various places which means various mast thickness and if your'e using a variety of sizes of wire then finding the grommets is a pain in the stern. This is why I ended up going with the Blue Sea Cable Clams.

The only exception to this was on my spreader lights. Since the wire lays horizontal inside the spreader and the hole was sized to the wire and tight, I felt a a p-clip was good enough there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/deepplaya/4516325132/

-p

[Douglas]

Hi Patrick , Many Thanks for the photos. Looks like you do very nice work .

I too have a few places on my boat where I use those Blue Sea cable clams, but that white plastic seems to deteriorate (get hard and crack) all to soon, over here in the tropics, so I have been covering them with that self amalgamating tape, for the UV protection.