Masthead Wind Transducer Installation

[Ralph Bush]

I am adding an electronic wind instrument to the boat, so that means I will have to attach the transducer to the top of the mast.  I gave it a test fit, and it looks like it will fit up there OK.  Since it will be attaching above the top of the mast track I don't see drilling a few holes for the wire to pass thru and the bracket to attach to as being a big deal.

My first thought was "How am I going to get the transducer wire into the wiring conduit and down the mast?".  It looks like the only way to do that will be to take the fitting off of the top of the mast to gain access to the conduit.  Is this a big deal, and will it result in opening a can of worms I will regret?  I was thinking of using one of the wires from the masthead light as a messenger to haul down the transducer wire and a piece of string, and then using the string to haul the light wire back up again.  One problem I see with this is that the conduit already looks pretty full, and I don't know if there is enough room in there for an additional multi strand wire.

It also occurred to me that if you look at any Nonsuch that is rigged for sailing the mast isn't straight, but is bent backward by the weight of the wishbone and sail.  I was wondering if I should install the wind transducer slanting a few degrees toward the bow so that it ends up vertical when the mast is stepped and the rig attached.  Has anyone done this, and if so how much "lean" did you give the transducer?

Thanks again.

1983  N26C  #104

“Hyggelig”

EYC,  Toronto,  ON

[Joe Valinoti]

Ralph:  I have a Raymarine ST-60 Wind transducer on my mast and if memory serves me correct, I drilled a hole on the top of the mast.  I seriously doubt that you’ll be able to get another cable in the conduit without something getting jammed in the process, but it’s possible.  Are there any decent size holes in the mast below the partners??  If so, you may be able to drop a weighted line and snatch it through the hole.

 

Joe Valinoti
S/V IL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

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[Ralph Bush]

Hi Joe;

The good news is that my mast is down for the winter so it is easy to do masthead work and other stuff right now.  The bad news is that gravity isn't going to help me get a wire down the mast.  Did you have to remove the masthead fitting to run your transducer wire?

Thanks for the reply.

[ORION VII]

Try taping the end of the wire to the side of your halyard and just pulling the halyard down the mast inside until the wire appears.  Then pull the halyard back up.
Easy.

Ed Collis
ORION VII
NS30U
Toronto

[Joe Valinoti]

Ed’s idea should work fine.  However, if you do that, when you install that cable, periodically attach uncut cable ties at 2 ft intervals.  This keeps the cable from banging the sides of that big echo chamber called a mast.

 

Joe Valinoti
S/V IL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

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From: ORION VII

Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2017 5:07 PM

To: INA Nonsuch Discussion Group

[Katmando]

I used a solar powered wireless transducer. No holes, no wiring and it has worked very well for the last 10 Years. It was TAC-TIC when I bought it but I think Raymarine bought them out.

Has a nifty little computer mounted inside which gets data from the masthead , the triducer on the bottom and presents it  in about 30 different ways on the readout screens which are also solar powered and wireless. I have two mountings for the readout instruments, one the binnacle but also inside at my nav table. I bring the units in at night and I can keep an eye on things when anchored.

It is a great system. 

Cheers

Brian

NS30u #262 fresh water boat from

Whitby Ontario.

Sailing the Great Lakes.

Sent from my Thunderbird

[Ralph Bush]

Ed's idea seems like a simple solution that should work, but it will also result in a cable swinging loose around the inside of the mast.  My worry would be that the time you needed to ditch the mainsail in a hurry would be the time the halyard would foul up in that cable and jam.  If I can figure a way to get that cable into the conduit then that is what I am going to do.

I am also going to replace the nav lights in the mast with LED units.  I figure I should be able to run MUCH thinner new wires to those, so hopefully that will free up enough conduit space to let me get the extra wire through.

Thank you for all the replies.

Ralph

On Sunday, February 26, 2017 at 1:48:47 PM UTC-5, Ralph Bush wrote:

[Thor Powell Mariner's Cat V - 26C - North Channel]

Mine runs in the cable tube, there is enough room. A fish tape will do it.  I re ran a new cable a few years ago without any problems.

[Peter Grabow]

Hi Ralph,

You've received some solid input on how to do run the wire. I will add my experience as well...

A few seasons ago I installed an LED windex light to the masthead using the anchor light wire to bring a messenger cord to the top, and then the messenger cord to bring both the anchor light wire and the new windex light wire back down to the base through the wire conduit tube. My conduit tube had sufficient space to run the additional wire.

It worked surpringly well.

I made sure there was a long overlap of the wires and messenger... about a foot, taped the entire length of the overlap, and with each end of the overlap smoothly tapered, not a blunt end, which avoided the wires/messenger from snagging.

Good luck!

Peter Grabow
S/V CAKEWALK III
30 Ultra 430 1987
Jersey City, NJ

[Joe Valinoti]

If you plan on pulling wires out of the mast, my suggestion is to replace all wiring in the conduit including and in particularly the coax for the VHF as it tends to wick moisture down it’s length and attenuate your transmitter output.

 

Joe Valinoti
S/V IL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ (\_ ~ (\_ ~ (\_~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ (\_ ~ (\_ ~ (\_~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From: Ralph Bush

Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2017 7:15 PM

To: INA Nonsuch Discussion Group

Subject: Re: Masthead Wind Transducer Installation

[Ralph Bush]

Thanks Peter and Joe;

Replacing those wires seems to be a smart choice and maybe the main halyard sheave as well.

Do I have to remove the masthead fitting to gain access to the conduit, and is it a big deal if I do?

On Sunday, February 26, 2017 at 1:48:47 PM UTC-5, Ralph Bush wrote:

[Ralph Bush]

Just passed by the boat, and tried to loosen the SS screws holding the masthead fitting in place.  I turned as hard as I could on the screwdriver and none of them showed even a hint of movement.  Upon closer inspection it looked as if there was some sort of sealant between the screw head and the mast.  Is this a common practice, and is there a trick to loosening the screws so they will come out?

On Sunday, February 26, 2017 at 1:48:47 PM UTC-5, Ralph Bush wrote:

[R D Young]

Ralph, On our boat those fasteners are hex bolts, not machine screws. First thing would be to get some penetrating oil, like PB Blaster, on the screws, let it set awhile, then try again. You could also try an impact driver. I’ve used either/both with good results. When you get the screws out, you may want to replace them with hex bolts and use some Tef-Gel or equivalent too.

David Young
Bay Cat, 30U #402
Traverse City / Suttons Bay, MI

[Joe Valinoti]

Good advice by David.  I’d just add that after spraying, tap the heads of the screws.  I would do this over a period of several days then get the impact driver going. 

 

Joe Valinoti
S/V IL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ (\_ ~ (\_ ~ (\_~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ (\_ ~ (\_ ~ (\_~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

From: R D Young

Sent: Tuesday, February 28, 2017 5:06 PM

To: INA-Nonsuch-Di...@googlegroups.com

Subject: Re: Masthead Wind Transducer Installation

 

[John Barbour NS26U Nature, Toronto]

I also installed a Raymarine ST-60 wind transducer.. The wires easily went down the conduit.

The mast head fitting screws were tight. I suspect there was some dissimilar metal corrosion between the stainless screws and the aluminum mast. To remove the screws I used the biggest Philips screwdriver that would fit in the screw head then attached my vice grip pliers to the screwdriver handle to give lots of leverage. Then pushing as hard as possible on the end of the screwdriver, I very slowly turned the screws out. For this kind of work use a solid screwdriver, not one of the multi- bit ones.

I used one of the light wires to bring up a pulling cord. and at the end of the project left the cord inside the mast for future work..

John

[Joe Valinoti]

Just to add to John’s post, once they start to turn, spray more penetrant and screw it back in.  Repeat the in/out process until it’s totally out.

 

Joe Valinoti
S/V IL Gatto NS30U #221
Sea Harbour YC
Oriental, NC USA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ (\_ ~ (\_ ~ (\_~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ (\_ ~ (\_ ~ (\_~ ~ ~ ~ ~

From: John Barbour NS26U Nature, Toronto

Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2017 12:35 PM

To: INA Nonsuch Discussion Group

Subject: Re: Masthead Wind Transducer Installation

[helen dakin]

Brian,
Could you provide me with some more information on this wireless transducer?

product?  supplier? 
would it be compatible with a garmin 740s?
 
Some of these wireless transducers have a 50 foot limitation for the signal which is cutting it pretty close for our masts.
Somebody I know would really appreciate some more information and recommendations from owners of the wireless (and wired) wind instruments.

thanks

Helen Dakin
NS33  #7
Burlington ON

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[ALST...@aol.com]

I installed Tacktick Wireless Gauges on my 30 C ten years ago and have been delighted with them.  Last spring (2016) I shipped them to Ray Marine for servicing after I started to question the knot meter readings (which didn't agree with the chart plotter) they were back within 2 weeks and working perfectly again.

 

Alan Steward

30C # 144  MagnifiCat

 

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[John Iscaro]

Allen,  what parts did you send back to Raymarine?  Display,  transducers, masthead?

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John Iscaro
Commodore / Halloween Yacht Club

SV Phunsuch / Nonsuch 26Ultra #200

Home Port  Stamford CT

203-627-2864

[Katmando]

Certainly Helen, I will go to the boat tomorrow and photograph the  equipment and see if I can find the manual.

Here are some links for going on with while I get the other information:

http://www.apsltd.com/sailboat-marine-accessories/sailboat-marine-electronics/digital-compasses-51090/tacktick-instruments.html

https://youtu.be/PescJzlqnCY

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC0C2314E887752EF

Cheers and talk to you soon and if you have any specific questions please ask as I'm sure the list would find them interesting.

Brian

NS 30u

Whitby Ontario 

Sent from my Thunderbird

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