Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
I'm re-doing the standing rigging, mast wiring, etc. What electric deck connector do you recommend? Reviews of the connectors from the usual sources are not good, and that has been my experience as well. The guy at Catalina Direct said new boats now come with the plastic one, so that is what he suggests. What say you?
Mine was Bakelite and metal. Buy 2 or 3, the old one lasted 30+ years. Just be sure to document the procedure so you can do it the same way next time! Good luck
The Bulgin Buccaneer line of connectors includes a range of bulkhead-mounted (deck-mount) and cable-end connectors that are cost-effective and well-engineered. They are made of durable, non-corrosive, glass-filled polyamide, and they are IP68 waterproof when connected together or to their caps when disconnected. As a Civil Engineer, I have been very pleased with them, and I know of others who also use and recommend them. I am using components from their Standard series:
For the through-deck connection at the base of the mast use the bulkhead-mounted PX0761/S (4-pin) or PX0758/S (6-pin) along with the PX0748/P or PX0739/P flex cable connectors. The bulkhead units were around $16, and the flex connectors were around $13, at Mouser Electronics (www.mouser.com) a few years ago.
Bulgin also has a Mini Series that I have used and also higly recommend.
Considering the importance of reliable detachable connections (particluarly in a salt-water environment) I felt that industrial-quality connectors were the way to go, and I have been fully satisfied. I also use these for my detachable solar through-deck connections. Over the life of the boat, good electrical connectors are an invaluable investment.
As a standard disclaimer, I have no affiliation with these firms other than as a grateful customer.
Good luck with your project, Richard.
The trouble with a destination - any destination, really - is that it interrupts The Journey.
Lee Panza SR/SK #2134 San Francisco Bay (Brisbane, CA)
Thanks Lee! I've been looking for something better than the standard connectors for several years. This looks exactly like what I've been looking for. Thank you!
I used this one from Hamilton Marine. I did have to make an adapter to accept it as the deck hole from the original connector was to large for this one. I sealed the upper end with liquid electrical tape to insure no water would get in it.
I bought one years ago at West Marine, metal housing, plastic insert, and gasket, but I don't remember the brand. Still looks new. Quality, UV resistant, reinforced plastic would be an excellent option. Liquid Electrical Tape is degraded by UV. It makes a good seal, but I also wrap the insertion with sea-amalgamating tape, rigging tape.
Dave B. aboard Pearl 1982 TR/SK/Trad. #3399 Lake Erie/Florida Panhandle
Presuming that's just a typo, Dave. Self-amalgamating tape is an excellent second level of defense against water intrusion. "Rescue Tape" is a popular brand, but there are less expensive generic versions (look it up in Wikipedia). I've been using it around the deck connections at the base of my mast for a few years and it seems to be holding up well to the UV and temperature changes (far better than vinyl electrical tape). I strongly second Dave's suggestion. And, while "liquid electrical tape" doesn't hold up well to UV I applied it to the gland around the wire on the cable-end fitting (as a third level of defense) before wrapping the assembled connection with S/A tape, and the last time I opened the connections to drop my mast for maintenance I found that the S/A tape had protected the L/E "tape" and there was no evident degradation.
BTW, I put L/E "tape" on many of my interior electrical connections as well, and I do the same S/A tape over L/E "tape" regime on the cables at my battery connections. This in additional to good heat-shrink sleeves on all wire-to-ring-connector joints. I also slather dielectric grease on terminal connections after the ring-connectors are fastened to them.
The dampness within a boat that lives in a marine environment is tough on electrical connections, and those connections are generally not conveniently inspected on a regular basis. The effect on metals, especially where electrical currents are present, is relentless and usually not noticed until a connection fails - and as one of Mr. Murphy's followers pointed out - it'll happen at the worst possible time.
The trouble with a destination - any destination, really - is that it interrupts The Journey.
Lee Panza SR/SK #2134 San Francisco Bay (Brisbane, CA)
I bought one years ago at West Marine, metal housing, plastic insert, and gasket, but I don't remember the brand. Still looks new. Quality, UV resistant, reinforced plastic would be an excellent option. Liquid Electrical Tape is degraded by UV. It makes a good seal, but I also wrap the insertion with sea-amalgamating tape, rigging tape.
I did the same. It looks like the Hamilton unit posted by hewebb. Mine has a rubber grommet at the top as a weather seal, so I didn't use any other sealant. I haven't found any problems with it.
"Lady E" 1986 Catalina 25: Fin Keel, Standard Rig, Inboard M12 Diesel, Sail No. 5339 Sailing out of Norwalk Cove Marina, Connecticut
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.