Antenna cable end

[Cevin c Taylor]

Hello all.  On a recent sail, I hooked up my marine radio to the antenna cable that comes out of the lower end of the mast.  There is a fitting that goes through the cabin roof, so I hooked up the end of that fitting to the end of the cable coming out of the mast foot.  When I tried to separate them, the fitting at the mast foot broke (sorry, no pic), and I can't see a way to fix it.  So, it looks like I need to replace the mast foot fitting.  My question is how to do this.  I assume that antenna cable isn't like electrical cable, where you just cut the old plug off and replace it.  Or is it?  Any suggestions?

[Jon898]

Probably a marine coax connector.  Tricky but not impossible, although these guys make it look easy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ecfu7s8rPw .

[Cevin c Taylor]

Jon898 - thanks - I'll check it out!

[MacGyver]

They can be fixed easily, atleast all the fittings I have had to do go well. Just be sure no stray wires in the connection and you will have clear sound and reception.

Mac

[Aldebaran_III]

If you are putting a new plug on co-ax these are easy, weatherproof and don't require soldering. They don't require dressing or trimming the co-ax either, just cut the end off square.

http://shakespeare-marine.com/shakespeare-style-pl-259-cp-g

If you're just splicing two co-ax ends together these work the same way.

http://shakespeare-marine.com/shakespeare-style-pl-258-cp-g-0

Most chandlers seem to stock them.

Cheers,
Derek

[wes]

For a very different opinion on the Shakespeare "no solder" connectors, have a look at Compass Marine's detailed blog post. I agree - these connectors aren't a good choice in the marine environment.

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/vhf_cable

Wes

[Jon898]

Suspect the key is to make sure all the connections are sound and (most importantly) that water is kept out.  Don't think I'd trust the self-piercing type myself as I've always used crimp types with heat-shrink sleeves.

[brackish]

I'm going on five years with the Shakespeare solderless piercing type and they are doing fine.  I'm out exposed 24/7 - 365 but only in the salt for a couple of weeks a year, the rest of the time I'm on a fresh water lake.  I do keep them wrapped with that stretch stuff that sticks to itself but is not adhesive (can't think of the name for that tape).

see the blue thing under the shackle.

[Cevin c Taylor]

Thanks for allthe info.  I should've added that I'm in Michigan and do all freshwater sailing.