Radarcable endings, can they be cut off and reconnected?

[dave948]

Most radar cable can be purchased in bulk and ends can be field installed. You may not be able to do it yourself, you may need some special tooling and I have no idea what your skill set is in this area.
I personally don't know of any radar cable in use that can't be field made.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Terra Nova

As I said, it is an amateur approach, and saves nothing, to intentionally make the electronics installation and service/replacement difficult. Also modifying attached cables could likely void your warranty.

Are you saying taking connectors apart is amature? If so, you don't know what you are talking about.

[Terra Nova]

Guy--is that what I said?

OP--a shame you can't tell good advice from bad. But would rather be told only what you want to hear.

[Franziska]

Lol.

Cutting huge holes in the tubing when it is not needed is amateurish & structurally unsound.

Especially when the connectors can be taken off.
Who is talking about a guarantee for a refurbished second hand radar anyway.

End of story for me. Thanks for the good comments (by some of you).

www.ladyrover.jimdo.com

[River Cruiser]

I have Si-Tex MDS 10-5 radar, the cable makes connection at a junction box, all MDS series do whether dome or open array.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Redline452]

My Raymarine HD Digital Radar has a connector that is 18-22mm diam (depending which end you feed through) - about 3/4 inch, certainly well under 1". And if you *must* splice is, it's 3 power leads plus a Ethernet, so you could crimp on RJ45 plugs yourself on the cut ends and use a coupler.

[rosatte]

We gave BG 4 g radar was installed but cable end was damaged by unnecessary force being used to pull cable down mast...new connector end was ordered and installed on radar cable yes it can be done but not by novice get someone who no.s what their doing ie.radar tec.

[Imprezza72]

If you are purchasing a digital radar system then no problem. Some of the older units you can have issues because the array and cable are matched. I.E. if the unit came with 50 ft of cable keep it at 50 ft.

[exMaggieDrum]

My new Furuno has a "siamese" cable, actually two cables that are connected. The end that goes to the dome does not have a connector for the large cable bundle, but the network (Cat5 or 6) cable has a Cat6 connector. You instantly void the warranty if you cut off any of the connectors. The other end that goes to the display/control box has connectors (that you can't or shouldn't cut). So it definitely matters which way you run the cables. But, like others, try not to cut anything. I would go to great length and swearing to avoid it. Last resort - only.

[deblen]

Please DO NOT cut a radar cable!!!!
Remove the dome cover-usually 4 screws.
Loosen/remove packing gland.
Label & unplug the cable connectors-they are designed for it.
Remove any strain relief clamps that hold cable inside dome.
Pull cable out of dome.

The plugs on the dome end of cable are sized so that you can tape them parallel to the direction of cable. The result of taping correctly results in a cable with a tapered end which is smaller od than the cable itself.
This will go thru any hole that the cable will go thru.

But....make the hole 1/2 again as big as the od of the cable anyway to allow for a plastic/piece of hose-whatever-bushing to protect the cable outer sheath when going thru holes that it could chafe on.

The whole removal & re-plugging job should take about 15-20min,including re-installing the dome cover.

as opposed to several hrs for a tech. to properly splice a cut cable.

IF.... the cable must be cut,cut the wires inside the dome,leaving 2"+ individual wires coming out of the sheathed cable.They are color coded-you cant go wrong splicing them-& the splices will be in out of the weather.

The display end with the big plug was not designed to be pulled thru the boat & yes it is bigger than the cable. It is an even worse job to re-solder the wires to this plug.
IF..you mus cut the plug (display) end,make the cut somewhere where the splice is easy to work on. It is way easier to splice the cable than it is to resolder the plug cause someone cut the cable 6 " from plug,or less.

Been there-done that for 30+ yrs. Great $$$ in it for the tech.

[Dougtiff]

I just installed a radar in my boat and cut the cable, re-connected with a BUSSBAR below the deck, this is commonly done, however I do not know if this is possible with the new Digital system, easy enough to find out.

[Franziska]

@Deblen

10 points
Super 👌 answer.

Thanks.

To the others as well a big thank-you.

www.ladyrover.jimdo.com

[deblen]

Originally Posted by Dougtiff

I just installed a radar in my boat and cut the cable, re-connected with a BUSSBAR below the deck, this is commonly done, however I do not know if this is possible with the new Digital system, easy enough to find out.

If you must cut for some reason,at least your buss/terminal strip is out of the weather.
Over the yrs in the business,I saw too many that were cut in a place that needed re-connection out in the wx,when a little thought or removing the dome cover & un-plugging could have saved hrs of needless & expensive work.
Cheers/ Len

[deblen]

Originally Posted by exMaggieDrum

My new Furuno has a "siamese" cable, actually two cables that are connected. The end that goes to the dome does not have a connector for the large cable bundle, but the network (Cat5 or 6) cable has a Cat6 connector. You instantly void the warranty if you cut off any of the connectors. The other end that goes to the display/control box has connectors (that you can't or shouldn't cut). So it definitely matters which way you run the cables. But, like others, try not to cut anything. I would go to great length and swearing to avoid it. Last resort - only.

Absolutely!!!

[deblen]

Originally Posted by Imprezza72

If you are purchasing a digital radar system then no problem. Some of the older units you can have issues because the array and cable are matched. I.E. if the unit came with 50 ft of cable keep it at 50 ft.

If you change the length of the cable on the analogue units you should do the "transmit timing" /center spot adjustment as detailed in the owners manual.It is not difficult but it does require a straight dock or shoreline at less than 1/4 nm to do properly. In fact,I always checked this on all new inst. & occasionally found it in-correct right out of the box.

Cheers/ Len