Chotu’s Advanced Standing Rigging Thread (lots of pics)

[Chotu]

Icing on the cake, my fn spreader light wire is gone!!!

I left about 3 feet of it hanging out.

now it’s not there anymore. I think somebody pulled on the other end. Not much explanation otherwise

[s/v Jedi]

$66, delivery Wednesday: https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-3.../dp/B0017YANN2

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

$66, delivery Wednesday: https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-3.../dp/B0017YANN2

Thursday for me. But it’s confusing because that also mounts on the side and ends up being exactly the same as the one I just installed.

I guess the only difference is the one you are linking is a whip antenna. So it can bend if it hits a bridge

Then there is the matter of the machine screw these things don’t come with. I have to get it in and figure out what screws and order those. That’s like next Monday or Tuesday just so it can bend.

Worth it? Maybe. Not sure.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Thursday for me. But it’s confusing because that also mounts on the side and ends up being exactly the same as the one I just installed.

I guess the only difference is the one you are linking is a whip antenna. So it can bend if it hits a bridge

No, you mount it all the way up.

[s/v Jedi]

Let me bring it visually: the antenna you have and the antenna you need, both mounted correctly.

[Chotu]

Ah. Maybe I didn’t say it clearly before.

I mounted the current one all the way up. So it’s good. It’s above the masthead.

I drilled new holes and moved everything up

It’s actually significantly better than the first picture where they show the sidemounted masthead VHF. Mine is actually all the way above the masthead not partially like what is shown in the picture.


Still pretty frustrated looking at these pictures and wondering why that idiot got me the power boat style antenna in the first place.

[Chotu]

You forgot the one thing that would sway me.

The antenna I have has some weird little wire coming out of it and you have to freaking solder it to the connector. What a complete pain in the ass. After all the other problems.

Done. Whip antenna with screw on coax connector arrives Thursday

Now I can install the antenna for the third fn time.

and like so many other things I can just throw this thing in the trash. I am so sick of this type of thing.

Mood has not elevated one bit. I have had it.

Time for a meditation sitting to try and quiet down the anger. I haven't been this pd off in a long time. It's just all the other stuff I took in stride, like the guy stealing my rigging budget, hurricanes, etc. Coming home to roost.

[smj]

Originally Posted by Chotu

You forgot the one thing that would sway me.

The antenna I have has some weird little wire coming out of it and you have to freaking solder it to the connector. What a complete pain in the ass. After all the other problems.

Done. Whip antenna with screw on coax connector arrives Thursday

Now I can install the antenna for the third fn time.

and like so many other things I can just throw this thing in the trash. I am so sick of this type of thing.

Mood has not elevated one bit. I have had it.

Time for a meditation sitting to try and quiet down the anger. I haven't been this pd off in a long time. It's just all the other stuff I took in stride, like the guy stealing my rigging budget, hurricanes, etc. Coming home to roost.

Keep the powerboat antenna and mount it somewhere close to deck level as a spare. I got rid of my masthead antenna and mounted a powerboat antenna on my radar pole. Now the bridges can’t knock it off!

[Chotu]

Better day today. Not hot. It was able to relax a little last night. Things are starting to take shape.

[neilpride]

Where the wires cross I always put a piece of hose, so they don't touch.

I couldn't see it in the pic, beautiful mast btw..

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by neilpride

Where the wires cross I always put a piece of hose, so they don't touch.

I couldn't see it in the pic, beautiful mast btw..

You are a psychic!!

I was just about to ask about that because it bothered me that they were slightly touching at the cross. Ha ha.

Thank you!

[Chotu]

also, I don’t exactly have a lot of materials out here. You see the red pipe that is in each spreader? Is that necessary? I’m thinking it is. So I need more of them for the X?

[neilpride]

Yes, I have seen it, it also has something to prevent chafe, in this case red hose, ok.

Don't forget to close the cover to prevent the wire from jumping out.

[Chotu]

OK. Everywhere the 1x19 wire touches itself or the spreaders has nice thick plastic tubing.

it was a very long day out there today. But I got done:

*re-run missing spreader light wire
*installed spreader lights
*secure spreader light external wiring in good spot away from any action
*removed powerboat vhf antenna (whip arrives Thur)
*installed double diamond stays and spreaders
*relieved gravitational pressure from all wiring
*tested all wiring and lighting

^this last one got me. I was very disappointed that my anchor light didn’t work. I don’t typically make mistakes wiring, so it was a bummer. But I am apparently becoming an old man pretty quickly. I didn’t realize the daylight would keep it from lighting up. Automatic daylight sensor. I tore apart all of my wiring just to find that out/remember that afterward.

All in all, a very good day. But I am finding plenty of work to still do.

Stlll on the list:

*Flat black spray paint dings and imperfections on mast and spreader light wiring
*Mount/connect new antenna (arrives Thursday)
*Install furler on forestay
*tune double diamond
*Put caps over sheave pins
*Move mast step aft
*deal with difficult nut on tangs

[dfelsent]

Be careful with black paint and electricity. I used to work with high voltage and one thing we were all taught was that sometimes black pigments are carbon black. And are conductive.
This goes for plastics as well as paint.