SSB antenna cable deck contact?

[Photonsailor]

Hello! This is my very first post here, so here goes!
After having spent days on the web, trying to find a replacement for my cracked old deck contact for the SSB antenna cable, I humbly ask if any of you experienced old salts have seen such a thing??

Have researched chandleries in WIndies, US, UK and Sweden but sofar nothing even resembling my contact! Why asking? Well, the aft stay must be easily detachable to lift the boat by crane. OK, I could throw out the SSB and get some satphone thingy instead, and might do so. But, the SSB works why not keep it?

Cheers,
Lennart the Photonsailor

[Marathon1150]

We have an SSB and a satellite thing, both are useful and I think keeping your SSB is a good idea. I am not familiar with the fitting in your photo, but I have used waterproof through-deck cable fittings from Bluesea and Scanstrut to run cables through the deck.

If you need to disconnect the wire to remove the backstay, you could have a connector inside the boat. The fittings noted above allow for a connector larger than the cable diameter to fit through the fitting.

Good luck.

[Brian.D]

First that looks like a ceramic high voltage feed through. Those are available on the net from any reputable electronic or electrical outlet. The boot looks like a boot for a sparkplug. Also available on the net.

These are on ebay...


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-IN-...ss!92056!US!-1

I think what you want is a screw on connector from the feed through. This way you can remove it when you need. So look for a ceramic base that might have the size threaded bolt. Maybe 1/4"(6mm).



Ham Radio outlet stores should have them. Hams use them to feed balanced feed lines through walls. Another option is an antenna tuner insulator like the one on you antenna tuner.

One more source is Aircraft Antenna Feed-Thru insulators.

Next option is to use a long barrel connector (3" UHF - SO239). You will connect the center conductor of the GTO15 to the center pin of a PL259. Both ends then you can disconnect the feed. You can use a right angle so you don't have any bends. You will also want to use the appropriate waterproofing.

There are multiple options available. Don't need to stick to the OEM product if you cannot find it. Improvise, adapt, overcome!

[RaymondR]

I just used a nylon disk with a cable sized hole drilled in the centre then sawed it into two semi circles. A nice fat soft rubber gasket underneath and six screws tightened it down and made both seals. I did it this way to minimize losses and allow me to leave the plug on when I needed to remove the cable from the deck.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Lennart.
➥ https://www.bluesea.com/products/cat...23/Cable_Clams

[slug]

Yah .... I’ve always used a plastic cable pass thru

Electric connections on deck never pass the test of time

[roverhi]

The wire feed to a backstay is normally just clamped to the wire using whatever is available. Ive used both cable clamps and hose clamps which are simple to undue if you need to pull the backstay. Use a cable pass through to get the wire through the deck with a seal. https://www.bluesea.com/products/cat...23/Cable_Clams.

The feed wire from the antenna tuner to the backstay should be a straight shot with no breaks in the wire.

[slug]

Originally Posted by roverhi

The wire feed to a backstay is normally just clamped to the wire using whatever is available. Ive used both cable clamps and hose clamps which are simple to undue if you need to pull the backstay. Use a cable pass through to get the wire through the deck with a seal. https://www.bluesea.com/products/cat...23/Cable_Clams.

The feed wire from the antenna tuner to the backstay should be a straight shot with no breaks in the wire.

The cable pass thru for an ssb must be huge , large diameter ,,, to prevent the signal transmission from radiating into the deck

The ant wire to back stay link must also stand off the the un insulated back stay section for the same reason

I think the stand off is about 2.5 inch

Ask a radio pro for advice

[Brian.D]

GTO15 is not huge. It is 1/4" diameter, same as RG8X but without the shield.

The antenna starts at the tuner, not the backstay. So the radiation is right out of the box so to speak.

If the the GTO15 is running up the backstay to the feed point, yes, make standoffs, but the OP already has the GTO15 (assuming that is what he is using as it looks like that in the photo) connected to the backstay.

The OP wants to be able to disconnect the GTO15 at the connector, not the backstay. So good quality ring connectors can be used.

The GTO15 can be cut and connectors added if need be. If that was not the case, then the GTO15 would be connected directly inside the tuner and not to a screw post sticking out of the tuner.

[Davo1404]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Lennart.
➥ https://www.bluesea.com/products/cat...23/Cable_Clams

These glands by Blue Seas are excellent. I have 6 of them on the aft deck. Water tight & impervious to the sun.

[Photonsailor]

Hey All,
thank you very much for all good tips!
As I gather from your responses, there are multiple ways of solving this, all with pros and cons.
Mainly:
1. a watertight throughdeck with uninterrupted cable to tuner
2. A connector on deck (of the type I have)
3. Disconnect the cable attachment above the lower isolator on the aft stay.

Of these the no 2 is of course easiest (provided I can source a new connector!)
***Question: Would there likely be any significant signal-loss at the on deck connector? (there is a heavy duty non-corroded ring-connector on the antenna cable there)

Option1. Concern: this through deck would have to suffer pulling through not only the cable but also the ring connector for the tuner every year, boat is wintered at 57N (which also requires adding more yoga contortions, to access the tuner in the aft lazaret. My wife thinks yoga is good for me though).

Option3. Having an uninterrupted GTO15 from tuner to backstay and disconnecting 3m above deck + cutting all distances is also a viable option but a bit more doing than option 2.

So it boils down to what is simplest, without loosing signal strength!
Option 2 getting a replacement deck connector seems simplest….
So, I will keep trying to see if I can source a new deck contact either here in the US or in Sweden from the HAM guys as a first option as suggested by Brian.D.

Once again thanks for all the helpful suggestions
Lennart the Photonsailor

[Dougtiff]

Attach the wire from the tuner to the BACKSTAY,CHAIN PLATE , been doing this on numerous boats, it's not a problem if it gets wet as some believe it to be

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Dougtiff

Attach the wire from the tuner to the BACKSTAY,CHAIN PLATE , been doing this on numerous boats, it's not a problem if it gets wet as some believe it to be

This works, but the crew needs to know not to touch the back stay if your transmitting, and I believe there could be issues if the Bimini is wet, assuming of course the back stay goes through the Bimini.

I assume he has a lower insulator to keep the lower part of the back stay from being hot, if not, then of course connecting to the chainplate is the way to go.

Just me, but I’m not so sure the RF will radiate out to a fiberglass deck, the intent of using Neon sign wire is of course to keep it shielded, if it doesn’t, then why don’t we just use any wire?

[Frankly]

A few years back when I replaced the standing rigging on Cbreeze I did away with the lower insulator. Put a length of 3/4" pvc pipe over the lower part of the back stay (makes a better hand hold). Removing the lower insulator has made no decernible change in HF radio operation.


Frankly

[roverhi]

Originally Posted by Photonsailor

Hey All,
thank you very much for all good tips!
As I gather from your responses, there are multiple ways of solving this, all with pros and cons.
Mainly:
1. a watertight throughdeck with uninterrupted cable to tuner
2. A connector on deck (of the type I have)
3. Disconnect the cable attachment above the lower isolator on the aft stay.

Of these the no 2 is of course easiest (provided I can source a new connector!)
***Question: Would there likely be any significant signal-loss at the on deck connector? (there is a heavy duty non-corroded ring-connector on the antenna cable there)

Option1. Concern: this through deck would have to suffer pulling through not only the cable but also the ring connector for the tuner every year, boat is wintered at 57N (which also requires adding more yoga contortions, to access the tuner in the aft lazaret. My wife thinks yoga is good for me though).

Option3. Having an uninterrupted GTO15 from tuner to backstay and disconnecting 3m above deck + cutting all distances is also a viable option but a bit more doing than option 2.

So it boils down to what is simplest, without loosing signal strength!
Option 2 getting a replacement deck connector seems simplest….
So, I will keep trying to see if I can source a new deck contact either here in the US or in Sweden from the HAM guys as a first option as suggested by Brian.D.

Once again thanks for all the helpful suggestions
Lennart the Photonsailor

By far the easiest to disconnect is a straight shot GTO15 wire from tuner to backstay connected just above the insulator. Just loosen the clamp on the back stay and you are done. It is also the least loss inducing means of getting the signal out. Pretty much universal agreement not to add intervening disconnects in an antenna lead.