Several questions about my Mac 26M

[Russ]

Here are my next steps. Drill off the cap from the mast top.

Yup, if you drill those rivets out carefully, you can take the cap right off. Maybe replace rivets with screws as I did.

Somehow figure out how to get my wire down the mast to the steaming light (read all the posts just need to figure it out). Wonder if I really need conduit since I am only going to the steaming light (looks about 20 feet). I guess it would be a deal breaker if I am trying to sleep one night and the wire is banging inside the mast.

DOWN the mast? Don't you mean UP the mast to the steaming light? I'm not sure what you have there now. No steaming light?
I removed the mast step plate (bolt and a screw) and just threaded a wire down through the steaming light hole until it came out the bottom. Then I spliced it into the mast top wires.

Getting the wire out of the tiny hole in the steaming light.... forget it. I tried to unbolt the steaming light from the riveted metal support but the screws are turning round and round. Looks like I will need to get one of those long tools to hold the (I guess phillips head) screw in place while I remove the nut. Nothing is easy.

Not sure what you have here either. Are you removing the steaming light fixture? Should be screwed or pop riveted into the mast.

Then I'll use one of those jumpers (don't know the name) to clip the new set of wires to the existing steaming wire and I should be set with the wiring (as long as it does not interfere with the new LED light bulb replacement).

I'm not a fan of those crimp wire taps (see below). Vibration and corrosion will get you eventually. I would recommend old fashion splice and solder. Finish with shrink tube or good electrical tape. (I learned to use 3M super 33+ because other stuff is junk).

I just noticed that the steaming light bulb is shorter than the Masthead/anchor light bulb (which I replaced with an 42MM LED 360 - ordered from LEDwholesalers.com - hope it lasts). So I will need to measure it and order an LED bulb replacement. Can someone suggest the type of LED replacement? I don't need a 360 degree but maybe a 180 or I think a bit more, 220 whatever they make??

My steaming light bulb was a 42mm festoon bulb. I bought it from LEDWholesalers (via Amazon)
http://www.amazon.com/LEDwholesalers-Na ... 50&sr=8-23&
It's been in there for a couple of years now and works great. Have them in my running lights as well.
Here's a side by side comparison to the original festoon bulb. You can see how much more of the background is lit with the LED. After this test, I nearly burned my finger touching the tungsten bulb. LEDs run very cool.

I have an Aqua Signal round masthead light that will mount directly to the top of the mast cap (bought without the pedestal as I thought it would be to easy to break it off). However, as I unscrew it (top comes off the bottom plate) there is no rubber gasket. Has me kinda concerned as I leave the mast up and boat in the water 365 per year. Seems water will get in with all the rain and wind we get here on the bay.

I wouldn't worry about water getting in. It won't hurt anything if it does. Run down the inside of the mast and out the bottom. I have the same setup. Fixture is mounted to the mast cap through a hole I drilled. If you are concerned about water, just plop some caulk in there. But again, water won't hurt anything.

--Russ

[bedouin]

Hi Russ

Guess I was thinking all wrong.

I need to run the wire all the way from the top of the mast down to the very bottom. Take off the bottom plate and splice inside the mast and run the wire back out the side of the mast at the bottom.

I was thinking I needed to run it from the top of the mast (where it will be connected to the mooring/anchor light) down to the steaming light and make the splice at the steaming light.

Again I may be thinking all wrong.

[Russ]

The top of the mast is filled with foam for floatation. Once you get the cap off (be careful it is flimsy) you will see it.
I was lucky and poked a fishtape alongside of the foam and pulled the tape all the way down to the bottom. Others claim it's more difficult to poke through that stuff. Search this forum for mast antenna or similar terms. What a few folks have done is to create a "drill" to cut through the foam at the top of the mast. It's only about six feet I believe. They have drilled through the foam with PVC pipe.

Consider pulling a thin line so you can pull future runs if desired. Also, if you don't have a VHF antenna up there, this is a good time to pull a coax for it.

Once you have your fishtape out the bottom of the mast, attach your wire (and line for future runs) to it and pull it up to the top of the mast.

If you are worried about the wire clanking inside, you can tire wire ties to the wire every few feet to push it tight against the inside if the mast. Mine doesn't clank and I just pulled it up.

--Russ

[bedouin]

Ok, got it. Sounds like your ran two single wires instead of the sheathed pair?

I am hopeful I too can run my fishtape thru.

I bought my LED light on your recommendation (LEDWholesalers via Amazon) but since it was 360 degrees I used it for my anchor light.

Do you think it is ok to use the 360 LED on the steaming also, instead of something that does not have LED's on the back side??

Thank you for all of your advice.

Matthew

[Russ]

I've got a lot of junk up there (VHF antenna, anchor light, Cell phone range extender). My anchor light is 2 wires, I think 16 gauge or so zip cord. The amperage on that LED is .3 amps or less so there isn't much need to go heavy.

Those round LEDs festoon bulbs should fit your steaming light. I'm pretty sure that's what I put in mine as well as the lower running lights. Yea, it's a 360 degree bulb, but so was the old tungsten bulb. The fixture will reflect the light forward. These LEDs consume a tiny fraction of their replacements.

Getting the fishtape through will be key.
Here's the thread of my VHF cable pull through the mast.
http://macgregorsailors.com/forum/viewt ... f=8&t=9992&

Others have constructed "drills" out of PVC because they couldn't get past the Styrofoam.

So, once you get both sets of wires to the base, you can splice them together. Now the key is to reverse one set of wires so the polarity is not the same for both fixtures. If you are really good at tracking wires, that's great. I did a trial and error method. I connected a 12v source (a car jumper pack) to the deck plug and looked to see if my lights were lit. If both light up, reverse one pair at the splice and connect again. One light should be lit and the out dark. Reverse the 12v jumper pack wires and the fixtures should light up opposite.

Now you simply have to wire that switch on your panel as above so it reverses the polarity going to the deck fitting when the mast is stepped and plugged in.

--Russ

[RobertB]

Reverse at the splice of just switch the bulb around

[Neo]

Diode Mod
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/index.php?view=453

This is a brilliant solution.... Thanks Russ.

Now I need to figure out how I'm going to run 2 core wire from the Mast/Deck light (half way up) all the way up to the top of the mast, for and anchor light (compulsory in NSW, Australia). I removed the mast top cap today but all I can see is a block of polystyrene. Does anyone know how far down that polystyrene block goes?

All the best.
Neo

[Catigale]

6 feet on USA boats, and 2 meters on EU and AUS boats, per ISO 666 standards in effect at the factory at build time.

(its mentioned upthread too... )

[Russ]

Now I need to figure out how I'm going to run 2 core wire from the Mast/Deck light (half way up) all the way up to the top of the mast, for and anchor light (compulsory in NSW, Australia). I removed the mast top cap today but all I can see is a block of polystyrene. Does anyone know how far down that polystyrene block goes?

All the best.
Neo

Here's a thread discussing it.
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... 2&start=45

I was lucky. I managed to force a fishtape along the side of the foam where the sail track is down to the base where I pulled my cable back up through.


Others have created foam drills out of PVC pipe and cut teeth into the end to create a channel.

Once you get past the foam, it then becomes a matter of joining the wires. I removed the steaming light off in hopes of splicing the anchor and steaming wires. The hole was too small and I couldn't get it, so I simply ran the wire all the way down to base of the mast and spliced them there.

I would recommend also pulling a sentinel string or wire down the mast for future pulls, like VHF antenna. (I'm not going to lecture on the advantages of VHF altitude).

--Russ

[ecossebob]

I had occasion to remove the foam from a 26M mast and found it to consisted of a series of plugs about six inches long, not a continuous pour.
If you remove any restriction, cross bolts etc. and make a rod out of 1/2'' PVC or ETM, attach some sort of screw to one end, screw it into the foam plug and pull them out one by one. After you pull your wire etc. reinsert the plugs.
Hope this helps.
Bob.