Wiring the Tower

[tdonoughue]

Undertook to wire the tower today...

Drilled some 3/8" holes:

I used some aluminum wire I had leftover from an electric fence install. Pushed that through the hole down to the next hole. Snagged that with a fishing hook and needle nose pliers. Then pulled through the wire.


Of course, it was about then that I figured out the wire I pulled was *just* too short. By probably a foot or 18". So I used that wire to pull through a second length of wire that was long enough... Ran those two sets of wires down the side to the joint in the tower:


Note the second attempted hole there. Apparently that part is solid aluminum.... So I had to try again a bit up from there.

Drilled another hole on the other side of the joint and down by the hull. Then figured out what time it was and dashed home for dinner (I was late).

More updates as they occur!

 

[2kwik4u]

If you have hard to reach holes like that. Here's an easier method.

Get some lightweight string and a shop vac. Tape up ALL of the holes in the tower except the one you're pulling from, and the one you are pulling to. Put the shop vac on on the destination, and slowly feed in the lightweight string. Then tie string to wires and pull through.

Used to do this all the time when electricians would run conduit for me and not put a pull string in. If the conduit gets too large, use a small balloon that is barely inflated to help move it along.

 

[zipper]

If you have hard to reach holes like that. Here's an easier method.

Get some lightweight string and a shop vac. Tape up ALL of the holes in the tower except the one you're pulling from, and the one you are pulling to. Put the shop vac on on the destination, and slowly feed in the lightweight string. Then tie string to wires and pull through.

Used to do this all the time when electricians would run conduit for me and not put a pull string in. If the conduit gets too large, use a small balloon that is barely inflated to help move it along.

I tried that string/vacuum method when I did mine, but the string kept getting hung up on weld slag in the tower. I found success with .105" dia. weedwacker string. The orange weedwacker string pushed this to a hole where I retrieved it with a hook made from hi-tensile wire.







Appologies for picture quality, different camera 4 years ago. Wow, my truck does not look like that anymore!

 

[tdonoughue]

I actually had my shop vac with me during the job, just in case, as I had heard of that method. But I found this wire and it seemed perfect (I also had my fish tape and my fish sticks with me). I just happened to try the wire first on looking at the job and it worked fine. So never got to the shop vac.

Hadn't considered the trimmer line... Bet that works well, too. I liked the aluminum wire because I could give it a 'suggestion' bend going into the hole and ease it on its way.

 

[tdonoughue]

Finished up the tower wiring today!

First, figured out I was not happy with the smaller speaker wire I had pulled originally. I got in some nice new 14 ga for the trim tab project, and instead of 50' they sent me 100'. So, first I repulled the new wire. First, from the farthest speaker:

Then from the right...

Then, got to the bottom...

Getting those two wires out of that hole was a challenge. I wound up using a bent nail... don't ask.

Anyway, the lower leg was a breeze. I didn't even use the aluminum wire--I just pushed the speaker wire and fished it out the bottom hole (with, yes, my magic bent nail).

Then, a little hole through the fiberglass...


Connected it to the HU (I have a 6x amp running the sub (bridged) and the 4 in the tub, so I put the towers on Zone 2 of the HU). I have sound! I'm not looking to have any surfers hear it (or, like some, having people a football field away...). Just want to be able to hear at the back swim deck and in the water there, so I think this will fit the bill perfectly.

Oh, I also figured out how to turn up the sub.... Now it sounds right.

As an added bonus, I wired up the external speaker I bought ages ago for the VHF radio--wow! Now that is loud, too!

 

[tdonoughue]

Coda: Today, while I was up there with the boys installing the trim tabs, had one of them finish up the tower install. Put the wire loom on all the exposed wire, and pushed it into the holes in the tower so it protects the wire like a grommet. Pictures soon...

 

[scokill]

All the way through the tower leg is the way to go!

 

[tdonoughue]

The final product, with the loom:





Not the most elegant thing in the world, but it works and doesn't look all bad to me.

 

[zipper]

All the way through the tower leg is the way to go!

Yes it is on our M/Y 07-09. I used both of the forward mounts to pass wire thru. His tower has a different base that is not hollow like ours.

 

[tdonoughue]

Yes, the base is not hollow, nor are the ends where it goes into the joint there. Solid aluminum. I would have to disassemble the tower to drill that...

I'm good with my way.