Insulated Backstay Terminals

[Gallivanters]

Has anybody ever experienced (or heard of) an insulated backstay terminal failure?

Just curious if they're reliable over the long haul.

To Life!

Kirk

[Trim50]

I just installed mine...I hope not!

[Gallivanters]

They look like the Weak Link to me.

Trim - what kind of wire did you run from the tuner to the backstay?

I am told that solid core spark plug wire works well...?

To Lif!

[MMNETSEA]

Originally Posted by Gallivanters

Has anybody ever experienced (or heard of) an insulated backstay terminal failure?

Just curious if they're reliable over the long haul.

To Life!

Kirk

Hi Kirk ,

Yes ,

Many times reported over maritime nets for a variety of reasons :-

some at the swage - others at staylock - others at norseman - a few in the ceramic.

They are reliable over the long term , the failures may have more to do with quality of the installation rather than that of the material - As an antenna not the ideal ; its length often

means that it may be difficult to get it to resonate over certain frequencies ; its angle relative

to the sea means that propagation patterns may not be good.

Connecting the backstay to the tuner requires no more than a heavy gauge tinned copper wire - say 4 <> 5 mm incapsulated in UV resistant heavy rubber, (don't use RG 58 coax) This should be taken to the backstay above the insulater then introduced upside down (so that water does not ingress) then clamped with a S/S hose clamp to the stay - then if you have, tape the clamp completely with 3M splicing tape.

Richard

[Auzzee]

The only time I heard of a failure of the insulated backstay, was of an aquaintance who accidently hit the insulator with the bronze end of a boat hook. I assume the compression load combined with the shock load caused the failure. Of course the loop arrangement prevented catastrophe.

The previous owner of my boat removed the single backstay and added a second. On deck they are spaced 900mm apart. If you look at the atached photo, you can see the twin backstays heading to the mast cap....To the left and above the port side stay is the HF ariel. It terminates on the solar panel gantry 2.5m above the deck.



If you look closely you will see she also has twin forestays and running backs for the inner stay'sl.

Cheers

David.

[MMNETSEA]

Originally Posted by Auzzee

The previous owner added a second. On deck they are spaced 900mm apart. If you look at the attached photo, you can see the twin backstays heading to the mast cap....To the left and above the port side stay is the HF ariel. It terminates on the solar panel gantry 2.5m above the deck.

David.

Hi David,

I had a look at your photo - but not able to see insulators. Maybe I am looking for them at the wrong place.

In order to find them, I have tried to identify the rigging concerned - marking them as follows :-

Red = Topping lift

Green = Port back stay

Blue = Masthead

Pink = Running backstay for staysail

How are the insulators attached to the backstay ?

Richard

PS . The failure rate of quality insulators that I indicated, was those reported over the last twenty years. However, because they add 4 additional potential fracture points - they must be thoroughly checked before taking off into the blue.

Richard

[Auzzee]

Hi Richard,

Sorry, I did not make myself clear. The line you have flagged with the red arrow, is in fact the HF ariel. It is independent of the backstays and supports nothing more than its own weight.

Cheers

David

[MMNETSEA]

Originally Posted by Auzzee

Hi Richard,

Sorry, I did not make myself clear. The line you have flagged with the red arrow, is in fact the HF ariel. It is independent of the backstays and supports nothing more than its own weight.

Cheers

David

Talk to you down there V

[Trim50]

Originally Posted by Gallivanters

They look like the Weak Link to me.

Trim - what kind of wire did you run from the tuner to the backstay?

I am told that solid core spark plug wire works well...?

To Lif!

I haven't installed the radio yet...probably this winter.

[MMNETSEA]

Originally Posted by Gallivanters

They look like the Weak Link to me.

Trim - what kind of wire did you run from the tuner to the backstay?

To Lif!

For those Cruisers in the USA - the recommendation in American speak is :-

GTO-15 14 gauge high voltage cable

Richard