[Rhodes22-list] Mast Raising Party

[Lowe, Rob]

Chris,
I see your wiring diagram skills have improved!  Very nice.  While looking at mast wiring, I've had some luck checking things at the plug and socket connection with a multi-meter.  I agree, only three of the wires are used.  A common and two hot leads, one for the mast head light and one for the anchor light.  At least verify you have power there before fooling with your mast.  Perhaps a diagram of your findings is in order??  If you have power at the connector, perhaps a cleaning of the contacts may help.  I've found some fine grained sandpaper wrapped around a drill bit is a good way to clean out the socket connectors (followed by a blast of air to blow out the dust).  Fined grained sandpaper works well to clean the plug part of the connector too.  

For testing the mast lighting with the mast down, I've had good luck with a 9 volt battery and some wires with alligator clips on both ends.  If you're careful, you can clips the wires to the battery and the appropriate prongs on the plug part of the connector and then check out the appropriate light to verify it's working.  If the light is not working, a multi-meter can be used to verify the wiring to the light is in order or can be used to verify the element of the light itself is intact.  

You say only one hot wire shows current (actually voltage).  If you're not getting voltage at the connector (or where ever you're checking for that matter), it's not going to be a lamp issue.  Having a bad lamp will not affect the voltage.  Having a bad fuse or wire or connection will.  Good luck! - rob


-----Original Message-----
From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of cowie
Sent: Saturday, April 10, 2010 4:19 PM
To: rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org
Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Mast Raising Party


This will actually be my first time lowering the mast before raising it for
the second time.  Unlike most Rhodes owners I don't have a trailer and plan
to keep my mast in place unless lowering is required for maintenance.  I
thought about lowering it while on the hard just for fun but decided not to
try and fix something that is not broke.  My boat launched last Tuesday and
I had someone looking at my vhf radio that seems to be getting spotty
reception.  He pointed out that I am missing the whip on top of my antenna. 
I think this is an easy fix to simply screw in a new whip but will need to
lower the mast to do so.  Lowering the mast will also give me a chance to
better understand why my anchor light is not working.  My power panel has a
switch for running lights, another for mast head light and a third for
anchor light.  the mast has two hot wires but only one shows current, the
mast head light. Probably a lamp issue.

My question is if lowering and raising the mast while the boat is in the
water at her slip is a bad idea?  Any suggestions or things to watch out for
besides not loosing all the turn buckle pins overboard?  I do have the mast
raising system so I would think it shouldn't be a big deal.
-- 
View this message in context: http://old.nabble.com/Mast-Raising-Party-tp28204474p28204474.html
Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at Nabble.com.

__________________________________________________
To subscribe/unsubscribe go to http://www.rhodes22.org/mailman/listinfo/rhodes22-list

For the list Charter and help with using the mailing list and archives go to http://www.rhodes22.org/list
__________________________________________________