The plug on deck is hot. I discovered this while testing the mast mounted deck light. The plug cover roled over to the antenna plug and started to smoke. It is four prong plug. I have the running light and deck light combination fixture on the mast (not original). With the deck light on, no problem. When I toggle the running lights, the plug casing is "hot" with current and the running light on the mast does not light. Thankfully the problem is not above, since this also occurs when the cable is unplugged. Any advice on how best to attack this?
Dan
S/V Shweego
CD25 # 652
djhhan@aol.com
Short in mast plug (CD25). where to start
Moderator: Jim Walsh
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D. Stump, Hanalei
Re: This is a weird one....!!!
Captain Hanlon,
This seems a little strange. I wonder why a circuit breaker doesn't trip on you if you are heating a plug? Seems the easiest thing to do would be to replace the plug, BUT, when you do, be sure to identify each wire, if you mix them up there is the possibility of 16 different ways they could make up, 4X4! On the other hand, maybe a close inspection with a magnifying glass could show the shorting wire, but if it is small(a strand) I wonder it hasn't actually burned off. Of course, good investigation with a VOM may also disclose the problem.
Dave Stump
This seems a little strange. I wonder why a circuit breaker doesn't trip on you if you are heating a plug? Seems the easiest thing to do would be to replace the plug, BUT, when you do, be sure to identify each wire, if you mix them up there is the possibility of 16 different ways they could make up, 4X4! On the other hand, maybe a close inspection with a magnifying glass could show the shorting wire, but if it is small(a strand) I wonder it hasn't actually burned off. Of course, good investigation with a VOM may also disclose the problem.
Dave Stump
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Dennis Truett
Re: Short in mast plug (CD25). where to start
Dan,
When I got my 26 I had a problem with my mast lights. It's hard to believe, but the factory wireing from the plug up to the lights was wrong. Basicaly one light was ok, but when I switched on the second, both lights would light dim, although I thought one was out. Because both lights were being powered through one wire, the plug was also hot.
First I would relpace the plug. Turn off all breakers and replace the wires one for one on each side. If that doesn't solve it then you have a wiring problem (like I had)
The best way to trouble shoot this (if you have a multimeter)is to
Id all wires from the plug back to the panel, and from the plug up the mast. Do the inside wires first. Turn off all circuit breakers. Disassemble the plup and seperate each wire. Turn on one breaker. Your mast should be ground. chect the meter across your battery to assure its working. Put one lead from the meter on the mast and touch each wire looking for 12 volts. When you find it throw the breaker off and 12 volts should go away. Record the color of the wire as controling the light marked on the circuit breaker. Turn that breaker off and repeat the procedure for the other breaker.
If you only have three wires, the third is ground. If you have more than 3 then measure from one of the ID'd wires (with that breaker on) to any of the other non ID'd wires, When you see 12 volts, that wire is ground. Note: The plug should have one fat prong and all others the same size. The wire associated with the fat prong should be ground. (on both halfs of the plug)
Now the hard part. Assuming both lights up the mast are good, you need to ID the wires up the mast. With an OHM meter (Part of a multimeter)look for continuity between wires. One wire should show continuity with two others. That wire is ground. The two others are for the lights. But Which is which? Put the ground to the fat prong and the other 2 so they mate up the other 2 wires on the other side of the plug. You have a 50/50 chance of getting it right. Before taping up the plug, check for operation. If they work backwards, just reverse the two last wires you put on. That should do it!
As a last step you should make a diagram of the plug noting the colors of the wires and what they controll. The colore of the wire on one side of the plug might not be the same as the other side. Also don't expect green to be groung (as normal in house wireing) it's not!
Good luck!
Dennis
CD26D
When I got my 26 I had a problem with my mast lights. It's hard to believe, but the factory wireing from the plug up to the lights was wrong. Basicaly one light was ok, but when I switched on the second, both lights would light dim, although I thought one was out. Because both lights were being powered through one wire, the plug was also hot.
First I would relpace the plug. Turn off all breakers and replace the wires one for one on each side. If that doesn't solve it then you have a wiring problem (like I had)
The best way to trouble shoot this (if you have a multimeter)is to
Id all wires from the plug back to the panel, and from the plug up the mast. Do the inside wires first. Turn off all circuit breakers. Disassemble the plup and seperate each wire. Turn on one breaker. Your mast should be ground. chect the meter across your battery to assure its working. Put one lead from the meter on the mast and touch each wire looking for 12 volts. When you find it throw the breaker off and 12 volts should go away. Record the color of the wire as controling the light marked on the circuit breaker. Turn that breaker off and repeat the procedure for the other breaker.
If you only have three wires, the third is ground. If you have more than 3 then measure from one of the ID'd wires (with that breaker on) to any of the other non ID'd wires, When you see 12 volts, that wire is ground. Note: The plug should have one fat prong and all others the same size. The wire associated with the fat prong should be ground. (on both halfs of the plug)
Now the hard part. Assuming both lights up the mast are good, you need to ID the wires up the mast. With an OHM meter (Part of a multimeter)look for continuity between wires. One wire should show continuity with two others. That wire is ground. The two others are for the lights. But Which is which? Put the ground to the fat prong and the other 2 so they mate up the other 2 wires on the other side of the plug. You have a 50/50 chance of getting it right. Before taping up the plug, check for operation. If they work backwards, just reverse the two last wires you put on. That should do it!
As a last step you should make a diagram of the plug noting the colors of the wires and what they controll. The colore of the wire on one side of the plug might not be the same as the other side. Also don't expect green to be groung (as normal in house wireing) it's not!
Good luck!
Dennis
CD26D
Dan Hanlon wrote: The plug on deck is hot. I discovered this while testing the mast mounted deck light. The plug cover roled over to the antenna plug and started to smoke. It is four prong plug. I have the running light and deck light combination fixture on the mast (not original). With the deck light on, no problem. When I toggle the running lights, the plug casing is "hot" with current and the running light on the mast does not light. Thankfully the problem is not above, since this also occurs when the cable is unplugged. Any advice on how best to attack this?
Dan
S/V Shweego
CD25 # 652
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marv
Re: Short in mast plug (CD25). where to start
you have a short to the plug casing,in other words one of the wires is tuching the casing and heating it upDan Hanlon wrote: The plug on deck is hot. I discovered this while testing the mast mounted deck light. The plug cover roled over to the antenna plug and started to smoke. It is four prong plug. I have the running light and deck light combination fixture on the mast (not original). With the deck light on, no problem. When I toggle the running lights, the plug casing is "hot" with current and the running light on the mast does not light. Thankfully the problem is not above, since this also occurs when the cable is unplugged. Any advice on how best to attack this?
Dan
S/V Shweego
CD25 # 652
.get a meter and check for the resistance from the connector pin or socket to the end of the wire .be sure to disconnect the wire from thje power so that you dont blow thge meter!!!!!!!!
mibrinn@aol.com
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Joe Mac Phe
Re: Short in mast plug (CD25). where to start
Dan,
I am starting with the assumption that the (now blank) light used to work and that the housing for your connector is metal. It would seem that one of the wires to the now extinguished light has come loose inside the connector and is touching the casing. The casing is not normally connected to anything unless you inadvertently ground it (the smoking episode). If it is the ground wire that has come loose, the casing will be hot (through the bulb) and will not blow the breaker when grounded. Open up the connector and see if one of the wires has come loose.
Good luck, and do not touch anything that would jeopardize your brilliant future!
Joe Mac Phee
S/V Iolanthe
Cd-30/K
jvmacphee@aol.com
I am starting with the assumption that the (now blank) light used to work and that the housing for your connector is metal. It would seem that one of the wires to the now extinguished light has come loose inside the connector and is touching the casing. The casing is not normally connected to anything unless you inadvertently ground it (the smoking episode). If it is the ground wire that has come loose, the casing will be hot (through the bulb) and will not blow the breaker when grounded. Open up the connector and see if one of the wires has come loose.
Good luck, and do not touch anything that would jeopardize your brilliant future!
Joe Mac Phee
S/V Iolanthe
Cd-30/K
jvmacphee@aol.com