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It was several years ago that I drilled for that stud and I recall it to the best of memory to be about 1/4" or so before I hit the lead. It may have been more like a 1/2". That's a small detail to remember from years ago. In fact, it may be deeper or shallower from one boat to another and maybe even further different from one model to another.
Ken Coit wrote: John,
How thick is the covering resin?
Thanks,
Ken
John R. wrote: Yes Ken, I did so on my CD30. I simply drilled and installed a bronze bolt stud. Took two attempts with a pilot bit before hitting lead.
If anyone knows how to access the lead ballast on a 36, I wish they would share it so I can hook up my RF ground. How far below the cap is the lead? Could we drill into it, provide a bolt for connection and then reseal? Are the lead pigs connected or insulated from one another?
I have been using an ICOM 710 with the ICOM tuner for that last 2 years all the way to the Rio Dulce and back. When installing the radio and tuner I got help from a number of cruising hammers. My backstay insulators are about 2 feet off the deck and right at the mast head. To the tech people, yes I know that I am getting a little spill over into the mast, but i followed the argument that the longer the better for the pimary. The tuner is mounted in the aft deck locker of my 33. Its as short a lead as possible to the backstay.
For my grounding this is what I did: Using 2 inch copper srapping, (one piece the whole way) I connect to a woven copper mat about 2 ft x 2 ft in the aft locker. the strapping is attached with several ss rivets. the strapping continues to the quarter berth. Above the water tank, the strapping is attached to a twice folded section of bronze screen. From there the strapping continues to the port side berth where above that watertank is more screen. From there the strapping it lead to the keel where I drilled and tapped threaded a hole. By sounding with a plactic mallot I was able to determine where the lead was and where it was not. The strapping is folded and a hold drilled through it where a bolt has been passed through into the threaded hole in the keel. i sealed the hole in the fiberglass after the bolt was set. I'm using a compression bolt set up to maintain good mechanical contact with the strapping. I set it up this way to keep the SSB grounding isolated from the boat bonding/grounding system. I use sailmail with good success and participated in the northwest caribbean net during the trip and was told I have a strong signal.
I don't mean to suggest that I am any expert on the subject of HF radio, instead I'm just adding to the discussion with what has worked will for me.
By the way Ken I neglected to point out I drilled twice because I drilled too far aft the first time. Also I might point out that as far as I know the lead ballast is a cast ballast not lead pigs scattered in the keel cavity. Check your owners manual for specifics, it was always described as a cast ballast in manuals I read on a CD charter fleet I once took care of.
John R. wrote: Yes Ken, I did so on my CD30. I simply drilled and installed a bronze bolt stud. Took two attempts with a pilot bit before hitting lead.
If anyone knows how to access the lead ballast on a 36, I wish they would share it so I can hook up my RF ground. How far below the cap is the lead? Could we drill into it, provide a bolt for connection and then reseal? Are the lead pigs connected or insulated from one another?