Wiring through pedestal guard

[downeast450]

I am installing a Garmin 545s on a Edison platform attached to my Edison pedestal guard. The 545s accepts three cables, one from the depth transducer, one from an XM antenna and the Garmin power data cable. The antenna and transducer cables have large connection plugs on their ends and drilling holes in the pedestal guard large enough for them to pass through is a concern. Has anyone done this?

I want to run the cables out of the way. I have asked Garmin about a splicing option and their only response is we don't recommend it. The holes in the Edison cast aluminum pedestal table are too small and will have to be drilled out, too. I am surprised that Garmin and Edison are building products that are expected to work for the end user that are not engineered to work together.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Downeast450

[chef2sail]

I wired our Ray Marine C80chartplotter, autohelm, remote stero through an Edson double bend pedestal guard. Splicing the wires was no big deal.

The holes are 9/16" and i used fishing line with a bolt as a messanger line to pull up the wires. This all fits right behind the two navpod holders so everything is neat and no wires are seen. I ran the wires right out through the feet under the cockpit sole Maake sure you use rubber gromets to outline the holes and the foot of the guard.

Dave

[TaylorC]

I'm not sure what you mean by an Edison Platform. Is it the Clamp-on Platform - Center Mount or something like that? As I see it, the deal with installing accessories on boats is there is not a huge market and there is a lot of variation it what combination of products people use, and I always expect a little field modification is going to be required for a good custom installation.

If I were buying that product, I'd rather drill the holes I need than have a lot of extra wholes I don't need.

One thing to consider is that once you drill oversize holes large enough for the connectors, you might want to put some rubber grommets like these in to protect the cables, and that will give you a more finished look, hide the fact that the hole is larger than the cable, and protect the cables from chafe.

I agree with Garmin - don't cut and splice, that's asking for trouble down the road.

[downeast450]

I got a terse one sentence from Garmin, " We don't recommend...". It sounds like a CYA statement with no allowance for a capable electrical splice. Yes, it is that clamp on mount. My concern with the large holes is weakening the guard.

I do avoid splices in data cables in my job as a networkk admin. I am not so sure there is a problem with them in these applications. Knowing that the installs you did involved splices is encouraging. Did you solder joints?

TD

[chef2sail]

Yes I did solder the connectionsTry this link. Here is a picture of the final setup with the happy Admiral on our trip from Annapolis area to NYC last summer.. Chartplotter (C80)is in the lower Navpod Granprix and wind, autohelm, tridata and stero/ ipod remotes are in the 4 insert upper navpod. I had a machine shop drill the holes perfectly so they were centered ( they were hard to drill straight)for about 40 bucks. 2 (7/16)" holes were for the out wires and 8 small 3/16" holes for the navpod screws to hold them to the pedestal guard. The only wire you see is the one from my i pod which is in a cup holder to the remote on the navpod face

IMG_0437.jpg picture by chef2sail - Photobucket

IMG_0443.jpg picture by chef2sail - Photobucket

Dave

[TaylorC]

Oh... I see now, you using a hole to get into 1" tubing of the guard... yes, I can see where large hole there would be a problem.

I actually ran my wires down inside the pedestal itself, and wire tied them back out of the way of the chain and cables. In my case I had a wood spacer between the pedestal and the compass and I carved a grove into the bottom of the wood to provide a way out. Since my GPS is not enclosed in a pod, having the wires run outside from the pedestal to the RAM mount was unavoidable, but it also allows swiveling the GPS display when I'm navigating in the rain from under the dodger.

Sounds like in your case splicing may be unavoidable.

[badsanta]

I know it more boater bucks, but Edson makes a larger pedestal guard tube for more room. But then you just need more parts. When does it stop!

[arf145]

I did pretty much what you are talking about last year--installed the 545s and ran that big honking Garmin cable inside my 1 1/8" Edson pedestal guard. But I have to admit, I didn't install an XM antenna. The 545s sits on the Edson tray that sits between the two bars, not on one of the ones that goes off one bar.

But I did cut the connector plug off the cable to keep my hole size down to something like 7/16". I spliced the transducer cable following instructions of Airmar, the maker of the shoot-thru-hull transducer. They said splicing would be fine, recommended soldering, and they were right, it was fine.

As I remember it--keep in mind that boat projects fade in my memory to a haze of sweat, fret, and gymnastics--I had to splice one of the wires up top before pulling the cable down through the tube foot.

[downeast450]

Thanks for the replies and the suggestions. Very nice set up in the pictures. I am out of town right now but will probably opt to splice the wires. The Garmin mount has access holes at both guard locations so I can run two wires through each one. I want to route the remote mic too. I expect to add the AIS option for a cruise to Nova Scotia in the fall. That is a lot of wires.

It occurs to me that a piece of PVC pipe inside the pedestal guard that goes through the cockpit floor, is sealed in place, and is rises up inside the guard high enough to keep water in the cockpit from leaking through the hole drilled in the cockpit floor might be a necessary step. The wires from the guard would run down through the PVC pipe and through the cockpit floor. How did you seal that opening?

Tundra Down

[downeast450]

The Airmar shoot thru is the transducer I have and I will check their web information for their recommendations on splicing it.

Thanks,

Tundra Down