I have now installed three radar systems and removed two. Each time the
signal cable to the scanner has been a major hastle because of the
connectors on each end of the cable.. (my experience has been on Furuno
radars).

Each time I have gone out of my way to install and remove the cables without
cutting the cable or removing the end connectors. This has envolved pulling
other wires out of a 'pass-thru', conduit or arch frame to make room for the
bulky connectors to pass..

Last week I installed a new cable for my new Furuno radar.. This cable was
larger in diameter and had 3 connectors on the scanner end (rather than 2 of
the previous Furuno). However, the number of cable conductor was the same
and the wire gage was the same,. Hmmm! just more material in the jacket I
guess. It took me two days to get it into place, only to discover that one
wire (signal coax), the center lead had broken off at the connector. $hit
happens when you have to work it through so many tight places. (I did have
the connectors taped down to the wire for protection, and I use electical
cable lub/slick when pulling it through the frame of the arch.)

That's not my point!! I learned something, after all of these cable INs and
OUTs jobs.. In the process of repairing the broken wire, I found that the
connector contacts can be removed from the connector strip with no damage,
effort or special tools.. These are the flat connector shell with inline
Molex/Waldom type contacts. There is a narrow slot on the side of the
connector shell and if you just push in the contact tab with a jewelers
screw driver the contact and wire come right out with out any damage..

The manuals all give a very clear discription of the proper wire color and
pin number..

I figure that with the connector contacts removed from the shell the bulk of
the cable end bundle (once taped up for pulling-in) would be about a third
of what it is with the connector shell and it would be much more flexable..

I doubt that I will ever again (my last boat) have to pull-in another radar
cable, but I just thought I would pass this along..

Steve
s/v Good Intentions