how to run wires in the flight control tower

[brttkrz]

Guys I have been trying to find some information on how to run the wires for tower speakers through the flight control gen 2 tower but have not found anything. I would like to mount the speakers on the rear bar of the tower but if I run the wires down inside that one i will have to have a plug of some sort for when the tower is folded down. Is it possible to go from the rear bar to the front bar through one of the cross bars? Any help on how to wire these up would be awesome.
Thanks

[nukemustang]

Yes, you can get from the back to the front. The best way I have read how to do it is to use dental floss. Drill the hole in the top at the rear, and front at the bottom, start the vacuum at the front hole and feed dental floss into the upper hole. The wire will still have to exit the tower at the front upper part of the tower and then reenter the bottom half of the tower. I am not sure if your boat is drilled, but the bottom of the tower should have a hole in it at the deck to allow the wire to pass through there.

Most people then use grommets to keep the holes from cutting up the wire, and then use a wire loom cover to "hide" the wire going from the upper to lower half of the tower.

Hope this helps.

Tim

[brttkrz]

Thanks Nuke My tower is drilled as the safety 360 degree light is on the top of the tower. That information helps as I was curious if i could get from the top of the rear bar down to the front leg through the cross bars, without having to go down the back leg and use a connecting plug to enter the bottom base to let the tower down.

[jbach]

iit's very possible, and very much sucks. i used a fish tape, wire coat hanger and string. lube the wire up with dawn & water.

[ScooterMcgavin]

I've read of people using a magnet to guide a small washer with a guide wire/string tied to it. Then tie your speaker wire to the string and pull them through.

[brock.higdon]

Small string and a vacuum works perfect. I just use my house vacuum cleaner. Amazing how easy it is.

[brttkrz]

So I have tried the vacuum and dental floss as well as a washer and a magnet. I can not find where the front bar connects with the rear bar. Anyone know how these tower were welded together? Where the tubes cut to fit the cross bars in? There has to be a small connection somewhere as there is suction from one to the other but it is not very strong suction. Any other ideas?

[Chexi]

I don't think you can run from back bar to front bar or vice versa. I seem to recall this being mentioned before somewhere, and everyone I have seen that runs through the front bar has had to go external for the last leg of the trip. I ran mine through the back bar and used a neutrik-like connector at the point where the tower comes apart.

[Quinner]

It is a big job to cross the horizontal front to rear tower cross member, you will need to cut access holes in the cross member adjacent to the 1.7/8" tubing front and rear, then drill an opening in the front and rear tubes thru the access holes to allow wiring to pass thru the cross member. The access holes will then need a removable grommet type cover. Member Gotwake documented in a thread here quite a few years ago, think pics were lost in software updates however. When I did my install I simply had the wires exit the front bar directly in front of the speakers and it looks great which hardly matters anyways since you cannot even see them with the bimini up which is 90% of the time. Wiring path prior is thru front tower foot on port side, exit lower hoop and re-enter upper bars adjacent to hinge point using grommets and braided wire mold then up to exit points in front of speakers.

[brttkrz]

What groove thickness grommets are you guys using? I Looked at all my local stores and they all have 1/16th thick grove grommets.

[Quinner]

Those would likely work although not certain what thickness the tower tubing actually is. You could drill your hole and do a test fit or perhaps call New Dimension and ask them what thickness tubing they use. Having several grommet sizes on hand when doing the install is a good idea. On my install ended up using a much bigger grommet then anticipated where the 2 pairs + wiremold came thru.

[nukemustang]

http://www.amazon.com/JawayTool%C2%A...0_SR160%2C160_

Hope that link works, but is you are a prime member, just order an assortment. I have used them for other things than just the boat and they do come in handy and it cost lest than a few gallons of gas driving back and fourth to Lowes.

[brttkrz]

Thanks for the help guys, I got all the wires run this weekend and it worked pretty good. Had to make access holes and run dignal from the front bar to the cross bar and back to the back bar. New dimensions told me the tube thickness is 5/32". 1/8" grove thickness grommets worked. I also used some that were a little thicker than that for the bigger holes. Using the braided wire sleeves where the wires go outside the tower really make it look nice.

[obd666]

wow, nice job. i was curious how it would go with that many holes to drill, but that looks great.