pPlug March 2007

If you got to this page, you're looking for a detailed connection wiring example. I found that after about two years, my initial helm connection failed because salt spray and hosing off led to internal corrosion of the wires at the point where they were soldered into the connectors. I first simply cut off the corroded helm station pPlug and stole the nav station plug and spliced it into the wire at the helm. Two years later, this second one failed the same way.

So, I ordered new pPlugs and this time I filled the internal cavity with caulk. I would have preferred to use silicone (which was on the boat), but I was doing this at home and had tub & tile caulk at hand.

As pPlug recommends, tinning the wires first is almost a necessity. In the picture below showing the tinned wires inserted, I then cut them shorter to match the receiving end of the connector sockets. I found the pins are so light that having the wires vertical was a reasonable way to get them soldered on.

You can find out more wiring and ordering information at pPlug Information.

Old corroded plug	Black (ground) failed	Ditto
Ditto	Red (power) almost failed	Ditto
Inside corrosion	Ditto	New Plug
Use rosin core solder	Wires tinned & inserted	Contacts soldered
Partial assembly	Alignment	Together
Top view	Caulk "waterproofing"	Ready for cap
Cap on	Ready to finish	Added more caulk and slid on seal