Battery Switch Location and Emergencies

[Datenight]

Peter and Al,

It was easy. Here is a shot of the electrical panel done by my brother Steve. He learned the trade in the Coast Guard, perfected it at Hinkley and now works for Kramp Electronics in the Southwest Harbor area.

To stay slightly on topic, the battery switch is just under the open panel. Steve insisted.

Rob

37' Sedan

*

 

[FlyWright]

Beautiful, inside and out!!* I sure wish I had a brother like that!* My panels looks like 35 years and 35 lbs of bird nest wiring crammed into a 20 lb panel!!*

I used to shake my head everytime I opened the panel.* A while ago I learned to never again open the panel.* ;-)

 

[Edelweiss]

One of our new electronics technicians is just out of the Coast Guard and he lays the cables up like this too.**He also applies numbering tape on*each end of the cable so that you can trace the cable, without tracing the cable.* At*first I thought he was just anal, but if you say so, must be something the Coasties are teaching.* It looks great though!!


-- Edited by Edelweiss on Monday 9th of January 2012 09:31:17 PM

 

[Tom.B]

Holy crap, Rob. That's insane. I wish I had the time and motivation to do something like that. Mine is OEM neat-ish. It really isn't too bad, but after 25 years, add-ons and tweaks have it with that not-so-fresh look about it. With the price of copper wire these days, it would be 1000's for parts alone.

I can't stop looking at it.

Tom-

 

[RickB]

It really is extremely well done but I have one question. What is that little transformer going to short out when the tie wraps let go and it falls onto the terminal boards?

 

[Peter B]

What tie wraps Ric - it appears to be screwed or bolted onto the casing..? Certainly beautifully laid out. Mine looks a bit like FlyWright's description - spaghetti everywhere...but it's my spaghetti, and I've worked out - over time I admit - where all the spaghetti goes, and what it does, and even added to it, and no-one else has to look at it, so I live with it. But gee I'd love to own a boat with wiring really neat like that.

 

[FF]

"He also applies numbering tape on each end of the cable so that you can trace the cable, without tracing the cable."

Good start , installing a second set of numbers about a foot away will help untangle the rats nest after the usual "modifications" as the years go by. Miracle clear tape is good to apply on the number sets , as oil/dirt wipes off easily

The numbers are small , so we match the line run with the switch or breaker , and also install a number set on the user.

No big deal to see 34 stuck on (third panel 4th CB ) the VHF and know just where to look when something doesn't get power.

If the electrical system was designed with it in mind , load shedding , reduced electric consumption can be done by shutting down all but #1 bus .

 

[Datenight]

Thanks everyone.

Sometimes I just open the panel just to look at it! It is always one of the first things I show people. Steve's instructor in the CG told him the first rule is neatness counts. To the extent that where a wire starts in the bundle is where it stays. In other words, the bundles look as good as the panel.*

The last few years we have toyed with going to a newer boat but even Diane can not bear the thought of unruley wires.

Rick, there is a transformer attached to the bulkhead but also looks like there is one attached to the back of the breakers. I will check it out tomorrow.

Any advice on attaching an avatar? I tried but the button did not work. I am using Safari. Could that be the problem? Seemed to work fine when I posted the other photos.

Rob

37' Sedan

 

[rwidman]

Datenight wrote:
Thanks everyone.

Sometimes I just open the panel just to look at it! It is always one of the first things I show people. Steve's instructor in the CG told him the first rule is neatness counts.

Neatness is important, no doubt, but having all the wires connected to the correct places, using the appropriate wire gauge and type, and having them terminated correctly are also pretty important.

It's possible to be too neat.* An example would be bundling a transducer cable with stereo input cables or possibly the VHF or GPS antenna cables.* Some circuits must be isolated to reduce interference.

This is not to take away from the workmanship shown, just to point out that neatness shouldn't be the "first rule".

*

 

[dwhatty]

Datenight wrote:
Peter and Al,

It was easy. Here is a shot of the electrical panel done by my brother Steve. He learned the trade in the Coast Guard, perfected it at Hinkley and now works for Kramp Electronics in the Southwest Harbor area.

To stay slightly on topic, the battery switch is just under the open panel. Steve insisted.

Rob

37' Sedan

*

The only problem with Kramp is that he has such a good rep in our area that he is in high demand and that makes it next to impossible to get him when you really need him yesterday.