Getting on with boat re-build

[blacklab99]

Electrickery,
Said this before, say it again, it's a fair B@@tch.......
Need to get this rebuild cracking again, unfortunately, health gets in the way..........

Have decided to get into the wiring up, it's holding up everything. Decided to stick with Blue Seas product right thru, mainly for quality, certainly not with pricing !!! But figured if your gunna do this, at least put in quality gear.
With most of the elecky switch panels and gizmo's fitted off, and with the help of the Blue Seas supplier, he has worked out most of my wire size requirements with all the loads I have and have flicked him an order for that and bus bars etc etc....... should arrive next week...
Haven't decided yet on the back battery switch set up, but will probably go with the BlueSea ACR system, I like the fact it will automatically charge both banks while underway, but isolate banks when not, basically guaranteeing a non flat battery situation.
I have a bit to figure out, I'm running an auto/manual bilge pump set up, to cover when she is moored up for a few days at a time, so it will have to be wired as a direct feed to the battery, to be active when battery switch is off. A lot to get my head around here !!!!
I have an auto Electrician across the road for those thicker cable connection, which is a bonus and he owes me a few favours.
What's best practice in regards to general connctors, I was intending to crimp and then use the glue heat shrink, I know my limitation with regard to soldering, plus, it's a 50/50 call when talking to everyone, some say you must, others equally adamant against...... ????????
Where's the best place to shop for connectors, heat shrinks etc etc, I have a decent pair of crimpers, which I got to re wire the bike, but need a good supply of connectors, any better places than others to shop at ??????

cheers in advance

Col

[rb85]

Go soldersplice mate.

https://www.narva.com.au/categories/ele ... erminators

Good to see you back

[blacklab99]

Hey RB, I like them, Hmm, I suppose they would have similar for all the end connections as well, ??
I'll go thru there site........

Cheers

Col

[rb85]

Hey RB, I like them, Hmm, I suppose they would have similar for all the end connections as well, ??
I'll go thru there site........

Cheers

Col

They have heatshrinkable lugs if you used tinned cable you will be right.

[blacklab99]

Cheers RB.
Yep, definitely all tinned cable being used for sure.......
Compiling a list as we speak..... thanks....

Col

[russellh2]

Place heat shrink** onto cable then strip insulation to required Length then crimp conductor in place and solder, then, crimp onto insulation and heat shrink onto terminal - Job done

heat shrink** - You can buy heat shrink with adhesive inside it - Makes for better seal.

Improve soldering skills by practicing on scrap wire and terminals.

[blacklab99]

Hi Russell,
Yep, I'm figuring that will be the best way.........
The adhesive heat shrink, I've heard those talking about it, sounds like a great system.
The soldering !! Yep, was trying to talk my way out of it ,,,, but your right...
Some practicing coming up.............

Col

[blacklab99]

Ok, So this wiring caper is doin my head in, well almost.

All set to go really, I want to cut out using 5-6 different cable gauges and try and use 1 or 2 maximum behind the dash.
Was looking at using 3&4mm twin core, all marine tinned of course. While the amp rating will be over kill for some of the fittings, I was told going heavier, if it will fit, is no disadvantage at all. have worked out most of the draws from everything and also what gauge wire needed to go from the pos bus bar to switch panels. the switch panels switches are individually fused, at this stage, all the lighting, live bait pump, spot light etc are running off them, with some spare switches for future additions. I have also got a separate fuse block, which the sounders and radio, separate bilge pump switch and usb and cigarette charger will run from, which will switch off from the main battery switch down back.
My question, I know the theory is to fuse for the cables protection, but that's not really sinking in !!!.
If I'm using heavier gauge cable to say, my nav led lights for example, which are rated to say 2-3 amps ( from memory) but the cable is rated to say 20 amps, My brain is saying to fuse at the switch panel to the 2-3 amps the nav lights are rated to, however, as they say fuse for the cable, that would be fusing at say 15 amps allowing for wiggle room.
Can someone put me straight here, the logic just isn't sinking in. Both my VHF and fusion radio have inline fuses at the back of them, but other items don't necessarily have this. I was even told by a pretty experienced marine technician, that he removes all in line fuses and only fuses from switch panels or fuse blocks...............

Col

[Yota]

Hi Col, you’re right about the fuse rating is to protect the cable, but that’s a maximum fuse rating.
So of course you can go as small a fuse as you like, as long as the fuse rating is less than the cable current carrying capacity.
With electronics a buffer of at least 10% is a starting point when choosing the fuse for a non critical circuit. Because you will get voltage drop for example when you run equipment for a while with the engine off, then as the volts drops the current increases to produce the same power consumed.
But in saying all that gobledy gook - there are only certain fuse rating values you can use eg, 2, 2.5, 5, 8, 10 etc etc. So whatever fuse rating you use might be 10% over the electronic device rated current consumption or 40% over, it depends on what’s available.
I wouldn’t sweat it as long as the fuse is there to reduce risk of a short circuit causing a fire.
I hope I’ve understood the question?
Jamie

[blacklab99]

Perfectly explained Jamie, thanks.
I was reading a bit on the topic, but most discussions I was reading turned into huge debates, from blokes that were experts, which didn't really speak in lay mans terms, if you follow. LOL But yep, understand what you were saying, cheers.
As I mentioned, I know I't will be overkilling it in wire gauge I'm using behind the dash, between items and from the buzz bars to switch panels etc, only to save friggen around having to get 5 different size gauge wire, to make it easier, so over kill on some circuits.
Pretty well drew up a wiring schematic before hand,( thanks to Russel recommending it) and that really helped, but have added a few things to that as I've gone on.
Was going to get all the front done, then work out cable gauge for the run down to the battery, after I get the total draw from everything up front.
I still have a couple of items, a spot light I bought some time ago and new LED Nav lights, plus a LED light bar already glued to the rocket launcher since I've had the boat, but I can't get any ratings for them, the spotlight and Nav light packaging has absolutely no info on draw on them at all.
So just working through everything at the minute, trying to get things right.
Am going to use a blue seas battery ACR unit down back, I think, haven't made my mind up there yet, will get to the back eventually.......
It certainly opens your eyes when doing something like this, with the end result hopefully of understanding it better and to be able to problem solve on the water, before hand, I honestly would have been dead in the water with the simplist of problems.... well, that's my end aim anyways..
Thanks Jamie...

Col