I Think I Want A Bigger One.

[marshman]

The rag and stick brigade is limited to the Hunters Dyke (Reads Dyke ) which they completed 5/6 years ago - this is next door.

These moorings are in the new basin just being created in the old BA Field Base , the basin of which is currently being considerably enlarged. They call call themselves Nbyco and have an extensive Faceache presence I  believe

[ChrisB]

Nbyco is a resurrection of an old name = Norfolk Broads Yachting Company. Their website is under construction. 

[grendel]

its quite a large basin from what i saw being dug out earlier this year.

[NorfolkNog]

12 minutes ago, grendel said:

its quite a large basin from what i saw being dug out earlier this year.

Just trying to place where it is, this was the area around Hunters yard, is this anything to do with it? 

[grendel]

Howard, its the next yard on as you head for womack staithe, just before womack island

they have pretty much dug it out within the red area

[Islander]

MM, should you use the connector that Robin listed from Brian ward

https://www.brianwards.co.uk/product/flex-connector-2-pin-10a/?highlight=cable connector

this is not polarised and a risk of reverse connecting. The 3 pin version would be ok as they are usually keyed and non reversible.

https://www.brianwards.co.uk/product/flex-connector-3-pin-10a/

These are better. The centre pin is offset and won’t allow incorrect connection. There are numerous other types around but you could use the same as used on the solar panels.

Hope this is useful.

Colin 

[MauriceMynah]

if there is no connection between the solar panel, and the thing it's sending power to for a prolonged period, would that result in damage to the solar panel?

I hadn't reckoned on having to unplug things and plugging in other things each time the wheelhouse is slid up or down. I suppose it is a route I should consider, but not the one I'd had in mind. Perhaps a rethink on that one.

Mike, (Chameleon) No, not for me! If I have solar panels they have to be in the sunshine whether the lid is up or down. That gives me three options. In order of preference, The wheelhouse roof (if I can sort out the wiring), on the stern cabin roof aft of where the lid sits when down, or, on the forward cabin roof. 

[unclemike]

forrard cabin roof sounds good john, always connected

[Vaughan]

The old Hearts boats used the canopy sliding rails and metal rollers as the electric contact for the roof lights. Positive on one side and negative on the other.

If you did that, the panels would remain connected with the canopy up or down.

[MauriceMynah]

I like the sound of that, Thanks Vaughan. Are there any electricians here who can offer a reason why that wouldn't be a suitable system for solar panels?

 

[Smoggy]

Or a pair of carbon brushes running on copper tracks, best with one each side so it's less likely to short.

[Cal]

On 14/11/2020 at 15:50, Vaughan said:

The 5 cyl Nanni will easily use 7 litres per hour if you don't govern the speed.  Diesel consumption goes up enormously as soon as you want to go fast.

By the way, a Webasto heating system will use 2.5 litres per hour on its own!  I have researched that as well, on winter delivery jobs.  Use of a Webasto on cold winter days can easily double your normal fuel consumption.

The average Broads hire boat "in my day" was built with a 70 gallon tank, as this was about the same capacity as a truck, and would allow the boat to do 2 weeks on hire without filling up.

What sized diesel heaters did you have fitted?

 

Our Webasto uses between 0.12 and 0.25 litres per hour!!

 

2.5 hours would last us well over 10 hours of heating as the unit isn't running at full chat all the time.

[annv]

You could get a high resistance using this method wouldn't matter on bulbs but on low light conditions with low currant flow this would reduce the amount of current to the batteries, a twisted or lupe wiring would be best. John

[MauriceMynah]

19 minutes ago, annv said:

a twisted or lupe wiring would be best.

Duffer here! What do you mean?

[CambridgeCabby]

MM having spoken with my friend with the similarly engined Sheerline again after telling him the litres per mile calculation was less helpful than a litres per hour figure he has helpfully rung me up with the following figures , last week cruising at river speeds and with his heating on full he averaged 4.4 litres per hour , the marina says his heating burns in the region of 0.6 to 0.8 litres of that figure .

 

[annv]

Hi you anchor/connect securely each end of cable to the hull and canopy with enough cable which needs to be soft multi stranded copper cable of double the maximum current or have two cables of the maximum current this will give a good safty margin  which will span the gap without to much strain when fully in the open position then when closed it will drop down or curl up in a spiral or coil you could make a receptacle to hold it in while it's open this will enable you to receive the maximum charge to your batteries, copper or brass strips which are exposed to the elements tarnish and are susceptible to dirt which can generate high resistance to low voltages and current flow. John   

[scaniaman]

Hi MM, have you considered using an electrical 7 pin coil normally used by commercial vehicle articulated units which connect up to HGV trailers. They are robust and as cheap as chips. They can also be fitted by any local auto electrician and can be viewed at, All truck & trailer parts electrical coil pages. Sorry can`t post a link at the moment until  someone comes home that knows how to.

Paul.

[scaniaman]

 As promised, somebody arrived home and did this for me https://alltrucktrailerpartsuk.co.uk/501-electrical-coils-ebsabs-coils?page=1   It don`t work for me when I hit it with my lump hammer.

[Regulo]

What you need to consider first of all, MM, is how many conductors you need between your sliding canopy and the fixed interior. Lights and solar panel combined. I presume there are only two conductors on solar panels? Then you'll need four conductors in your connecting cord, or two cords with two conductors.

[MauriceMynah]

Thanks very much Scaniaman, you have solved (probably) the bulk of the problem, and thank you too Regulo, you've just made my life just that little bit more complicated, but I figure you knew that !!!

Scaniaman's solution is the right idea, but the actual item is not quite on target as to the actual product. For the sake of clarity I shall call the product "Curly wire". That's what I need, now I need to find the minimum diameter of the coils for the maximum amperage. also (thanks to Regulo, I'd like 4 core curly wire, max coil diameter 2" or 5cm.

Advice please. :-)

[Smoggy]

How about running the cables through e-chain? Have you got somewhere it could hide and run freely?

This has got me thinking now.... (there's a first)

I'd quite like a solar panel on my sunroof but it's always the wiring that is the problem so never done it, I wonder if e-chain would run tidily in the runners.

[MauriceMynah]

Smoggy, I think the "curly whirly" cable would suffer less metal fatigue than tour chain idea. Thanks for the suggestion though.

My thinking thus far is that if the curly wire id attached to the furthest starboard rear edge of the canopy, and anchored to the furthest port side of the cabin within the canopy, and if roughly speaking the canopy is 10ft wide and has a travel of again 10ft then when the canopy is down, the curly cable is stretched top about 15ft, well within the stretchy limits of curly cable. I would install a length that would hang down from the cockpit roof to the cabin roof then across the boat, perhaps giving me a total length of up to 12ft.

All the maths and measurements are very approximate but I think close enough.

Now all I need to find out is if the curly wire is available in that compact size and amperage.

[grendel]

what something like this = https://www.cablescoilsconnectors.com/products/2-x-7-pin-ebs-plugs-red-disc-4m?variant=34962867617950&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google Shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiAzNj9BRBDEiwAPsL0d0oUs8AUgjJeSnTl4ATM3u_G56ikz-9BFaIYbQTuh_BeGyEbNpGjSBoCfxAQAvD_BwE

that is 2 thick 2.5mm2 plus 5 smaller 1.5mm2 or thicker?

[grendel]

if you want thicker cores try vehicle charging cables - come in pretty colours too 6mm2 cores

https://www.cablescoilsconnectors.com/collections/1-5m-coiled-ev-charging-cables/products/5-metre-uk-made-ev-charging-cable-coil-16-32-amp-type-2-pink

[MauriceMynah]

Something like, yes, but what amps are they and do they do longer ones. I am looking for 3 metres unstretched.