Just got out of trying a murder case next week so I might have time to tackle that eletrical mess. I have a 25 O'day with what looks like a standard panel with labeled switches. I haven't seen the back of the thing and I got an idea it won't be easy to get to. What I expect to find are wires running from that panel directly to the terminal on the battery (there are several of them attached there). In the West catalogue I see a couple of bus bars. One has 20 screws and the two terminal posts. I've done some home wiring (and one converted school bus wired for 110) Are these twenty actuall ten pairs with a hot and a ground? I suppose that I'm gonna run one wire from each battery post to the bus bar then run from the panel to the bus bar. Surely I'm not running the individual grounds to the ground post on the bus bar, am I? None of the other electrical projects I've done have blown up or burned down YET. I suspect I can pull this off. Any suggestions. WHat I have are: (1) running lights, (2)VHF
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jay
bus bar
Mike, I really don't see the point of putting a bus bar in the boat. The panel kinda acts like a bus bar itself. If your boat is like mine, each switch has a fuse and the "hot" side runs down a bus with a common bus for the ground. This way you have a hot and ground going from the battery to the panel and that's it. Unless your like me and put in a seperate fused circute for the solar panel, via a cigar/light, with a fuse, plug. good luck, jay
Mike, I really don't see the point of putting a bus bar in the boat. The panel kinda acts like a bus bar itself. If your boat is like mine, each switch has a fuse and the "hot" side runs down a bus with a common bus for the ground. This way you have a hot and ground going from the battery to the panel and that's it. Unless your like me and put in a seperate fused circute for the solar panel, via a cigar/light, with a fuse, plug. good luck, jay
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Rob R.
Depends on Panel set up..
I would reccomend a good electical manual. West Marine has one called the 12 Volt Bible, Nigel Calders book is a great reference too. I just re-did my panel, and as I recall, there are only connections for the positive leads. The electical flow pattern goes from the pos term on battery, through the batttery selector switch, through the panel, to the device, and then back down to the ground, which completes the circuit. This is where a bus bar comes in handy. You are going to need to ground those devices one way or another. On my boat, I started by gounding them directly to the engine (which is where the batteries ground as well). However, that made for about 6 individual grounds onto the engine, and looked a bit messy. What the bus bar allows you to do is run one black lead from the engine to the bus bar, and then connect all the negative leads of your equipment (gps, lights, vhf, etc) to the bus bar - neat and clean. If you have an outboard, you could ground both your batteries to the bus bar, I guess, rather than the engine. Make sure your bus bar is up to standards for the loads you will be plancing on it. Hope this helps - Rob
I would reccomend a good electical manual. West Marine has one called the 12 Volt Bible, Nigel Calders book is a great reference too. I just re-did my panel, and as I recall, there are only connections for the positive leads. The electical flow pattern goes from the pos term on battery, through the batttery selector switch, through the panel, to the device, and then back down to the ground, which completes the circuit. This is where a bus bar comes in handy. You are going to need to ground those devices one way or another. On my boat, I started by gounding them directly to the engine (which is where the batteries ground as well). However, that made for about 6 individual grounds onto the engine, and looked a bit messy. What the bus bar allows you to do is run one black lead from the engine to the bus bar, and then connect all the negative leads of your equipment (gps, lights, vhf, etc) to the bus bar - neat and clean. If you have an outboard, you could ground both your batteries to the bus bar, I guess, rather than the engine. Make sure your bus bar is up to standards for the loads you will be plancing on it. Hope this helps - Rob
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Gene
Bus Bar
I am rewiring my 27 and in the process of adding a new bus bar for the grounds. I have placed this bus on the bulkhead by the batteries where it is easy to get to. Also makes for shorter runs. I would not run the ground to the engine, I am going direct to the ground source, the battery negative terminal. Is you use the engine you are adding two more connections in the ground loop. I believe in the KISS theory. The fewer connections, the fewer possibilities for problems.
I am rewiring my 27 and in the process of adding a new bus bar for the grounds. I have placed this bus on the bulkhead by the batteries where it is easy to get to. Also makes for shorter runs. I would not run the ground to the engine, I am going direct to the ground source, the battery negative terminal. Is you use the engine you are adding two more connections in the ground loop. I believe in the KISS theory. The fewer connections, the fewer possibilities for problems.
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John Visser
Be careful
I don't think you can build a panel from Radio Shack stock that is as safe and functional as some of the fine equipment available at West Marine. Look at the Blue Sea Systems web site (link below). With their panels and parts, and wire and crimp connectors from Anchor, you'll be off to a good start. There's lots of good info in their catalogs, which cna be had for free.
I don't think you can build a panel from Radio Shack stock that is as safe and functional as some of the fine equipment available at West Marine. Look at the Blue Sea Systems web site (link below). With their panels and parts, and wire and crimp connectors from Anchor, you'll be off to a good start. There's lots of good info in their catalogs, which cna be had for free.
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Denny P.
Youre right John
Not unless ya know the difference between a cold solder joint and a properly soldered hot joint. next time you are at a marine store check the back of the chinese panel they sell. Then ask yourself who made this panel and am I goin to trust MY life to it someday?? A good quality spade switch is just that, a twelve volt light is a twelve volt light, butt (pun intended) it is the craftsmanship that counts and the care that is put into the job in the first place. The average owner knows that his life depends on his sea systems and will usually do a better job on making/repairing them than just the average joe working for 50 cents a day in a sweat shop. and ya see I havent even been brand specific yet!! All the best..Denny P.
Not unless ya know the difference between a cold solder joint and a properly soldered hot joint. next time you are at a marine store check the back of the chinese panel they sell. Then ask yourself who made this panel and am I goin to trust MY life to it someday?? A good quality spade switch is just that, a twelve volt light is a twelve volt light, butt (pun intended) it is the craftsmanship that counts and the care that is put into the job in the first place. The average owner knows that his life depends on his sea systems and will usually do a better job on making/repairing them than just the average joe working for 50 cents a day in a sweat shop. and ya see I havent even been brand specific yet!! All the best..Denny P.
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John Visser
Yes,
I agree that craftsmanship is very important; that's how I justified all of the special crimp tools and dies to my wife! But, component quality is also very important. In some cases, the stuff at Radio Shack and Home Depot is the same - as a matter of fact, I think I agree regarding toggle switches, and the waterproof boots for them, which are 1/4 the price of West at Home Depot. However, for many components, marine grade is absolutely necessary. Wire, for example. I've had 16 year old unplated-copper stranded wire totally fail from corrosion. Proper marine wire is tin plated all the way through. Likewise terminal blocks and connectors. Regarding soldering, I have designed it out of any electrical connection application, preferring crimped marine grade terminals. If you take a look at Blue Sea or Bass, you'll see top-notch design, materials and assembly, plus great documentation and customer support. (I have no relation in any way to any supplier or seller). Incidentally, the Blue Sea panels have ground and neutral bus bars. I also used a large bus bar for my battery grounds, near the battery banks. jv jv
I agree that craftsmanship is very important; that's how I justified all of the special crimp tools and dies to my wife! But, component quality is also very important. In some cases, the stuff at Radio Shack and Home Depot is the same - as a matter of fact, I think I agree regarding toggle switches, and the waterproof boots for them, which are 1/4 the price of West at Home Depot. However, for many components, marine grade is absolutely necessary. Wire, for example. I've had 16 year old unplated-copper stranded wire totally fail from corrosion. Proper marine wire is tin plated all the way through. Likewise terminal blocks and connectors. Regarding soldering, I have designed it out of any electrical connection application, preferring crimped marine grade terminals. If you take a look at Blue Sea or Bass, you'll see top-notch design, materials and assembly, plus great documentation and customer support. (I have no relation in any way to any supplier or seller). Incidentally, the Blue Sea panels have ground and neutral bus bars. I also used a large bus bar for my battery grounds, near the battery banks. jv jv
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