Need help! topic : Electrical panel

[Mark]

Need ideas. I'm working on re-wiring my entire boat and have been in the initial stages of setting up the battery switch, bus bar and electrical panel. Today - I hit a snag, and it might be minor or major, but need to know how to tackle it. (since I'm verrrry new to boat electronics 101) *LOL*I had everything wired up from battery to battery switch, to bus bar to electrical panel. After finding I didn't do it correctly, today I went to adjust how I ran my positive and negative feeds. As I was adjusting the wires to the battery switch, I heard a very slight "snap", and then my main positive feed heading to my electrical panel...fell to the bunk mat. I have a West Marine Illuminated 12V Switch Panel (#1954916), 6 switch. What I found is that the multi-stack connector on the end of my positive cable came off...along with the male end which it connects to the electrical panel!!!! So now, the piece which broke off is inside the connector and I have nothing now to connect onto on the electrical panel. Question is - how can I fix this? Should I cut and put on a new connector? Can I solder it on, making the connection permanent? Or I need a whole new electrical panel now or can this be a quick fix? I'm not an electrical guy, nor am I a sailing veteran. Just need help here 'n there.Need help ASAP.ThanksMark s/v Cattivo I1972 Oday 23Green Bay, Wisconsin

 

[Paul Breeding]

Take it back

unless you physically hit, struck, dropped or otherwise damaged the panel. I am not familiar with your exact panel, but I recently installed a 6 circuit 'Blue Seas' panel from West Marine in my 272 LE. If yours came apart without mishandling on your part, it should be replaced by West Marine. If there is WM close by, take it there and explain what happened (even if you bought it through the catalog). While there ask their electrical person to walk you through the process. I have found the staff to be both knowledgeable and helpful. This is a learnable skill, you can and should do it.