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charles123

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Posts posted by charles123

  2. 240v LED lighting

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    I know LED lighting has been discussed a number of times but usually in relation to 12v.I would appreciate thoughts on 240v LED lighting that I am looking into for my build project.

    As far as I can see you can get 12v LED up to about 70 lumen with up to a dozen SMD LED's may be higher not sure, anyway if you go for a standard household wall fitting that takes E14 bulb you can have a 48 SMD LED bulb giving 240 Lumen and about 3 watt draw. That looks to me like a high level of light for a bulb compared to 12v LED. You could have a E14 low energy bulb power consumption 11w equivalent light out 55 watts (I dont know what Lumens this would be) as an alternative to LED in the same fitting

     

    I would have 12v LED for the roof downlighters that most have but a couple of 240v wall lights as well

     

    Charles

    • Greenie 1

  4. Installing a Mikuni Heater

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    I would endorse points already made

     

    Mount so you can get at it for maintenance

     

    Also fit themostatic valves to your rads as the mikuni has two power outputs that you cant adjust but work on demand. I found that once up to temp you can turn the rads down so that the unit is working at lower output, meaning quieter, less diesel used and less power consumed

     

    I have had Ebespacher and Mikuni in the past and wont have either in the future

     

    Charles

  6. Starter Battery Reccomendations

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    Surprisingly expensive, unfortunately, even before carriage.

     

     

    I think you must consider that pretty damn good, if it included VAT - I can't find close to that locally.

     

     

    Well, it's a thought - I can't see the logic as to why the "commercial" one is more for a largely lower spec - seems bonkers!

     

     

    I think they are an item that has risen massively in 5 years. I paid £58 in a chandlery in that year, I think, but same chandlery is now £88.

     

     

    Yep, and a local supplier has told me that a 664 is the same physical size, but with a higher capacity.

     

     

    In practice I have received an offer to bring down a Numax one from a source that undercuts my local chandlery by quite a bit. Given that about £10 carriage seems normal most places, I'll probably go for that, and not spend a lot more than the alternatives.

     

    Thanks for all the ideas, folks.

     

    Alan

     

    You need to get a life instead of analysing everything to death, you need a battery just buy one

     

    Charles

  7. Vintage engine cooling arrangements

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    Sorry to come in so late on this thread as I've been out of the country.

    On Albion I ran a Danny Williamson restored Gardner 4LK. Danny was very worried about having the calorifier in circuit ahead of the main thermostat, suspecting that the engine would runn too cool, so I arranged with the engine installation guy a by-pass cicuit that could be brought in by closing one valve and opening another. This proved to be totally unecessary as the engine warmed up fully quite quickly and we had lashings of hot water. I never ever did use the by-pass circuit.

    Roger

     

    I have decided to go for what you describe, its quite simple to do and can only help. If its not needed eg in the summer or at all come to that, then thats fine

     

    Charles

    • Greenie 1

  11. Mushroom vents - not brass

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    Kevin

     

    You could try The Boatmans Cabin Co, as I recall Laurence Hogg had a connection with manufacture of these and sold out to the Boatmans Cabin Co, at that time their range included cast iron authentic to the working boats style and adjustable, I don't know if they still do them in cast but they do a range of styles

     

    Charles

  12. Offsetting engine beds for vintage engine

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    I have specified a 4 inch offset to the engine beds for my new hull, to allow more space to pass by in the engine room. The prop shaft will be the conventional design, universal joints at each end and hollow tube in between. Length of shaft about 10 ft. The engine will not be fitted by the hull builder. I would appreciate any thoughts/advice on this arrangement

     

    Thanks

     

    Charles

    • Greenie 1

  15. Chris Tarrant On TV

    in General Boating

    Posted

    I thought it one of the better ones on a subject covered many times. Tarrant of course like most presenters has no clue about canals so was reading the script which as I say was better than most placing canals more in context of the industrial revolution than most that programmes that focus on some aspects like the pottery trade. Would have preferred Fred the weather man present it mind you,ideally with his hand up sooties kilt

     

     

    Charles

  16. New Marina Site near Northwich

    in General Boating

    Posted

    Found this on the "I.W.A" website, it was dated June 2006 but I believe it still to be the case.

     

    Trent & Mersey Canal

     

    At its meeting on 16th May, the planning committee at Vale Royal Borough Council, with one abstention, voted unanimously to reject the application from Ripple Developments to construct a marina in Billinge Green Flash. IWA’s Chester & District Branch had lobbied strongly against the application. A decision on the Park Farm marina, which is proposed for the towing path side of the canal in the same area was deferred. The developer, Travelreign, has amended its plans, halving the size of the marina, and a consultation period on this development was extended to 24th May.

     

    Les.

     

    I made an independent objection to Vale Royal Planning Dept to the flash development in the small flash where the "half boat" is located. I did not know there was a development on the towing path side which must have had approval, there are smaller flashes here popular with fishermen that are not so clear to see because of trees but I thought there was not much land here between the canal and the railway line to build much of a marina

     

     

    Charles

  17. Central heating from the engine

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    Heat exchangers are readily available off ebay at a fair price because they are used in domestic central heating boilers that wear out and get replaced but the "heating engineers" take them out as they are ok and sell them. The description on ebay will tell you the diameter of the 4 pipes you need just match these to the size of hose you need, some for sale they have left the fitings in place so you should be able to fit your hose over them and secure with jubilee clip

     

    Charles

    • Greenie 1

  18. energy efficient lighting

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    We all know about LED lighting but I came across these fluorescent bulbs

     

    Solar Energy Saving 5 watt 12v Fluorescent Bulb (they do other powers)

     

    The site says "These bulbs exceed traditional energy saving bulb qualities. Super bright and flicker free. Each 1w is equivalent to 10w of a standard incandescent. (56 lumens per watt)

    12v with a ES 27 fitment. This Edison Screw fitting is the standard size 27mm diameter"

     

    http://www.sunstore.co.uk/buy/solar-energy-saving-5-watt-12v-fluorescent-bulb_101974027.htm

     

    £7.14

     

    Appears powerful light output for the power useage, any good does anyone know and I wonder if they are voltage tolerant?

    • Greenie 1

  20. Boat and Butty at runcorn

    in General Boating

    Posted

    Its down the Runcorn arm, there is a layby where the former boatyard was the remainder of boats moor on the main line but as a dead end there is not much traffic. Easy parking, quite small site, seemed to be ok to me and a good place to moor. As recall the owner who I have met and was very friendly and helpfull lives on a L&L short boat on the site

     

    Charles

  21. Vintage engine cooling arrangements

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    I've often wondered what real world difference is made to engine warm-up by the coolant circulating in a relatively small bore tube for a relatively short loop (plus coil of course). I know that with our setup the calorifier return pipe is as hot as the feed pipe within a minute or so, so it would appear that there's not a huge loss through that circuit.

     

    Anyone ever checked to see if it really makes a difference?

     

    Tony

     

    A fair question to ask, but with a slow running engine its not producing much heat and in my case the coils are running through 15 gals of cold water in the tank which must draw a lot of the heat out. Plus the 2LW is prone to smoke until hot which is not pleasant

     

    Charles

    • Greenie 1

  22. Vintage engine cooling arrangements

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    The thermostat will keep the correct temperature, provided everything is tapped off after the thermostat. It's common to have the calorifier tapped in before the thermostat, often replacing the engine bypass pipe, which is a good way to heat your water quickly but not to heat the engine quickly. The ideal would be a second thermostat for the calorifier, this is sometimes done but not common.

     

    Tim

     

    Tim describes my intention for the 2LW, to tap for the calorifier before the thermostat to the keel tank. The disadvantage is the engine is warming the calorifier from switching starting up instead of heating up the engine. I like the idea of adding a second theremostat that keeps the water in the engine until hot enough to open for the calorifier. Here is a link to one off a Landrover

     

    http://www.lrseries.com/shop/product/listing/9607/3126/5/PEM100990-THERMOSTAT-HOUSING-ASSY.html

     

    Which is in line to the water hose so needs no mounting. What do we think of the idea?

     

    Charles

    • Greenie 1

  23. Sliding hatch (again)

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    I have specified front and rear hatches for my new build to be not the lift over type as they are very difficult to open from the inside. I can understand why builders do it that way as its easy to secure from the outside with hasp and staple

     

    I will get round the security issue with a van door lock to keep the doors secured from the outside and the hatch is secured with a simple padlock on the runners behind it to stop it coming open. There will be a lip set in slightly under the hatch so there is no gap between the top of the doors and hatch

     

    For the rear hatch I have specified a one ft longer one than normal to allow angle of the steps will be shallower so you don't have to duck under. To me getting in and out of trad with BMC seems very difficult because the steps are so steep, you are almost going up or down vertically, I don't want that

     

    I like the aluminum idea that has been mentioned, much lighter to handle and more secure and less maintenance than wood

     

    Charles

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