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IanD

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Posts posted by IanD

  1. 2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

    I can go about 3 days without running my engine, inverter on all the time, 240 volt fridge which I dont switch off at night, usb sockets, wifi router. I dont see it a problem as I move every day so the batteries are 100% when I stop for the night. Over Christmas we had the fairy lights as well.

    An efficient fridge -- 230V or 12V -- typically consumes about 15W on average, a WiFi router about 5W. Compared to these -- or pretty much anything else that uses electrical power, like lights -- USB mains sockets are totally negligible at <0.1W each...

  2. 2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

    It didn't help the lady in Stone, please dont under estimate the danger

     

    Fires on boats like this are rare but do happen very occasionally, sometimes with fatal consequences.

     

    This is why the BSS rules (for commercial/hire boats only, not private?) require fire exits to avoid this problem, which can be normal doors, or side doors, or large opening windows, or large opening roof lights, and the minimum size/area is specified -- whether Houdini hatches (or windows) meet the rules depends on how big they are, presumably small ones don't. Not having such fire exits on a private boat is legally allowed but not advisable...

     

    There was an argument on an earlier thread about whether side doors that might be impossible to open in a narrow lock are OK (this is noted in the regulations but they are allowable), but I doubt that there's ever been a boat fire under these circumstances so they're fine as a fire exit.

  3. Just now, MtB said:

     

     

    Making bread with a bread machine is a bit like going boating watching youtube videos!

     

    :giggles:

     

     

    But it's really nice to wake up to a freshly-baked loaf for breakfast in a house/boat that smells of baking bread...

     

    If you get your pleasure out of making the bread, I agree with you. Me, I get my pleasure out of eating it... 🙂

  4. 5 minutes ago, magnetman said:

    If you actually read it I did write "probably more". 

     

    This can't be "wrong" because of the way it is worded.

     

    You would be correct to claim I was wrong if I had written "more" but I din't.

     

     

    ;)

    You will also note, no doubt, that my comparison was with a "hot summer day" and there was no mention of whether the sun was actually shining or not.

     

    If you want to take it apart a bit more be my guest.

    Can't be arsed. You made a "probably" guesstimate which was wrong. If you don't like being corrected, get things right... 😉

    • Greenie 1
  5. 2 hours ago, Arthur Marshall said:

    Ah, but it's what people want, so while they have their engine or genny running all day and until they turn both their TVs at 11pm, they can enjoy the peace and quiet of boat life, surrounded by all the others who are doing the same...

    I distinctly remember hearing a bird sing once, when I was moored up.

    I'd have thought that people staring obsessively at their (charging) phones is less damaging to peace and quiet than most other things... 😉

     

    But I do hate people who are so obsessed with them that they go to a live event and spend all their time waving holding their phone up and staring at the screen just so they can record/stream it and tell their mates what a fabulous time they're having -- instead of actually looking at and listening to and enjoying what's actually going in front of them in glorious eyeball-resolution 3D and live binaural sound... 😞

    • Greenie 2
  6. 10 minutes ago, magnetman said:

    I should have said but obviously did mean peak output as the discussion immediately prior was about getting 450w out of 3x150w panels in winter.

     

    Clearly day length is going knock out the kWh output but thats not what I was referring to.

     

     

    Also things like air pollution will probably obscure the sun more the lower it is which is why i said clear winter day.

     

    People talk about peak output (because it's easy to think about) but it's the wrong thing to use for battery charging i.e. boats... 😉

     

    And incidentally you're still wrong about peak output, the maximum solar irradiance at noon in winter on a clear day drops by more than the panel efficiency goes up because the sun is further away and lower in the sky so travels through more atmosphere -- suggest you go and check the numbers instead of guessing... 🙂

    • Unimpressed 1
  7. 30 minutes ago, magnetman said:

    Solar panels tend to work better in the cold. There is a temperature coefficient. It is not much but a very clear winter's day with full sun at 90 degrees to the surface of the module will result in a very good output. Probably more than a hot summer day.

     

    Not according to all the sites that actually work this out, for example here...

     

    https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/tools.html

     

    Panel tempco is typically about -0.4%/C, so maybe 15% reduction at most -- even with this and optimally tilted panels (~60deg tilt in winter!) the energy output (kWh/day) is only 25% of that in summer.

     

    For example, for 1kW of panels (south-facing, ignoring efficiency drop):

    tilt=0 : 3.3kWh/day in Jun, 0.34kWh/day in Dec

    tilt=30 : 3.3kWh/day in Jun, 0.58kWh/day in Dec

    tilt=45 : 3.1kWh/day in Jun, 0.67kWh/day in Dec

    tilt=60 : 2.8kWh/day in Jun, 0.71kWh/day in Dec

     

    Peak output might be bigger in winter (or at least, not as small...) but the days are much shorter, it's kWh/day that matters not the peak output in W at noon, because it sets how much charge gets into the batteries.

    • Greenie 1
  8. 29 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

     

    It has nothing to do with product quality, it is all about a 'management system' that ensures consistency - it is an 'organisational system' 

     

    There are seven Quality Management Principles upon which the ISO 9001 requirements for Quality Management Systems are based. They are equally applicable to product- or service-based organizations, and they are important organizational ideas behind any system for quality management.

     

    A service provider can be ISO9001 even tho' they produce nothing.

     

    There are seven Quality Management Principles upon which the ISO 9001 requirements for Quality Management Systems are based. These are not presented in any order, as they are all seen as equally important to running a good quality management system. They are equally applicable to product- or service-based organizations, and they are important organizational ideas behind any system for quality management.

     

    There are seven Quality Management Principles upon which the ISO 9001 requirements for Quality Management Systems are based. These are not presented in any order, as they are all seen as equally important to running a good quality management system. They are equally applicable to product- or service-based organizations, and they are important organizational ideas behind any system for quality management.

     

     

    ISO 9001: The seven underpinning quality management principles

     

     

    The ISO 9002 is the one to achieve for managing product quality :

     

    ISO 9002 is a model for quality assurance in production and installation.

    ISO 9003 for quality assurance in final inspection and test.

    ISO 9004 gives guidance on achieving sustained organizational success.

     

    Yes Alan, I'm well aware of ISO standards, which is why I said it probably wasn't ISO9001 that mattered here.

     

    What is the relevance of this to whether the BG USB sockets are likely to be higher quality than no-name Chinese-sourced ones with possibly dodgy certification?

  9. 1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

     

    But ISO9001 is no guarantee of good quality - it is simply a management system that ensures consistent quality.

     

    You could manufacture components that are absolute rubbish, and, even unsafe to use, but ISO9001 ensures that every one you make is 'the same' rubbish.

    However IIRC it also confirms that the devices have actually been tested against the standards that are claimed in the documentation -- and if it's not ISO9001 that does this, it's one of the other relevant standards on the list.

     

    Products assembled/supplied from a UK-run and certified company like BG are far more likely to have actually had the tests and certification done than products assembled and shipped cheaply from China.

     

    If you want to pick holes in their qualification/quality/certification, any other competing products are likely to be worse... 😉

     

    https://www.builderdepot.co.uk/media/akeneo_connector/media_files/B/G/BG_SPCDOC_EN_20210831JW_822UAC30_97f0.pdf

     

    BG USB.png

  10. 3 minutes ago, M_JG said:

     

    When I bought mine didnt realise British General's (BG) products are actually made in the UK rather than branded Chinese made stuff.

     

    "All products are manufactured to the latest British Standards, and all the companies sites (both UK distribution and manufacturing) operate a BSI approved ISO 9001:2008 accredited quality management system."

  11. 9 minutes ago, Owls Den said:

    Very helpful thankyou. I do find the look of the tilting panels to be a bit much! On my motorhome I fitted a decent size panel that folds up I can move around on a long lead with a little stand, so as to catch more sun as it moves. Might look into that aswell as on the roof for when moored up and what not. 

    To get enough panel area to be really useful on a boat this size (enough power) you need quite a big area of panels. The only sensible alternatives are flat panels -- either on tiltable mounts or flat-mounted -- or good-quality semi-flexible panels bonded to the roof, which are reliable when done properly.

     

    Flat panels are much cheaper and easy to add on, semi-flexible can look better but are much more expensive (about 5x?) and really need skilled installing when the boat is built.

  12. 3 minutes ago, magnetman said:

    Except that it is hidden behind the pattress rather than being plugged in to the front of it so any issues are out of sight and not immediately obvious. 

     

    I suppose there is a component on the board which fails in the same way as a fuse and renders the device neutral and no longer dangerous. 

     

    That's what all the standards and safety certification I didn't show are for. It's what you don't always get -- or at least, not actually tested -- with cheap Chinese knockoffs... 😉

  13. 4 minutes ago, M_JG said:

     

    I much prefer USB type C simply because 90% of the times I plug a Type A in it's invariably the wrong way around..

     

    Note that not all fast-charge protocols are supported via both ports (see above snapshot) -- if the one used by whatever you plug in isn't, it will only charge at the standard USB rate (about 10W IIRC).

    2 minutes ago, M_JG said:

     

    I don't think if a charger plugged into the 240 socket went pop would trigger an RCD would it?

     

    Exactly, it's just the same as a plug-in wall-wart... 😉

  14. 2 minutes ago, magnetman said:

    Presumably this fault is too small to be detected by an RCD or RCBO or whatever the device protecting the mains line is. 

     

    I know it is DC but interesting to consider how this device is protected from causing a fire hazard. 

     

    Same as any electrical appliance, see above.

  15. 5 minutes ago, magnetman said:

    I wonder what it is that goes pop and if it is a fire risk. Some of these electronical things let out a bit of magic smoke when they fry. 

     

     

    There's a small USB power module inside the socket, these are what goes pop. I believe the better ones (like the BG one) are replaceable, but don't quote me on that... 😉

    BG USB.png

  16. Just now, M_JG said:

     

    Yes but AFAIK know that is at the device end, but I'm happy to be corrected.

     

    My Google Pixel and genuine chargers has type C at both ends though obviously I can use a lead and charger with the older (type A) at the other end.

     

    Chargers and cables can have either connector at either end. Now USB-C has been mandated (soon?) for new phones etc, it's more likely that the power supply end will also move to USB-C -- the reason for USB-A is that there are *lots* of existing things and cables that use this, which is why the socket I showed has one of each.

  17. Just now, magnetman said:

    Maybe awkward to implement but being able to change the rate of charge demanded by the product itself would be quite sensible. 

     

    A quick Google suggest that Samsung do have this feature on the device. 

    If products are capable of doing that, they can. Usually fast-charging is at the lower of the current/voltage limits of the supply/socket and the appliance plugged in.

  18. 7 minutes ago, magnetman said:

    Can you adjust the charging rate on one of those i things to match the USB output?

    It's the other way round, the charging rate is determined by whatever is plugged in -- so long as it doesn't exceed the socket capability, if it does this will limit the current/voltage instead.

     

    https://www.builderdepot.co.uk/bg-nexus-13a-double-socket-with-30w-type-a-c-usb-white-moulded-822uac30

     

    The USB-A limit is 5V/3A(15W) or 12V/2.75A(27W), the USB-C limit is 5V/3A(15W) or 20V/1.5A(30W) -- voltage and current are negotiated between the socket and what is plugged in.

  19. 5 minutes ago, Jerra said:

    I was wondering if there were two culprits one pecking and one tipping. 

     

    You don't by any chance have pheasants nearby?  I have heard of Pheasants pecking bottle tops and at 980g for a female and 1400 for a male would be well able to tip a bottle.

    Definitely no pheasants in Northolt -- plenty of pigeons, crows, parakeets, blackbirds, thrushes, jays and woodpeckers (occasionally), loads of squirrels, and tits of all types, feathered and not... 😉

  20. 5 minutes ago, Jerra said:

    That is the first report I have heard in at least 20 years.

     

    Incidentally have you seen them or are you assuming it is Blue Tits.  I seriously doubt Tits tip them over, I have just weighed a bottle of our milk 837g  Weight of a Blue Tit averages 11g.   If it is Blue Tits that would be the eqivalent of a 10 stone man tipping four and three quarter tonnes.

     

    I haven't seen the culprits, could be anything. Definitely birds not cats or foxes though, I've seen the tops pecked through -- I suppose it's possible there are two culprits, the tits peck the holes and then something else (cat?) tips the bottle over, but I've only ever seen the aftermath... 😞

     

    But I do know we've got plenty of tits in the garden, some of them blue. Must be the cold weather... 😉

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