sassan
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Posts posted by sassan
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Just now, WotEver said:
None. Just ensure that your bolts are fat enough to easily cope with the expected current.
Cheers. Probably 8mm, since that's the size of lugs I have handy.
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This isn't for my boat, this is for another off-grid system I'm building (but I thought you guys would know). They'll be screwed through a plywood mounting. Need a dozen, and only for a few weeks, so the purchase doesn't make sense unless there's a major electrical/safety benefit.
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Other than convenience and appearance, is there any reason to use a product like this instead of just a bolt, nut and spring washer?: http://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/power-distribution-posts-blocks-busbars.html
I would guess not, since the current is passing directly between the two terminal lugs rather than through the bolt itself.
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That should work, but the battery guard looks like a simple voltage threshold detector and this might give some problems. What is the inverter driving and how hard is it working? and how much trouble are you in if it spuriously cuts out?
A sudden high current demand might activate the cut out well before the battery has got down to what you consider a dangerously low state of charge. You probably don't want somebody trying to use a hairdrier to shut down your fridges etc.
...............Dave
You make a good point. Ones with separately adjustable cut-out and reconnection voltages exist for a similar price and I'll be sure to get such a one.
Edit: no particular problem if it cuts out, it's getting used for phone/drill battery charging with a separate cut-out (set lower) for lights.
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Has anyone any experience of "battery guards", ie: low voltage cut-outs?
I'm generally fine on the boat, because I'm fairly careful, but running very similar systems on festival sites for a large number of people I've had batteries knackered and I'm looking for a solution.
The issue is that I'm running a 1200w inverter and a battery guard that can switch this much current is cripplingly expensive.
Many inverters do contain low-voltage cut-outs, although these are usually set very low and not adjustable.
It seems to me that one could combine a very low-current (therefore cheap) battery guard with a large relay and have a functioning system for a fraction of the price. Anyone tried this or have any thoughts?
eg:
Connect the load terminals of this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12v-Battery-Discharge-Protector-Battery-Guard-20-amp-/301986489552?hash=item464fcc24d0:g:OEwAAOSwvg9XYZCx
Should create a 150A battery guard (note switching capacity is 150A, not the total rated current of 200A) (appropriate fuse/cb also required).
What do you reckon?
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The Coal Boat was profitable. It was many people's preference as it did Bath to Devizes and back weekly (Spencer did monthly. I think).
The owner sold it to do other things.
Spencer has since got a second boat, so his deliveries are now more regular than they were before. Therefore I think starting up a new coal boat business in the area would be difficult.
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Some things I find helpful, others will disagree:
- Don't do the crossed pins thing, it just tears up the ground and makes it worse.
- You can add a second pin a couple of feet from the first one. Tie to the first pin, then to the second.
- Don't use the pins with the eyes, use the ones with just the lip at the top. These can be hammered in further so the rope is pulling closer to the ground (I bash them until the rope is actually embedded in the mud (my ropes are synthetic, probably not good for natural fibres))..
- If you use the center line, tie it very loose as an emergency line. If tight it will make you far more uncomfortable as the boat rolls.
- Position the pins quite a long way from the boat (along the bank). 6ft+ is good. This way, passing boats make your boat slide forward and back instead of in and out. It also means that the pins are being pulled along the bank rather than into the water, making it less likely that they'll rip the bank apart (which is bad for you and bad for the next person).
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In view of PaulG2's post, I suppose I ought not to host handy chimney sweeping tip No 4, tie a brick to a chickens foot and put them down the chimney!
Make sure the fire's out, or the brick might explode due to trapped moisture. If unsure, stick the chicken UP the chimney and ramp the fire up.
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Electroquest 30amp charger or ditto Numax, inexpensive fit and forget
Phil
Don't know about Numax, but I'd strongly recommend people to steer clear of Electroquest.
30A charger, produced a maximum of 12.8V and 6A. Took 3 months and 30+ phone calls to get a refund. There's two guys (allegedly) and it was always "the other fellow handles this bit, he'll call you back".
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There's certainly a lot to be said for the idea of doing it in one whack. I'm intending to do it over the course of a decade or two, but since I always return to the western K&A for winter (work and volunteer commitments, also I just like it here) I'm probably going to be doing the Grand Union and Oxford canals 20+ times each and the K&A 40+ times.
On the other hand, once you've done it all, there's nothing new to see. You'll be waiting for restoration projects to finish just to see some new waterway. Not that places aren't nice the second time, but the first time is always more exciting.
It's also nice to alternate between hard travel and work. By about 2 months or so of daily cruising, I'm looking forward to getting back "home" and after a couple of months of winter mooring, my feet are getting itchy again.
And to those excluding the fens from their plans: I beg you to reconsider. They were some of the most enjoyable cruising we've had. The Hundred Foot Drain was a bizarre experience, being able to see 10 miles in both directions and not another boat in sight!
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Thanks for all the info. I now only need to be away for one night while in Guildford, so shouldn't be such a problem.
All of this is great stuff to know. And naturally I'll keep a close eye on the weather forecast before leaving the boat on the river!
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Hi folks,
Never been on the Wey before, but after continually hearing great things we've decided to visit.
Due to other commitments, we need to travel by train twice, about a week apart at around this time. This leaves a few options:
A: try to find somewhere to moor around Guildford for just over a week.
B: plod along a series of 48hour (or local equivalent) moorings in the intervening time to end up back at Guildford.
C: slowly plod to within reach of another nearby station (such as Woking on the Basingstoke).
D: rush up to London and take a longer train journey (I dislike and distrust London, don't particularly want to leave my boat there).
E: rush harder up to Oxford and take an even longer train journey.
So, the questions:
1. How easy is it to moor somewhere walking/short bus distance from Guildford station for 8-9 days.
2. Are there other nearby stations walkable from the river?
3. How are VM and other moorings on the river in general? I gather there's canal sections, like the Kennet, is there lots of 14-day mooring on these?
Thanks!
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To save time finding the project again once you've registered, you can just click on the link in my original post again.
Sorry for the lousy website, it's outside our control.
Many thanks to all of you who are battling through anyway!
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Have voted. (Tiresome website to use though!)
Yeah, it is rather. Thanks for battling through!
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Yes, I registered and voted a week ago and have received no marketing.
The organisation distributing the grants are not any sort of fundraisers, they are a building society.
You can also be assured that the Wilts and Berks Canal Trust do not employ parasitic fundraising companies, nor do our members engage in any form of cold-calling.
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No real beer!!!!
We're not open yet, those pumps are left over from the previous operators.
Given that one of the guys on the committee working on this project is a VERY devoted CAMRA member, you can be completely assured that there will be plenty of proper beer once the pub is open again!
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If that's the bit I'm thinking of, you're less than half a mile from the centre of Bath!
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Some more information:
Facebook page for the pub: https://www.facebook.com/wbctcanalcentre
Website for the trust: http://wbct.org.uk
There are two categories of grants being offered by this funder, for our category the top 4 projects by votes will win the requested money.
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Hi Folks,
Firstly, thanks to all of you who voted for us to receive two grants last year. We got both of them, many thanks! The first one was for materials to repair a collapsed culvert and we expect to finish the brickwork on that in the next few weeks. The second was to fund part of a larger project to restore a section of canal, contractors should be on site in the coming week!
Last year we bought a pub, to save it from being converted into flats. Our volunteers are hard at work getting the pub ready to be reopened. The next stage of this is opening up part of the building to be used as a community room. To do this, we must provide disabled access and toilets.
To get this grant, we once again need your votes!
https://foundation.onefamily.com/projects/peterborough-arms/
It takes only 2 minutes to register and vote, please help us to restore one of the last surviving canalside pubs on our canal.
The pub is located here:
Thanks in advance,
Sass
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The railings just before the station are dead convenient. There's a sign at one end that says 48hr, but I think you can use most of that stretch as 14-day, it's enormous and underused.
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I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth!
If you're interested in more details of the internal workings of the People's Millions, googling can find you a 2007 consultants' report that makes interesting reading.
Here's a photo of the giant cheque being presented:
And here's a radio interview from BBC Wiltshire about it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02bqg7d (about an hour in)
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Yay, excellent, you got the money, who cares?
Exactly! We also found out yesterday that we won another grant for the rebuilding of the culvert at Pewsham, so a very good day for us!
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An odd situation, but basically, there are 6 finalists (in each region).
Each day, two of those compete for £50k.
At the end of the three days, the highest-voted loser also gets £50k. I hadn't actually realised the runner-up prize was so generous before!
So we lost, but we won!
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Update:
It was announced on the news that we unfortunately lost. However, they went on to announce that we did win the prize for highest voted runner up (ie: we got more votes than the runners up from the previous 2 days).
The result is: we got the £50,000!!
Thank you to all who voted.
"Distribution posts" vs bolts
in Boat Equipment
Posted
120A theoretical max (fused). 30A likely actual max.
Thank you very much for your very rapid and helpful advice!