Kustomcut
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Posts posted by Kustomcut
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Hi all
i have stripped up some
panelling to show where my water tank is (I didn’t install it) however question is inpresume
i cannot fit a sender unit as the tank is at an angle do I have any options with my current configuration
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Barney was onit had to hand him off
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Can someone confirm again where the exact finish is and what boat we hand log to?
Or if electronic whom I email it to?
Cheers and see you Sunday
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So hows everyone's planning going?
All excited, managed to stock up on the essentials like beer, spirits snacks etc?
This year i am taking a more relaxed approach as i dont want a repeat of last year.........
Finally any news on the overnight stoppages/closures of locks and am i right in thinking its just the following locks,
Wolverhampton
Rushall
Walsall
Factory
Brades
Spon Lane
Smethwick
8.30am - 4pm they are open?
And where is our final finish point?
And the letter i m excited to receive my letter for the treasure hunt...
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And I normally take the break at the end 24 straight through, good luck with getting updated info from CRT they normally busy tidying round by the NIA doing flower beds and creating brand new cycle paths, sorry but I have very little opinion of them when it comes to contact and updating the people on the canal.
Rant over
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Just wondering how many confirmed do we have?
Not long now.
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I have emailed as we want to take part again, so many kind messages after we sank Carpe Vinum last year BUT we now have a little steel springer Mary Beth who will be taking part.
Well done TTO for taking over the running, I'm sure they could do with whatever help we can all throw their way.
RE getting the word out Tow Path Talk maybe? some of the other publications?
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32 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:
You need to ensure that the plug on the 'fly-lead' (from the AC changeover to the inverter) does not become live when disconnected from the inverter, and you have connected the land-line.
It needs to be a failsafe situation for the day when its not you doing the changeover.
Hi Alan, thank you I am using a Break before Make style switch so hopefully all will be ok, BUT I will test with a meter on the plug with shore power in and the plug unplugged to ensure there is never any voltage coming back down the cable.
Panel is here.
http://www.gscontrols.com/ac-panel---2-way-changeover-156-p.asp
46 minutes ago, nicknorman said:The fuse size relates to the ability of the cable to carry current, rather than the rating of the MPPT - it is to protect the wiring, not the MPPT. With 12v systems normally one selects cable that is much fatter than that required for thermal (overheating) reasons, in order to keep voltage drop to a minimum. Therefore I would expect the cable to be able to safely carry much more than 10A and would select a fuse size according to the cable rating, hopefully quite a bit more than 10A
The other thing to consider is that if you have a 10A fuse running at 10A, it can get quite hot at the bit that actually fuses. Over time, the metal can "age" and ultimately fail even though the current is only 10A. Some MPPT controllers will be damaged if the connection to the battery is suddenly lost (due to the fuse blowing) whilst there is a lot of current passing through.
So if possible, avoid running a fuse at its rated current for any length of time. Don't forget that the purpose of the fuse is to protect the cable from excessive current coming from the battery - not to protect the cable from excessive current coming from the MPPT since this can't happen. Therefore the fuse should be located as close to the batteries as possible without actually being in the battery box (risk of an ignition source for explosive battery fumes). Then all the cable between the fuse and the MPPT is protected.
Does the above stand for sealed AGM batteries.
The MPPT controller is currently housed very close to the batteries in the same cabinet, the batteries then are in plastic battery boxes?
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Nicknorman, Thank you for your prompt reply, I had no internet access until now so excuse my late reply.
Invertor - yes the invertor has a plug socket on it I will be running a plug from the invertor socket to the ac changeover so no live pins
The solar is a 100w with a 10 am MPPT do I therefore use a 10 amp fuse in the live from MPPT solar controller to Battery?
I will install the GI at a slightly later date ££££ I have in 6 years never moored anywhere with shore power so don't need just yet but as the boat has the shore hookup it will be something I add so it is all proper. And take on noard re a wired GI with indicators, been looking at the Sterling Power ones.
Thank you for you advice much appreciated.
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Slight update to the above, how does this look?
I have a mega inline fuse between the invertor and battery there are also switches hopefully you can understand on the image, then the invertor output is via a 3 pin plug, I can wire opposite end of this into the ac changeover switch yes?
Changeover switch below
http://www.gscontrols.com/ac-panel---2-way-changeover-156-p.asp
The 2 ground points will be close but on separate studs (bolts direct to the hull) approx. 3 inches apart?
Do I only need a galvanic isolator when running shore power?
If so could I use one of the inline plug in ones?
My invertor is not a combi charger/invertor.
Thanks In Advance
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2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:
If you use a combi inverter/charger it would automatically change over you could also just plug your genny into the shore socket have 240 volts on the boat and charge the battery
Any models/makes you recommend?
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5 minutes ago, WotEver said:
You’ve just saved me from having to type all that
I had on my 20 foot cruiser a 15hp mariner outboard this kept the batteries topped up in addition to that I have a 100 watt solar panel with mppt controller.
I will check paperwork out later for output from outboard.
I also have split relay so starter battery will still be "safe" from discharge and failsafe a 1kw suitcase genny that I can attatch to a battery charger for leisure batts.
All of the feed (solar,outboard charge) would go to starter batt and this would using the vsr relay switch over to leisure/domestic as and when.
If my thought process is right
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1 minute ago, nicknorman said:
I suppose you could just plug the inverter into the shore power socket but it’s not the best idea due to having to somehow get the cable outside the boat only to have it coming back inside via the socket. The cable from the inverter wouldn’t be protected by an RCD against chafing etc and if you think about it, a loose cable poked through a half-shut door or window is probably the most likely thing on a boat to chafe. If you did do as you suggest you’d need to NE bond the inverter output, say in the cable you made up for the purpose, having first checked whether the inverter was already NE bonded and/or whether it could tolerate being NE bonded.
Personally I’d go for a proper changeover switch. Doing it “properly” isn’t going to cost much more and it will be much better in the long run, and more convenient. You still just need the one RCD & MCB (or RCBO) - put the changeover switch before them.
The diagram looks fine for what it is. The earth bonding should go to a stud welded onto the hull or some other convenient attachment point. The 12v negative should go to a separate hull stud or attachment point nearby. The engine is likely to already be attached to 12v negative and so the best way to avoid any hull currents is to connect the engine block to the hull.
Ok I forgot to mention my engine is an outboard.
So I go for this method instead?
And bond the 12v negative to the hull bonding point? Same point as the 240 earth?
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HI all I am looking for some help/guidance.
I have a 25ft springer that currently has electric shorepower hookup (no RCD), and basic 12 volt wiring for lights/horn/water pump etc.
All works fine however I would like to do the following
Add an invertor
Add a second battery on the leisure bank, as I am adding a 12v tv and a few more 12v charging points.
I have seen all the info on "break before make switches" re shore power/invertor.
What I am thinking is as there is very few places where i currently have the boat offereing shore power could I run from output on the invertor to input on the shore power?
This way I can never plug in shore power whilst the invertor is on?
That way could I basically wire as below but just have the invertor output plugging into the whore power input? doing away with second rcd and switch ?
See below
Secondly hull bonding.
Does anyone have a guide as to how to do it basically I undertand the principal but any do's dont's?
Secondly how does the hull bonding work if I am doing as picture but also have 12v on board?
Do I bond the negative of the 12v to the same point?
ANy help much appreciated.
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I think I will go down that route.
Looking him up now, I agree unplumb old and replace with a recon version will be much easier
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Thanks, I will have a word with Alvechurch as the boat is getting put in the water there today and see if they can cost up for a fitting of a new boiler, I am capable to do and just get it passed off but its the old saying of do it right once, and im not sure what way to go.
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Ok now for the next question
I have a Rianni from my old boat fully working, I am thinking of popping that in place of the Paloma, or buyinmg a new Morco, however the boat is currently fitted with the Paloma, and has the diverter then a mushroom vent on the roof.
Reading up on the Morco if I change to that I have to have a 600mm flue min? Don't really want a 600mm chimney if I can help it (however I do want it to be safe).
My boat is a 25ft springer with the above Paloma heater, it has outboard so my water heating options are limited, what are my options or should I just go for a morco and install the flue in replacement or are there any other water heating options. sealed units etc.
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Hi All, does anyone know are there any heaters out there that will straight replace a Paloma PH5?
Pluming flue position etc.
Or are they all slightly different?
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Thanks Laurie i Managed to see you guys on the way into town by bournville but not since
new boat should be back at lady lane next week ?
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3 minutes ago, nicknorman said:Does anybody know what happened to Carpe Vinum? Was it successfully recovered? What was the hull damage?
Hi all
firstly let me say congrats to indigo and thank you for the donation, we are currently at just over £400 for the BCN Society and it’s
great to see the scores I reckon if I hadn’t of sank and finished my route I would of had it this year by about 10 points?
however a lot has happened since then.
Carpe Vinum is currently sat at a hard standing in notts deemed a write off not so
much down to the damage although it was a good sized hole but more down to the things I had added such as smev cooker,warm air heater , invertor , new outboard etc.
So end of an era.
I owned her for 6 years and put a lot of effort in to kit her out as I wanted somit is sad ?
However I have just purchased a 25ft tidy looking Springer full survey last year and all
is good, it is outboard rather than inboard but I now along with my girlfriend own a steel
boat called
Mary Beth
she will hopefully be transported from Hilperton on k&a to Alvechurch next week and we will Be getting used to her in anticipation for next year ,yes we will be back and you will I promise all get to sample
the floating bar at the end.
thank you all so much for the messages and support you gave me over he weekend and congratulations to all and how well they did.
I feel i made more friends this year than ever before and all Things considered am
happy with how we did,mainly we were all safe.
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I hope you all had a drink at the finish.
I feel I have missed a part of my year I always look forward too including the “tub” banter HOWEVER I have managed to raise over £300 for BCN society so as far as
im concerned we did something positive and if it means my only boat trips are done as a volunteer on a boat so be it, who knows what the future holds for us as boat owners but i enjoyed cruising the networks so much im sure I will be back at some point one thing I proudly managed to salvage was my previous years bcn challenge plaques.
Thank you all for the concern and offers
of food shelter and alcohol.
Really would like to catch up at some
point, until then all the best and safe cruising.
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Just explained to my bunch everything so far is fun now it all starts bout 40 mins out from Perry Barr and we can stop at 8am ??
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Pit stop at he manor
roped the staff in too
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First 19 locks done Walsall was interesting a far few snag ups but ill
let them have a drink now
BCN Challenge 2020
in General Boating
Posted
Hi All,
late joining the party as we decided we couldn't do this years (now cancelled) challenge on Mary Beth.
Not sure how we are fixed for next year but i might look to participate on my Paddle Board if allowed?
I have all the relevant licence, and insurance and think it would be a whole different way to experience?
I know we looked at walkers taking part and maybe kayaks?
And info if this would be allowed would be great.