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Johny London

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Everything posted by Johny London

  1. Ok, that's enough. I'm sure nobody wants to listen to your inane babble. I politely ask that we leave this and move on.
  2. I was trying to do just that - find out. That's why I asked and didn't accuse.
  3. Non of this thread makes any sense now the op has edited the original post! I see Bridgemans has been liquidated! That makes my boat rare! (?)
  4. Oh, if you were not working at Bridgemans when my hull was built, (but it sounded like you might have been) I can only clear you of any blame. It's a funny story - most of the boat is as straight as a die but it looks like the yts kid (or whatever they have now) finished off the handrails, stern doors and lockers! I did contact both Lymm and Bridgemans but never got any reply - just saying like. In a way it set the tone for my whole boating experience - some good, some not so good.
  5. Got it off Lymm in 2016 (ordered 2015) it's a Cheshire cruiser.
  6. I hope you are not one of the cowboys that built mine!
  7. I did the Slough arm a couple winters ago - it's not too bad at all in terms of navigability and even picturesque (?) ness, at least for the most part. At the end is a rather down at hill mooring/turning/watering point (just as pictured of course!). Good I thought, hot bath tonite with an easy refill off the tap and no other boats around. Soon after mooring I became aware it was a cut through for a council estate and kids banging on the boat as they go past. So I untied and left. Never got to see the delights of Slough. I had to break ice all the way back too.
  8. That's just a floating dormitory! Regarding baths, I have a 1200mm corner bath which looks smart and is a lot better than those hip bath things often found on older boats. And as said, some hire boats (particularly ones with integrated hull tank rather than a separate stainless steel tank) will hold a fair bit of water. Although of course the calorifier (or hot water cylinder) will be a limiting factor (biggest generally at 80litres). A bath makes a good "treat" once in a while when you have the water/are passing plenty water points etc but it is not for every day. As far as doing work on a boat - by all means be ready to adapt one or two things, (for example adding a stove if it's an ex hire boat without one) but unless you want a project DON'T take on too much work at all. Everything on boats is more difficult and more expensive and takes a lot longer. How you are going to pull off your search, I don't know!
  9. Great - sounds like this could be the way forward for me. I'm uncertain about compatibility of different manufacturers breakers/consumer units. From my limited dealings think different breakers are physically different? 63a is perfect, a bit more than I get off any one array and I want a breaker on each array. The purpose is two fold - one to give me a good place to bring all the connections together, two to allow me to isolate the panels if/when I'm mucking around. So I would have each array connected into it's own breaker. the breaker outs to each controller (one per array) then controller outs commoned back to the master switch, then off to the batts. If the busing in the consumer unit allows things oeseparately hooked up - again I cant remember - seem to think there is common live rail but it can be split up? Ps: Been meaning to get into using ferrules, what do I need to get started?
  10. Yeh I know about the different requirements for DC breakers, the one I linked to is for DC, the consumer unit is just bog standard. Not sure about compatibility though. I'll take a look at the Merlin Gerins.
  11. Wanting to upgrade my solar connections now that I have a few panels and couple controllers or so, adding breakers would be good and I saw a few options, the neatest of which would appear to be consumer unit style ones https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/63A-DC-Circuit-Breaker-MCB-Solar-Fuse-125v-Single-Pole-1P-Ebike-TOB1Z-63-C63/271990741484?epid=2098495247&hash=item3f53e959ec:g:URUAAOSw3YNXYTfc with a little consumer unit say: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/weatherproof-consumer-unit-modular-enclosure-RCD-MCB-contactor-switch-IP65-box/112896821422?hash=item1a492cc8ae:m:mrh8pMhkNMZE25CiEMGti_Q as I wouldn't necessarily need to include the master double pole switch, just four breakers. Or could get an eight way and include master. Is there a better way to do this? I see a lot of chinese looking stuff that I want to avoid! could maybe wire it so that breakers are between panels and mppt controllers and then the combined outputs go through the master switch?
  12. How did you cross the channel? Not in the boat surely? What boat do you have? Pics of the area would be good too. Enjoy.
  13. Just a question of coming to terms with how poorly lead acid batteries perform - the ever slowing crawl to recharge. Is the o/p going to be on the cut all the time? Winter? I'd be inclined to whack a load more solar on for a start. Unless you cruise every day of course. Maybe fit a smart gauge too? And a shoreline fridge!
  14. yes, that'll be the same rating for the older, yellow buttoned one (A series). The new blue button equivalent (AN series) is rated at only 390w max pv array! Certainly worth noting.
  15. Interestingly I was getting 1.8a out of the 600w array (2x150w in parrallel with 2x150, two lots of 4mm) and 2.1a out of the 520w array (2x260w in series on 8mm) 2
  16. Thanks for some great info - especially Jen's calculations. So, series it is! Though that'll be at 70volts dc so I'll be careful. I was looking at the instructions I have for each of my controllers. The instructions that came with the 30amp tracer (AN series, blue buttons) states much lower excess wattage is acceptable: 390w max usaeble and 580w maximum panels. The instructions that came with the older one I have (A series, identical other than yellow buttons and apparently common positive architecture) states (for a 30amp controller) 390w max useable and 1170w maximum panels! Certainly something to consider if building an overly large array for those grey days. Yes sorry I meant 6mm squared but don't know where to find a little "2" Next thing - I'm looking for suitable dc breakers instead of the inline fuses I currently use.
  17. So does 6mm cable sound ok for 2x260w panels on a 15 metre run? (either series or parallel?) And I already have 4mm on 300w of panels 15m, and 4mm on 300w panels 10m My two sets of panels (total 600w) don't seem to have done any harm to my 30a controller. Is it that the controller has to work harder dumping current if its also supplying higher current? Presumably the tracer figures specify large cables because they want their device to work within spec, at its very best?
  18. Currently confusing myself over what cable thickness is needed for what application. For example, looking at a table from an ebay seller ratings for mc4 cable as follows... 2.5mm = 39a 4mm = 52a 6mm = 67a 10mm = 93a Whereas the Tracer instruction manual states... 10a controller = Battery wire 4mm, load wire 4mm 20a controller = Battery wire 6mm, load wire 6mm 30a controller = Battery wire 10mm, load wire 10mm 40a controller = Battery wire 16mm, load wire 16mm I would have thought that due to higher voltage/lower current on panel side the wire ratings would be higher on the battery side and lower on the panel side, not sure what they mean by battery wire, and presumably load is irrelevant to most of us though probably equivalent to cable going to batteries? For example, if I have 2x260w panels in series, each rated at a s/c current of 9a (at 35v) what size cable do I need? Surely not that thick because it will be carrying only 9 amps at 70v or if in parallel 18amps at 35v? On top of that I was under the impression that mppt controllers would deliver up to their maximum current rating but can handle much more powerful panels, basically just not delivering the available surplus current. Epever manual states that... 20amp controller: 260w delivered with a maximum of 390w of panels (12v) 30amp controller: 390w delivered with a maximum of 580w of panels (12v) 40amp controller: 520w delivered with a maximum of 780w of panels (12v) So the mppt presumably can only handle dumping/ignoring a certain amount of power? I'm more interested in just getting something on a poor day rather than big maximum numbers on good days.
  19. On a hard edged bank (vm's etc) I always use a pair of tyres, which work so well that even when my well tied ropes work up a bit of slack, any movement of the boat is totally absorbed. If you are mooring on a hard edge with no fenders it'll be a nighmare! Of course, that's when I can find a proper edge.
  20. Regarding fixing your horn, I seem to remember that when I took my two horns to bits a year or two ago (they had both stopped sounding) I found inside, adjuster screws that affected the way the electro mechanical bit worked. A Twist or two of the screws (experiment with direction) and both were once again working. One has failed again so I'll be having it apart soon - I can't quite remember how/where the screw bit was but I'm sure it is fairly obvious.
  21. No it only drops about 0.07 of a volt - it's a buck converter type thing so very much more efficient than a normal linear voltage regulator. Works for me anyway!
  22. I'eeeusigt5hese https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-In-1-Step-Down-5-36V-DC-Digital-Converter-Stabilizer-Voltage-Regulator-LED-UK/163791150449?_trkparms=aid%3D555018%26algo%3DPL.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20190212102350%26meid%3Dae8d916439de4792810c57290fad468e%26pid%3D100012%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D401820150368%26itm%3D163791150449%26pg%3D2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100012.m1985 sorry6key6oadplay6igup1
  23. So did I, as a single hander. All the above is true. However, I tried weening myself out of the habit to use the gunnels instead, so that I could consider using the roof space for more solar. It's been working out ok - I do get the occasional slime on me when things are tight, but at least I don't have to worry about slipping off the roof. Slimey ladders on the other hand though. It's all a compromise!
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