[Sign writing]

Many thanks for all of your replies. My boat is not a historic boat so I guess I’ll leave off where it was registered, though I’d still like the reg no painted on in that location, as then I’ll be able to or remove the awful BW number plates I have displayed in the windows currently. 

 

I see your point about moving location though I think it adds a nice something to the boats history. I always find it interesting seeing boats with far away places (by canal anyway!) on them. Guess that’s personal preference. 

 

Interesting point about the vinyl, something to consider for sure. Although, I quite like the idea of a traditional painted sign written on the side. Personal preference in the end again I guess! Thanks. 

[Sign writing]

Hi, wasn’t sure where to post this, I’m planning on having some sign writing on my boat. I want the name which is fine. However, I notice some boats have places written underneath them and a “registered in .....” then the id number. 

 

Are the places where the boat was launched and registered (assuming the registered in.... is where it was first registered of course) or where the boat is moored. 

 

As in a boat registered and launched in Watford but moored in say Birmingham, would have registered in watford (then the number) and then it’s name with Watford below or name with Birmingham below? 

 

Obviously you can have whatever you want painted on your boat but what is the traditional custom? 

 

Hope that makes sense?

 

Thanks! ?

[Victron Battery Protect]

Slightly unsure of which rating to use? Would you be able to clarify from this picture please? Thanks!

[Victron Battery Protect]

I see so I’d need to work out what the maximum expected discharge current will be and purchase the relevant unit depending on how large that is. 

 

E.g. max expected discharge current 80A, I’d go for the 100A version? 

[Victron Battery Protect]

Hi there Canal World! 

 

I’m wondering if anyone can help me, I’d like to install a Victron battery protect on my Narrowboat to protect my batteries. I’m unsure of which model would be best suited? 65/100/220A? My battery bank is 4 x Trojan t-125 240Ah (480Ah 12v in total) although soon to be 6 x so 720Ah. 

 

I’m not sure what other information might be needed but I can provide it if need be...

 

many thanks! ?

[Adding 2 extra Trojan batteries to my bank]

Good advice, 2 new batteries and a new ground cable it is. Thanks for you help ?

[Adding 2 extra Trojan batteries to my bank]

Currently the ground cable is only long enough to reach the middle set of batteries shown on the diagram.

 

I was just trying to ascertain how much difference it would make. If it’s negligible then I don’t have to wire in a new ground cable that’s long enough to reach the other end of the bank. If it isn’t negligible then it’s a bit of extra work.

 

Just wanted to see whether it was a quicker job of connecting another 2 batteries or slightly longer job of also adding a new ground cable!  

[Adding 2 extra Trojan batteries to my bank]

Thanks all for your responses! I am, and will be sure to use thick enough cables. 

 

I have a further question, what would be the effect of connecting the ground to say the middle set of batteries? 

 

Like so...

 

 

[Adding 2 extra Trojan batteries to my bank]

Hello all! 

 

Im planning on adding 2 extra Trojan batteries to my current battery bank. They’re 6v 240ah in the formation in the attached photo (currently I have 4). I installed them last month to replace the old leisure batteries. 

 

What would be the the best way to connect the next 2 batteries? I’d like them in another series parallel combination to essentially add another 12v 240ah battery to the bank if that makes sense? 

 

Many thanks!  

 

[Solar panels not charging batteries]

Also could anyone recommend a good auto electrician in the London area that might be able to take a look? Thanks again 

[Solar panels not charging batteries]

1 hour ago, Richard10002 said:

Your pictures suggest a well fitted set of electrics. The shunt seems to have only one cable at one of the ends which presumably goes to battery negative.

Your monitor seems to show your batteries are fairly full, so they won't draw much from the solar controller.

Are you sure there is something wrong?

Given that you don't seem to know much about electrics, and people here are suggesting things which you might interpret incorrectly, I would tend to leave well alone, and perhaps get an expert who knows how it all works to have a look. Said expert could be a paid electrician, or a boater who does a good deed.

I think you are most likely right. I will seek the help of a professional to finish the installation. I thought it might be straightforward enough to do myself. It seems not. They are fairly charged but I ran the engine for a good few hours yesterday and haven’t used any power since so that could be why.

Thank you for your advice

47 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

In particular, you have the front cover of the Victron inverter removed. This has mains voltages inside and is definitely not a place to be poking around if you aren't very sure what you are doing.

Jen

Indeed. I did remove it for the photo to post to the thread. I had everything off and batteries isolated. I put it back on straight after. But thanks as mentioned it’s probably time to seek the help of a professional. Thanks for your advice so far

[Solar panels not charging batteries]

I don’t know whether this has any bearing on anything either. Monitor read 12.65v and 96%. I just isolated the batteries as I was planning on connecting controller to shunt. As I wasn’t sure what I was doing I posted on here. I have now unisolated batteries. Monitor reads 12.85v and 100%. This seems odd

7 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Bottom right pic looks like a shunt connected to a negative bus bar.

So the negative from the controller would be connected to one of the terminals on the bus bar on the right hand side? The left side goes off to the negative terminal on my battery bank  

[Solar panels not charging batteries]

Thank you all for your kind assistance with my solar issues! 

So I have returned home and I’m not entering sure where my shunt is. I gather I’m meant to wire the negative PV from the controller to the negative side of the shunt before it goes to the batteries and the positive PV from the controller to the shunt also before it goes to the batteries?

I have a Webasto connected directly to the batteries negative and postive ends. I assume that’s should go to the shunt first also? 

Below are some pictures of my electrical installation. I have an Electrolux travel power 3.5kw, a Victron multiplus 12v 2000VA 80amp, and a Kuranda power kit which I believe houses the shunt. 

Please could some point out where I should be wiring what? It all looks a bit terrifying with so many different wires and I don’t want to blow anything up! 

My guess would be as follows, wire positive from controller to the terminal bottom left on the kuranda unit, you can just about see the red tape and behind (not shown in picture) it says battery +ve. And then wire the negative from the controller to the terminal which has the large black cable (that comes through from the bottom right) which is on one side of what looks like the shunt? 

Thanks so much again! 

[Solar panels not charging batteries]

19 hours ago, rusty69 said:

is there any voltage from the panel into the outback? 

Have you configured the outback settings to array and battery. 

Are fuses ok, and any switches on? 

Does the outback display any charge current? 

The outback controller says 75.3v in (and 0.7A) from the solar array. 

It says out 13.5v and 3.6A. 

I added trojans recommended voltages for charging. I’m not sure how to configure settings to ‘array and battery’? 

I haven’t added any fuses to the set up. I’m concerned I should have done? I bought a breaker but wasn’t sure where to wire that in? 

Outback says 3.6A out. I assume that’s out to the battery bank? 

11 hours ago, matty40s said:

...are you on a landline??

 

No I’m not on a landline, I’m a CC’er

2 hours ago, Murflynn said:

have you disconnected all other means of charging, isolated the solar panels from the charge controller, checked the controller is connected to the batteries and set to 12v, then switched the panel isolating switch to ON, and then observed if they are charging?

I have not tried this yet no. I will give it a go asap. A little difficult as I’m at work during the hours of sunlight! I don’t have a panel isolating switch! Should I? I can disconnect other means of power and then check. I have set the controller to 12v. 

 

Could this be something to do with the battery bank? As in the series/parallel combination maybe? I thought 620w of solar would be ample for my bank size.  

[Solar panels not charging batteries]

18 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

What sort of battery monitor? Model? Is it one with a shunt? If so, which side of the battery monitor shunt are the solar panels connected? If the negative lead from the solar controller is connected to the battery negative side, then it will be charging the batts, but the monitor won't know it and report the same state of charge. What voltage are the batts at?

Jen

Hi Jen, it’s a Victron Energy BMV-501, I believe it has a shunt. Although I’m not sure where it is or exactly what it is but a quick google says this model has a shunt. There is one cable which comes from the battery monitor and it connected to the negative terminal at one end of the battery bank.

The solar panels are connected to the controller which is then connected to the batteries. The negative lead from the controller is connected to the battery negative terminal. 

If I use power, lights, pump, inverter etc then the monitor reports the percentage going down. 

In the sun currently they are at 13.7v.

The outback controller seems to go straight to float charge every morning also. Not sure if this is because the batteries are very full or if I haven’t set the settings correctly. I entered the recommended voltages from trojans website for absorbtion and float. Couldn’t see an option for bulk charge on the outback controller.

 

Thanks for yor help. 

[Solar panels not charging batteries]

Hi there,

 

I’m wondering if someone can help me. I’ve just installed 2 solar panels (in series) and they don’t seem to be charging my batteries. 

 

2 x 320w panels (mono crystalline) 

1 x 60A outback MPPT charge controller

4 x 6v Trojan t-125 240AH batteries in series and parralell connection giving 480AH in total. 

 

Ive checked all the connections. Seems fine. Battery monitor is saying the voltage from the charger is what the batteries are at. However the perctage on the monitor has stayed the same. 

 

Can someone please help?! I thought I’d have full batteries everyday with 640W of solar but so far nothing! 

 

Hope thats enough info, thanks in advance!     

[MV Hydro 5]

Ah I see, lovely, I'll work out my radiator load and send you a PM later about costs etc. if that's ok? (I also have a blower box so I guess that needs to be considered too).  Thanks again. 

[MV Hydro 5]

Thanks for your reply. How would I work out the radiator load? 

My boat is currently in London and I'd be looking for someone to install a new unit and also check the current set up, is this something you might be able to do? Or might you be able to point me in the direction of someone who could? Many thanks 

[MV Hydro 5]

On 27 November 2016 at 15:24, NMEA said:

I have to confess that whilst the first three or four I fitted were working fine for a short time I have had too many issues to consider fitting another of the Eberspacher clone Hydro 5s, the Webasto clone Hydro 9s seem fine though. Replace it with a Webasto Thermo Top E if you want my two penyworth, or I have the last of the MX40s still brand new going cheap.

My mikuni MX40 has just packed up, I'm told it was fitted to my boat when it was built in 2003. Since then it has apparently been repaired yearly to get it working again come winter. When it was going it was great, however I'd be happy to part with some cash to get something more reliable (!) I was considering the MV hydro 5 until I read this thread. What would you recommend as a replacement? The webasto thermo top e still? I have 60ft Narrowboat if that helps. 

[Recommendations of well respected boat fitters in the South East]

Hiya Bunny, many thanks for your message! Yes that would be great, I'll drop you a pm shortly. 

 

Hi Mrsmelly, I'm in no rush, I plan on stripping the rear cabin out and adding a standalone flat pack desk myself which will do for the time being. I'm happy to wait a little while like this until I can get a nice professional job done. Any suggestions as to who to contact to look into to booking up would be much appreciated! 

[Recommendations of well respected boat fitters in the South East]

Hello all,

I was wondering if anyone may be able to assist me, I would like some work completed on the inside of my 60ft Narrowboat (the read cabin and rear bedroom). 

 

Currently theres a second toilet, bunk beds and a bedroom occupying the rear half of my boat, I will be stripping this out and would like a boat fitter to build a new bedroom and cupboards, and a home office (desk mainly) and more cupboards, I have designs for what I would like. 

 

I would like any recommendations of well respected boat builders in the south east please (I'm currently moored in Victoria Park E3) I'm happy to travel to the Lea or Stort or out west towards Uxbridge, Rickmansworth or even up to Hemel Hempstead/Cow Roast. I'd also like some welding work done so if the fitters undertake this that would be a bonus! 

 

If you could let me me know of any reccomandentaions you may have it would be greatly appreciated! I love my boat and I'm happy to spend a reasonable amount of money for a high quality job. 

 

Many thanks!