Rich

So are you seriously suggesting that liveaboards would wish to spend their entire boating life cruising up and down the Warks. Avon or the Thames? I believe that the Broads Authority does not take kindly to resi boaters and it isn't all that big anyway.

Where?

You could always change your job and go into customer service.

I would have said that Bettie Boo had got it sorted except for Canal and River Trust. I couldn't see anywhere where she had suggested that they alter their system to suit her, just a suggestion that everyday communications went by email where practical. Canal and River Trust appear to be there for Canal and River Trust's benefit with customers (ha ha) coming way behind almost everybody else, cyclists, fishermen, walkers and probably old uncle Tom if he he could spare the time away from the fair.

Thank you Mr. Marshall. How's the top box?

Will this post be deleted by DeanS as it has gone off topic, and off this world to boot.

Quote from MtB, "My understanding too. Proof of posting is accepted by a court as proof of service" and one of these days someone is going to discover the truth in that proof of posting does not equate with proof of receipt.

Damned plebs, always complaining.

The problem with the Smartgauge is that when charging it can tell little fibs. Because it reads 100% it doesn't really mean it. The way to get well charged batteries is to continue charging until the rate drops to around 2 amps. Better if you can keep it going until it gets even lower but that is time consuming and not always very often practical.

That is one impressive boat pole. The only problem I would have with it would be extreme reluctance to use it.

You are just reinforcing Sabcat's point. They are of no use and get in the way We have fairleads on our boat for precisely the same reason as you are considering. You are welcome to come over and have a look.

Where you you keep the solar panels then?

Might be worth the cost of a phone call to Whixall marina to ask their price but if you can get to Turners they are very hard to beat.

But you said in your OP that the cable is pushed into the connector and if you can do this, unless your supplier has an entirely new form of F plug, the cable is too small or the connector is too big (same thing, different perspective). My plugs are fitted as per the link and, without the use of a tool of some kind they will not pull off. Now you are saying that you assaulted them in some strange fashion to produce a shear force and they failed. I don't think that they were ever expected to survive that, whatever it was. These plugs are used in satellite dish, and in some cases antenna installations, all over the country and there are not mass complaints anywhere about them. Perhaps you should go back to the manufacturer, who is it, and ask if the plugs should pull out. It has been known for suppliers and manufacturers to sometimes make packing mistakes and as all the plugs are very similar it would be difficult to tell at a glance. If you can push and pull the plugs off the cable with little effort something is the wrong size and you can post in upper case letters if it makes you feel better but it doesn't alter the fact that something is wrong. Actually, I would suggest that if you can screw the connectors onto the cable using your fingers alone then the plugs are too big, mine need at least a pair of pliers and the silicon grease to get them on.

A simple question, just in case it proves a little too controversial for DeanS the moderator, but why don't you click on the link I provided and read why you so obviously have the incorrect F plugs and also the correct procedure for fitting them. If, after reading the piece you still feel you are right you could always email Martin and put him right. I am sure he would appreciate it. If you can pull the plugs off then you undoubtedly have the wrong size plugs for the cable and it therefore follows that the supplier has got it wrong as well. This isn't a matter of opinion, it is a fact.

However you produce the taper there is a tip I was given by an ex-working boatman and that is to heat the boat hook up in the fire until it is red hot and then put it onto the pole and after it has burned away the excess wood and fits snugly you plunge the pole and the hook into water. This will give you a perfect fit and char the end of the pole and thus considerably extending its life as the burned wood resists rot far more than unburnt. I have seen his advice written in connection with garden fence posts. Another tip I was given by the same ex-working boatman was never refer to them as working boatmen,ex or otherwise, they were boatmen, unlike most of us who are just playing around in boats.

You could try having a look here http://www.satcure.co.uk/tech/fplugs.htm. The reason your f plugs pull off is that you are using the wrong size plugs. They should be matched to the cable diameter. Satcure have a lot of interesting stuff and useful advice. One very good bit of advice is not to ignore the suggestion to use silicon grease, it can and frequently does make a difference.

Advice given to me by a recently retired firefighter was to give them to the firefighter who has turned up to put out your boat fire on your way OUT of the boat. TPIAW, unless the fire is tiny, get out and leave firefighting to the experts.

Thanks Nick, will the model you quoted have problems with being in current limit mode for long periods, and, (there's always an and or a but) do you know of a table giving temperature/voltage as this is the first I have seen of this? Would this be ambient temperature or battery temp? I feel a purchase coming on as with my battery charger, an Sterling, I can disconnect the batteries and use the charger as a power pack thus removing the 15.5 volts from the system.

What amperage should a bench power supply unit be set at to equalise a bank of 4 x T105s (connected to give 12 volt) having set the voltage to 15.5? There is a fair amount of info about using PSUs for equalising but if any mention is made of amps it is to set it to something suitable and therefore not very helpful?

Nick wall ain't in the same class as John Humphrys, sadly.

Ctek recommend their M300 for permanent installation as it come equiped with connection eyes instead of clips as per the MXS25. I am going to email them further and ask about the recond (equalisation) setting to find out if it does need resetting until the SG ceases to rise. I looked into using a bench power supply, there are plenty of offering in Google, and it does seem to need a lot of watching to ensure it is done correctly. This puts it in the same class as having my hair cut, I can always think of something more interesting to do. When I get any more info I will put it on here.

What's one of them. To us uninitiated, like me, a bench power supply would be a 230v socket but I don't think you mean that, at least I hope not.

Trojan recently recommended a CTEK MX25 battery charger when I enquired about its suitability. They said "CTEK charges are really good" and "It has option to bulk up to 15,8V This charger is going to work perfectly with our batteries." If you are going to consider one it pays to shop around online as prices vary considerably.