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Using high powered magnets on a canal boat


Eloisec93

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hey so I've recently installed two solar panals on my boat. The boat electrition who wired them in suggested I use high powered magnets on the mounts instead of drilling holes in the boat.

 

Seems like a good idea to me but I just wanted to hear anyone else's thoughts is this going to affect the boat in any way?

 

I have uploaded pictures of the magnets he suggested and a picture of how he did it on his own boat.

 

 

 

 

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hey so I've recently installed two solar panals on my boat. The boat electrition who wired them in suggested I use high powered magnets on the mounts instead of drilling holes in the boat.

 

Seems like a good idea to me but I just wanted to hear anyone else's thoughts is this going to affect the boat in any way?

 

I have uploaded pictures of the magnets he suggested and a picture of how he did it on his own boat.

 

 

 

 

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it'll certainly make them easier to steal :( would be concerned about them sliding on the paintwork also.

 

on the other hand, the less holes in the boat the better i guess, but holes are cheaper than magnets

Edited by Hudds Lad
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1 hour ago, Hudds Lad said:

it'll certainly make them easier to steal :( would be concerned about them sliding on the paintwork also.

 

on the other hand, the less holes in the boat the better i guess, but holes are cheaper than magnets

I wouldn't worry about theft too much.  A second hand 100w panel, torn off a boat roof can't be worth more than £40.  Right now I have £100 worth of coal sitting on my roof.

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1 hour ago, Eloisec93 said:

hey so I've recently installed two solar panals on my boat. The boat electrition who wired them in suggested I use high powered magnets on the mounts instead of drilling holes in the boat.

 

Seems like a good idea to me but I just wanted to hear anyone else's thoughts is this going to affect the boat in any way?

 

I have uploaded pictures of the magnets he suggested and a picture of how he did it on his own boat.

 

 

 

 

The magnets should be fine, and the effort involved in pulling a decent sized one off should deter all but the most determined thieves. 

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Our satellite tv dish has a magnet mount - we always dismount it before moving. On a couple of occasions or so, in extremely windy conditions overnight, it has blown over, such that when there is a wind at all I try to remember to tether it from falling into the water. I would suggest you consider what lift might generate in a high wind and compare it with the attraction force of the magnets. Both items of data may be less than easy to obtain or even estimate. I would have thought that the more elevated from the roof the greater the risk but specific shapes and angles for the panels may be factors. Alas, you likely can't take them inside when it starts to blow.

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4 hours ago, Eloisec93 said:

hey so I've recently installed two solar panals on my boat. The boat electrition who wired them in suggested I use high powered magnets on the mounts instead of drilling holes in the boat.

 

Affix standard brackets with Stixall. You could add dummy bolt heads if you think it would help fox thieves, but if the base of the L points inwards you can't see that but anyway. It'll stick underwater, so the elements are not a problem. It's can be painted over, so there are no silicone related issues. Available in black, white or clear from Toolstation. The panel bolts to the bracket, so is still removable as normal.

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4 hours ago, Tracy D'arth said:

You can then magnetically moor to piling.  But the amount of scrap you collect on the base plate will slow you down. Passing boats will become "interesting"!

I have been convinced for years that Tesco have big magnets as I can never cruise past one without stopping.

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It is surprising just how much lift a strong gust of wind can cause. For example my small panel installation measures just 1ft wide and 8ft long, and is strapped to my gangplank (easily removable if I need to use the plank) so that it doesn't occupy any of my roof - and yet the gales earlier this year lifted the whole assembly off the roof including the plank which is a thick wooden scaffold plank that I can only just manage to lift off the roof myself. Only the fact that the wires held prevented it from being lost.

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My panels have been held down with magnets for years. Never a sign of movement. They are flat to the roof though. Well as flat as a flat panel can be on a curved roof. A tilted panel would be more at risk of being moved with wind pressure. Just make sure you have the panels horizontal before a big blow is due.

Jen

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1 hour ago, Cheese said:

Don't mount a powerful magnet anywhere near where you might want to put down a phone / laptop / tablet / watch or anything else with electronics in it!

They're not the problem, magnetic fields have little effect on most of them. But keep well away from your wallet with credit cards in. Don't ask me how I know... ?

Edited by IanD
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As you're using them outside consider corrosion. The ones shown are ferrite (which is essentially rust) so the magnets should be fine, but what about the casings they're in? Probably steel, so likely to corrode in time. Also beware of other magnet types which may be stronger, but will corrode.

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14 hours ago, IanD said:

They're not the problem, magnetic fields have little effect on most of them. But keep well away from your wallet with credit cards in. Don't ask me how I know... ?

and keep your hotel/motel room door card away from your mobile phone. don't ask me how I know!

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14 hours ago, IanD said:

They're not the problem, magnetic fields have little effect on most of them. But keep well away from your wallet with credit cards in. Don't ask me how I know... ?

And be careful if you have a pacemaker.....or guests who have one........

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I've seen many magnets on oil boiler supply pipes, but don't really the 'science' behind them, unless it is to trap flakes of rust from an old tank, but a filter will trap those anyway. The couple I've retrieved are most useful in magnetising screwdrivers to retrieve fallen screws and nuts from inaccessible places

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50 minutes ago, Ex Brummie said:

I've seen many magnets on oil boiler supply pipes, but don't really the 'science' behind them, unless it is to trap flakes of rust from an old tank, but a filter will trap those anyway. The couple I've retrieved are most useful in magnetising screwdrivers to retrieve fallen screws and nuts from inaccessible places

At one time they were selling them for cars to increase your MPG and also pond water filters to stop green water, on your wrist to stop Arthritis. I think they will fix anything. Anyone kept razor blades in pyramid shaped boxes so they stay sharp forever?

I forgot also on domestic plumbing to stop pipes scaling up 

 

Edited by ditchcrawler
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