Another new electrician :(

[LadyG]

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

1. The radio - does it light up when turned on? If its not a cheap one have you gone through the auto-tune/setup procedure? Is the aerial you have got compatible with the wave band you are trying to receive? (Assuming you have an aerial, if not then that's the problem). Aerials for AM (long & medium wave) are not likely to perform of well for FM  and no realistic chance for DAB. You can get aerials that are supposed to do all bands but they are amplified and need a 12V feed to them. In my experience they are not reliable in the long term. If its an FM set and an FM aerial there is a good chance the aerial down lead has water in it or something. I was amazed at how well the Halfords magnetic DAB aerial worked for DAB. no good for FM or AM though.

 

2. The batteries. I talked about volt drop on long cable runs a fair few times in respect to your boat so what is the charging voltage at the batteries and the voltage from the charge source? If your solar controller is set to charge at 14.4V and the volt drop along the out and back charging cables is 2 volts you will never full charge the batteries. That is what Alan is alluding to. Its worse than that because solar controllers seem to drop to float on a timed basis so although you had sun for 8 hours the controller may well have dropped to float after 3 or 4 so the lower voltage plus any volt drop may would mean the fridge is taking more out than can  be put back in.

 

3. Not much experience on the mobile phone internet signals but the strength is very location dependant and who your chosen carrier is. You boat forms an effective Faraday cage so unless the E5785 is in a window or close to one AND the local mast is in line with the window you will get poor reception. As for the different computers that has much to do with their chipset and any internal aerial. I very much doubt you are getting signals from other boats because they would probably have password protected connection set.

 

4. Running LA batteries down regularly!!!!!!!  You don't have much luck do you.  I think you are moving south so if you get within say 30 miles of Reading I will happily take a look and advise but until you get all your batteries close to the charge source I don't think you will solve the issue.

 

Edited to add. I get me aerial into the boat by drilling through the front bulkhead just below deckhead and using a magmount close to the back of the cratch cover. Sealed with Dumdum left over from garage days.

Hi, Tony, 

Re radio, yes the guy who fitted the radio yesterday spent quite a while, as in about sixty minutes, there was lots of beeping and so on, I noticed he had read page one of how to set up. He identified lack of aerial, but did nothing about it, so a fail.

Told me to use a dongle to play my music, I just glazed over, and then we went on to wiring my tablet to the radio, I don't like wires, I don't want wires, i just want to turn the thing on and hear Radio four, or maybe Three. I paid him, but told him I'm not happy, the job was to replace batteries, fit radio. He pretended to know ehst he was doing, but he's just a guy who's not very capable.

Anyway, he fiddled about setting it up, but as far as I am concerned, pretty ligths or not  its not a working radio. 

[Naughty Cal]

You seem to find all of the incapable tradesmen. First at your flat, now on your boat .........................

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, Naughty Cal said:

You seem to find all of the incapable tradesmen. First at your flat, now on your boat .........................

 

This is the 8th electrical tradesperson and only the the 3rd one she has actually paid for the work done. - all the others were incompetent.

[Chagall]

15 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Hi, Tony, 

Re radio, yes the guy who fitted the radio yesterday spent quite a while, as in about sixty minutes, there was lots of beeping and so on, I noticed he had read page one of how to set up. He identified lack of aerial, but did nothing about it, so a fail.

Told me to use a dongle to play my music, I just glazed over, and then we went on to wiring my tablet to the radio, I don't like wires, I don't want wires, i just want to turn the thing on and hear Radio four, or maybe Three. I paid him, but told him I'm not happy, the job was to replace batteries, fit radio. He pretended to know ehst he was doing, but he's just a guy who's not very capable.

Anyway, he fiddled about setting it up, but as far as I am concerned, pretty ligths or not  its not a working radio. 

Did the guy who fitted it sell you the radio?         .... how was he going to "wire your tablet to the radio" ???   if you "glazed over" was he trying to explain about dongles and bluetooth perhaps? 

 

....anyway, by asking if you had seen Tony's post it was more about you recognising his support and perhaps acknowledging that rather than just about the radio. 

 

edit to add that perhaps you will get to that, I hope so. 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2021 by Chagall
benefit of the doubt

[David Mack]

You are inside a metal box, which is pretty good at blocking radio signals, which is why the car radio won't operate without an external aerial, and why phone, dongle or midi reception probably only works close to a window.

[PD1964]

29 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Hi, Tony, 

Re radio, yes the guy who fitted the radio yesterday spent quite a while, as in about sixty minutes, there was lots of beeping and so on, I noticed he had read page one of how to set up. He identified lack of aerial, but did nothing about it, so a fail.

Did you tell him you never had an aerial fitted? Or we’re you just expecting him to fit one? as most car radios don’t come with an aerial and on a boat you would need to fit one. Or did you also not think of that?
 

  

Edited May 13, 2021 by PD1964

[Murflynn]

43 years on the briny and never a problem like this.  

[Tracy D'arth]

Fitting a car radio and aerial to a boat is not simple. The earth braid of the aerial creates a short,  battery negative to hull if simply fitted in a hole in the roof. You have to use an isolating capacitor, about 0.1uf @ 650v working between the outer braid and the radio socket which involves opening the screened cable carefully to separate the connection.

 

Why don't you ask these questions before you get these incompetents in to do jobs?

[LadyG]

2 hours ago, cheesegas said:

Do you have any of the info we have asked for? Cable size?

 

Not letting people work on it until you're desperate may be why you keep on killing batteries.

Sorry, no idea, I can't change the boat wiring without ripping everything out, I 'd rather sell the boat.

I think tbat taking advice from the eejits who claim to be experienced boat electricians has proved flawed. These guys are just chancers. Remember the ex RN  one, who took three months to fit three batteries, and failed to tie them down, sigh. I can't imagine he was an electrician. A bit like the boy we took on as crew to train for some offshore work, he  worked for local marine electronics firm, he could not work the echo sounder!

I had him make dessert, it was a struggle, ice cream and tinned raspberries!

 

 

Edited May 13, 2021 by LadyG

[Tony Brooks]

If its a DAB radio just get a Halford DAB mag mount and route it through a hopper or mushroom for now, You can even pass them through a flying saucer vent with some jiggery-pokery.

[Alan de Enfield]

3 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Sorry, no idea, I can't change the boat wiring without ripping everything out, I 'd rather sell the boat.

 

 

Don't be such a drama-queen.

 

No one is asking you to rip out the wiring, all we need to know (to be able to knock one possibility off the list) is what size is the cable.

It could be marked on the outside insulation.

It had been suggested that even the OD will give us chance to make a guess.

 

Edit to remove supppprerfulous letters.

Edited May 13, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[LadyG]

38 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

If its a DAB radio just get a Halford DAB mag mount and route it through a hopper or mushroom for now, You can even pass them through a flying saucer vent with some jiggery-pokery.

Thanks Tony, I have a DAB aerial, stuck to the porthole presumably its not a DAB radio, anyway, unlikely to pick up a signal when its about four feet above the canal.

Its JVC KD-X262

Digital media receiver, made for iphone and ipod. I have neither.

When old one, which may have been DAB stopped working, I removed it there was a wiring loom, and a fuse, and a switch  that was it, maybe the DAB aerial conection just fell off at some time, no idea, just not happy that someone thinks he can walk away, telling me it's my job to buy aerial and speakers off ebay, what is that about.?

I'm going to see what he says when I phone him, tell him it's his job to sort it, not mine. Absolutely pathetic. I told him to read Wotever Battery Primer

I went to Halfords and asked for a car radio, I don't think this is a car radio.

UPDATE, electrician sent me a message saying he told me the fridge would not run off the batteries, I don't think he did, he told me to get a  larder fridge and run it off the invertor, which is 375w, then changed his mind and said to go with the 12v fridge., I would have put two big deep cycles in, but he chose the batteries leisure type 2 x 110.

Apparently he is going to bring a car aerial today and fit it. Well that would be fine. 

I spoke to Halfords and said that I asked for a car radio, and I don't know what this is, but I don't think its a car radio. Will find a halfords and see if I can get a car radio replacement

 

Edited May 13, 2021 by LadyG

[Chagall]

One thing you can do if your laptop, has Bluetooth and all you need to listen to music and radio stations is buy something like this .... https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7657061?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=30f62ea9-9626-4cac-97c8-9ff3921f8558&istItemId=iliripixt&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157|acid:416-707-6621|cid:9567730933|agid:98490207296|tid:pla-982581116329|crid:423217901404|nw:g|rnd:2497532707882399015|dvc:m|adp:|mt:|loc:1006948&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=9567730933&utm_term=7657061&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=98490207296&utm_custom2=416-707-6621&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIx77ioeHG8AIVlfdRCh015guMEAQYAyABEgLTQvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

no wires needed. Sorry for the long link, I’m not at home to edit. 

[Alan de Enfield]

9 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I'm going to see what he says when I phone him, tell him it's his job to sort it, not mine. Absolutely pathetic. I told him to read Wotever Battery Primer

 

 

 

I can understand why you are now on your 9th electrician.

 

 

 

 

1 minute ago, Chagall said:

One thing you can do if your laptop, has Bluetooth and all you need to listen to music and radio stations is buy something like this .... https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7657061

 

no wires needed. Sorry for the long link, I’m not at home to edit. 

 

 

Short link :

 

 

.... https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7657061

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2021 by Alan de Enfield

[Jerra]

9 minutes ago, LadyG said:

just not happy that someone thinks he can walk away, telling me it's my job to buy aerial and speakers off ebay, what is that about.?

If you asked him to fit the radio and that was all, then providing the speakers and aerial isn't his job, his job was to fit the radio.  He probably assumed it was a replacement for an already fitted radio and so speakers and aerial would be there.

[Naughty Cal]

27 minutes ago, Jerra said:

If you asked him to fit the radio and that was all, then providing the speakers and aerial isn't his job, his job was to fit the radio.  He probably assumed it was a replacement for an already fitted radio and so speakers and aerial would be there.

Agreed. How is he to know that there is no aerial and no speakers?

[tree monkey]

25 minutes ago, Jerra said:

If you asked him to fit the radio and that was all, then providing the speakers and aerial isn't his job, his job was to fit the radio.  He probably assumed it was a replacement for an already fitted radio and so speakers and aerial would be there.

Once priced a job to "clear trees from the site", one day 3 blokes chip to site nice and easy.

Turned up cleared site of trees and chipped to site, client turned up "WTF is that, I wanted the site cleared" after much discussion it turns out he wanted the site ground flailing and leveling, a completely different spec.

 

Got the pay for the day and walked away

[Tony Brooks]

1 hour ago, LadyG said:

Thanks Tony, I have a DAB aerial, stuck to the porthole presumably its not a DAB radio, anyway, unlikely to pick up a signal when its about four feet above the canal.

Its JVC KD-X262

Digital media receiver, made for iphone and ipod. I have neither.

When old one, which may have been DAB stopped working, I removed it there was a wiring loom, and a fuse, and a switch  that was it, maybe the DAB aerial conection just fell off at some time, no idea, just not happy that someone thinks he can walk away, telling me it's my job to buy aerial and speakers off ebay, what is that about.?

I'm going to see what he says when I phone him, tell him it's his job to sort it, not mine. Absolutely pathetic. I told him to read Wotever Battery Primer

I went to Halfords and asked for a car radio, I don't think this is a car radio.

UPDATE, electrician sent me a message saying he told me the fridge would not run off the batteries, I don't think he did, he told me to get a  larder fridge and run it off the invertor, which is 375w, then changed his mind and said to go with the 12v fridge., I would have put two big deep cycles in, but he chose the batteries leisure type 2 x 110.

Apparently he is going to bring a car aerial today and fit it. Well that would be fine. 

I spoke to Halfords and said that I asked for a car radio, and I don't know what this is, but I don't think its a car radio. Will find a halfords and see if I can get a car radio replacement

 

 

It is a car radio but only AM/FM so a DAB aerial will not work with it except PERHAPS in a very strong signal area.

 

2 x 110 Ah batteries should provide 2 x 24 hours running from fully charged without recharging for a typical older electric compressor fridge and sill be only 50% discharged. I ran a 12V boat including a Shoreline fridge plus computer and no LED lighting on the same batteries.  It has to be a charging problem at the root of it.

 

 

[ditchcrawler]

5 hours ago, LadyG said:

They arecinbected but are  35 feet away, ie 70 electk feet

Coolnatic 12 volt compressor, 20 years old.

Is that the batteries 35 feet from the solar panels or 35 feet from the solar panel controller or 35 feet from the batteries to the fridge. The batteries want to be within about 2 mts of the controller to get efficient charging. Does the solar also charge other batteries?

Edit to add

Another question, All these batteries you have, are they all connected together in parallel so the solar charger is trying to charge them all. I am an electrician and I would imagine if I turned up at your boat and said these banks of batteries are not connected up correctly and need rewiring you would tell me to bugger off. Maybe that is why it wont work  

Edited May 13, 2021 by ditchcrawler

[pearley]

23 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

It is a car radio but only AM/FM so a DAB aerial will not work with it except PERHAPS in a very strong signal area.

Completely different plug.

[Alan de Enfield]

26 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

It has to be a charging problem at the root of it.

 

 

'Lack of' charging. The question is why, but so far, the good lady is refusing to tell us why.

[Tony Brooks]

8 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

'Lack of' charging. The question is why, but so far, the good lady is refusing to tell us why.

 

and has not provided the voltage readings I requested that might give us a clue.

[LadyG]

5 hours ago, cheesegas said:

Do you have any of the info we have asked for? Cable size?

 

Not letting people work on it until you're desperate may be why you keep on killing batteries.

I'm not keeping killing batteries, When I started there were four in poor condition, replaced by three biger agms, year after the starter batter coughed a bit, so I put a bigger starter battery in, free installation by fellow boater. Rather than wait till I got stuck in the middle of nowhere.

This year the two 'starter type batteries' in the bow,  which I nursed for two years were left to their own devices and replaced, but the guy who replaced them just decided to stick two 'leisure' batteries in, he was of the imagination that I should purchase a new larder fridge and run it off the small  Victron invertor, but had a change of heart overnight.

I texted him to say that I thought two deep cycles should be installed, I would have gone for 2 x 135 ah, if this plan was to succeed, anyway, I've got power to charge phone, small laptop and, tablet ,  that is miniscule, compared to the size of the battery bank.

I watch my consumption and charge regime like a hawk. The Webasto pulls on the main batteries, so I make sure I keep them charged, every day if necessary. It's not been easy with lockdown, but there is no reason to think the batteries are dead, they are fuly charged at the moment, judging by pull on the alternator, and the solar controller numbers.

I know the numbers after a day either running the engine, or solar, or any combination. I'm not going to spent £300 fitting two extra  battery monitors to monitor what is happening , I'm pretty sure I know what is happening, I expected to buy a new starter battery last year, rather than risk being stuck somewhere in winter, in the midlev of nowhere.. The bow batteries were also the wrong batteries and ancient, no surprise when they stopped holding charge.

If I keep my batteries charged to their maximum every week, and often every couple of days., there is no reason for them to fail, and even if they fail, its cheaper to replace than to pay someone to fiddle with the electrics, if it was easy, any of the previous 'electricians' would have coped. There is no magic bullet. Using a petrol generstor, is not a silver bullet, I had intended to go in to a marina every so often  but as one of the 'electricians' removed the bow inverter charger, that's not going to work anyway.

 

Edited May 13, 2021 by LadyG

[haggis]

If I am reading this correctly, and from what you have said previously, 

 

When you bought the boat it had (at the stern) 1 starter battery and 3 leisure batteries. plus 2 leisure batteries in the bows which ran the fridge.

You then replaced 3 with bigger AGMs. Which 3 did you replace? presumably the leisure batteries at the stern

Then you replaced the starter battery

This year you replaced 2  "starter batteries" - did you mean the leisure batteries at the bows?  -  Starter and leisure batteries are different animals. 

 

The questions the helpful guys are waiting for answers to so that they can help you are

 

What is being run off the leisure batteries at the bows? and what is being run of the leisure batteries at the stern?

 

Are the batteries connected ? if so, how?

 

How are the leisure batteries charged? 

 

What is the cable size to the fridge? 

 

if you don't give these very helpful guys the information they actually ask for (instead of what you want to say) they will not be able to help you. 

 

I have been on this forum for many years and I am in amazement at how helpful people on here have always tried to be to you. Well done guys.

 

haggis 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2021 by haggis

[Alan de Enfield]

18 minutes ago, LadyG said:

but as one of the 'electricians' removed the bow inverter charger, that's not going to work anyway.

 

So you no longer have a charger for the bow batteries ?

 

I'll try for the last time :

How are (all) the batteries connected and charged ?

How is your solar connected, and to where is it connected ?