Electrics. Where to start.

[David Mack]

I bought an ebay crimper like that a couple of years ago. Does the job just fine, although I found that sometimes you have to use a die a size smaller than the size marked on it to get a decent crimp.

[truckcab79]

31 minutes ago, David Mack said:

I bought an ebay crimper like that a couple of years ago. Does the job just fine, although I found that sometimes you have to use a die a size smaller than the size marked on it to get a decent crimp.

Thanks for the info.  

[PaulD]

If you use vehicle wiring products they will crimp your cables. Just give them a list with length, csa, colour. Once fitted out you might never use the crimper again.

Edited September 12, 2023 by PaulD
Typo

[David Mack]

2 minutes ago, PaulD said:

If you use vehicle wiring products they will crimp your cables. Just give them a list with length, csa, colour. Once fitted out you might never use the crimper again.

I thought that, but the crimper is pretty cheap and there is the sheer convenience of being able to make up cables on the boat as you go, without having to measure first, then get the cable made up, then return to the boat with the risk that it isn't quite the right length after all...

[IanD]

You're definitely going to want to use good-quality fuses too, maybe like this one... 😉

 

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/quantum-science-audio-silver-extreme-level-uk-mains-fuse

 

Yes, that's £4200 for a mains fuse. And it's not April 1st. Also note the following advice:

 

"Please note: fuses are directional, so please ensure you install your fuse accordingly. If you are not sure on the correct direction, simply try it both ways- you will be able to hear the difference."

 

P.S. If that's not good enough for you, they have a gold version for £8000...

 

https://www.futureshop.co.uk/quantum-science-audio-gold-extreme-level-uk-mains-fuse

[truckcab79]

45 minutes ago, PaulD said:

If you use vehicle wiring products they will crimp your cables. Just give them a list with length, csa, colour. Once fitted out you might never use the crimper again.

True of half my gear.  Doesn’t stop me buying it. So much better to have and not need often. Mates in the trade love it too. Saves them a fortune borrowing my gear. 😂

[truckcab79]

On 12/09/2023 at 09:50, David Mack said:

I bought an ebay crimper like that a couple of years ago. Does the job just fine, although I found that sometimes you have to use a die a size smaller than the size marked on it to get a decent crimp.

 

Just  to follow this up. Used it for the first time today.  Very decent bit of kit. Went a size down so 35mm crimp for 50mm fittings as suggested.  Perfect crimps and very easy to use.  👍

[Phlea]

Re wiring for nav lights, I’ve just bought a set of battery powered magnetic led nav lights to save having to have this cabling.  Search for ‘navisafe’.  Perfect for the few times I’ll need them and may also serve as supplementary tunnel illumination on their white setting. HTH 

[GUMPY]

Navisafe looks like it will meet all the regulations for Nav lights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are in something the size of a dinghy 🤔

[MtB]

35 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

Navisafe looks like it will meet all the regulations for Nav lights.

 

 

If you are in something the size of a dinghy 🤔

 

Which might matter if the regulations applied on the canals....

 

 

[Phlea]

Perhaps, but I read that they’re visible for 2nm and meet the regs (albeit US ones(are they the same though?))

[Tony Brooks]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

Which might matter if the regulations applied on the canals....

 

 

 

But just might if you have a night tome accident on some rivers. The Thames requires nav light during the hours of darkness, but it seems not to be enforced - no one to enforce it. You can bet that if there was an accident, an insurance company would jump on non-compliant lights.

[GUMPY]

4 minutes ago, Phlea said:

Perhaps, but I read that they’re visible for 2nm and meet the regs (albeit US ones(are they the same though?))

Regs for which length of boat?

Size of lights varys with length.

 

[Phlea]

@GUMPY to make your comment marginally more useful to the forum please could you outline the exact specs for nav lights for powered craft on the UK inland waterways where they’re required.  I imagine this might include heights, visibility angles and distance

 

Thanks 

 

2 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

Regs for which length of boat?

Size of lights varys with length.

 

A full length Narrowboat for instance? Thanks

[GUMPY]

@Phlea Google is your friend but just in case you don't know how to use Google here are some notes for boats up to 20metres.

Over that you will have to look up the commercial regs.

 

https://www.svb24.com/en/guide/navigation-lights-on-sailing-yachts-and-motor-boats.html#:~:text=Examples of use%3A All sailboats,must not exceed 1 m.

[Tony Brooks]

39 minutes ago, Phlea said:

@GUMPY to make your comment marginally more useful to the forum please could you outline the exact specs for nav lights for powered craft on the UK inland waterways where they’re required.  I imagine this might include heights, visibility angles and distance

 

Thanks 

 

A full length Narrowboat for instance? Thanks

 

Somewhere online there is this information, but on vendor sights it is usually given as the length of vessel the lamps are suitable compliant.  A full length narrowboat and the majority of those that are shorter will fall into the category for such things a commercial trip boats, and other offshore craft. There is also specific placement requirements such as height for the white steaming lamp - unless you rig a mast, few narrowboats will comply. It will all be in the COLREGS for the UK.

[jonathanA]

1 hour ago, Phlea said:

Perhaps, but I read that they’re visible for 2nm and meet the regs (albeit US ones(are they the same though?))

somebody had to , so it might as well be me  🙂 

 

2 nm is not very far at all...

The nanometre (international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: nm) or nanometer (American spelling) is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one billionth (short scale) of a metre (0.000000001 m) and to 1000 picometres.

 

sorry... i think you meant 2 km 🙂

[magnetman]

Nautical Miles. 

[MtB]

14 minutes ago, jonathanA said:

somebody had to , so it might as well be me  🙂 

 

2 nm is not very far at all...

The nanometre (international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: nm) or nanometer (American spelling) is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one billionth (short scale) of a metre (0.000000001 m) and to 1000 picometres.

 

sorry... i think you meant 2 km 🙂

 

Wasn't there a somewhat grumpy thread a while back about the max and min permissible wavelengths of the light emitted by the nav lights? Apparently the colregs define the exact shades of red and green and Alan De E came in for a bit of ribbing over his assertion that the right wavelength (measured in nm) lamps MUST be used?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by MtB
Missing word

[Phlea]

17 minutes ago, jonathanA said:

somebody had to , so it might as well be me  🙂 

 

2 nm is not very far at all...

The nanometre (international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: nm) or nanometer (American spelling) is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one billionth (short scale) of a metre (0.000000001 m) and to 1000 picometres.

 

sorry... i think you meant 2 km 🙂

🤣

37 minutes ago, GUMPY said:

@Phlea Google is your friend but just in case you don't know how to use Google here are some notes for boats up to 20metres.

Over that you will have to look up the commercial regs.

 

https://www.svb24.com/en/guide/navigation-lights-on-sailing-yachts-and-motor-boats.html#:~:text=Examples of use%3A All sailboats,must not exceed 1 m.

Thanks for the link. I find your sarcasm a bit odd

[magnetman]

The magnetic nav lights sound pretty cool to me. Are they auto-switched by light conditions? If so and they have a white function they are very useful. 

 

I really like the sound of them. 

[Alan de Enfield]

20 minutes ago, Phlea said:

🤣

Thanks for the link. I find your sarcasm a bit odd

You did say 'a full length narrowboat' in which case the rules apertaining to 'up to 20m metres length' are not applicable - a full length NB will fall under the 'up to 50 metres length' category.

 

You will also find that the tumblehome on a NB means that any nav lights attached directly to the cabin will be immediately 'non-compliant'.

You need to make a bracket that keeps the light vertical.

 

 

Extract :

 

Another factor in the proper installation of sidelights is that they must maintain their required minimum intensity in a vertical sector from 5 degrees above to 5 degrees below the horizontal. They must also maintain at least 60 percent of their minimum required intensity from 7.5 degrees above to 7.5 degrees below the horizontal. Installing flush-mounted sidelights, designed to be mounted to a vertical surface in the hull contour, without providing a mounting surface tooled to be vertical, shifts the vertical coverage sector. This also results in non-compliance with the Inland or International Navigation Rules.

Edited October 16, 2023 by Alan de Enfield

[Iain_S]

35 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

You did say 'a full length narrowboat' in which case the rules apertaining to 'up to 20m metres length' are not applicable - a full length NB will fall under the 'up to 50 metres length' category.

 

You will also find that the tumblehome on a NB means that any nav lights attached directly to the cabin will be immediately 'non-compliant'.

You need to make a bracket that keeps the light vertical.

 

 

Extract :

 

Another factor in the proper installation of sidelights is that they must maintain their required minimum intensity in a vertical sector from 5 degrees above to 5 degrees below the horizontal. They must also maintain at least 60 percent of their minimum required intensity from 7.5 degrees above to 7.5 degrees below the horizontal. Installing flush-mounted sidelights, designed to be mounted to a vertical surface in the hull contour, without providing a mounting surface tooled to be vertical, shifts the vertical coverage sector. This also results in non-compliance with the Inland or International Navigation Rules.

If the vertical sector of the lamps fitted is greater than 5 degrees plus tumblehome angle, then they will still be compliant. The angles given above (n.b. vertical, not horizontal!) are minima and are comfortably exceeded by most navigation lights.

[magnetman]

DIY nav lights are awkward now they have stopped the sprite green and tizer red bottles. 

 

[Phlea]

1 hour ago, magnetman said:

The magnetic nav lights sound pretty cool to me. Are they auto-switched by light conditions? If so and they have a white function they are very useful. 

 

I really like the sound of them. 

Don’t think they are auto but I don’t think that’s a problem for me

1 hour ago, Alan de Enfield said:

You did say 'a full length narrowboat' in which case the rules apertaining to 'up to 20m metres length' are not applicable - a full length NB will fall under the 'up to 50 metres length' category.

 

You will also find that the tumblehome on a NB means that any nav lights attached directly to the cabin will be immediately 'non-compliant'.

You need to make a bracket that keeps the light vertical.

 

 

Extract :

 

Another factor in the proper installation of sidelights is that they must maintain their required minimum intensity in a vertical sector from 5 degrees above to 5 degrees below the horizontal. They must also maintain at least 60 percent of their minimum required intensity from 7.5 degrees above to 7.5 degrees below the horizontal. Installing flush-mounted sidelights, designed to be mounted to a vertical surface in the hull contour, without providing a mounting surface tooled to be vertical, shifts the vertical coverage sector. This also results in non-compliance with the Inland or International Navigation Rules.

I think they will sit on top of the hand rail, horizontally. The LEDs are masked off to the correct horizontal angle from what I can see.

 

They may not be 100pc compliant to satisfy every internet pedant, but I reckon they’ll be 90something percent there and good enough for the odd evening cruise on the Thames.