Where's Gibbo? Split From: Robust debate Technical discussions.

[smileypete]

I feel I can criticise Gibbo because I learnt a lot from him. Also he was so cruel to people who argued with him, but did it with such style that I very nearly peed myself laughing a fair few times.

So....

1 He elevated the 50% rule from a general guidance to a religion without real justification.

2 He was obsessed by correctly wiring battery banks when it really don't matter that much.

3 He was irrationally opposed to external alternator controllers because he bizarrely marketed his Smartbank as a rival to these, and then he talked rubbish about inserting extra diodes into alternators.

 

This is a bit harsh but if he is reading this it might just temp him back which would be really good.

 

 

He wasn't all that keen on galvanic isolators either, his page goes into some depth about the supposed problem of RFI without a shred of evidence, but some practical testing by a forum member seems to show the opposite. Meanwhile the safety issues of an on board isolation transformer is relegated to an afterthought at the bottom of the page.

 

Maybe he resented that someone was making and selling these relatively simple devices for nearly 60% of the cost of a Smartguage...

Edited February 14, 2016 by smileypete

[Murflynn]

No he does not.

and you know that how?

 

 

............. or perhaps you are an alias

[WotEver]

and you know that how?

By asking him Edited February 14, 2016 by WotEver

[George94]

 

He wasn't all that keen on galvanic isolators either, his page goes into some depth about the supposed problem of RFI without a shred of evidence, but some practical testing by a forum member seems to show the opposite. Meanwhile the safety issues of an on board isolation transformer is relegated to an afterthought at the bottom of the page.

 

Maybe he resented that someone was making and selling these relatively simple devices for nearly 60% of the cost of a Smartguage...

 

What do you mean by that?

[smileypete]

 

What do you mean by that?

 

Here:

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=6101&page=23#entry93062

 

You can read all 26 pages if you reeeeally wish. In the light of what was actually discovered, some of the content on Gibbos pages on galvanic isolators may be construed as misleading...

 

The thing not to lose sight of, in my mind, is that the technically perfect solution may not deliver worthwhile additional economic benefits, for the average narrowboater.

Edited February 14, 2016 by smileypete

[nicknorman]

You can read all 26 pages if you reeeeally wish. In the light of what was actually discovered, some of the content on Gibbos pages on galvanic isolators may be construed as misleading...

 

Especially as many phone chargers these days don't even have an earth connection. I just looked at a USB-type mains charger for portable speakers. Plastic earth pin. The Apple iPhone/iPad charger has a metal earth pin but when you pull off the UK plug adaptor you can see that it's not connected to anything. I think early SMPS chargers might have had small capacitors to earth but not any more. Edited February 15, 2016 by nicknorman

[WotEver]

In the light of what was actually discovered, some of the content on Gibbos pages on galvanic isolators may be construed as misleading...

It's an interesting read in that it shows that an IT may potentially be more effective than a GI but for the opposite reasons than Gibbo suggests.

Edited February 15, 2016 by WotEver

[BruceinSanity]

It's an interesting read in that it shows that an IT may potentially be more effective than a GI but for the opposite reasons than Gibbo suggests.

And I think I'm right in saying that the IT keeps the consequences of any failures on your side of the supply, saving embarrassment when your immersion heater shorts out and pops a breaker. It's the one on the boat that goes, not the tender one on the pole supplying three other boats...

[WotEver]

And I think I'm right in saying that the IT keeps the consequences of any failures on your side of the supply, saving embarrassment when your immersion heater shorts out and pops a breaker. It's the one on the boat that goes, not the tender one on the pole supplying three other boats...

Yup, that is indeed the case.

 

Tony

[George94]

 

Here:

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=6101&page=23#entry93062

 

You can read all 26 pages if you reeeeally wish. In the light of what was actually discovered, some of the content on Gibbos pages on galvanic isolators may be construed as misleading...

 

The thing not to lose sight of, in my mind, is that the technically perfect solution may not deliver worthwhile additional economic benefits, for the average narrowboater.

 

I did read it all, at the time, and have no stomach for doing so again!

 

Whilst I don't claim to know enough about it all to be able to say Gibbo was right or wrong, I do trust my IT to do its job more than I would trust a GI. And if the prices were reversed, I don't think anyone would buy a GI.

[nicknorman]

I did read it all, at the time, and have no stomach for doing so again!

 

Whilst I don't claim to know enough about it all to be able to say Gibbo was right or wrong, I do trust my IT to do its job more than I would trust a GI. And if the prices were reversed, I don't think anyone would buy a GI.

Yes I think the an IT is a more robust solution than a GI, however its downsides apart from cost include space, weight and perhaps a bit of humming and minor loss of efficiency. So I don't think there is a question whether an IT is safer in principle, the more useful question is "is a GI adequate for the job" and for me, the answer is yes.

[George94]

Yes I think the an IT is a more robust solution than a GI, however its downsides apart from cost include space, weight and perhaps a bit of humming and minor loss of efficiency. So I don't think there is a question whether an IT is safer in principle, the more useful question is "is a GI adequate for the job" and for me, the answer is yes.

 

I think that some GIs may be adequate for some people (those who both know how to check that they are working, and actually do so).

[RLWP]

where's Gibbo?

 

If you remember his departure, he was working up to it for a while. The final step was the 'if you take my joke down - I'm off' episode which I think was him giving himself a reason to leave. Since then he's sold his boat and moved on to other things

 

He's not the only one who has moved on, everyone has their own way of leaving, his just happened to be one of the more memorable

 

Richard

[nb Innisfree]

Anyone disagreeing with Gibbo has the luxury of not being challenged by him. A win win.

[Cheshire cat]

No one has answered the question.

 

It crosses my mind that seeing how he is no longer of this parish we ought to erect a virtual blue plaque in recognition of his contribution.

[RLWP]

No one has answered the question.

 

It crosses my mind that seeing how he is no longer of this parish we ought to erect a virtual blue plaque in recognition of his contribution.

 

Haven't you seen it then?

 

Richard

[larkshall]

In the times he wrote on this site, there was a lot of drivel expressed regarding electrics. Some of which eminated from boat engineers and boatyards. Oh and in an era pre smartphone.

[WotEver]

No one has answered the question.

Which question, the title of this thread? The answer is that he's alive and well making loads of money designing battery monitors in use by military organisations all over the world and doesn't have to argue with boaters any more

 

Tony

 

In the times he wrote on this site, there was a lot of drivel expressed regarding electrics. Some of which eminated from boat engineers and boatyards. Oh and in an era pre smartphone.

Without any doubt the quality of electrical advice has increased hugely over that period.

 

Edit - has not had... urgg

Edited February 15, 2016 by WotEver

[Cheshire cat]

Cheers Tony.

 

I hope he's making his fortune from his engineering expertise. Too many people getting rich from froth IMHO.

[Sabcat]

He left before my time posting here - I read the forum years and years before I ever signed up - but between him, Nicknorman and Smileypete (and others) the electrical system on my boat was designed and built.

[nicknorman]

And let's be clear, I came onto this forum with quite a bit of electrical & electronic knowledge in general but petty much zilch in the context of boats. Which was soon made clear to me!

 

Having participated, argued, won some and lost some, hopefully I am now in a better position to give sound advice in the context of boats. Such is the way of things, you don't know it all but by accumulating knowledge and experience, you do better, and this forum is pretty good for that.

[John V]

He left before my time posting here - I read the forum years and years before I ever signed up - but between him, Nicknorman and Smileypete (and others) the electrical system on my boat was designed and built.

 

I started work on Sabina prior CWDF' existence, I wish I had found out about it many years before I did, The electrical system of my boat might have fewer......shall we say.......unique features

Re-inventing the wheel in isolation produces some odd results.......it all works well enough but I could have done a better job if I could have read other peoples ideas as well

[Sabcat]

 

I started work on Sabina prior CWDF' existence, I wish I had found out about it many years before I did, The electrical system of my boat might have fewer......shall we say.......unique features

Re-inventing the wheel in isolation produces some odd results.......it all works well enough but I could have done a better job if I could have read other peoples ideas as well

 

I don't think we realise how the free sharing of information across wide areas with this interwebs system has enriched our lives until we stop and think about it. If I hadn't had read this forum the only "expert" advice available to me was from a engineer salesman into shifting Mastervolt gear with a 24v obsession and no real clue what he was talking about except for making everything ludicrously expensive.

And let's be clear, I came onto this forum with quite a bit of electrical & electronic knowledge in general but petty much zilch in the context of boats. Which was soon made clear to me!

 

Having participated, argued, won some and lost some, hopefully I am now in a better position to give sound advice in the context of boats. Such is the way of things, you don't know it all but by accumulating knowledge and experience, you do better, and this forum is pretty good for that.

 

It's probably because your knowledge has developed that way that you're good at explaining the what and the why of a situation.

[John V]

I allowed my thinking to be too coloured by my experience with big ships and commercial vessels, previous small boat living for me had mostly been solid fuel heating , gas or oil lighting.

[WotEver]

And let's be clear, I came onto this forum with quite a bit of electrical & electronic knowledge in general but petty much zilch in the context of boats. Which was soon made clear to me!

 

Having participated, argued, won some and lost some, hopefully I am now in a better position to give sound advice in the context of boats. Such is the way of things, you don't know it all but by accumulating knowledge and experience, you do better, and this forum is pretty good for that.

That echoes my experience pretty much spot on.

 

Tony