Recent content by rogerm

You might like to think of buying a specalist low voltage meter. I am particularly thinking of 'Gunsons' avaliable from Halfords and other motorists shops for about £30 (as I recall). It comes with a shunt so that currents upto 100A can be measured which is particularly useful for checking...

Although it is more efficient to use a 12v to 15v (or whatever) invertor they tend to cost about £70 new. On the other hand a 12v to 230vac invertor can be used for other things besides a laptop and come in various ratings from about 100w upwards. But in most shops a 150w version will cost about...

I have a Prout Ranger which at 1963 is quite early in production. A Steel 'T' piece is fitted to the bottom of each hull over about the central 1/2. The echo sounder transducer is 'mounted' inside in a puddle of oil retained by some sort of mastic over the forward few inches of the 'T' piece...

Re: Alignment problems? I don't have that sort of system so this is just a suggestion..... Since it only happens at mid-revs perhaps the inherent vibration from the engine is setting up a sympathic vibration in something nearby ie perhaps, say, the battery is leaping up and down....? Roger

Re: Avast ye lubbers! 'Abaft'...... Well I guess most of us pick this stuff up by association and of course you can hardly blame us either since we are just carrying on the long tradition..... As far as I know you could replace 'abaft' with 'behind' as in 'abaft' the mast = 'behind' the mast...

I think you need to differentiate between 'electrics' and 'electronics'. To jump into 'electronics' with a kit from Maplin is a bit like trying to run before you can walk. Even then although the theory is the same there are quite a few practical differences between 'mains' 230v ac systems and...

Made me laugh too... But what did the chicken do? Roger

Tom you are right it does help. If we are out sailing (or motoring) then starting the engine is seen as an OK thing to do since the engine has already, or will shortly be, used anyway. The battery is properbly quite well topped up anyway and making good the energy lost in starting the engine as...

As an ELECTRONIC (rather than Electrical) engineer I have to say that I agree with JohnM. I have a very short lead between the blue mains input socket and the consumer unit. In place of the ordinary 30ma RCD I have a 'sensitive' 10ma unit and like JohnM (and surely 80+% of us?) I don't have an...

Can't see why it should be a problem other than you might find the truck one is 24v while your boat is probably 12v? While it is technically feasible to step up 12v to 24v the current draw is quite high during starting (when the glow plug is operating). You might not readily be able to find an...

Having had an Erberspacher diesel on our boat when we bought it some 5 or so years ago we can say it's wonderful. The only problem we have had is that everytime it takes about 3 goes to get it started but never more than 4. It has been very reliable otherwise and we have not had to buy any...

Sorry make that www.sw-n.it

Sorry should be www.sw-n.it

Try www.ns-w.it

On the one hand it would be a really good idea if LED nav lights could be arranged and I have to say I haven't tried to do it myself. On the other hand (as an electronics engineer) it seems to me there is a bit of a problem. Nav lights are built to work with bulbs which not only produce light...