Commando sockets

[Calico Jack]

I have a female commando socket in my cockpit for shore power, though it only goes to a domestic socket in the cabin, it doesn't do anything more than that. It would be useful though for battery charger or whatever. To use it i would need to have a shore power cable with two male sockets though. I understand that a female socket was put in the cockpit because it has the weather cover flap. The flap is broken so am looking to replace the socket/flap
is there any reason I shouldn't use a male/male cable for shore power to the commando socket?
thanks very much

 

[Aja]

Other than there is a very good chance of electrocution. Entry to the Darwin Awards is free I believe

Male plugs. Female sockets.
Donald

 

[Calico Jack]

Other than there is a very good chance of electrocution. Entry to the Darwin Awards is free I believe

Male plugs. Female sockets.
Donald

lol.

Sorry if I'm being daft, but there would still effectively be a male/female connection at either end of the cable.
female on shore and in the cockpit and male plug on either end of the cable.

 

[VicS]

I have a female commando socket in my cockpit for shore power, though it only goes to a domestic socket in the cabin, it doesn't do anything more than that. It would be useful though for battery charger or whatever. To use it i would need to have a shore power cable with two male sockets though. I understand that a female socket was put in the cockpit because it has the weather cover flap. The flap is broken so am looking to replace the socket/flap
is there any reason I shouldn't use a male/male cable for shore power to the commando socket?
thanks very much

Shorepower installations!!! The lid off another can of worms !

You should definitely not use a lead with two male connectors ( ie with pins) because once one end is plugged into the shore supply the exposed pins at the boat end will be live and easily touchable.

Caravan accessory stockists will have the correct, and suitable, male ( with pins) connector for the boat and the correct female connector for the boat end of the cable to fit it.

You should also install some kind of consumer unit in the boat ( eg garage consumer unit ..... unfortunately now all metal cased for the latest IEE wiring regs!) with an RCD and mcb(s). Maybe still possible, at a price, to get a plastic ( ie non rusting) consumer unit not aimed at the domestic market ... dont know about that though

 

[Calico Jack]

Shorepower installations!!! The lid off another can of worms !

You should definitely not use a lead with two male connectors ( ie with pins) because once one end is plugged into the shore supply the exposed pins at the boat end will be live and easily touchable.

Caravan accessory stockists will have the correct, and suitable, male ( with pins) connector for the boat and the correct female connector for the boat end of the cable to fit it.

You should also install some kind of consumer unit in the boat ( eg garage consumer unit ..... unfortunately now all metal cased for the latest IEE wiring regs!) with an RCD and mcb(s). Maybe still possible, at a price, to get a plastic ( ie non rusting) consumer unit not aimed at the domestic market ... dont know about that though

Think I'll just buy a commando socket adaptor! Thanks for the answers. I don't the previous owner thought it through when he fitted this arrangement.

 

[VicS]

Think I'll just buy a commando socket adaptor! Thanks for the answers.

Not sure what you mean by a commando socket adapter


For occasional use a campsite hook up unit might suit your needs......... at least it will have an RCD and an mcb. Dont even think about not having an RCD

Eg with 3 outlet sockets: http://www.towsure.com/camping-site-mains-supply-unit-3-outlet

or with one socket: http://www.towsure.com/sunncamp-single-mobile-mains-unit

 

[Calico Jack]

Not sure what you mean by a commando socket adapter


For occasional use a campsite hook up unit might suit your needs......... at least it will have an RCD and an mcb. Dont even think about not having an RCD

Eg with 3 outlet sockets: http://www.towsure.com/camping-site-mains-supply-unit-3-outlet

or with one socket: http://www.towsure.com/sunncamp-single-mobile-mains-unit

They look like just the ticket VicS, thanks very much.

 

[BabaYaga]

I understand that a female socket was put in the cockpit because it has the weather cover flap. The flap is broken so am looking to replace the socket/flap

Further to the other good advice already given: It seems that surface mounted CEE inlets (plugs) often come without the cover flap. However, those with flaps also exist.
http://www.ceenorm.co.uk/section.php?xSec=62

 

[PowerSlapper]

Further to the other good advice already given: It seems that surface mounted CEE inlets (plugs) often come without the cover flap. However, those with flaps also exist.
http://www.ceenorm.co.uk/section.php?xSec=62

Also available here http://www.moore4motors.com/shop/Ma...S-INLET-FOR-HOOK-UP-CAMPING-CARAVAN-MOTORHOME

google "surface mounted CEE inlets" and check out the images. Available with or without covers/flaps. There are many UK suppliers

 

[Calico Jack]

Thanks, appreciate the links. I'm thinking I really should have an RCD boatside as well as marina side. I'm thinking of fitting one of those inlets, you link to, wired to double socket with RCA.

Interesting avatar and user name combo Jules

 

[OceanSprint]

Eg with 3 outlet sockets: http://www.towsure.com/camping-site-mains-supply-unit-3-outlet


I bought this one, cut off the consumer unit and bulkhead mounted it in my boat just after the shore power comes in through a external male socket in the cockpit. Took my mains feed off from protected side of unit, plus i have the three sockets on the bulkhead. The mains feed connected to a remote double socket and a permenantly wired battery charger that comes on whenever shore power connected. A CTEC one.

Then i just connect up using a normal Orange wire with inline male on one end for marina and inline female on other for boat.

 

[Calico Jack]

Eg with 3 outlet sockets: http://www.towsure.com/camping-site-mains-supply-unit-3-outlet


I bought this one, cut off the consumer unit and bulkhead mounted it in my boat just after the shore power comes in through a external male socket in the cockpit. Took my mains feed off from protected side of unit, plus i have the three sockets on the bulkhead. The mains feed connected to a remote double socket and a permenantly wired battery charger that comes on whenever shore power connected. A CTEC one.

Then i just connect up using a normal Orange wire with inline male on one end for marina and inline female on other for boat.

sounds like a good set up. I like the idea of a ctek charger kicking in whenever shore power is connected

 

[davidpbo]

I have a female commando socket in my cockpit for shore power, though it only goes to a domestic socket in the cabin, it doesn't do anything more than that. It would be useful though for battery charger or whatever. To use it i would need to have a shore power cable with two male sockets though. I understand that a female socket was put in the cockpit because it has the weather cover flap. The flap is broken so am looking to replace the socket/flap
is there any reason I shouldn't use a male/male cable for shore power to the commando socket?
thanks very much

That arrangement using a male to male lead is often referred to as a widow maker in many industries.

A friend of mine living in a farm subject to frequent power cuts did have a male to male 13Amp lead to plug his generator into the ring main but it is not arrangement to be recommended given that alternative and appropriate means of supplying power can easily be achieved. I am about to fit power to my modest boat. 16 Amp inlet in locker to isolator switch with Rccd (I am going to try a 10ma one I have) and 16A breaker (double pole if one will fit) to 3 sockets around the cabin. I do not intend to bond anything to the earth as everything I use is Class 2, I only connect to shore power infrequently and there is no permanent connection to the battery.

 

[prv]

A friend of mine living in a farm subject to frequent power cuts did have a male to male 13Amp lead to plug his generator into the ring main but it is not arrangement to be recommended

I believe my dad once had a welder that had been fitted with two 13a plugs to get enough power without blowing fuses, in parallel so if you unplugged one the pins would be live.

He got rid of it once my brother and I were toddling around the house

Pete

 

[David2452]

Maybe still possible, at a price, to get a plastic ( ie non rusting) consumer unit not aimed at the domestic market ... dont know about that though

One can still buy IP67 plastic enclosures and self populate. It is worth noting the reasoning behind the introduction of mandatory non combustible enclosures though.
"The change to enclosures made from a non-combustible material is due to the rise in deaths from consumer unit house fires, which London Fire Brigade (LFB) has recorded. In 2013/14 alone there was a record 253 fires involving consumer units. This is a steep increase from 71 fires in 2011/12. LFB reported that the reason for the rise in fires was due to ‘substandard cable connections made by the electrician’, which led to the plastic enclosures overheating and igniting." So if using a plastic enclosure make sure you do it right,

 

[William_H]

I believe my dad once had a welder that had been fitted with two 13a plugs to get enough power without blowing fuses, in parallel so if you unplugged one the pins would be live.

He got rid of it once my brother and I were toddling around the house

Pete

Bit of fred drift but I hope no one will think this a good idea. Our system here in oz isslightly different in that you never see a fuse in a plug. However typical fused circuit will be 15 amps. Another circuit might have a different 15A CB/fuse so you might get more current. However in my house 3 phases come in effectively 3 different supplies. Different parts of the house are on different phases. if however you ran 2 plugs in parallel to 2 different outlets on different phases you would end up with a short circuit across the 440volt phase difference. Much smoke etc. ol'will just horrified at the idea.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Not sure what you mean by a commando socket adapter


For occasional use a campsite hook up unit might suit your needs......... at least it will have an RCD and an mcb. Dont even think about not having an RCD

Eg with 3 outlet sockets: http://www.towsure.com/camping-site-mains-supply-unit-3-outlet

or with one socket: http://www.towsure.com/sunncamp-single-mobile-mains-unit

That is what we do, as ordinarily we have no shore power to plug in to. It has forced us to be 100% self sufficient on solar power, we only plug in if working on the boat in the marina, which we do occasionally in winter.

 

[fredrussell]

Another zombie thread stalks the forum!

 

[DownWest]

Only takes one poster to drag it up from the depths and others join in without checking the dates....
I especially like the ones asking for urgent help, which they get 15 yrs later....