Help needed. Where does the earth one go?

[Boater Sam]

Do you mean connected to the hull? It is still not an earth. If we use the correct terminology then all is understood and there is no confusion.
Does the OP wear knickers? How do you know that?

 

[steveeasy]

I have a feeling OP is getting knickers in a twist because of some boats having neg DC earthed out ... as well as back to battery neg.

Ok being bit slow. I understand now. Juice goes from battery to panel. Then to appliance(a bulb). Then back along negative to busbar. Then along negative to house battery. Got it how easy was that.
Steveeasy

 

[Refueler]

Do you mean connected to the hull? It is still not an earth. If we use the correct terminology then all is understood and there is no confusion.
Does the OP wear knickers? How do you know that?

Often we read articles / posts ... that mention 'grounding' not only AC but also DC .... especially when it comes to shafts / props etc.

My boat like many has had such DC grounding disconnected as it seems that no-one can really be THE decider on which is best.

 

[Refueler]

Ok being bit slow. I understand now. Juice goes from battery to panel. Then to appliance(a bulb). Then back along negative to busbar. Then along negative to house battery. Got it how easy was that.
Steveeasy

Steve ... you never struck me as someone to get this flustered ??

 

[steveeasy]

Now for someone who has got his knickers in a twist, im quite pleased with this. Looks logical and safe. Cost less than £100. Id like to add an inline fuse in the supply and the positive busbar id prefer was covered.

Steveeasy

 

[Refueler]

Looks neater than my rats nest !!

 

[Iliade]

Just to be awkward, in the automotive world things are described as negative or positive earth. Meaning of course that they are using the metal structure of the vehicle as the negative or positive return.

 

[B27]

Stop calling it earth!!!! It is not earth, its battery negative. You will confuse everybody. There is no such thing as an earth on a DC battery system, only positive and negative.
You are making yourself look like a right muppet
The positive goes to the panel and all the switches on it, out to the individual circuits and the negatives for those circuits return to the busbar which is connected to the battery negative so you have a circuit.
The only things likely to have a negative feed on the panel are indicator lamps, some instruments and the warning buzzer all of which are probably on one wire back to the busbar.

Actually it's quite accurate to call it zero volts, return, GND, earth, chassis....
Some people on here have labelled their black wires '-12V' which is just plain wrong.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Actually it's quite accurate to call it zero volts, return, GND, earth, chassis....
Some people on here have labelled their black wires '-12V' which is just plain wrong.

In electronic engineering it's called ground & never -12V because that would confuse things for circuits that do have negative voltage power rails with respect to ground - like old IBM PC motherboards did for example.

 

[rogerthebodger]

In electronic engineering it's called ground & never -12V because that would confuse things for circuits that do have negative voltage power rails with respect to ground - like old IBM PC motherboards did for example.

It can be worse in analogue electrical engineering when OP Amps can have a positive supply a negative supply and a and zero volt rail

RS232 coms can swing -15 volts to negative 15 volts

What does confuse people is that measurement of voltage is always relative to some known point which is some time calls Ground or Earth which is not always the case

It the difference between "Engineer" and a "Technion" even I happen to know Angus has a Degree in Mechanical Engineering but practices in electronic engineering as I have done for many years

 

[wonkywinch]

the difference between "Engineer" and a "Technion"

Even if you can't spell technician

One of my pet dislikes "heating engineer", "plumbing engineer", "lift engineer" etc.

They are not engineers!

 

[steveeasy]

Muppet and knickers. What do you think I think. Well not a lot quite frankly.
I’ll leave it at that.
Steveeasy

 

[steveeasy]

Steve ... you never struck me as someone to get this flustered ??

Hi,
Did not realise I was flustered. Just not sure about my Negative black wire. Was some months ago I disconnected it. Easily resolved and thanks.
Steveeasy

 

[MontyMariner]

Just not sure about my Negative black wire. Was some months ago I disconnected it

Tip for the future - Before you start disconnecting/dismantling something, take a couple or three pictures of it

 

[steveeasy]

Tip for the future - Before you start disconnecting/dismantling something, take a couple or three pictures of it