How tidy is your switch panel wiring?

[PaulRainbow]

Ah! It is on Google Photos (which is pants compared to the old Picassa) let.s try again ...

View attachment 61718

OK, so you'll have to click on it to see it in all it's (ahem) glory

I see it now. I can't see the other one even if i'm logged into Google or Google pics. Not sure how Dougal saw it, perhaps it was visible for a short time ?

 

[PaulRainbow]

Considering how many connections there are that's very neat but if I come along and pull half a dozen connectors off how do you know where to put them back? Not trying to be a smartypants, I'm sure there's an easy answer.

I'll take a stab it this....

a) You get a slap around the ear 'ole

b) Bru looks in the wiring manual for the number that is on the tag on each wire and reconnects it to the appropriate switch.

 

[Bru]

Considering how many connections there are that's very neat but if I come along and pull half a dozen connectors off how do you know where to put them back? Not trying to be a smartypants, I'm sure there's an easy answer.

I'll take a stab it this....

a) You get a slap around the ear 'ole

b) Bru looks in the wiring manual for the number that is on the tag on each wire and reconnects it to the appropriate switch.

First prize to Mr. Rainbow, took the words out of my mouth almost word perfect

Actually, to be fair and no doubt what raised the question, the switch panel end of the wires don't have numbers on them (the distribution panel ends do), they don't need to because each cable exits the loom in order so if you do pull half a dozen connections off you simply put them back on in order and any confusion can be sorted out by buzzing through from the other end. If I was loose wiring into trunking as per Roger's scheme on the previous page (which is what I do given the space) the cables would be numbered at both ends

 

[rogerthebodger]

I have numbered mine both ends. I have also prefixed the each wire to I can tell which general location the wire goes to.

i.e nav station outside steering station. aft goal post. aft cabin, galley, forward cabin, etc

Mains is also done the same way but with blue, brown and yellow.green, DC being red and black. signal wires being multi core with gray outer sheath where possible.

70 sq mm high current cable has red or black heat shrink on the terminals.

 

[Bru]

I have numbered mine both ends. I have also prefixed the each wire to I can tell which general location the wire goes to.

i.e nav station outside steering station. aft goal post. aft cabin, galley, forward cabin, etc

Mains is also done the same way but with blue, brown and yellow.green, DC being red and black. signal wires being multi core with gray outer sheath where possible.

70 sq mm high current cable has red or black heat shrink on the terminals.

Good setup

 

[Lon nan Gruagach]

I forgot to add that whilst lacing bars are absent and would have been ideal, what isn't clearin the pic is that the loom is secured to the panel with a series of p clips and cable tie bases

And talking of lacing bars, takes me back to the days when we did the job with proper lacing using waxed cord! Boy, that was a job on a big loom

I was going to mention the absence of lacing cord, but you redeem yourself nicely by referring to waxed string as opposed the the black plastic stuff. I hope that, if you had space for lacing bars, you would have box stitched it.

 

[Bru]

I was going to mention the absence of lacing cord, but you redeem yourself nicely by referring to waxed string as opposed the the black plastic stuff. I hope that, if you had space for lacing bars, you would have box stitched it.

I'd have to remember how to do it! It's been a while

Even back in my dim and distant youth, cable ties were rapidly making the old skills obsolete on the lift control panels I worked on. The main looms were nearly all cable tied rather than laced but we still used lacing for the small stuff

 

[mattonthesea]

Pertinent post for me. I have a similar setup to the OP where each chocolate box connector appears to have three wires in at each side! Panel (overstated) is in blackest shadow of lights of any source. Mixed and multiple use of switches (eg VHF is a cockpit instrument and compass light is a cabin light)!

Plan:

-as the batteries are only half a metre from the planned board placement it's no problem for everything to go there first (except fridge).
-just ordered two fused, distribution boards (10 in each, which will leave an extra three spares) to sit behind panel (pre-numbered!)
-space for black boxes (all two of them) to sit close to the battery boxes.
-panel to fold down - made out of thin but rigid plastic (help me with name please)
-toggle switches - easy fit with round holes!
-cable ties to form loom and loom tied in to support weight (very short run until they splay off into small numbers)


Questions:
-why is boat wire done in red and red & black?
-what are the crimp gel connectors called?
-how deep would it be sensible to make the connector panel box?
-I'd like to keep the feel of the original wood fixings rather than ply - what is this wood? (Rival 32)

On the good side: some of the wires are labelled

 

[Aurai]

Why Red/Black

Why indeed, there are many who think the harmonised wiring colours that came in 2004/2006 made a hash of DC wiring, so the regs do not support red/black, but nearly every thing I can think of comes red/black, think VHF radio leads, multi tester probe leads, etc.

So it is a convention from the 'old' days. To me it makes sense to make sure AC wiring is correct brown/blue harmonised colours on board, with no tolerance for old colour cable and then know that DC in red/black will be clear. In your home you may mix old and harmonised cable but are unlikely to use DC wiring as on a boat.

Cheers

 

[matthewriches]

This is the bask of my distribution paned with the main switch/MCB on the other side.

I mush prefer to use slotted trunking so cables can be added easier and neater then when cables are made into a cable loom.

You seem to have the wiring from the Titanic ?

 

[rogerthebodger]

You seem to have the wiring from the Titanic ��

See how my boat was built. Look at the at the link in my sig.