Making connections to DC panel

[lustyd]

Not all fuse are there to protect the cable, some also protect the equipment the other end.

Definitely! Which leads to a bit of a philosophical debate about whether to add fuses at the device connection for the device at the other end of the wire too. Pragmatically probably better to use one device sized fuse and appropriate wire for circuits with one device, otherwise the boat will sink under the sheer weight of fuses and connections

 

[PaulRainbow]

Definitely! Which leads to a bit of a philosophical debate about whether to add fuses at the device connection for the device at the other end of the wire too. Pragmatically probably better to use one device sized fuse and appropriate wire for circuits with one device, otherwise the boat will sink under the sheer weight of fuses and connections

I generally run a cable to each device, suitably fused at source.

But, it sometimes makes sense to create "zones" (for want of a better word). If you have an area where there are several items that don't need switching, or can be switched locally, a cable can be run from the main busbar, fused at source for the cable rating, to a fuse board. Individual items then connect to the fuse board using appropriate cable and fuses. Saves time, money and weight.

A similar exception sometimes works for clusters of electronics. Say, chart plotter, radar, small displays etc. A single switch, fused at source, supplies power to a small fuse board, which in turn supplies power to the equipment. Again, saves time, money and cable, whilst having a single switch to turn on multiple devices.

 

[lustyd]

Yes the little fuse boards are great. No way I'm sitting there flipping on 10 switches when what I mean to say is "all the nav electronics". I also installed one direct to the main switch for things I just always want on when the power is on. I feel like switch boards became a bit of a fetish on boats in the late '90s and early 2000's and it's time we pare back the number a bit!

 

[Buck Turgidson]

I generally run a cable to each device, suitably fused at source.

But, it sometimes makes sense to create "zones" (for want of a better word). If you have an area where there are several items that don't need switching, or can be switched locally, a cable can be run from the main busbar, fused at source for the cable rating, to a fuse board. Individual items then connect to the fuse board using appropriate cable and fuses. Saves time, money and weight.

A similar exception sometimes works for clusters of electronics. Say, chart plotter, radar, small displays etc. A single switch, fused at source, supplies power to a small fuse board, which in turn supplies power to the equipment. Again, saves time, money and cable, whilst having a single switch to turn on multiple devices.

Yep. But a nice touch is to consider the result of a feeder cable failure and perhaps choose to have somethings fed separately. For example I have an interior lights bus to feed .... interior lights, but I made sure to have the chart light and the light closest to the fuse panel powered from a different source so I don't need to rummage around for a torch if the feeder fails. (Which it won't because I designed for that failure. It's the ones that you don't design for that get you!)