oakleyb
Member
Whats the easiest\cheapest way to get shore power, i only really need occasional power
Shore Power
- Thread starter oakleyb
- Start date
FullCircle
Well-known member
Visit your local friendly caravan shop and buy a zig unit from them and a spare plug and a spare socket end.
Then go to B&Q and buy an extension lead on a reel and replace the ends with said plug and spare socket. Handy to carry. Please remember to unreel it all if you are loading it heavily, or it will overheat and possibly catch fire due to an induction loop. Ask me how I know.
Wire the boat with decent quality (tinned if possible) 30 amp cable in a ring or most small boats just lead to a couple of sockets and possibly a mains battery charger.
I also made up a splitter so that at crowded foreign marinas, you can split the use of a post outlet into 2 and share with the boat next door.
With occasional use, you probably dont need a galvanic isolator, so keep that 50 quid in your pocket.
This need not be terribly expensive!
Then go to B&Q and buy an extension lead on a reel and replace the ends with said plug and spare socket. Handy to carry. Please remember to unreel it all if you are loading it heavily, or it will overheat and possibly catch fire due to an induction loop. Ask me how I know.
Wire the boat with decent quality (tinned if possible) 30 amp cable in a ring or most small boats just lead to a couple of sockets and possibly a mains battery charger.
I also made up a splitter so that at crowded foreign marinas, you can split the use of a post outlet into 2 and share with the boat next door.
With occasional use, you probably dont need a galvanic isolator, so keep that 50 quid in your pocket.
This need not be terribly expensive!
paulburton44
New member
G
Guest
Guest
[ QUOTE ]
Visit your local friendly caravan shop and buy a zig unit from them and a spare plug and a spare socket end.
Then go to B&Q and buy an extension lead on a reel and replace the ends with said plug and spare socket. Handy to carry. Please remember to unreel it all if you are loading it heavily, or it will overheat and possibly catch fire due to an induction loop. Ask me how I know.
Wire the boat with decent quality (tinned if possible) 30 amp cable in a ring or most small boats just lead to a couple of sockets and possibly a mains battery charger.
I also made up a splitter so that at crowded foreign marinas, you can split the use of a post outlet into 2 and share with the boat next door.
With occasional use, you probably dont need a galvanic isolator, so keep that 50 quid in your pocket.
This need not be terribly expensive!
[/ QUOTE ]
The Zig unit is very good ... used to have their top-model job in a van before ... but they are not cheap.
You can get a "Power-hook-up" designed for tents ... it's complete with lead and plugs / sockets, breakers etc. Designed to be hung inside a tent and provide 15A 240v ... safely.
If its just to provide a bit of power for charging and a bit of light / music on an occasional foray - IMHO good enough ...
Now will march out the Brothers Proper with all sorts of horror stories and advise that above is totally wrong and dangerous !!
Visit your local friendly caravan shop and buy a zig unit from them and a spare plug and a spare socket end.
Then go to B&Q and buy an extension lead on a reel and replace the ends with said plug and spare socket. Handy to carry. Please remember to unreel it all if you are loading it heavily, or it will overheat and possibly catch fire due to an induction loop. Ask me how I know.
Wire the boat with decent quality (tinned if possible) 30 amp cable in a ring or most small boats just lead to a couple of sockets and possibly a mains battery charger.
I also made up a splitter so that at crowded foreign marinas, you can split the use of a post outlet into 2 and share with the boat next door.
With occasional use, you probably dont need a galvanic isolator, so keep that 50 quid in your pocket.
This need not be terribly expensive!
[/ QUOTE ]
The Zig unit is very good ... used to have their top-model job in a van before ... but they are not cheap.
You can get a "Power-hook-up" designed for tents ... it's complete with lead and plugs / sockets, breakers etc. Designed to be hung inside a tent and provide 15A 240v ... safely.
If its just to provide a bit of power for charging and a bit of light / music on an occasional foray - IMHO good enough ...
Now will march out the Brothers Proper with all sorts of horror stories and advise that above is totally wrong and dangerous !!
ccscott49
Active member
Extension lead, marina plug on the end of it, bobs yer uncle! Cant get much simpler than that.
gjgm
Active member
easiset/cheapest isnt going to be safest. But if you are prepared to rely on the pontoon circuit breaker, then just an extension lead with the blue plugs, and a blue plug/mains socket attachment. Chandleries have them, for fairly normal prices, in fact.
Other end of the scale is to have a 2pole RCD (most are single)and 2 pole Circuit breaker. And the 2 pole are alot more expensive. Sunncamp do one ready made set up for camping, you can get that for £50., if you dont want anything permanently fixed to the boat.
Otherise its £75-125 for twin rcd+cbreaker, anything from £15-150 for the boat shore power connection itself, and some ordinary mains sockets- in the cabin, I assume.
For about £250 Dolphin make an all in one unit with rcd/breaker and charger. Then maybe if you are connecting into the boats circuit, you ll need £75+ for an islolator.
So from maybe £25 to £500+ , or anything in the middle!
Other end of the scale is to have a 2pole RCD (most are single)and 2 pole Circuit breaker. And the 2 pole are alot more expensive. Sunncamp do one ready made set up for camping, you can get that for £50., if you dont want anything permanently fixed to the boat.
Otherise its £75-125 for twin rcd+cbreaker, anything from £15-150 for the boat shore power connection itself, and some ordinary mains sockets- in the cabin, I assume.
For about £250 Dolphin make an all in one unit with rcd/breaker and charger. Then maybe if you are connecting into the boats circuit, you ll need £75+ for an islolator.
So from maybe £25 to £500+ , or anything in the middle!
gandy
Active member
I was thinking of something like this. Just for when we stop-over with shore power available, so I don't really want to go to the trouble of building in. If I could find a suitable trailing socket RCD then it could go even simpler and cheaper.
http://www.towsure.com/product/3214-Mobile_Mains_Unit_(Mini)
http://www.towsure.com/product/3214-Mobile_Mains_Unit_(Mini)
chasroberts
Active member
Also well worth getting is one of those plug in polarity testers. Mine cost £5.99 or thereabouts but can't remember where I got it from. Surprising how many times I have found shore power wired the wrong way round, especially abroad, and whilst everything will work there are potentiallly dangerous consequences.
Following on from this I made a polarity switcher by simply wiring up a plug and socket with a metre of cable and switching live and neutral at one end in order to switch the polarity back the correct way. Don't forget to mark it up clearly but otherwise simple to do and well worth it. I have used mine 'in anger' on at least half a dozen occasions over the last couple of years.
Godd luck with the project.
Chas
Following on from this I made a polarity switcher by simply wiring up a plug and socket with a metre of cable and switching live and neutral at one end in order to switch the polarity back the correct way. Don't forget to mark it up clearly but otherwise simple to do and well worth it. I have used mine 'in anger' on at least half a dozen occasions over the last couple of years.
Godd luck with the project.
Chas
gjgm
Active member
think thats only single pole, and you are still relying on the pontoon c/breaker.
Here s the triple one for the same price as the single
http://www.tag-leisure.co.uk/mall/produc...CFQrlQgodnx3gBg
Here s the triple one for the same price as the single
http://www.tag-leisure.co.uk/mall/produc...CFQrlQgodnx3gBg
Solent sailer
Active member
I would defiantly fit a double pole 30mA RCD, but if you don’t bother to connect the earth to the boat earth you wont need the galvanic isolator, with all that salt water about you will get plenty of current to trip the RCD and most things you will use will be class 2 with no earth terminal anyway! (Mobile phone chargers, radio, most battery chargers etc.)
