Switch Panels!

[pagoda]

Long long overdue,
I had a major go at my switch panel today, with a view to tidying it up/ cleaning any dodgy contacts and correcting errors in wiring. I have an original Owners manual and most of the docs from the individual bits of kit which have been added over the years.
Like most people. I don't have any record of HOW people added stuff in the past.
Nightmare? yes

With the aid of a head LED torch, multimeter, screwdriver and snips, I eventually found out. I ended up cutting out about 2m+ of random excess wire, after re-routing things more neatly. Replaced about a dozen blade terminals, added several fuse blocks and bus bars and reduced clutter. It all works again -much to my delight though I have still some stuff for tomorrow.
I have become a firm advocate of tinned copper cabling, compared to the ordinary stuff. Maybe, just maybe if you use heat shrinked crimp connectors all the time you would be OK? Otherwise tinned stuff is better for boats.

It was less of a frightener than I thought at first!. I now have a decent understanding of what is behind the panel - and why. More confidence in my boat and less wire tangled up!

Don't be afraid to try it - there is really no rocket science involved, and you will find our a heck of a lot about your boat

Graeme

 

[rob2]

Absolutely! Pick a good time to tinker - don't rush it. At some point everything becomes clear as to why it is where it is, so label it whilst the vision is clear. The only thing I might mention is that a neat installation tends to generate thick bundles of parrallel wires. It is essential that your instruments' sensor wires are not run in these bundles as they tend to pick up on any magnetic field they create and scramble the signal.

Rob.

 

[prv]

At some point everything becomes clear as to why it is where it is

Not in either of the boats I've rewired . At best, it became clear why a particular wire was either stupid or unnecessary

Definitely worth having a tidy up even if not a full rewire, though. It distresses me when people asking questions here clearly have no idea what is connected to what in their boats.

Pete

 

[pagoda]

Not in either of the boats I've rewired . At best, it became clear why a particular wire was either stupid or unnecessary

Definitely worth having a tidy up even if not a full rewire, though. It distresses me when people asking questions here clearly have no idea what is connected to what in their boats.

Pete

My life is too short to consider a full re-wire! I found a fair few redundant bits of wire, bad connections and so on, and I have a better idea of what is connected where. There are still bits of cable I haven't traced fully.
I fitted a short multi LED strip lamp in there as well, so I can see what I am doing in behind the panel in future. Well worth having.
I did find some blatantly wrong connections made. Sorted them out. So many random bits of cable had been added in the past, threaded among each other it was difficult to open the hinge far enough to do anything. Most of that is now cured.
Having been in there, there are still some mysterious cables in the engine bay, among the alternator connections and the heavy switches. That's for another wet day.

 

[pagoda]

Not in either of the boats I've rewired . At best, it became clear why a particular wire was either stupid or unnecessary

Definitely worth having a tidy up even if not a full rewire, though. It distresses me when people asking questions here clearly have no idea what is connected to what in their boats.

Pete

My life is too short to consider a full re-wire! I found a fair few redundant bits of wire, bad connections and so on, and I have a better idea of what is connected where. There are still bits of cable I haven't traced fully.
I fitted a short multi LED strip lamp in there as well, so I can see what I am doing in behind the panel in future. Well worth having.
I did find some blatantly wrong connections made. Sorted them out. So many random bits of cable had been added in the past, threaded among each other it was difficult to open the hinge far enough to do anything. Most of that is now cured.
Having been in there, there are still some mysterious cables in the engine bay, among the alternator connections and the heavy switches. That's for another wet day.

 

[West Coast]

Absolutely! Pick a good time to tinker - don't rush it. At some point everything becomes clear as to why it is where it is, so label it whilst the vision is clear.

Rob.

+ 1. Maybe it's just me, but I hate the thought of not knowing where everything is, and what it is for. Reckon it gives me a slightly better than even chance of sorting a problem, especially as Sod's law is such that it will happen in an emergency

 

[PGC]

I'm in a similar position with the panel on the boat I just bought as a refurbishment project.

I'm planning to rewire the whole boat starting next week.