Solar Panel Mounting

Update 2013

You will read below where I have in the past preferred the lever action over the allen key action. After two years of using these, I can now say I prefer the allen key model of antenna mount with a small modification.

I took the allen head screw and had a small "T" welded to the head of the screw. This made adjusting easier (no longer needing an allen key) and more precise than the lever type.

To continue with the blog from 2011....

There are many ways of mounting solar panels. Here is one way to mount with a tidy way to raise and lower the panels.
In a storm north of New Zealand I lost a solar panel along with the temporary railing that I had it mounted on. I have since had the aft of the boat reworked with railing built so it looks like it was always there. Much stronger. Deciding that my previous attempts at methods to angle the solar panels were not that good, I have come up with the following idea for the rail mounted solar panels.
You will note the small vertical rail inserted half way along between stanchions. This was used to mount my actuator arm.

 For the actuator arm, I used a stainless antenna mount and  had made a stainless tube made with a thread at one end and closed off the other. This was screwed to the antenna mount.Apply some locktite to the threads as they may have a tendency to unscrew over time.

This is attached to the small vertical rail in the middle.  The solar panel  was mounted with white rail mount clamps which I had previously used to good effect. This time around though, I had to add spacers because the railing was curved to follow the lines of the boat.
At the bottom of the "solar panel actuator" the one inch stainless leg was placed in some pressure PVC pipe bought from a hardware store and this in-turn was secured to the bottom of the solar panel with leather on both sides of the pipe and the leather secured to the solar panel. I have found it necessary to apply some 4200 between the pvc pipe and leather; other wise the leather looses it's firm grip on the pvc pipe and the pipe will drop out. This allows free movement of the stainless piece of the solar panel actuator as the panel is raised and lowered. I used two different types of antenna mounts. One with allen key and the other with a turning lever. The one with the lever, I cut off short because you only need thumb tight and the lever would interfere with my lee cloths.

After trying both, I prefer the lever arm rather than the allen key type.
Read the mod above. The panel raises from full down to 30 degrees off the vertical. One could, if you don't have lee cloths, build the actuator arm with a curve in it near the mounted piece so that when raised it would allow the railing to not impinge on the actuator arm. I'm happy with 30 degrees off the vertical and lee cloths.

The lee cloths had small "U" shapes cut out and bound, so that the hinges and actuator arm could function. The lee cloths were secured to the railing and toe rail with cable ties. Lee cloths not shown here

LED refit

We wrote about a LED light upgrade and can be read here We continue to upgrade our lights with the same LED strips but if your contemplating doing this type of project, we recommend an excellent article that svOcelot has on LED lighting. They start by saying "Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are rapidly becoming the preferred way to illuminate your boat.  They're much more energy efficient than incandescent lighting, they last much longer, and they are now available in a range of eye‑pleasing colors, like warm‑white.  They're even bright enough now for foredeck lighting.  Several manufacturers are producing replacement bulbs, so switching over from incandescent lighting is easy....." 
Before you refit with LED's, hop over to their blog site and get some information which will help you make some proper choices. Pro's and Con's; how they work; etc.

Proper Electrical Connections

   These are something that has no place on a boat - wire nuts.
On Board with Mark Corke shows us the correct way for wire terminals. He says....
I recently surveyed a power cruiser which had lots of alterations to the electrical system, not only were many of the connections made with wire nuts the cable was solid core rather than multi strand tinned boat cable, both of which are a big no-no on a boat. Wire nuts are not moisture resistant and cable with a solid core is susceptible to vibration and fatigue eventually leading to failure.
For the complete step by step guide to making proper electrical connections continue reading ..

Wiring on a boat leads a hard life; corrosion, vibration and chafe all conspire against your boats electrical system to bring it to a premature end. Bad connections are to blame for many problems and knowing how to make proper crimped terminals will go a long way to avoiding problems. Simply twisting wire together, using wire nuts or wrapping it round a terminal screw simply will not do. Proper crimped terminals are neat, allow the free movement of electricity and prevent short circuits. It is a good idea to have some practice runs on some spare bits of cable so that you are able to make perfect joints every time. Tug on the connector to test the integrity of the completed joint; if there is any movement or the terminal comes off you need to cut back the cable and start afresh. Terminals and cables come in a variety of sizes measured by what is called gauge; the smaller the number the larger the cross sectional area of the cable conductor and therefore it’s ability to carry higher electrical loads. Always make sure that you use the correct size cable for the maximum amount of the current that the cable will have to handle. Finally only ever use tinned marine cable on a boat. Untinned cable is cheaper but is very susceptible to corrosion.



Tools and materials needed
Cable
Crimping terminals
Heat shrink the same color as the cable
Crimping pliers
Wire strippers
Heat gun

Tip
Making proper terminal connections is very straight forward and easy but it pays to have a trial run with some scrap cable to get the feel for how things should go.




1. Cut back any suspect and ragged ends using a pair of side cutters or the cutters built into the crimping tool. This is especially important if the wire is at all corroded. You can skip this step if using fresh new cable from a drum.


2. Strip off the insulation from the wire being careful to cut only through the sheathing and not into the actual wire. Remove only sufficient insulation to allow the wire to be entered fully into the terminal with no bare wire visible.

3. Grasp the wire in one hand and with the other twist the strands together between thumb and forefinger.  This binds the strands tightly together which makes pushing the cable end into the terminal easier.


4. Cut a length of heat shrink about an inch long the same color as the cable insulation and slip this onto the wire.

5. Slide on a terminal connector to the end of the cable and after ensuring that it is pushed fully home use the crimping pliers and squeeze it onto the wire. Note that the crimping jaws are color-coded. The colored dot on the plier jaws must correspond with the color of the terminal.

6. Slide the heat shrink back up the cable so that it covers the crimp completely then use a hot air gun or a match shrink it into place. Do not apply too much heat; warm it just sufficiently to shrink it to the cable.

7. The completed job. A perfect electrical connection, which should give years of trouble free service.

Sump Box for the Bilge

The people over at Carbo Rico_Tiburon36 have built a very nice sump box here's how they did it..........
I needed to add a separate sump to our grey water system. I have a store bought sump from Rule in the forward end of the bilge for the head and shower, but needed one to handle everything else including it. At a $100 bucks or more for one of these plastic boxes, I figured I could make one for a lot less.
Here is how I did it. You can build one too. It's fairly simple. I must add I had some scrap Plexiglas already. I bought the 500 gph bilge pump on ebay. The rest was scrap pieces of marine plywood.

Box measure 11x11x6 inches. It is 1/2 inch ply with 3/4 x 1 inch around the inside for a lip to help seal it and give a place to mount the bolts. The plastic screen inside is actually from a craft store. It is used for some kind of needle work.

Build the box. Then give it several coats of thinned epoxy inside and out. Save money, Don't buy CPES epoxy, just cut your already mixed epoxy with some MEK (NOT MEKP), thin till it's just a little thicker than water, almost half and half mix. MEK is just like Acetone, but evaporates much slower. Let it cure between coats, but put the first 2 coats on while still green. Sand for the last coat and thin it only a little or maybe not at all. You'll know you have enough coats when it is very shiny when finished.

Side note; this little trick will help you fix rotted post and the like without buying special epoxy. I actually apply it to porch post and columns before installing them. Then they never rot.

I used 1/4 inch bolts for the lid. Insert them as you make the box.

From Sump

Fit Plexiglas lid.

From Sump

Install pump and float switch.

From Sump

Install all the fittings in the box and screen plus the fuse holder outside.

From Sump

From Sump

Then install it. I eliminated 12 thru hulls with these two sumps. Now I only have 3 thru hulls.
I mounted it to the bilge with some stainless brackets I had. Screw them to the side of the box, make some pads that can be epoxied to the bilge , with bolts so that the whole thing is removable.
It is under the engine, but hopefully it will be somewhat accessible.

Generator Shut Off Mod.

UPDATE
See below for original shut off mod.
We have in fact removed this mod. The main cause of the generator not shuting down was it has a protection circuit to protect itself should it slightly be overheated. Once you push the shut down button, it would continue to run with no load to help itself cool down before shuting down. In addition to our heat exchanger being clogged, we found some gasket material behind the sacrificial anode which bolts to the side of the generator casing seen bottom left on the photo to the above. This clogged the hose delivering water to the heat exchanger. The generator also has a high temperature shut down protection and it was after replacing the heat exchanger we had a high temperature shut down and that's when I found the additional blockage. The gasket material comes from the gasket on the end plate of the generator housing. I have a new gasket ready to replace for next season. The generator has raw water come via the RW pump and goes through the generator casing before going to the heat exchanger to pick up heat from the fresh water cooling from the engine. New Fischer Panda's have the cooling of both the generator housing, and the engine, cooled by fresh water and the sea water just passes through the heat exchanger. Due to potential corrosion I will be changing my FP next year to reflect the way FP now does it's cooling. Keep a watch out for that blog around April 2013.

Generator Shut Off Mod 2011
We have a Fischer Panda Generator  that has for some time had a shut down problem. i.e. It won't shut down from the control panel. A careful  inspection of the shutoff solenoid found no issues and the problem only presented when the unit had been running for some hours. In frustration, I used the valve at the fuel manifold to eventually have the generator shut down by starving it of fuel. However, because of the location of the valve, this would often take 5 minutes or there about. A new shut off solenoid was over $200USD and was no guarantee that it would fix the problem (it could be an electronic control module issue). Here's what I did.
I procured a fuel/gas solenoid valve off ebay for about $30USD and inserted it between the secondary fuel filter and the units own shut off solenoid. That is marked in the above photo with some red wire rapped around it.

The picture to the right shows a close up picture of that shut off solenoid.

i

There was not much room to mount the new shut off solenoid. The whole unit is encased in a sound proof  casing. I had to find a convenient location to mount the new unit. I used an area just under the existing solenoid, with the intention that if it didn't work, I could reverse everything back to the way it was. The unit was secured with cable ties and with a strip of rubber to prevent metal to metal contact and abrasion. I had a spare switch for this solenoid on a switch panel and wired that in to activate/de-activate the unit.

The picture to the left shows the finished installation, and while it could be a little more aesthetically pleasing, it is fully functional. ( After all, I'm in the Pacific Islands, where nothing is available to complete some projects). the generator now shuts down in less than 5 seconds when the solenoid is turned off. I suspect the OEM part is faulty  but who wants to pay over $200USD to fix that.
Cost; $30USD for the unit. Fuel hose and hose clips and wiring, I carried as spares. About 3 hours work.

24V from 12V

This is a traditional problem that typically has very dangerous and expensive switching. Typically it is done with a second battery that is kept in parallel with your 12 volt starting or house battery for charging, but is switched in series with that battery to run the 24 volt item - bow thruster, winch etc. This is expensive and dangerous. You have to use two very heavy duty switches, one to switch the negative of the additional battery from the -12 to the + 12 of the starting battery, and the other to disconnect the +12 of the additional battery from the starting battery.

BUT THE TIMING IS CRITICAL. If one switch is operated before the other you will end up shorting a battery and cause an explosion.

So here is how to do it the safe way using only a single pole single throw switch.

In the circuit diagram, you will see that the auxilliary battery is connected in parallel to the 12 volt battery through a pair of headlamps, one in the positive lead and one in the negative. With the "24 VOLT" switch open, the charge on the additional battery will be the same as the 12 volt starting battery because the headlamps, which carry a couple of amps when lit, will trickle charge the additional battery to the full voltage. Under normal circumstances, the headlamps will only have a fraction of a volt across them so except under heavy charging/discharging conditions they will stay off or have a very dim glow.
There will be 12 volts going to the 24 volt load when the switch is in the 12 volt position but since the headlamps are in series with the circuit, if the bow thruster were turned on, only a couple of amps would flow and the headlamps would light. When you close the 24 volt switch, the batteries are now in series and 24 volts is available for the bow thruster. While in the 24 volt mode, a couple of amps will flow through each headlamp and they will come on full brilliance. The amount of energy wasted, however, is small compared to the battery capacity and the few amps through them does not materially diminish the high current available for the thruster.

COMPONENT SELECTION

The BATTERY capacity of the auxiliary will be a function of how long you think you will need the bow thruster in one session, and how often sessions will occur. Refer to the bow thruster current requirements to determine this figure. For example, if the bow thruster draws 50 amps (about 1.5 horsepower) and you need to be able to run it for up to 30 minutes, that comes to 50 x 0.5hr = 25 amp hours. You should double this figure to provide a safety factor and reduce cycling the battery below the 50% charge level. So a 100 amp-hour automobile battery for about $35 would be ideal. You should match the chemistry of the battery to that of the starting battery - don't mix an AGM or GELL battery with a WET lead acid. Otherwise the batteries can be of different ages, manufacturers or style. You don't need a deep cycle battery here - the usage is more like that of a starter motor battery in an automobile.
Charging time after a typical use can be calculated by dividing the amp-hours used, say 25 in a 30 minute period, by the charging current, say 4 amps = 6 hours, or 12 times the discharge time.
The HEADLAMPS should usually be the highest wattage you can find. In fact I use a high/low beam headlamp and wire the high and low terminals together so both filaments are in parallel. The high temperature will reduce life but since they are only going to be on for a few minutes a day maximum, who cares? A major advantage of using headlamps to limit the current is that the resistance is non linear. As they cool down the resistance goes down dramatically and they tend to draw a constant current for charging even though they are not brightly lit. You should consider placing the headlamps so the light is visible from the bow thruster control panel location so you don't forget to switch back to CHARGING when the bow thruster is no longer needed, otherwise the headlamps will eventually discharge the auxiliary battery.
The SWITCH should be sized for the maximum current of the bow thruster plus a safety margin. For an economical installation, a simple battery disconnect switch is ideal. If you want a remote control, then you should use a simple single pole, normally open relay instead of the switch. We have a 130 amp relay in our Parts and Kits catalog that will handle many thrusters.
The CABLES should be sized as recommended by the bow thruster manufacturer with regard to the length of the run. Note that only the cables to the switch have to be this size. The cables to the headlamps only have to carry a few amps so a 12 or 14 gauge wire would be adequate.

Alternator Controller

The Balmar MC-612 is a fully automatic alternator regulator that has served the svVALHALLA well for many years.  There are times, however, when I find it desirable to either turn the alternator off or reduce the output power, in this case to reduce wear on bearings and belts when powering for extended periods and do not need a quick initial charge.  Typically, when weighing anchor with the windlass, its one horsepower motor will draw the batteries down considerably and this puts a large load on the engine while maneuvering to get underway.  This is an ideal time to reduce the charging load.
The regulator uses a field wire (brown) to energize the alternator when connected to battery voltage.  A switch in this wire controls when the alternator is operating.
The alternator temperature sensor (an optional item) switches the regulator into the 'small engine' mode when heating causes the temperature sensor to short out and reduces alternator output by approximately 50%.  Manually shorting this input simulates the overheated condition regardless of whether a sensor is connected or not.
This is the schematic of the project.

This project involved wiring two switches, two LEDs and two resistors into a small plastic box.
  
  I used small switches which required a 6 mm hole for the switch and a 2 mm hole for the retaining washer.

The LEDs require a 5 mm hole for a snug fit.













Before installing wiring the box was assembled and drilled for wiring entry.












The underside of the box is shown here.  Not yet connected are the field wires which go to the switch in the upper left hand corner and which come through the upper access hole.













With completion of the wiring I tested the switches using a direct connection to the temperature sensor terminals.
This was to ensure that there was no interference from the sensor.











Satisfied that things were working properly I completed the wiring with connectors to permit double connection to the temperature sensor terminals.

Now to find a label maker . . .!

Anchor Lights

The sailing vessel Valhalla has some interesting ideas for those anchor lights we like to put lower down on our sail boats. He writes...
VALHALLA, like most cruising boats, has an anchor light at the top of the main mast.  Though in full compliance with the Colregs, it is NOT the best situation for two important reasons:

1.  The bulb consumes 20 watts which, at 12 VDC, draws 1.67 amps ... an excessive amount of power.
2.  The light is too high for easy recognition by small boats moving around an anchorage, and can be mistaken for a star or planet due to the elevation!
There are now low powered LED navigation lights on the market which range in price from US$ 100-250.  A bit pricey for the budget. 
My first solution was to use a utility light (Davis Utility Mega-Light)  hung on the flag halyard, below the spreaders. This light has a photocell switch and, with the most efficient of two supplied bulbs, reduced the amperage draw to 0.11 amps.  A further reduction in power was to build a new bulb using the base of a burned out one.  Four white LED's (which have a drop of 3 volts at 20 ma) were soldered in series and positioned to face 90 degrees apart.  The leads were secured inside the bulb with a small amount of epoxy putty.  The current of 0.02 amps was negligible while giving sufficient brightness at a cost of US$0.50.

The Davis utility lights have a short (6 -9 months) life span due to UV deterioration of the plastic housing which soon cracks and allows water to flood the unit and short out the circuitry.  That is unless the photo cell circuit quits working first, which also happens.
To build my own, I salvaged the fresnel lens from the failed unit, built a photo cell circuit (again with 4 white LEDs) and, with a plastic cover (it is the retaining knob for a household fan!), used silicone to seal everything.
So far it has outlasted the Davis lights ($39.99)!






While cruising in Malaysian waters we noticed that numerous fishing boats used flashing lights ... of many different colors.  Their nets were sometimes marked with flashing lights as well, though not often enough for our satisfaction.  Browsing the fishing supply stores we found numerous models of small flashing lights, both incandescent, strobe, and LED.  These lights are powered with either one or two flashlight batteries and incorporate a photocell switch.  After trying several brands I found one that has blue LEDs, runs on two batteries and last about three weeks.  The price we paid was RM18 (US$ 4.75). 
Here's one undergoing 'trials' along with my 'home brew' white anchor light.



The markings on this light are:
Yang Cheng
Made in China
ZL.02316935.6


The colored dot indicates the light color, in this case blue.





To avoid the use of flashlight batteries I constructed a simple voltage reducing circuit (one IC 7805 and three diodes 1N4001) to reduce 12 VDC to 3.2 VDC.  The circuit board and components fit inside the light housing with a power lead to the boat's batteries.  The low power consumption obviates the need for a heat sink.








The blue flashing light is now mounted just beneath the white one.  If we were to make an addition to the navigation light memory phrases, such as 'red over red the captain is dead' for a vessel not under command, ours would be 'blue under white that's our boat all right'!  Very useful after an evening ashore while finding your own boat in a dark and crowded anchorage !!!!!

Light Upgrade

Original non working light

We have had a florescent light inverter/ballast fail on us and had a number of options to choose from. My first thought was to change the whole light structure to a more modern fitting, but was eventually convinced by my wife that to do so, was taking from the character of the boat. A new light could have been procured from the USA, but I was still looking for a better light that uses less power. Here's what I did to keep both the orginal light fixture, but upgrade the light that consumes less power.

I removed the light fixture and purchased a LED strip light that would fit the light fitting. 

New LED lights ready to be fitted.

I removed the the two ends for the florescent tube to make way for the new LED strip. I applied double sided tape used to attach mirrors to walls etc, to secure the LED strip and the switch, to the old light fitting. It was important to keep the original switch as it contained the electronics which helps with the LED strip to function efficiently.

Removal of the florescent ends needed

New LED light fitted.

The refitted unit was wired so that the original switch on the side was the main means of turning the unit on . The inline switch supplied with the LED strip was left on and fitted inside the light fixture. My wife has  declared the light very good, and now wants me to convert another light so she can do fine needle work.

Finished light.

Time to complete was about 40 minutes and the LED strip procured locally in New Zealand for about $37USD