When changing all the thruhull on my 38 I came across the two grounding plates on the hull in the aft section… they are expensive to replace… are they needed? Is there a substitute for them? Thanks in advance for your reply!!Thanks
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02-03-2024 06:27 PM #1Registered Member
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Is there a substitute for the grounding plate for 74 Hatteras 38 MY
1974 Hatteras 38 Double CabinHull 3610474On the hard in Demopolis, ALAnd74 Hatteras 58 FishermanOn the hard in Demopolis, AL
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Re: Is there a substitute for the grounding plate for 74 Hatteras 38 MY
Having two is interesting. You probably couldn't have asked a more polarizing and controversial question. Ground planes serve two purposes, 1 to add a means to shunt leaking high voltage to ground just like the ground in a home electrical system is attached to a water pipe and allows a dead short causing a breaker to trip thus protecting people aboard, but not so much for swimmers. 2 creates a low voltage equilibrium between all bonded metal in the water and within the boat and thus causing the attached zinc anode to corrode as opposed to the prop. Only you can see what condition the grounding and bonding systems are in and how they are wired up. do you need them? It depends on how you use the boat. You can immense them in a bucket of phosphoric acid and they will look as good as new in a few hours, they are pure copper after all. you might want to replace the bolts though. the bolts are bronze but one bolt of the bunch is gold plated to keep a nice strong electrical connection to the wiring and copper plate.
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Re: Is there a substitute for the grounding plate for 74 Hatteras 38 MY
Probably Dyna plates they were put on for an antenna ground plane for the old AM radios pre VHF. They work with SSB but not as well as the copper mesh Hatteras later glassed into the cabin tops.
"DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING YOU READ OR HEAR AND ONLY HALF OF WHAT YOU SEE" - BEN FRANKLIN
Endless Summer
1967 50c 12/71n DDA 525hp
ex Miss Betsy
owners:
Howard P. Miller 1967-1974
Richard F Hull 1974-1976
Robert J. & R.Scott Smith 1976-present
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Re: Is there a substitute for the grounding plate for 74 Hatteras 38 MY
We are replacing headliner in the 46 and noticed the mesh. So it's a grounding plane for SSB?
1966 34c
1982 46 HP
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02-04-2024 07:21 PM #7Registered Member
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Re: Is there a substitute for the grounding plate for 74 Hatteras 38 MY
I plan to use the boat as primarily housing when I sell my house… I don’t plan to go boarding or cruising… instead just keep in the slip at the marina… having said that are they essential… do I need to replace the grounding plates or can I go without them???Thanks
1974 Hatteras 38 Double CabinHull 3610474On the hard in Demopolis, ALAnd74 Hatteras 58 FishermanOn the hard in Demopolis, AL