Working on the 12 volt DC wiring

[davidwigler]

Today I pulled wires for the new freshwater tank gauges (WEMA) and a new stern navigation light. Aside from my back hurting everything went well except I counted six 32/12 volt converters under the lower helm alone. There are more under the flybridge helm. What a mess. next project is to clean up all that 12 volt wiring. I plan to install a master switch like airplanes have to shut down all the electronics. Any ideas?

[SeaEric]

Buyers always seem to want to challenge my opinion that the electrical systems on the larger Hatteras Yachts are rather complicated. Why would anyone think that 7+ electric panels, located from the engine room(s) to the flybridge, in perhaps 4 different voltages is anything BUT confusing is a true mystery to me.

But if you understand all of it, and know where everything goes and what makes it all work, why screw with it? That is if it all still works, and if you understand it.

Speaking for myself only, I'm still figuring stuff out on my (comparatively) simple 41TC. I've only owned her for just over a year. She's pretty original - not alot of owner additions. I do have the original manual and drawings. Full understanding of the electrical and other systems is, for me a bucket list item.

[Angela]

Six??? Under the lower helm, alone??? Wow. I believe I have two very small ones - one for each side of the helm gauges. On my flybridge, I have a dedicated 12v battery and charger that runs all of the flybridge stuff (lights, gauges, anchor and forward white nav light, stereo, VHF, etc.). My red/green and stern navs, as well as the spotlight, are still on the 32v system. I'm sure the 12v system on the flybridge is not original, but it's an addition by a previous owner that I do appreciate. From what I understand, it's desirable to have the flybridge to be totally separate as it may be the last place to have power to send a mayday call. Yeah, in a sinking you'll lose the AC feed to the charger, but you'll likely have enough battery to get a call out before it goes under, too. I never want to have to test that theory, but right now, I'm convinced this boat hates me, so anything's possible. For the past three weeks, everyday I get up, I ponder..."What's going to break today?" Today ... it's time to replace the lower level AC system.

[davidwigler]

The Newmar 32-12-25 has a blown fuse but the 32 volt input wire was live. The other 5 converters are all small and are not receiving power but I'm not sure where the circuits were disconnected. I need to pull all this wiring out.

I'm thinking about buying a pair of these for the flybridge and lower helms:

http://www.onlinecomponents.com/11953278/

Each unit would would feed a Blue Sea fuse panel so every component's power supply would be properly fused and labeled. The converters would be switched so all the 12 volt circuits can conveniently be shut off. There is no point having 12 volt power unless underway.

[davidwigler]

Checked out the flybridge today and it had two disconnected converters. Anyone need a lot of seven converters before I post them on e-bay?

[SKYCHENEY]

Are you sure those are all converters? Some of those look like the dimmers for the panel lights.

BTW, I have used some of those MeanWell power supplies for non-marine applicatoins and had some failures. I'd stick with NewMar for the boat. I've never had one of those fail.

[GJH]

Are you sure those are all converters? Some of those look like the dimmers for the panel lights.

BTW, I have used some of those MeanWell power supplies for non-marine applicatoins and had some failures. I'd stick with NewMar for the boat. I've never had one of those fail.

Ditto on that, the NewMar is the gold standard, I guess you are not in salt water so perhaps less of an issue, but those Meanwells are not designed for outdoor/exposed situations. I was going to use one to do a small convert for a fuel transfer pump and decided not to, just will run another branch off the existing set up. Get another NewMar if you want to consolidate.

In the picture the two units on the right definitely look like dimmers.

I have two NewMar 32-12 converters, a 25 amp that came with the boat and a 15 I put on the flying bridge when I added a 12v satellite TV system. Each has its own fuse / distribution panel, two in the case of the 25amp unit.

Anyway, it's a good project to figure out what all this stuff is and what it feeds, regardless. You and your multi-meter should become good friends if not already.

[davidwigler]

No dimmers here, they are all DC power converters. The two silver ones are Raytheon with a whopping 1.5 amp output at 13.6 vdc. The others are all NewMar, starting with two 32-12-3s and proceeding to a 32-12-25. The blue one is a 32-12-12A. None of them was in use. Instead, the PO had installed an 8D AGM battery in the generator room with its own charger which runs all the twelve volt stuff from a fuse panel under the lower helm. I had assumed some of the converters were still hooked up but they were not. On reflection, the existing battery system works pretty well, and it gives me a backup to my generator starting battery. I'm thinking about installing a new 12 volt panel in the lower helm, something like this:

http://shop.pkys.com/blueseasystems8...svammeter.aspx

Yep, the voltmeter and I are already good friends. I bet I pulled a half mile of unused wiring out of the boat in the last two days. Next on the list is to find the other ends of the 32 volt circuits from the electronics panel in the port engine room. None of those circuits are re- labeled. For example, the breaker labeled Single Side Band radio was powering the 32-12-25 converter which had been unused for years. As far as I can tell, nothing is actually served anymore from that panel.

[partgypsy]

Checked out the flybridge today and it had two disconnected converters. Anyone need a lot of seven converters before I post them on e-bay?

Still available?
I am very interested.

[Kim Beatley]

I've been pulling unused wiring out of my 36C for 4 years. One Saturday, I placed a 55 gallon trash can in the cockpit. I filled it up with wire. Thankfully, I am getting it done. Replaced every ground/bonding wire on the boat. Used almost 300 feet of 8 and 10 gage green coated wire. I think I have stock ownership in West Marine's electrical fitting/connector department. Still working on batteries and charging system... Feel your pain.....but it is a boat.