Every Time I Think I Have it Figured I Turn the Page and %#$& Myself Again!

[NorthPacific]

I am now into the last home stretch all of a sudden I have 20 working days to get the boat ready for the off. Almost all of the projects are concerned with electricity. My greatest ignorance barrier is understanding physics. I am a Sailor, an explorer of the unknown Pacific Coast of BC for Gods Sake!

So I have put up with scorn and ridicule at times. HAd some excelent advice and patience shown by complete strangers at other times and god have I learned a lot.

Still can not find the .3 amp bleed but on the plus side, I have wired my solar and 4 winds gen together into a tristar controller and have a State of the art monitor to boot. Thanks to some one on here pointing me in the direction of an RVer called Handy Rob I understand the role of volts and how a battery system needs to be wired. I have a new golf cart battery system and a SSB radio hard wired in.

Today I watched in amazement as my new to me 4 winds started putting out 15 volts in 10 knots of wind. And it did not fall down, erupt into flames or kill me as I sort to control it. So after months of trepidation, weeks of effort, countless frustrations and 8000 klms of winter driving through the northern canadian Wilderness each weekend to reach the boat I was ready to connect the Icom M710 with the A tuner 130.

I opened it and to my horror and disbelief I found banks of DIP SWITCHES!!!!!!

All the old angst flooded back, the swagger was lost in my step and I am now rereading the bloody manual for the 25 time. I think I will have a stutter again by tomorrow and probably have a break out of pimples.

WHy did I not fall in love with aVW camper van!

[micah719]

Slocum never had these problems. Perhaps boat electrics are the takeaway version of modern life....get away from it all by taking it all with you. I'm only in the planning & designing stage, perhaps that's as far as I'll ever get, but by dumping the engine and keeping the sparky stuff to a minimum, the budget looks a whole lot better and healthier. Might go the whole hog and ban electrics altogether, and see what I've been missing out on all these years.

[boatman61]

Ahhh... the joys of over outfitting...

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Ahhh... the joys of over outfitting...

Indeed! The goal is to KISS (Keep It Simple Sailor) and always remember that the operation or failure of electronic devices can depend on a 50 cent component buried somewhere inside the box. So plan accordingly.

[Teknav]

Sheesh...you guys make electricity and electronics toys are horrible things. Get a wiring diagram for your boat, and start figuring out where the "nodes" and fuses are. Your life will be less complicated! I know that from experience as I used to design, build and analyze electrical circuits. Mauritz

[MarkJ]

Lots of people find lots of excuses to not actually leave the dock.

If you cant get a non-esential bit of gagetry working then leave it till you are bored at sea, or anchored behind some nice island.

[NorthPacific]

Thanks for the cheery thoughts guys :-). So all the dip switches are in one position apart from 1. I know I am in trouble because when I googled for help I was directed back to my own thread.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Lots of people find lots of excuses to not actually leave the dock.

If you cant get a non-esential bit of gagetry working then leave it till you are bored at sea, or anchored behind some nice island.

Best advise on the thread.

(but emphasis on the non-essential bit)

[NorthPacific]

Bog off Mark, not looking for an excuse, looking for dip switch advice! Guess I got it!

[frank_f]

This might help.


http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...com/at-130.pdf

[CharlieJ]

NorthPacific-
Look at page 5 of the AT-130 Installation Manual for a step by step procedure that should not take more than 15 minutes to complete, that is if your tuner is in a location that you can get too!! ;-)

Here is a link to the manual if you do not have it:
www.fujiyachts.net/manuals/Icom%20AT-130.pdf

[NorthPacific]

Thanks guys. The Tuner is new to me. All the dip switches bar 1 are in an off position. I am in normal mode, not pre set! I am away from the boat now for a couple of weeks but the antenna is up and all the wires and CP are run so when I go back I will try as is, if no joy I will flick my dip switch! :-)

Did I mention my second hand 4 winds was putting out 15volts in less than 10 Knots! So life id not all bad.

[justlearnin]

Give the whole thing over to a teenager and sit down and and have a"soda pop".