Box for Blue sea panel

[geoffr]

I'm looking at installing a blue sea panel with ELCI in the engine compartment, so ideally would like it in a box. I see Blue sea has some they sell with the box, but they seem rather pricey. Has anyone found a good box?

In theory I'd like to use this panel: https://www.bluesea.com/products/810...with_Voltmeter

I do like this, but it's rather expensive (seems the enclosure really adds):
https://www.bluesea.com/products/312...C_ELCI_30A_3CB

Ideas?

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by geoffr

Ideas?

A DIN rail circuit breaker box with appropriate ELCB and CB’s is an option.

[GordMay]

A [6" x 6"?] PVC Junction Box, available at any big box building supply store, or electrical wholesaler, should be available, for under [about] $50.

[geoffr]

thanks for the suggestion.

I think I have found an enclosure that might work.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B87V7QTH/?th=1

[deblen]

https://ipexna.com/en-us/solutions/e...-junction-box/


https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=pvc+elec.+...ref=nb_sb_noss

[s/v Jedi]

Noelex pointed to the cost effective way: go for the international standard of DIN rail mounted components, which allow the use of much more established components that are much lower cost than the overpriced BlueSea ELCI.

Noelex showed a box to mount it in, but here are some ELCB’s and circuit breakers: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ELCB+for+...il%2Caps%2C118

[Bowdrie]

I'm shocked, shocked to find that Blue Sea charges such an insane amount for that product.
I'd be tempted to buy a "Pelican" case and adapt it to your needs.
Cable glands are no big deal to buy/install, and mounting a panel in a box is simple work.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

I'm shocked, shocked to find that Blue Sea charges such an insane amount for that product.
I'd be tempted to buy a "Pelican" case and adapt it to your needs.
Cable glands are no big deal to buy/install, and mounting a panel in a box is simple work.

It’s not just the box, the elci is very expensive as well.

For boxes, I now simply 3D print them, even ones much bigger than the printer can do as one part, assembling them from multiple parts. Here is a large tray I printed a couple days ago

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

...
For boxes, I now simply 3D print them ...

I [think that] I’ve read that 3D printing, with PVC, can be harmful and corrosive to your printer; and that Polycarbonate requires very high temperatures, for printing, and will exhibit layer separation if printed at too low of a temperature.
With what filament material, do you print electrical boxes?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by GordMay

I [think that] I’ve read that 3D printing, with PVC, can be harmful and corrosive to your printer; and that Polycarbonate requires very high temperatures, for printing, and will exhibit layer separation if printed at too low of a temperature.
With what filament material, do you print electrical boxes?

The two choices are PETG and PC (polycarbonate) of which PC is superior. Yes it requires high temperatures and is near the max of my printers capability (I have a BambuLab X1 Carbon). This printer is a beast for printing ABS and PC. The tray I showed is ABS. I also do many boxes and mounts, where fire isn’t a factor, from ABS.

I also like to use PC for front panels incl. text and graphics. I have PC in clear, black and white. Attached an example

[coopec43]

I'm not recommending eBay but some time ago I got boxes from there.
https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_...+5in.&_sacat=0

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

The two choices are PETG and PC (polycarbonate) of which PC is superior...
...I also like to use PC for front panels incl. text and graphics. I have PC in clear, black and white. Attached an example

FWIW: PETG stands for Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol, which is a thermoplastic polyester.
The graphics, on your attached pic, are printed [in PC], and not [post printing] engraved?
How do you time the changing, of the filament colours?
Anyway, I'm impressed.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by GordMay

FWIW: PETG stands for Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol, which is a thermoplastic polyester.
The graphics, on your attached pic, are printed [in PC], and not [post printing] engraved?
How do you time the changing, of the filament colours?
Anyway, I'm impressed.

Yes, printed directly in place. I have the automatic material system for four spools so can use four different materials in one print. You can extend that to 16 spools.

Text is challenging especially for fonts that have pointy lines that are thinner than the bead width. It requires tricks like using the Arachne wall generator and custom sequence of materials to squish material into the pointy parts.

I made this whole series of modules for the navstation overhaul… this is one side of the L shaped workspace so more to come

[sailingharry]

It may not do anything for your project, but I wanted to ressurect my old thread here:
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...er-258214.html
Go to the last page to see my solution to adding ELCI to my boat. I had issues with the breaker panel being a long way from the inlet (BAD), and not having ELCI. The solutions for adding a simple breaker were large and expensive. My installation was small and much lower cost. There are few nice options available, marine or otherwise, to surface mount a single breaker.

Since installing it, it has tripped exactly never, so it has done nothing for safety. And with luck, it'll go decades like that!

[smac999]

those 2 links you posted the box one is only ~$45 more...