Electrical DC main panel

[goboatingnow]

My new dc breaker panel , uses my RGB legend illumination on each breaker , which is a push button ). This supports night time low intensity illumination but also yellow indication of trips on less sensitive circuits and red on alarm trips. In addition the software monitors “ average “ currents on the protected branch and uses the rgb illumination to alert if this limit is breached. Ive found this a useful feature for pump wear etc.

The other advantage is that I can collectively switch circuits , but I’m not a fan of using breakers as switches though it’s common on boats , like you I’m moving to all push button logic , so I can duplicate selected functions at the helm.

[GordMay]

Beautiful work, Nick!
I would add numbers to the circuit descriptors, but leaving the spare circuits unlabelled [excepting numbers], thus:
“1 Salon Nav Station
2 Galley Pantry
...
7"
etc

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

My new dc breaker panel , uses my RGB legend illumination on each breaker , which is a push button ). This supports night time low intensity illumination but also yellow indication of trips on less sensitive circuits and red on alarm trips. In addition the software monitors “ average “ currents on the protected branch and uses the rgb illumination to alert if this limit is breached. Ive found this a useful feature for pump wear etc.

The other advantage is that I can collectively switch circuits , but I’m not a fan of using breakers as switches though it’s common on boats , like you I’m moving to all push button logic , so I can duplicate selected functions at the helm.

I have designed and built a prototype for a cabin light controller. It has power MOSFET’s for driving 24V lights using PWM and small transistors for driving the 12V LED rings in the switches that I linked to earlier (also PWM) and which I install in ceiling panels etc. to operate the lights incl. dimming functions. It’s all controlled by Arduino microcontroller so I can use touch screens or even apps over wifi to control things incl. groups, themes etc.
My prototype has 32 PWM channels, 16 high power and 16 low power, but it’s too big so I’m redesigning for half that per controller.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Beautiful work, Nick!
I would add numbers to the circuit descriptors, but leaving the spare circuits unlabelled [excepting numbers], thus:
“1 Salon Nav Station
2 Galley Pantry
...
7"
etc

That’s a great idea, I will see if I can fit the numbers in…

[goboatingnow]

One thing that bugs me about so called professional marine electricians is the awful sloppy jobs they do , in my Bavaria the DC is all fed through two large multi-way connectors ( crimp terminals ) so the idea is the whole panel can be removed easily.

Of course over the years the so called professionals ( and I know as I have the ludicrous invoices ) have run dedicated feeds to the breakers bypassing the nice Bavaria multi ways. Now removing the dc panel is a mess

I wouldn’t pay these people tenpence. In fact I’d bill then the costs of a proper install

I’m now contemplating a complete rewire , as I can’t bear what I’m looking at.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

That’s a great idea, I will see if I can fit the numbers in…

Number sequences are great until you add in something new. , personally I use external cross reference lists and Cable ID configurations that are not simple sequences.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

I have designed and built a prototype for a cabin light controller. It has power MOSFET’s for driving 24V lights using PWM and small transistors for driving the 12V LED rings in the switches that I linked to earlier (also PWM) and which I install in ceiling panels etc. to operate the lights incl. dimming functions. It’s all controlled by Arduino microcontroller so I can use touch screens or even apps over wifi to control things incl. groups, themes etc.

My prototype has 32 PWM channels, 16 high power and 16 low power, but it’s too big so I’m redesigning for half that per controller.

Nice. I distribute the dimming locally and connect them by LIN bus.( though my latest use 446 MHz NBFM )

[Boatyarddog]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Who makes the blue ringed breakers

These look to be blue ringed switches, not breakers.
Boatyarddog

[s/v Jedi]

Here’s a picture of the prototype controller I built. It has 32 PWM channels. Lower left corner you see a little switch and blue LED, emulating those nice switches, plus a white LED emulating the cabin lights.

Arduinos are great for these applications because they have so much on board, incl. EEPROM to save stuff like configuration and dimming settings. For the many PWM channels, as well as input ports for switches I use external modules that communicate over I2C with the microcontroller.

[Ivanvet]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

.It’s 15 years or so ago that I designed our fuel system that I have posted about many times. I could use a panel similar to yours! What rotary valves did you use?

I found this fuel selector valve made for cat bass boats. I like the aluminum housing. The valve itself is a plain selector valve, but it comes only in 1/4’’ fittings. I bought bigger valves (5/16” for the engine circuit and 3/8’’ for the polishing/transfer circuit) and switched them.

https://basscatstore.com/fuelselectorvalve.aspx

[goboatingnow]

Ardunios are fine but physically too big. I use the ATTINY range of SMD microcontrollers a lot on the boat. Currently the Bav has 18 of them and this will rise to over 60 !!

[Seaward22]

Recently re-built my panel out of nylon. Main issue I've found is the spade connectors found on every switch I could find. The female part of this type of connector is usually what fails in salt water environment and is difficult to clean while underway. Answer so far was to make spare jumpers (fused buss bar to switch) but that also has it’s drawbacks. Thought about building a stainless steel box for the back of the switches panel and filling it with dielectric gel.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Seaward22

Recently re-built my panel out of nylon. Main issue I've found is the spade connectors found on every switch I could find. The female part of this type of connector is usually what fails in salt water environment and is difficult to clean while underway. Answer so far was to make spare jumpers (fused buss bar to switch) but that also has it’s drawbacks. Thought about building a stainless steel box for the back of the switches panel and filling it with dielectric gel.

I have no trouble when using dielectric grease. I just retired refrigeration compressors with spade connectors 15 years old and still corrosion free.

[kupo2kupo]

A word of caution regarding the round illuminated push-button switches which have become quite popular.

I recently had several electrical events on the boat which fried a lot of electronics, and all of these round switches involved were destroyed. In one instance I caused a short at the AIS power cable which was fused with a 5A fuse, and ran through the switch. The fuse blew, but the switch (rated for 10 or 20A) was destroyed, too.
These switches are quite compact (which is why we like them), but that comes at the cost of very tight contact gaps. I think this is what makes them less robust than the traditional breakers/switches.
There might be differences between different manufacturers, but the switches I fried came from well known companies who sell into the marine electrical space.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by kupo2kupo

A word of caution regarding the round illuminated push-button switches which have become quite popular.

I recently had several electrical events on the boat which fried a lot of electronics, and all of these round switches involved were destroyed. In one instance I caused a short at the AIS power cable which was fused with a 5A fuse, and ran through the switch. The fuse blew, but the switch (rated for 10 or 20A) was destroyed, too.
These switches are quite compact (which is why we like them), but that comes at the cost of very tight contact gaps. I think this is what makes them less robust than the traditional breakers/switches.
There might be differences between different manufacturers, but the switches I fried came from well known companies who sell into the marine electrical space.

Yes, many who sell these and unfortunately relabel them (don’t think there exists a marine switch manufacturer… the popular Blue Sea Systems Contura switches aren’t manufactured specifically for their panels like they claim… they are manufactured by Carling Industries for automotive use. Same with these round switches, you need to find out who manufactures the switches and at which quality level. Price is the most trustworthy indicator, aim at a minimum price of $10 for a switch from China sold in the US at Amazon.