What Device Is this ?

[kjames]

Hi all
Just getting to know our 'new to us' boat. 28y.o. Roberts steelie. I just noticed the device shown in the photographs - taken from each side of the vertical panel that it is attached to. The panel is just in front of the motor. I haven’t watched it with the motor running just yet. I assume it is an electrical device. that is a switch at the bottom (circle) of the first photo. Can anyone please tell me what it is? Cheers

[GordMay]

Whatever it may be; it doesn’t seem to be functioning, as there are no wires connected to the terminal block.
Could it be a bilge pump cycle counter/run timer & high water alarm?

[kjames]

Thanks Gord, it is located close to the manual bilge pump so I guess the counter is a possibility. Re wires, that makes sense but then again it turns on with the switch. I'll keep watching it. Cheers

[perchance]

You don't want to mess with that. It's the controls for the matter-anti matter generator. Beam me up Scotty.

[kjames]

now it's all making sense......LOL

[HopCar]

Flux Gate Capacitor, Posted July 4, 2010

[Aussiesuede]

Originally Posted by kjames

Thanks Gord, it is located close to the manual bilge pump so I guess the counter is a possibility. Re wires, that makes sense but then again it turns on with the switch. I'll keep watching it. Cheers

Yep, that's what it is (Bilge Pump Counter) - but it's not hooked up to any of the bilge pumps. Since it turns on and off, sand the rust off one of the terminals run a test wire to the supply side of a bilge pump. Looks like it's in working order.

[kjames]

thanks Aussiesuede, pardon my ignorance but is a Bilge Pump Counter very useful?

[Aussiesuede]

Originally Posted by kjames

thanks Aussiesuede, pardon my ignorance but is a Bilge Pump Counter very useful?

A counter is very useful. It allows you to ascertain what the average number of daily/weekly cycles are for your bilge pump and then it becomes very obvious that something may be amiss when there is a spike in pump activity. If your pump activates itself a couple times weekly then all of a sudden you see that it's activated itself 30 times recently - then you'd immediately start looking for a leak that might otherwise go unnoticed. Same holds true if all of a sudden your pump never records an activation. Would be your first alert that a bilge pump has died. For a sub $50 item, it's a no brainer imho.

[pillum]

I'm not sure this is a bilge pump counter at all. Given that it's an old steel boat, I think it's more likely to be an old (hopefully replaced) Impressed Current Cathodic Protection controller.

[Bash]

That's your DCLM. (Depth Charge Launch Mechanism.)

No longer sold at West Marine.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by pillum

I'm not sure this is a bilge pump counter at all. Given that it's an old steel boat, I think it's more likely to be an old (hopefully replaced) Impressed Current Cathodic Protection controller.

I would agree, if those little words left of the numbers says DC Volts or millivolts. Is there a label or tag anywhere on it?

[MarkSF]

It looks a lot like the amp-hour meter on my boat. It's intended to tell you how many amp-hours you've used from the batteries since they were last charged. It never seems to produce an even vaguely sensible reading. If those little characters say AH or similar, that's it for sure.

[pillum]

Originally Posted by delmarrey

I would agree, if those little words left of the numbers says DC Volts or millivolts. Is there a label or tag anywhere on it?

Yep, you may be right, or the label may have been cleaned/painted over. The screen has the + sign and a decimalised display, this is not usual with a simple counter.

Ahh, but having said this, everything I say may be wrong.

[kjames]

I thank you all for your replies. I'm going out in the boat tomorrow all being well, and will investigate a bit further. Will let you know anything I find. Cheers