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14-04-2021, 22:38
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Australia
Boat: BUILT!!! Roberts Mauritius 43ft
Posts: 3,561
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Wiring the aft cabin
I now have most of the furniture installed in the aft cabin and now want to do the electrical wiring.
I have brought a negative and positive wire into the aft cabin and want to connect to:
- a down light (reading light)
- an overhead cabin light
- an oscillating fan
I could use a "3 way wire splice" but I don't have one.
I have plenty of different sized cable connectors: is there any problem poking two wires into one end (one in the other) and crimping them?
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15-04-2021, 00:15
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Sydney Australia
Boat: Fisher pilothouse sloop 32'
Posts: 3,413
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Re: Wiring the aft cabin
Quote:
Originally Posted by coopec43
I now have most of the furniture installed in the aft cabin and now want to do the electrical wiring.
I have brought a negative and positive wire into the aft cabin and want to connect to:
- a down light (reading light)
- an overhead cabin light
- an oscillating fan
I could use a "3 way wire splice" but I don't have one.
I have plenty of different sized cable connectors: is there any problem poking two wires into one end (one in the other) and crimping them?
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Oh FFS a pair of small buss bars will sort it quickly and simply, enabling any additions/variations at a later date.
__________________
Rob aka Uncle Bob Sydney Australia.
Life is 10% the cards you are dealt, 90% how you play em
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15-04-2021, 00:38
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Australia
Boat: BUILT!!! Roberts Mauritius 43ft
Posts: 3,561
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Re: Wiring the aft cabin
Quote:
Originally Posted by Uncle Bob
Oh FFS a pair of small buss bars will sort it quickly and simply, enabling any additions/variations at a later date.
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I thought of that but in an aft cabin I can't think of any additions or variations.
I'm 120 km from electrical outlets and I don't want to order a bus bar online (that will take a fortnight and cost me $20)
I'll sort it out but with anything electrical I always worry about fire.
But thanks for taking the time to comment anyway.
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15-04-2021, 00:42
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2008
Location: puɐןsuǝǝnb 'ʎɐʞɔɐɯ
Boat: Nantucket Island 33
Posts: 4,864
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Re: Wiring the aft cabin
Got any BP connectors? They'll work fine. Just put a bit of lanolin grease in them to keep corrosion at bay.
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15-04-2021, 01:02
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#5
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Moderator and Certifiable Refitter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: South of 43 S, Australia
Boat: C.L.O.D.
Posts: 20,241
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Re: Wiring the aft cabin
Quote:
Originally Posted by coopec43
I now have most of the furniture installed in the aft cabin and now want to do the electrical wiring.
I have brought a negative and positive wire into the aft cabin and want to connect to:
- a down light (reading light)
- an overhead cabin light
- an oscillating fan
I could use a "3 way wire splice" but I don't have one.
I have plenty of different sized cable connectors: is there any problem poking two wires into one end (one in the other) and crimping them?
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No problem, stick as many wires as will fit and crimp it down. Electrically it will work and assuming you have provided circuit protection at the other end of the wires (i.e. near the source) and you haven't reduced the gauge of the wires, it will be safe.
Of course to anyone knowledgable, it will look look third rate and cheap-ar#e and they might wonder what else is of low quality.
Or you could use something like
https://www.theboatwarehouse.com.au/...-cover-6-gang/
and get the benefits of individual circuit protection for each item as well as expansion capability. It will also look professional and electrically 'shipshape'.
There are many other variations available on line.
Do it once, do it right and don't confuse cost with value.
However, your boat, your choice and what you proposed will be safe within the parameters emphasised in my second sentence.
__________________
All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangereous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. T.E. Lawrence
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15-04-2021, 01:10
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Australia
Boat: BUILT!!! Roberts Mauritius 43ft
Posts: 3,561
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Re: Wiring the aft cabin
Quote:
Originally Posted by Reefmagnet
Got any BP connectors? They'll work fine. Just put a bit of lanolin grease in them to keep corrosion at bay.
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Thanks Reefmagnet.
I think I do have some of those in my electrical fittings.
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15-04-2021, 01:29
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Australia
Boat: BUILT!!! Roberts Mauritius 43ft
Posts: 3,561
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Re: Wiring the aft cabin
You made some good points.
- Every circuit is fuse protected at the "switchboard" and the cables are a bit oversize.
- You say "Of course to anyone knowledgeable, it will look look third rate and cheap-ar#e". Everything I've done so far has been "by the book" so I won't wear a rough "unprofessional" job.
- I must keep costs in mind so I won't be spending $46 on one of those "things" from theboatwarehouse.
Maybe I'll use a connector terminal strip or a BP Connector as suggested by Reefmagnet. (I have plenty of Connector Terminal Strip)
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15-04-2021, 01:46
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#8
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Moderator and Certifiable Refitter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: South of 43 S, Australia
Boat: C.L.O.D.
Posts: 20,241
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Re: Wiring the aft cabin
Quote:
Originally Posted by coopec43
You made some good points.
- Every circuit is fuse protected at the "switchboard" and the cables are a bit oversize.
- You say "Of course to anyone knowledgeable, it will look look third rate and cheap-ar#e". Everything I've done so far has been "by the book" so I won't wear a rough "unprofessional" job.
- I must keep costs in mind so I won't be spending $46 on one of those "things" from theboatwarehouse.
Maybe I'll use a connector terminal strip or a BP Connector as suggested by Reefmagnet. (I have plenty of Connector Terminal Strip)
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Or one of these ($4.50)
https://www.jaycar.com.au/surface-mo...strip/p/HM3169
__________________
All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangereous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. T.E. Lawrence
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15-04-2021, 02:19
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Australia
Boat: BUILT!!! Roberts Mauritius 43ft
Posts: 3,561
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Re: Wiring the aft cabin
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wotname
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Absolutely definitely!
I'll be down in Perth next week so I'll call in to Jaycar and pick up a few. (In the meantime I can do the rest of the wiring)
I thought there'd be a cheap and professional looking solution.
Thanks
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15-04-2021, 05:18
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Australia
Boat: BUILT!!! Roberts Mauritius 43ft
Posts: 3,561
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Re: Wiring the aft cabin
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wotname
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I plan to join the three closest terminals with multi-stranded copper wire to make them into bus bars- (a negative and a positive) I've got plenty of suitable sized plastic boxes to house them in
Is that the way to go?
(I was looking for something like this last week when I was at Altronics but all they could offer was bus bars at around $25 each)
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15-04-2021, 05:34
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Lake Ont
Posts: 8,547
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Re: Wiring the aft cabin
Quote:
Originally Posted by coopec43
I now have most of the furniture installed in the aft cabin and now want to do the electrical wiring....
I have plenty of different sized cable connectors: is there any problem poking two wires into one end (one in the other) and crimping them?
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As long as the conductors decently fill the connector so that when properly crimped, no conductor can be pulled out... it is a proper connection. You could even - gasp! -twist all 3 wires together and stick them in one end of a butt connector, crimp, and just stick some glue or sealant in the other end (which could be used for more wires in future, as long as the wiring is still sufficient for any added current draw).
Of course this isn't as expandable as using a terminal strip.
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15-04-2021, 05:51
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Australia
Boat: BUILT!!! Roberts Mauritius 43ft
Posts: 3,561
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Re: Wiring the aft cabin
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lake-Effect
As long as the conductors decently fill the connector so that when properly crimped, no conductor can be pulled out... it is a proper connection. You could even - gasp! -twist all 3 wires together and stick them in one end of a butt connector, crimp, and just stick some glue or sealant in the other end (which could be used for more wires in future, as long as the wiring is still sufficient for any added current draw).
Of course this isn't as expandable as using a terminal strip.
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Thanks for that.
I was thinking if it didn't look too professional I can easily hide it from view behind the cupboards (No way in the world am I going to spend $50 on bus bars )
But I think Wotname's suggestion is great: I think that's the way to go
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15-04-2021, 06:15
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Lake Ont
Posts: 8,547
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Re: Wiring the aft cabin
Quote:
Originally Posted by coopec43
Thanks for that.
I was thinking if it didn't look too professional I can easily hide it from view behind the cupboards (No way in the world am I going to spend $50 on bus bars )
But I think Wotname's suggestion is great: I think that's the way to go
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Whatever you choose, it's never a good idea to bury a connection. Connections are most often the weakest link, and also the natural place to rewire or expand from, so they should be reasonably accessable.
This doesn't mean they have to be in your face either . If you can get to them with a screwdriver (eg removing a panel), that's sufficient accessability.
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15-04-2021, 06:56
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2009
Boat: Tartan 37 #6
Posts: 514
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Re: Wiring the aft cabin
Don’t want to be rude,but a connector strip ,in my view would be a ‘cob job’.
Put in a small fuse box,down the road you are bound to want to add something,like USB outlet.
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15-04-2021, 11:03
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Boston's North Shore
Boat: Pearson 10M
Posts: 839
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Re: Wiring the aft cabin
Already you're short a connector. A 3 way crimp connector branches one wire into 2 and you need 1 into 3.
The small fuse panel is the best suggestion if you can find one.
If not a terminal strip can always be replaced with a fuse panel later.
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