Reddit mentions: The best boat electrical equipment

Hey everyone! Not sure who's been reading my updates but heres another one about upcoming changes on the mod I'll be testing this Sunday as well as restating where I'm at. If you haven't read my last update then let me start there.
I have wired up in my back housing a usb type C breakout board and a rocker switch to my batteries to bypass the vita as the source of charging. The positive lead from the battery and the vita is interrupted and the switch is here. When you open the switch (off position) it isolates the batteries from the vita allowing them to charge safely wile removing the possibility of grounding though the vita and frying the device. This also acts like I'm physically pulling the battery without opening the device so thats a plus.
Now that recharging is possible without the vita as a limitation this mod is amazing! My only thought moving forward is lifetime on the batteries that are parallel. From research I shouldn't have too many issues as ive taken every step to make sure they are the same as well as physically checking voltages with multimeter before last solder job. With that said i have a large 8000mah battery coming in 10/11 that i will rig up on 10/13 and will let everone know how its working by next week!
I love the enthusiasm of some people who have tried this and say its not possible and dangerous BUT I haven't ruined a single battery or any parts of my vita yet by simply doing research on the current bottleneck and using knowledge I have in digital logic and circuitry to bypass the issue and address it! I will be making another post if this 8000mah battery works or not showing the wiring and explain again how it works.
Much love to the vita community!

All parts used (rocker was purchased at local shop so thats just matching specs)


Smart charger for directly charging battery without using the vita port
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07BFWHD7G?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
USB type C Breakout board as direct charging port
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07PVBM4FT?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Rocker switch to break circuit when charging
https://www.amazon.com/Uxcell-a16121900ux0202-Position-Rocker-Switches/dp/B071NFKHV6/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?keywords=120v+rocker+mini&qid=1570722598&sr=8-15
USB type C Connector for charger cable
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01787LKDI?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

1. Wire wise - Amazon - look up Anchor Tinned Wire and get a 25' section of 8ga 2 wire red/black at biggest (radio, plus lights, plus accessories ) but 12ga with 2 wires should be fine for small electronics.
   
   
   Example:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Ancor-121510-Marine-Duplex-Cables/dp/B000NUYBW0/
   
   
2. Lack of a Switch or Disconnect - don't do this. A) Danger Will Robinson ! B) is not approved by coasties/inspection most places. Get a proper battery switch. Put this switch between the battery Positive and the motor positive and your accessories positive. The ground/black from the motor, from the accessories etc can all go right to the negative terminal on the battery. We're only switching the 12+ Positive side.
   
   
   Example:
   
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Perko-8501DP-Marine-Battery-Selector/dp/B00144B6AE
   
   
   
   
   I say these things for the following reasons:
   
   
3. you'll eventually wanna sell the boat and upgrade to something bigger. When I as a buyer see things like accessory wiring going right to the battery instead of a battery switch - I use items like that to lowball the fuck out of the seller. It also says "if they did this janky to save $20, what else did they do janky" ?
   
   
   
4. Safety - you always need a way to 100% disconnect electronics. This can be because of a fire, a mystery battery drain, long term storage etc. We want a disconnect from the battery. Now that said - plugging and unplugging a quick connect/ disconnect versus a proper battery switch is a GREAT way to blow yourself up depending where the gas fumes are, where your gas tank is, etc. It's one more possible thing to corrode as well as ignite. Make sure when you do your charging etc you are careful (connect the tender first THEN plug it into the wall outlet)
   
   
   
5. Long term usage - the more correct you do it now, the more money you save in the long run making small repairs later.
   
   
   
   Wiring Example:
   
   
   https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRrykWkGL7Y6N6zwAiDNcYPNvgQglOC4aJx0ntB9qn2Iv_INk1TUQ

1.

Which wires specifically? In general, I was planning on going for heat-shrink solder terminal connectors and crimp connectors.

One of the reasons I posted this is because there are quite a few connectors and I am still not entirely 100% sure what I need. Obviously when screwing something in to a screw terminal block, the ring crimp connectors. But when joining wires, I would prefer to use the heat-shrink-solder type, but there are also butts and blades (heh).

I bought this set of terminals, figured I'd need them anyways: Assorted crimp terminals

I am probably going to buy this set of solder terminals: Fancy solder terminals

I am pretty good at soldering (though usually circuit boards, not automotive wires, hence not entirely knowing what to do.) I have easy access to a heat gun as well.

2.

Well, both - the breaker goes on the battery, and it sets the maximum amperage for the entire new fuse block and everything attached to it. The fuses go for each individual circuit. I want to use just one fuse for each circuit, instead of having several different circuits sitting on the same fuse, largely for my own desire for neatness and debug-ability. I could have one main fuse instead of the main breaker, but I figure that they will serve the same function and I may as well go for the re-usable option.

I was going to go for this breaker: Fat breaker

That said, I bought this fuse kit, which includes up to a 35A fuse, which will be more than enough. I also bought this fuse holder, in case I decide to use one main fuse instead of one main breaker. (I figured I'd need both of these anyways for some project, may as well get them even if I don't use them right now.)

Fuse Kit

In-line Fuse Holder

---

In general, I think my system will basically look like this:

Battery 12V + Breaker = safe 12V

Save 12V + ignition 12V (do I need a fuse here?) + Relay = ignition-switched 12V

Ignition-hot 12V + Fuse Block + ATC/ATO Fuses = eight fused circuits

Fused circuits, obviously, feeding from above. I will probably add a 20A switch in line with high-power circuits, just in case, as an emergency switch.

Fused circuits will terminate at something like this Ground Bar.

 

What do you think of this proposed setup?

I do realize that it's kind of overkill for what I want.

But you can probably agree that overkill is better than your car burning down!

Ok let me start at the beginning.

I now own my RadRover eBike for almost 7 months. Great bike, I'm closing in at 4000km on it. The bike is great but comes standard with a 48v battery and while it's decent, it doesn't compare to the Luna Dolphin 52v I run through it mostly.

I bought my 52v dolphin pack from luna cycle, as well as the advance 300 watt charger, their top model.

I always leave all my chargers plugged in even when not charging. None of my chargers have a problem except this advance charger I bought from luna.

After just 4 weeks the LCD stopped working that gave out the voltage read out, I had it warrantied, they send me a new LCD. And the weird thing is they had me manually open up the charger and do the replacement myself, rather then sending in the unit for exchange.

4 Weeks later the same LCD blew. I kept using the charger for another 2 months, and then the charger stopped working all together. I contacted support again, and they told me that the chargers are not very durable and should not be moved around, I told them it was in the same spot in my garage but they refused to replace it. They send me a 2Amp 52v charger instead, ($35)

I got pretty fed up.

I went to youtube to look for other options and I came across this a video of a Swedish guy who build his own charger.

Components looked solid and I have my own printer so I can customize it so I thought why not.

The whole reason this and many other chargers like this are failing is due to poor cooling, they have a 1x1" fan to cool as 12" box thats loaded with crap, this is why I wanted to do my own design that would focus around cooling.

Here is what I ordered

$12 - 2 of Bgears b-Blaster 90mm 2 Ball Bearing High Speed Extreme Airflow Fan

• https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0043GQJ5M/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  getting returned * $45 - LETOUR Power Supply 12V 40A 500W AC 110V/220V Voltage Converter
  
• https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01HRLNJ0M/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  $22 - DROK® Digital Multimeter DC 6.5-100V 20A Voltage Amperage Power Energy Meter
  
• https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B017FSED9I/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  $45 - Yeeco Numerical Control DC DC Boost Voltage Converter, 6-60V to 6-90V 10A 600W
  
• https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B06ZXYL8PK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  $36 - DROK DC-DC Numerical Control Step Down Voltage Converter, 6-65V to 0-60V 8A 400W
  
• https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01MSJQAKY/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  $13 - Yeeco DC Motor Speed Control Driver Board 3V-35V 5A PWM Controller
  
• https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00XJH2978/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  $11 - DIGITEN DC 12V LED Digital Thermometer -50-220F Fahrenheit Temperature + Temp Probe Red
  
• https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00VJ8JS14/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  $7 - Switch I had one already but something like this will work
  
• https://www.amazon.ca/SODIAL-Light-Illuminated-Rocker-Switch/dp/B00ZE9T0XK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1509649542&sr=8-7&keywords=on+off+switch
  
  $10 - Screws I also had to mount the controllers + power supply to the PLA
  
  $3 - LED Lights
  
• https://www.amazon.ca/ZHUOTOP-Flexible-Strip-Waterproof-Popular/dp/B01DVYMP9K/ref=sr_1_5?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1509649670&sr=1-5&keywords=12v+led+strip
  
  $8 - Header Set of raisers x 2
  
• https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B012C598XU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
  $25 - PLA Wasted about 1 roll
  
  total 212 CAD or $165 US
  
  I've been printing for a couple months now so still a noob, and learning how to create in fusion 360, but for a first project it turned out pretty good.
  
  I first tried this with a 500 watt 12V 40AMP power supply, which i though would work great with the step up converter to bring it up to 58.8v for my 52v battery, but it didn't, it's actually kinda bullshit advertising.
  
  the 600 Watt step up converter I bought can only step up to 600 watts at 60v, at 12v it can only output 120 watts, 10a x 12v. Basically this charger could only charge at 120 watts / 58.8v, roughly 2 amps, or what a basic shitty charger that comes with the bike can do. No point of going through all this to make a 2 amp charger.
  
  So I opted to switch to a 48v power supply, so i can get close to 480 watts out of the charger.
  
  The new power supply came in and I got it up and running, but for the hell of me could not charge at more then 4 amps, I tested with bigger wires, and I didn't know why it was dropping to 30v under load. Then as i was putting it away for return, I saw the stupid small side switch that was set on 220v instead of 110v. I swapped it over to 110v, and viola the charger was flying at just over 7 amps, 7 x 53v or almost 400 watts.
  
  Now it was time to build a case for this thing.
  
  I designed the case in fusion 360 with cooling in mind, so I put 2 high cfm fans in, one at the top blowing air out, and the one on the bottom sucking air in.
  
  Since the power supply is almost the size of my 300mm print bed, I knew I had to print it in 2 pieces and assemble it after.
  
  Final assembly is still in progress, I have everything mounted in, cables hidden as much as I could, waiting on more black PLA, so i can reprint the top and make the bottom translucent with the LEDs behind.
  
  I'm also waiting on more raisers to come, so I can bring the adjustable LCD for the Step up converter above the front cover. This way I can switch between the pre-sets I programed in, 48V Slow / Fast / Preserve ( 85% ) & 52V Slow / Fast / Preserve ( 85% )
  
  I have a temp gauge in and it's showing a good 10 degrees cooler with the fans on. The whole idea of the fans is just to make a wind tunnel through the whole case. The step up and step down converter fans have been removed as they are not needed anymore. I also added a variable DC-DC knob thingy so I can adjust the fan speed, depending how fast I charge.
  
  Before you say You shouldn't charge at such high amps, I actually charge around 6 amps on my 52v which has the upgraded high discharge rate cells and can handle alot more then 6 amps. And for the 48v stock battery I just run it at 3 Amps all day and it's pretty happy.
  
  Questions ?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  video of Nexi and his project
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGrBT_P9Xfc
  
  

Yeah, you'll definitely want more. However, I sort of question how much battery capacity you have to begin with. That's ALOT. What are you running?

If you could cut some capacity (and space/weight), it would allow you to top off the smaller amount easier, which is probably better for their longevity. Keeping them at a continual partial state of charge is much worse than closer to full.

I figure daily solar/alternator should be able to cover 1.5-2 days of usage, and battery capacity should cover 3-4 days usage (to make up for days when you don't drive/have sun).

And no, the issue isn't with the alternator - the limiting factor is the current that the batteries themselves can accept. The alternator is probably running at 10% output when they get to 85% SOC. I dont know the specs of the CTEK unit, but I suppose it is possible that if a device were to trick the alternator into outputting higher voltage and/or convert it to a higher voltage, then more current would flow into the batteries. I know in the marine world people get some pretty fancy (and expensive) alternator regulators that have multi-stage charging profiles which presumably give a little extra speed. But it doesnt seem like an economical choice to be honest, and surely has efficiency losses that would negate some of the benefits. I'd rather put the money towards another solar panel or two.

One device that I had looked into, but didnt end up getting because I got lithium batteries and needed a different setup, was this:

• https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Alternator-Battery-Charger-130A/dp/B008BJ44Q8/ref=pd_sbs_263_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=3MTH581C89SS5KJPCPTB
  
• http://www.sterling-power-usa.com/SterlingPower12volt130ampalternatortobatterycharger.aspx
  
  It seems much more promising than the CTEK units that I've seen around here. It actually does what I was saying - tricking the alternator and converting voltages to optimal levels.
  
  But again, I'd just get more solar.

My suggestion would be to get a magpul (~$30ish) mount and put an Armytek in it. (Probably a partner, about 35-40ish). Eventually cheaper lights crap out on recoil, even for light recoiling guns like an AR. Try the magpul mount, as I know it works with heavy use. Alternatively, streamlight makes a mount and light combo on amazon for $60 but I can't attest to how well it works.

Ideally if you're going to buy something like this for hard use it might be worthwhile to just wait a little and save up for like a stream light protac with a more solid mount like an IWC Thorntail.

Link to magpul mount:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00CQ8FWCU/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494794559&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=magpul+flashlight+mount&dpPl=1&dpID=51Fc8FYJOiL&ref=plSrch

Link to armytek:
https://www.armytek.com/products/flashlights/hunting-and-military/armytek-partner-a2/


Link to Streamlight combo:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00HRD8UN2/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1494794559&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=magpul+flashlight+mount&dpPl=1&dpID=41jDluHG7FL&ref=plSrch

Link to Streamlight Protac:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01AXR8JGG/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1494794984&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=streamlight%2Bprotac&dpPl=1&dpID=419HR0uzY5L&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1

Link to IWC mount(s):
http://www.impactweaponscomponents.com/product/thorntail-scout-by-iwc-haley-strategic-partners/

No idea where to get a new pump. I did recently replace the switches on ours with these ones on Amazon, they fit perfect and work great: red & green.

Let us know if you do find a source for a new pump, I would love to be able to do that at some future point. Good luck!

Just some things to think about from someone who has never worked with romex cable and has no idea of the US electric code.

From experience if you cut it once, you or someone else will cut it again in the future. You might know where it is and remember from your mishap but others even after being warned won't have your experience and the same thing eventually will happen.

If you are not going to rerun the cable at a more robust way at the least you should dig and plant something like pavement bricks over the whole run of the cable. This would make someone stop and think before continuing digging with a pickaxe or running an earth tiller over it.

If you want to repair the cable there are some specialty repair kits for cable from cheap to very expensive. Depending how much you pay a kit will bring the cable as close to its former tensile strength and electric insulation. Go too cheap and moisture/water will eventually go in the connection which can corrode the terminal blocks and leak electricity to the surrounding area or between the cut cables.

I am from europe where round cables are the norm so don't really know about weatherizing something like a mostly flat romex cable so I can't recommend any commercial product. From what you have in Amazon the nearest I would get is something like this one, the gel would keep moisture/water out but there is very little tensile strengthening. For me electric insulation is very important as in my country everything is run after a RCD(GFCI) so any electrical leakage would trip it.

A DIY kit would be to get something like 2 watertight romex fittings and a waterproof junction box. Drill appropriate holes for the fittings and attach the fittings. Pass the cables, tighten them and do the electrical connections inside the box with some terminal blocks. Fill the box with some kind of electrical insulation gel and close it.

Whatever repair you do put at least something on top of the connection to protect it and mark it for future troubleshooting.

Here’s my write up on JeepForum

This is the fuse block I used

I used 6-position covered terminal blocks similar to these, although I got them for $3/ea at a local store

This was my ground bus bar. it was cheaper when I bought it, and 10-position is nice but I probably could’ve gotten away with less

These are the waterproof sealed relays I would recommend

This is the circuit breaker I wish I used, but I had the 150A on hand. I’ll probably swap it out at some point

Edit: to add on, I used heatshrink on noninsulated female disconnects so that I could have everything properly color coordinated for easier work if I needed to make repairs/modifications in the future. I only used 1/4” Red/Yellow/Black HS on the board :)

EDIT 2: I used the wrong link for my writeup. It's fixed now!

Yes I think getting the batteries to a known state is the best first step. Once they're fully charged by a decent charger you can just let them sit 24hrs and see what the voltage is then. Healthy batteries should settle down to 12.6v after being disconnected from the charger. If they go much lower, or more to the point if they continue dropping below 12.3 while they're disconnected then they're bad and probably can't be recovered.

A trickle charger won't do it though, you need something that has a setting for sla vs flooded batteries and that can drive at least 10A and you need a voltmeter and ammeter, built in is best - some way to continuously monitor the progress. If it's not a quality 3-stage charger then just watch it as the voltage rises to 14.4-14.5 and then watch for the amp draw to fall off. The rule I go by for terminating charging is 5% of the 20 hour amps capacity rating of the batteries. If those are 100AH for 20 hours rated then that's obviously 5A. When the charge current drops to 5A you're done with that one.

Note that most solar charge controllers require that the solar inputs to the controller never be active unless there's a battery connected on the battery side first. I blew up a Chinese controller this way once though not nearly as nice a one as you have there ($12 on Amazon).

Any 10A or bigger charger will work provided it can be set for sla batteries

These following units are cheaper on marine sites. Just google the model number.

A good one:

https://www.amazon.com/ProMariner-43012-ProSport-Generation-Battery/dp/B00F5EBR1C/ref=mp_s_a_1_7

A superb charger for permanent install as generator driven backup to your solar:

https://www.amazon.com/ProMariner-63170-ProNauticP-2420P-Battery/dp/B004S63NIS/ref=mp_s_a_1_4

Depending on your lights, something like this is probably sufficient. Pair that up with one of these and you should be able to run it all night on a single charge (math says up to 16 hours, but I'd stick to 12 to avoid over-taxing the battery).

Stick the battery in a good waterproof box, like /u/NoLA_Owl mentioned. Run a car lighter through the box into the battery (with a fuse - you'll be surrounded by water and shorts are bad). Maybe wire in a switch, if you're so inclined. Apply liberal amounts of Marine Goop/silicone where any wires enter the box and you're good to go.

Tie off the box to your kayak, or to a good long line with a bit of pool noodle at the end. If that box falls overboard for any reason, it's going to sink right to the bottom (the battery is basically a lead brick). The line will let you find it and pull it back up.

FUSE ALL THE THINGS!

You'll never go wrong putting more fuses in. Find what the item pulls, put in a fuse of just a touch over that amount. So if it pulls 13 amps of 12VDC, put in a 15A fuse in the positive (red) line going between the battery and that item. Do that for everything.

Get a fuse block. It makes it MUCH easier and looks prettier. :)

12 volt switches are dirt cheap. All you need is a bit of plywood, a drill, electrical cables, some soldering skill and the switches themselves.

You can buy 10-packs of switches for 10 bucks. Higher quality ones are a few bucks each, but probably worth it for reliability.

Something like (but not necessarily exactly this):

https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Toggle-Flick-Switch-Light/dp/B015DOGAV0/

If you want indicators that a circuit is on that's easy too (a light that goes on when it's active) - LED lights that are ready to add to a panel are also cheap. Though you can choose what level of quality you want to go for. These look decent (possibly too bright).

https://www.amazon.com/PLUG-N-PLAY-Instrument-Indicator-Aluminum-Speedometer/dp/B01F2GSZRG/

If you want a fuse on every circuit the way that panel you linked to has, you can buy fuse holders also.

https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Panel-Mount-Holder-Screw/dp/B0087YASSA for example.

Nice, glad to hear she is back up and running! I've had a slow battery drain in my tow vehicle for years. It will kill a battery while sitting over the course of about 3 weeks. After days of fruitless searches trying to find the drain, I eventually just broke down and left it hooked up to a battery tender so that it was always at full charge when I needed it. For my case, a Battery Tender jr. with a cigarette lighter adapter has worked great for me for over 10 years now. If your boat is not protected from the elements, you could also consider the water proof version of the battery tender.

One last thought that has saved me from worrying about any of this on my boat is to install a battery switch, so that you can simply turn off all connections to the battery when you are not using the boat. I currently use this one with two group 27 batteries. You could do something similar if you suspect you have a power drain. You do not need to add the second battery if you don't want, instead you can just get a simple on off switch like this. Though it is nice peace of mind when you are offshore to know you have a backup. Happy boating! Let me know if you have any more questions.

Have you seen this?

Sterling BB1230-12 Volt, 30 Amps - Pro Batt Ultra Battery to Battery Charger https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071DMV7PF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Xg9RCb3FA8T5T

Its able to charge LFP AGM etc, theres only 2 reviews and one is probably from the company, but it seems like a great solution. The issue is that its not readily set up for direct solar hookup and you need an extra MPPT charge controller for that.

There’s cheaper ones and more expensive ones but if you type “RV battery cutoff switch” into google a bunch come up. Mine is mounted outside, on the outside of my battery boxes so I got the slightly more expensive “blue sea” switch, but they all are pretty good and should last for years exposed to the elements.

https://www.amazon.ca/Blue-Sea-Systems-6007-Switch-Red/dp/B000MMFJH0/ref=asc_df_B000MMFJH0/?tag=googlemobshop-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=292944043432&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=10732330413086149174&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-434093571586&psc=1

(I’m Canadian hence the Amazon.ca link, if your American you’ll get MUCH better pricing!)

First, my needs:

1. Power 1/2 LED monitors at ~30W each
   
2. Occasionally charge laptop
   
3. LED lighting
   
4. 2 Maxxair fans
   
   
   Second, the components:
   
   Panels/controller https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B8L6EFA
   
   Battery https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ACKDGPS
   
   Y connectors https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N4ELRSH
   
   Cable entry https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CSEXW2S
   
   2 Gauge wire https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KD2756W
   
   Terminal rings https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005V9UWB2
   
   Crimp tool https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003X51S00
   
   Terminal block https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000S5Q2VS
   
   Busbars https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0091VHLW4
   
   Inverter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MDXS0U
   
   Vent vans https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002OW5JIU
   
   Monitors https://www.asus.com/us/Monitors/PB278Q/
   
   Puck lights https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ODSAR12
   
   Strip lights https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IQOV13G
   
   Fuse box https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001P6FTHC
   
   Killswitch https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005DUUL9W
   
   Switches https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XFJW1SB
   
   Dimmer https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L8KP16E
   
   
   I know my needs are fairly minimal. I see opportunity to grow with this system if I ever need to. I’m excited to lay it out with the actual parts soon and begin thinking about it in the real world.
   
   Any suggestions, info or questions are completely welcome. I know little about electrical, only what I’ve learned from reddit and youtube. Thanks pals and again /u/StolidSentinel for the help and replies to all my messages and questions!

>I'm fairly ignorant of electric systems on boats.


I hope you're comfortable with how basic 12VDC electrics work and are asking about how to wire them in a marine environment.


Preface, I'm not a certified marine electrician but I've done a ton of work re-wiring, custom work on all kinds of sail and power boats.


Tools:
>I do have a cheap harbor freight multi-meter

good, now you're going to need a way to crimp those shitty connectors and some dielectric grease.


Unless of course you want to solder all your connections (this is my preference as it doesn't vibrate loose or corrode as quickly), then follow NASA's soldering method s and yuu'll need some rosin cored solder and and a soldering iron, you'll also need to use a crimp connector without the pre-molded shrink wrap and some heat shrink tubing


Ok... got your tools? great, now for supplies.


You'll need a buss bar on your ground


Measure how much wire you need, (are you re-wiring the mast?) and use 14/2 AWG marine grade wire.


If you're only using 1 battery you can get away with a simple switch like this. From the devices & lights you listed It sounds like you can use 10AWG to connect your battery to your switch then to the 14 gang panel.


You'll need a way to label your wires, I use one of these but if you're doing one job you might want to use something cheaper.

Ok... now on the to the fun part


Plan where you're going to mount your panel and pull a single RED 10AWG from there to your battery shut off switch and another strand from you battery to the switch.


Pull 10 AWG from the battery to the buss bar.


pull all the 14awg from the lights to the panel labeling each 14/2 wire as you go


red goes to the fuse block, black goes to the buss bar then to the negative on the gang block, label everything at the connection points, big red wire goes from battery switch to the bolt on the 14 gang, big black wire goes to the buss bar.


install new things, as each device is hooked up test the fuse and switch, then install the new thing.

Edit: I forgot to mention, use dielectric grease on all metal fittings to reduce corrosion.


edit 1: put a fuse between your battery and shut off ont the red wire

I've got similar electrical needs to you, currently move between inverness and the central belt and have 290w on the roof. There have a couple times where it's been dreary for a few days and the batteries have rundown near to 50%, so in those events I've limited my usage and gone for a wee drive the next day. Hasn't happened too often though.

If you're driving every day you might be fine without solar but I would look in to a proper battery charger like one of these (https://www.amazon.com/Sterling-BB1230-12-Volt-30-Amps/dp/B071DMV7PF/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535726827&sr=8-1&keywords=sterling+bb1230). I only mention it because my 'smart' relay only pushes 14.6v in to the batteries which isn't enough for an equalize charge and they'd end up dieing prematurely if it was the only charging source.

I'll plug this fridge too as it's awesome and uses very little power.

because I wasn't sure of the term haha.

A bus bar would be perfect. Now I just need to find a cheap one that has a cover; though I could print one if need be.

this is pretty nice for the price http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Common-Busbar/dp/B0091VHLW4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1408979981&sr=8-7&keywords=terminal+bus+bar

This is what I'm getting for the fuse panel. Assuming its the same because it has amazing reviews:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000THQ0CQ/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=28SKLWNIL5EQ8&coliid=I2HR7EF5SBDL63&psc=1

I'll check out the buss bar, thanks!

Get a marine 12v distribution panel so you can have fuses. Then wire one run to some yacht lights and one run to a cigar plug and USB ports.

Quick, easy, cheap, and SAFE!

If you do decide to go with an auxiliary panel, these have been working very well on my Jeep project and I wouldn't hesitate to use them on customer vehicles. I've got one routing key-on power and another hot at all times. They're surprisingly well built for being aftermarket.

When paddling at night, you're supposed to have bow and stern lights. Here's a set that I got off of amazon. If you look in the reviews, you'll see pictures of people and how they have them attached to their yaks. Of course you can always visit the youtube, or even search this sub for light ideas and setups.

Edit: have a friend who uses this kind of light he likes it because he can just suction it on when he wants. He's tied a string/rope to it, and affixed it to the handle so if it loses suction he doesn't lose the light (despite it being able to float).

I went with one of these.

Highly recommended by other dwellers and This blog has a great review on it.

I have a Mossberg 590A1 (18" barrel / bead sight) with...

• Magpul Stock and Forend
  
  
• HiViz Fiber Optic Sight
  
  
• Magpul L2 MOE Rail Section
  
  
• Magpul Rail Light Mount (Left)
  
  Loaded with Federal Tactical Law Enforcement 8-pellet 00 buckshot. I'm very happy with it.
  
  Don't forget to practice frequently with whatever you end up choosing.

Try and find if there is a parasitic draw:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/a5859/how-to-stop-car-battery-drains/

If you don't want to find the cause of the drain just put in a battery disconnect switch. You could run it all the way to the cabin of the car so you don't need to open/close the hood every time you start the car and turn it off.

For under the hood: http://www.harborfreight.com/battery-disconnect-switch-97853.html

For mounting in car (you'll need to run two wires from battery to this switch): http://www.amazon.com/Marinco-701-Battery-Disconnect-Switch/dp/B005DUUL9W/ref=sr_1_8?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1452027739&sr=1-8&keywords=remote+battery+disconnect


Super fancy remote controlled one; http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Prog-Brain-T3-Protector/dp/B000P4H9W8/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1452027739&sr=1-1&keywords=remote+battery+disconnect

Seems like you're looking for something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Magpul-Industries-Light-Mount-Black/dp/B00CQ8FWCU

OK, we are going to try to get one of these. How to I know which one is the correct one?

https://www.amazon.com/Perko-8501DP-Marine-Battery-Selector/dp/B00144B6AE/ref=lp_2598388011_1_1?srs=2598388011&ie=UTF8&qid=1554134911&sr=8-1

I suppose the cables go on the same way?

​

I put a fuse between the panels/charge controller and the charge controller/battery. I used this fuse holder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000THTBZO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T2_cyhozb0Q7812D

Also, it may be worth while to pick up a fuse block that way there you can easily add additional 12v stuff without messing with the battery https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000THQ0CQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_dp_T2_vChozbH1TGQ27

feel free to PM me/reply if you have any additional questions

Innovative Lighting Portable LED Bow Light with Suction Cup https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00108UN9Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_d6cqzb2YBKT8K

You don't have to use Armyteks mount. I run my Viking pro in this Magpul mount. The Viking has a 1" diameter body so it will fit in any mount that can hold a 1" light.

There is a metric shit ton of options. Something like this for an offset
https://www.amazon.com/Magpul-Industries-Light-Mount-Black/dp/B00CQ8FWCU

Viking tactics also makes a popular one. Do a search and you'll have plenty to choose from. 1" is the standard so virtually all mounts should work as long as they attach to a pict

Will do. https://www.amazon.com/BEP-701-Battery-Switches-On-Off/dp/B005DUUL9W/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1521649402&sr=8-7&keywords=battery+cutoff

And yeah, the idea is to not kill myself. This is my first large project, although I have messed with low voltage stuff in the form of robotics for years.

This sub has been very helpful. I mean except for the shitter who keeps on hoping I die, thats not very helpful.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000THQ0CQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also... get bus bars... you'll need at least 2... (NEG and POS.. duh) these make your life so much easier when you are hooking 10 things to a single ground, for example... https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Common-Busbar/dp/B0091VHLW4/

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-5025-Blade/dp/B000THQ0CQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498570433&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+sea+fuse+block

Power and ground used to go directly from radio (under the rear seat), through the firewall gasket (above driver's left foot), across the engine bay, to the battery. With inline fuses about 6 inches from the battery.

Now I have it powered slightly different, but with the same problem. I reused that same line coming from the battery, but it does not go to my radio. It goes to a distribution block, and then to my radio (FT857d).

Would it be better for me to ground using one of the chair bolts or something instead of running ground to the negative battery post? Or both?

I don't mean to hijack OP's fresh install post with my busted install's issues :-P, perhaps I should make a post of my own.

Absolutely worth it. I have an Engel fridge and I originally wasn't going to do solar. But I found that If I wanted to park for more than a day or if I didn't drive at least 50 miles everyday, the battery would slowly drain down to the cutoff point within a week. I installed one 100-watt panel and I can leave the van parked for as long as i want and the battery stays charged and I never have to turn off the fridge.

I just use a continuous-duty solenoid that connects the house and main batteries when the ignition is on for alternator charging. Nothing fancy. And a sunsaver charge controller for the solar here's a link list I made for a friend who installed a similar setup:

Solar Panel:
http://www.amazon.com/Grape-Solar-GS-STAR-100W-Polycrystalline-100-watt/dp/B00CAVMMMG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438626722&sr=8-1&keywords=grape+solar

Mounting Feet:
http://www.amazon.com/Grape-Solar-GS-ZB-Fab1-Zippity-Off-Grid/dp/B00MS8AKUM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1438626722&sr=8-5&keywords=grape+solar

Connectors:
http://www.amazon.com/Islandoffer-Pairs-Female-Solar-Connectors/dp/B00A8TRKJW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438633077&sr=8-1&keywords=MC4+connectors

Charge Controller (don't skimp here and don't get an MPPT controller for just a panel or three):
http://www.amazon.com/Morningstar-SS-20L-12V-SunSaver-Charge-Controller/dp/B007NNHUHI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1438633118&sr=8-3&keywords=sunsaver

Battery:
I got the x2 Power from Batteries plus. it's not bad, but the battery i should have gotten is this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Lifeline-GPL-27T-AGM-Battery/dp/B004OA25PU/ref=pd_sim_sbs_200_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=0P8HYGYQ24QVWZARFF4Z - which Batteries plus should be able to get, which means less or no shipping.

Fuse Block:
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Blade-Block/dp/B000THQ0CQ/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1438633797&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=blue+sea+fuse

Volt meter:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BZPNICG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Solenoid:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064MX7US/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687442&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0050I94XG&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0F2ZN9606RB53XSFR2EC

You likely have a battery selector switch. You only need 1 battery. The other is a backup. If you run your trolling motor, livewell, stereo, etc you might kill the battery. In that case you would just switch to the other battery.

It’s made by blue sea systems. And they make a ton of different sizes.

Blue Sea Systems 5025 ST Blade Fuse Block - 6 Circuits with Negative Bus and Cover https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000THQ0CQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_PR2QCbPH5WP6S