Long lasting switch panel

[Vickypoint]

I want to buy a reliable long lasting waterproof switch panel for my 4 mt tinnie. Any suggestions re a good brand. And where do I get it.

Tight lines/Cold beers

[finga64]

mate, you can buy waterproof switches (12volt 10ampere) from tricky Dick Smith (cat # P7664) and put them in your old panel. Bloody dear though at $13.50 each or you can get the metal toggle switches and put a weather proof hood (cat # H1914 or H1915, around the $4 mark each) on them. If you get somebody there that has a bit of brains you should be able to get brass fuse holders for your old panel as well #
good luck

[drb]

or you could save youself all that trouble and go buy one from any chandlery....
bias, whitworths, glasscraft will al have them.... cost between $40 aND $90

[MAD-MIC]

Good call Finga.

I am at the stage where I am slowly fitting out my first boat and as an ex-sparky I have been carefully looking around to see what's out there in the marine world in terms of electrical switchgear.

Frankly the range out there is crap, dominated by a main distributor (B L A) and a couple of others in every single chandlery you go to. It's all cheap and nasty shit and none of it looks like it will last a hell of a long time especially in an open boat around salt air. I have worked out too that the best option is to buy decent quality metal switches (Narva is a good brand) and use those plastic boots for better insulation.

Flmath - make sure you use good quality marine connectors and wiring too.

[finga64]

go the old sparkies
I have never seen a decent fuse/switch panel yet for marine use..
The rocker type switches and the push in type fuses used on some of the flasher panels are a problem waiting to happen.. beware, especially if you are like me and hose the c-rap out of the boat when your cleaning..
I have changed heaps for other people to ones that I have made up and have never had a fault. (touch wood )
it seems that the majority of panels you buy (BLA) do not use good quality switches or fuses. On my own boat I made a panel up in 1994 and still works good as gold. A case of false economy if you spend $50-60 dollars on a panel and it last one or two years or you spend the same amount on good quality switches and fuses and they last for years to come and not have any problems.
I see a lot of people in these forums stressing the importance of good quality tinned wire but nobody talks about the switches/fuses.
Another important issue is when you join wires. Always, always use a heat shrink with resin in it.. Usually heat shrink doesn't have a resin in it like hot melt glue. The good stuff has and it gives the joint a proper waterproof seal. A fare bit dearer then the normal heat shrink, but..
A chain is only as good as the weakest link.
You don't want a $4 switch, fuse or something simple and relatively cheap leave you stranded in the middle of the Pacific. Paddling is not fun

[Bundaberg_Bandit]

gee I wish I saw this post about 2 years ago, I have one of those crappy BLA ones which has deteriorated over that time but now I have a hole in my centre console that size, so I don't want to change it too much, most preferrable would be to be able to replace the crap switches.

Anybody got a photo of a put together job, I was thinking of using a plate of aluminium, with some good quality switches and fuse holders. Those waterproof ones look like the go, finga64, they are only $6.84 online at DSE

Also what type of fuses and holders would you recommend for the salt water use?

cheers
Bundy Bandit

[zaneg]

I have a shallow side 4.0 meter tinnie which is always getting water in over the side (Bloody NQ chop) and have the following mounted on the side. I have not had any problems with it in the last 12 months that I have had it set up.



The grey box is a Telecommunications Box used by Telstra and Optus for the outdoors. Can be easily found at shops such as Jaycar. I found the ones stocked at Bias were a little small.

The switch panel is easily recognisable (can't remember the name) and found at Bias.

The cigarette adapters are stainless.

The cable going through the bottom, passes through a rubber grommit, gravity does the rest. I have a couple pin holes in the bottom to allow any moisture that gets through the lighter adpaters to drain out.

The only time that I have seen anything more than a thimble size of water in the unit is when I gave it a good blasting with the hose and the cover to lighter adapter wasn't fully sealing.

All screws/bolts/metal thingies are stainless and anywhere I cut a hole, whatever went in the hole got a good layer of Silicone.

All up it cost just over $100 but I think that included about 5 meters of Zinced cable.

It was a little neater with cables tucked up out of the way but I'm currently experimenting with a few little extra's. When done right I think that it is a smart attraction to my tinnie.

Regards

Zane

edit: I used thick foam double sided tape behind the unit to stop vibration and the ply on top bolts to the gunale. You would have to land heavy on it to move it or damage it.

[finga64]

Good one Zane, well thought out
That is pretty well how I do some tinnies only I drill holes directly into the enclosure for the fuses and switches.Easy to take the lid off as well if you need to

In tinnies with the aluminium bows each side of the rear seat I have also folded a sheet of aluminium to sit on the top of the gunnel and screws on the two bows that extends down towards the seat. There is enough room behind for the wiring and you don't loose any room in the boat. As the same as Zanes the finder sits on the top. Bloody hard to destroy as well.

You bring up another excellent point about the holes in the 'box'. Water WILL ALWAYS GET IN, but not many people allow the water to get out, holes on the bottom is excellent( I drill about 1/4" or bit bigger) and I also put a few 1/8" holes on the top for the condensation to get out, but hard for the water to get in. This principle also works for trailer lights. When you've accidentally dunked the lights the water drains out and you can then spray some gunk it to protect your lights and/or switches. Only remember to drill holes at the lowest point on the light when your boat is stored so all the water gets out because if your like me you tilt the trailer up to let any water left after washing to drain out and to dry.

Good fuse holders are hard to get. It is just a matter of hunting around to find someone with the good solid brass ones. But they becoming like rocking horse poo
Don't use the push in type fuse holders, use the screw in type.
Lanolin coating the fuses themselves seems to make them last longer because they themselves corrode nowadays. Can't do any harm
Zane's switches are the better type with the hood over the toggle to keep the brinny out. Never use the flash rocker type with the nancy/fancy lights in them. They're problems waiting to happen
Zane has also done a good thing by putting the wiring in that split conduit stuff. If you look hard enough you can buy little clips that you can either screw or pop rivet into the inside channel of your gunnel and then use good old cable ties to secure the conduit up and out of the way. Try and put the split at the bottom.
I'll see if I can get some pictures and work out the technology to put them here.
Cheers
P.S. thanks for the info Bundy Bandit

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Very similar to what Zane has done, except (like finga mentioned) I ditched the panel itself and put the switches straight into the box. Cables go up into the white flexible conduit you see up in the gunwale, but have a drip loop before entering the back of the box through a hole cut in the ply. Each cable entering the box has its own cable gland with rubber gromet.
Cheers
Jeff