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Ausfish Bronze Member
Long lasting switch panel
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
"Nothing is as frightening as regret"
Vickypoint "Paradise by the bay."
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Re: #Long lasting switch panel
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
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Re: Long lasting switch panel
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
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Ausfish Bronze Member
Re: #Long lasting switch panel
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.
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Re: Long lasting switch panel
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
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Re: Long lasting switch panel
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.
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Re: #Long lasting switch panel
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
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