Simple wiring diagram for small craft

Discussion in 'OnBoard Electronics & Controls' started by CDK, Jun 8, 2009.

  1. Zoomtoob
    Joined: Aug 2015
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    Location: Barnegat

    Zoomtoob New Member

    i have two spools (red and black) of 14ga thwn copper stranded hose wire. can I not just use dielectric grease and heat shrink to get a similar corrosion-resistance at the terminals as tinned or do I rally need 14ga ancor? this is on a 30' salt sailboat. this stuff is pretty tough and well-jacketed. thoughts?

    also - I have spun the two wires into a twisted pair of various lengths. any issues with heat or resistance with that? magnetic interference??? I know it cancels RF interference but these are power wires.
     
  2. philSweet
    Joined: May 2008
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    Location: Beaufort, SC and H'ville, NC

    philSweet Senior Member

    The short answer is yes. It's 95% in the workmanship and planning. I mostly use heat shrink for improved mechanical strength at the joint (vs vibration). I don't think it has a very good rep as a corrosion inhibitor. But of course, it could hold a corrosion inhibitor.

    Not sure what you think the twisted wire pairs are going to do on a 30' boat. Any marine electronics will be isolated and mostly very low power. Speaker wires should be flat cable, coax, or twisted. DC distribution usually isn't that big a deal. Are you running inverters or generators? It's annoying to work on TWP's if you don't require them. I just use little zip ties to cable pairs.
     
  3. Zoomtoob
    Joined: Aug 2015
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    Location: Barnegat

    Zoomtoob New Member

    Phil, thanks for the help, I twisted the pairs to make them easier to install and manage. heat shrink and well-crimped or even soldered connections will lock this all down. none of this is heavy duty 10-amp stuff. all small electronics or LEDs for light. I am running an inverter.
     
  4. PAR
    Joined: Nov 2003
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Epoxy lined heat shrink tubing does a very good job at keeping out moisture. In the "bulletproof" assemblies I've seen, cut open after several years of service, I've never seen an intact, properly done epoxy tube with corrosion inside it. The bulletproof way is to double wrap the connection, typically an epoxy tube first, with a longer regular tube over this. The epoxy tubes I use shrink over 3:1, while the regular heat shrink (single wall Polyolefin) is about 2:1, so a wider range of use with the more costly epoxy lined tubes too.
     

  5. CDK
    Joined: Aug 2007
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    Location: Adriatic sea

    CDK retired engineer

    Interesting to see somebody blew the dust off this 2009 thread!
     
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