http://www.mhsanctuary.com/articles/pd.htm

Capt. JG wrote:
"IanM" wrote in message
...
Wayne.B wrote:
On Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:11:11 -0800, "Capt. JG"
wrote:

Interesting suggestion. I think it's probably maint. crew that won't
fess up, since they've been doing a lot lately. I was thinking it would
be nice to get notified when it goes out. I'm betting there's some
device on the market that could email me, but it's probably expensive.
Do you have WiFi internet available at the dock ? If so you could rig a
web cam.

Or if not, a still camera *could* be rigged to take a photo on power
failure. If there is WiFi, install something like Skype or other VOIP
solution hooked to a hailer as well.

"{siren} **STAND** **AWAY** **FROM** **THE** **DOCK** **BOX** {siren}"

If you are lucky and it is a person they might be so startled they fall
off the pontoon :-)

But seriously, take the lead off and open each end for a full visual
inspection. Any rust staining or other buildup on the plastic insulator
between the pins *MUST* be cleaned off, if it doesn't clean up well
replace it. Dead spiders removed etc. Any signs of water penetration and
you'll need to either replace the plug or line socket or at least make
sure the rubber boot is sealing properly. If you have to disconnect any
wires, be sure you know where they go and reassemble with a very little
silicone dielectric grease.


Are you talking about the lead inside the box or the cord that runs to the
boat.

I like the siren idea! LOL

Your lead is *your* problem, the fixed wiring is the marina's problem
and shouldn't be touched unless you are a licensed electrician under
contract to the marina.

If you have an isolating transformer *without* soft start, and the power
has been going on and off to the whole pontoon, that can definitely trip
your boxes breaker. I doubt it is anyone unplugging you as basic
courtesy would be to check the plug's back in and on afterwards, you
haven't found the plug out and if they forgot to switch you on, they
almost certainly forgot to switch off before changing the plugs over.
Put a tamperproof sticker across the gap between the plug and the socket
and another on the breaker cover flap and see if they get broken.

"mmc" wrote in
ng.com:

We had an issue with AC problems at our marina. When the demand was
high, certain 110v items wouldn't work or would work right - seems the
power thinned out to the rest of the boats on our circuit. Obviously
I'm not an electrician.


That sounds like a loose neutral connection. That forces the current from
one load going into the neutral bus to go out to the other phase of the 240
through the loads on the other side of neutral. When something switches
off on the other phase, your side loses voltage because they are in series
across 240VAC. When a motor starts on one side, the other side bears the
brunt of most of the 240VAC as the motor is drawing very heavy current.
This will blow out anything on the side opposite the starting motor with
overvoltage...lights blink very bright, fuses in electronics blow en masse
trying to protect their hosts.

Loose neutral is very dangerous for everything hooked up. Any time you see
lights suddenly get BRIGHTER for an instant it's almost always loose
neutral connections to the power grid.

"mmc" wrote in message
ng.com...

"Capt. JG" wrote in message
easolutions...
"Larry" wrote in message
...
"Capt. JG" wrote in
easolutions:

either someone has been
deliberately turning off the A/C (not necessarily maliciously) or
something in the box is tripping the switch

When a breaker trips from overcurrent, it needs to be "reset" by pushing
it
into the off position, or pushing a popout button on some breakers.

You talk as if the breaker has just been switched off as you said
nothing
about having to reset the breaker before turning it on.

Yeah, there was no resetting. It's either on or off, and the maint. guy
mentioned the "possibility" of it tripping. I think it's bs.


So, I'm thinking deliberately turning it off...saving the marina $$$, a
motivation unto itself.

They have no motivation, as far as my boat is concerned. The guy across
the walk from me is power hog many times over by comparison.


To turn the breaker off requires a finger to push on one side of the
breaker toggle handle. Coat that side with greasepencil lightly so it's
not very evident. Make the coat smooth so we can see that fingerprint
of
the SOB that's flipping the breaker on you. That will let use at least
see
"SOMEONE" is flipping it off.

Office supply places also have a permanent staining red ink that won't
wash
off. It's available in non-drying printer's ink like they put on a
press
with a roller. It takes months to "dry". You could coat the toggle
with
that then casually watch marina people's fingers for the indelible red
stain....


I would do this, but I'll just end up with a red finger. LOL


I was thinking of getting a lock for the flip up cover, but I don't think
the marina would like that too much. I'm going to talk to my neighbor and
see if I can use his A/C connection for a while. He doesn't have anything
plugged in anyway. His switch was on when I got there... just mine was
off.

For the next couple of weeks, I asked the maint. guy to be kind enough to
check it from time to time, which he agreed to do. They don't have much
interest in having someone's bilge pump fail after a rain and end up with
a boat on the bottom.


--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com



We had an issue with AC problems at our marina. When the demand was high,
certain 110v items wouldn't work or would work right - seems the power
thinned out to the rest of the boats on our circuit. Obviously I'm not an
electrician.
I might suspect the power hog guy you mentioned. Maybe his ceramic heaters
won't work will the wifes curling iron was plugged in and he decides your
boat doesn't need the power.
What about putting a lock on the box for just a few days? If it's tripped
when you open it you'll know.



It would be a nice thought, but I don't believe the marina would allow a
lock, given the potential hazard.

I have a call into my neighbor... apparently my other neighbor saw him
working on his boat lately.


--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"IanM" wrote in message
...
Capt. JG wrote:
"IanM" wrote in message
...
Wayne.B wrote:
On Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:11:11 -0800, "Capt. JG"
wrote:

Interesting suggestion. I think it's probably maint. crew that won't
fess up, since they've been doing a lot lately. I was thinking it
would be nice to get notified when it goes out. I'm betting there's
some device on the market that could email me, but it's probably
expensive.
Do you have WiFi internet available at the dock ? If so you could rig
a web cam.

Or if not, a still camera *could* be rigged to take a photo on power
failure. If there is WiFi, install something like Skype or other VOIP
solution hooked to a hailer as well.

"{siren} **STAND** **AWAY** **FROM** **THE** **DOCK** **BOX** {siren}"

If you are lucky and it is a person they might be so startled they fall
off the pontoon :-)

But seriously, take the lead off and open each end for a full visual
inspection. Any rust staining or other buildup on the plastic insulator
between the pins *MUST* be cleaned off, if it doesn't clean up well
replace it. Dead spiders removed etc. Any signs of water penetration
and you'll need to either replace the plug or line socket or at least
make sure the rubber boot is sealing properly. If you have to disconnect
any wires, be sure you know where they go and reassemble with a very
little silicone dielectric grease.


Are you talking about the lead inside the box or the cord that runs to
the boat.

I like the siren idea! LOL

Your lead is *your* problem, the fixed wiring is the marina's problem and
shouldn't be touched unless you are a licensed electrician under contract
to the marina.

If you have an isolating transformer *without* soft start, and the power
has been going on and off to the whole pontoon, that can definitely trip
your boxes breaker. I doubt it is anyone unplugging you as basic
courtesy would be to check the plug's back in and on afterwards, you
haven't found the plug out and if they forgot to switch you on, they
almost certainly forgot to switch off before changing the plugs over.
Put a tamperproof sticker across the gap between the plug and the socket
and another on the breaker cover flap and see if they get broken.


Excellent idea! It wouldn't even have to be really tamper proof... just
something that would have to be open the box... A piece of tape would do it,
since I know it's not malicious... either it's a mistake or some power
issue.


--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Go get a 12V relay, a 12V Power supply and a loud 12V lower current piezo.
(Actually... you can use any power supply as long as the relay matches the
power supply specs)

Wire the Piezo to go off when the AC power to the boat is OFF. (you do
this by wiring the relay to normally CLOSED and use the power supply to keep
the relay OPEN or off by hooking up the PS to the relay coil. You wire the
boats 12V battery through a tiny breaker, through the relay switches NC and
common to the piezo)

So... When the shore power is unhooked and the genset is off the piezo horn
makes a nice annoying sound until someone turns it back on. If someone is
doing this on purpose, then it may scare them... if not, somone on the dock
may notice when the noise comes on and help you figure it out.

You also may want to notify the boats around you of the new alarm and how to
fix it by turning on your breaker.

I also like the Deer camera idea to catch the guy... my friend caught a
serial "car-keyer" with one...

"Ed" wrote in message
.. .
Go get a 12V relay, a 12V Power supply and a loud 12V lower current piezo.
(Actually... you can use any power supply as long as the relay matches the
power supply specs)

Wire the Piezo to go off when the AC power to the boat is OFF. (you do
this by wiring the relay to normally CLOSED and use the power supply to
keep the relay OPEN or off by hooking up the PS to the relay coil. You
wire the boats 12V battery through a tiny breaker, through the relay
switches NC and common to the piezo)

So... When the shore power is unhooked and the genset is off the piezo
horn makes a nice annoying sound until someone turns it back on. If
someone is doing this on purpose, then it may scare them... if not, somone
on the dock may notice when the noise comes on and help you figure it out.

You also may want to notify the boats around you of the new alarm and how
to fix it by turning on your breaker.

I also like the Deer camera idea to catch the guy... my friend caught a
serial "car-keyer" with one...

Nice suggestion. The small piezo would be easy to rig, and I have the
contact info for all but one neighbor.


--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Capt. JG" wrote in message
easolutions...
In the last month, I've arrived at the dock to find that the dock box
switch in the off position three times. The first time I chalked it up to
me forgetting to switch it on when I arrived back at the slip. The second
time to my neighbor perhaps switching it off by mistake. However, the
third time I did some checking. My neighbor didn't do it (hasn't been to
his boat in over a month), the marina hasn't been working on the docks
(check with the maintenance guy), and I haven't been there to forget
(unless I forgot going, which is unlikely LOL).

So... talked to the neighbor who I didn't talk to originally. Seems he was
doing work on his boat, and in the process discovered that the second
receptacle on his box wasn't working, so he used mine (it was more
convenient, because it's located on the inside vs. my other neighbor's which
is on the water side). No problem with that. Unfortunately, even though he
reattached my cord, he didn't flip the switch. Even better, he's pretty
certain that he did this maneuver twice, separated by a couple of weeks. :-)

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Capt. JG" wrote in message
easolutions...
"Capt. JG" wrote in message
easolutions...
In the last month, I've arrived at the dock to find that the dock box
switch in the off position three times. The first time I chalked it up to
me forgetting to switch it on when I arrived back at the slip. The second
time to my neighbor perhaps switching it off by mistake. However, the
third time I did some checking. My neighbor didn't do it (hasn't been to
his boat in over a month), the marina hasn't been working on the docks
(check with the maintenance guy), and I haven't been there to forget
(unless I forgot going, which is unlikely LOL).

So... talked to the neighbor who I didn't talk to originally. Seems he was
doing work on his boat, and in the process discovered that the second
receptacle on his box wasn't working, so he used mine (it was more
convenient, because it's located on the inside vs. my other neighbor's
which is on the water side). No problem with that. Unfortunately, even
though he reattached my cord, he didn't flip the switch. Even better, he's
pretty certain that he did this maneuver twice, separated by a couple of
weeks. :-)

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com



Keel haul 'im!

"mmc" wrote in message
g.com...

"Capt. JG" wrote in message
easolutions...
"Capt. JG" wrote in message
easolutions...
In the last month, I've arrived at the dock to find that the dock box
switch in the off position three times. The first time I chalked it up
to me forgetting to switch it on when I arrived back at the slip. The
second time to my neighbor perhaps switching it off by mistake. However,
the third time I did some checking. My neighbor didn't do it (hasn't
been to his boat in over a month), the marina hasn't been working on the
docks (check with the maintenance guy), and I haven't been there to
forget (unless I forgot going, which is unlikely LOL).

So... talked to the neighbor who I didn't talk to originally. Seems he
was doing work on his boat, and in the process discovered that the second
receptacle on his box wasn't working, so he used mine (it was more
convenient, because it's located on the inside vs. my other neighbor's
which is on the water side). No problem with that. Unfortunately, even
though he reattached my cord, he didn't flip the switch. Even better,
he's pretty certain that he did this maneuver twice, separated by a
couple of weeks. :-)

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com



Keel haul 'im!



I'm actually more po'd about the maint. guy claiming everything was fine
with the dock box. Ok, mine was fine, but the one next door isn't.


--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com