I put a rather cheap fuse block in my boat and need to replace it because
the contacts don't have enough spring and the glass fuses actually don't
quite fit. Stuff goes off for no reason even though the fuses aren't blown.

I'd like to use one of the Blue Sea blade fuse blocks shown on this page:

http://www.bluesea.com/dept.asp?d_id=7463&l1=7463

however, my wiring goes from the old switch / breaker panel to the fuse
block and then to the loads. Looking at these fuse blocks, it appears that
they have one big fat wire going to a distribution bus and I can not
therefore provide individual positive feeds. I'd like to avoid the more
extensive rewiring and breaker panel surgery of putting the fuse block ahead
of the breaker panel.

Can anyone tell me if there is a way to convert these to individual fuse
circuits? It looks like I might be able to remove the bus bar from the
version with the negative bus. Can anyone confirm this?

I might have to stick with the AGC fuses. Those fuse blocks look like they
would fit more easily into my current set up since the bus is separate. I'd
like to go to the blade fuses though. They are available with pilot lights
to show when a fuse blows and there's no breakage worry.

While we're on the subject, any opinions about AGC vs ATO/ATC?

Is there another fuse panel type I should be looking at?

--
Roger Long

Roger Long wrote:

Is there another fuse panel type I should be looking at?

Roger Long


HI Roger:
Not sure exactly what you mean. The BS blocks come two ways: 1) postive
with a negitive buss and 2) positive no negitve buss. Which do you
have?

Bob

Bob wrote:

Which do you have?

I don't have either. I'm looking at them on the web site trying to decide
which, if any, I should buy.

I need to not have a bus on either side so that each fuse operates like a
separate in-line fuse. If bars can be removed from the negative bus and
each fuse is connected separately to the bus terminal screws, I should be
all set. I've looked at them in WM but they are all sealed up and it's hard
to see the exact construction.

--
Roger Long

Roger Long wrote:
Bob wrote:

Which do you have?

I don't have either. I'm looking at them on the web site trying to
decide which, if any, I should buy.

I need to not have a bus on either side so that each fuse operates like
a separate in-line fuse. If bars can be removed from the negative bus
and each fuse is connected separately to the bus terminal screws, I
should be all set. I've looked at them in WM but they are all sealed up
and it's hard to see the exact construction.

I'm unclear about something. You mention a switch panel and a fuse
block. On my boat (and my previous) I only have a switch panel (from
Paneltronics) where the breakers act as switches and wire protection.
There is another master switch and 300 Amp fuse tucked away, and a
number of the circuits have an extra fuse inline, and there are some
distribution strips for the instruments and the ground side, but there
are no additional "fuse blocks."

Is your setup different?

Jeff wrote:

Is your setup different?

Yes, because of the age of the breakers, I didn't trust them. Changes in
function and wiring over the years had left some of the breakers too large
for the loads. Time, money, and access issues made rebuilding the panel
impractical so I added a fuse block to protect the wiring and relegated the
panel to just switching function with the breakers as last ditch backup.

It's not a bad arrangement, actually. The smallest fuse that won't blow
without reason is best and it's a lot easier to experiment with different
fuse than swap out breaker in a older panel where everything is bolted
together.

So, I'm trying to do something slightly non-standard in that most boats have
either a breaker panel or fuses and hoping someone who has taken a close
look at the Blue Sea panels out of the package will answer.

--
Roger Long

Hi Roger:

A couple things.

Go to the Blue Seas website. Lots of drawings and specs there. Also
give them a call. Very helpful people.

I think after your visit every thing will be clear. A picture and a
1000 words comes to mind.

For me I wanted a branch from the main panel to my nav station (8' x 2
= 16' RT run). I wanted one place near my nav station where I could
have individual fused circuits. I went for the block with the + and -
bus. Very simple once ya get a look at it. I ran my 6 AWG (yes, 40 amp
load) neg and positive wire from the pannel to the BS block. All the
branch ciricuts, VHF, GPS, map light, AM/FM/CD etc are protected with
individual fuses. A very sllick looking insalation. Oh, dont for get to
locate the BS block so yo can have thoes cool drip loops.

Give BS websit a look. Then use the web to order at a tremdous savings
compared to WM.

Bob

Oh, I went with the glass fuses caus BS didnt offer the the new style
then. But I sure like the idea of amp COLOR coding for old eyes. Kinda
a ****er needing a magnafying glass to determine fuse size or if it is
blown........................

In article ,
"Roger Long" wrote:

Yes, because of the age of the breakers, I didn't trust them. Changes in
function and wiring over the years had left some of the breakers too large
for the loads.

Personally, I don't fuse to the load, but to the wire, being
conservative. I also don't like carrying fuses, and more trust the
breakers. Given what I think I'm reading, if you're worried about the
breakers, I'd replace the panel, not add complexity and possible failure
points.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Jere Lull wrote:

Personally, I don't fuse to the load, but to the wire, being conservative.

Actually, fusing to the load is conservative if it's a smaller fuse than the
wire. I'd do this differently on a new installation but there is a lot of
wiring in the boat I haven't seen yet and I've pulled out some weird
modifications by the PO (like running the big auto pilot motor on 22 ga.
Radio Shack solid core wire without a fuse!).

A good fuse panel is hardly a failure point (unlike the one I first put in).
I'd call having the breakers sized to the wire and the fuses sized to the
load "redundancy". Besides, a fuse panel is a fraction the cost re-doing
the panel and breakers. The breakers do work so I can jumper a fuse in the
unlikely event that I run out without major risk. I just don't want to
trust the old breakers and wiring exclusively.

--
Roger Long

Well, here is the answer from Blue Sea:

Dear Mr. Long,

Thank you for your inquiry. Unfortunately, the 5026 cannot be modified into
an individual terminal block. Our 5015 AGC fuse block can be modified in
this way, but it is only a 6-position block.

Best regards,

Scott McEniry
Inside Sales Manager
Blue Sea Systems

I guess I'm stuck with AGC fuses unless I can find a fuse block from a
different manufacturer. I need 12 fuses but so I'll probably put in two of
the 5015 units.

--
Roger Long

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:17:14 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

I guess I'm stuck with AGC fuses unless I can find a fuse block from a
different manufacturer. I need 12 fuses but so I'll probably put in two of
the 5015 units.
=========================
Have you looked at this one?

http://www.go2marine.com/product.do?no=114335F