A strange but effective helm wiring project (on my new North Riverboat).
 

I posted here a few weeks ago about my new "tank", a North River
aluminum fishing boat. It's been too cold to go fishing, but finally
warm enough to get the boat rigged as I want it.

I've been busy wiring the VHF, XM, am/fm, fishfinder, etc in my new
North River. I'm using the same set up I had on the Klamath, and it
may be of some interest to anyone doing similar jobs.

As strange as it sounds, I used a small, lockable kitchen storage bowl
as my "vault" for the subpanel (really!) and it works great and is
very cheap - especially if you "liberate" it from wifey's cupboard as
I did. I have all the circuits on one fuse panel near the helm, with
just one hot and one ground wire running back to the batteries at the
transom. It's very simple and convenient.

I have to wrap and route the wires to and from the electronics yet,
but am nearing completion of all these electronics projects.

Maybe photos would make this more understandable. I posted some photos
of this strange project on my homepage www.FishWisher.com

Dale

www.FishWisher.com

A strange but effective helm wiring project (on my new North River boat).
 

On Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:23:10 -0800 (PST), FishWisher
wrote:

I posted here a few weeks ago about my new "tank", a North River
aluminum fishing boat. It's been too cold to go fishing, but finally
warm enough to get the boat rigged as I want it.

I've been busy wiring the VHF, XM, am/fm, fishfinder, etc in my new
North River. I'm using the same set up I had on the Klamath, and it
may be of some interest to anyone doing similar jobs.

As strange as it sounds, I used a small, lockable kitchen storage bowl
as my "vault" for the subpanel (really!) and it works great and is
very cheap - especially if you "liberate" it from wifey's cupboard as
I did. I have all the circuits on one fuse panel near the helm, with
just one hot and one ground wire running back to the batteries at the
transom. It's very simple and convenient.

I have to wrap and route the wires to and from the electronics yet,
but am nearing completion of all these electronics projects.

Maybe photos would make this more understandable. I posted some photos
of this strange project on my homepage www.FishWisher.com

If I might make a suggestion, you need to vent that container - a
couple of drain holes in the bottom, four rubber feet to keep it up
off the decking and maybe a small hole or two on top.

If you keep it closed like that, those contacts will corrode faster
than if it's vented. Those containers may seem air tight, but they
aren't over the long term - they are porous over time just like
anything else.

You can also get wire wrap at your local hardware store to neaten up
those wires. When I had my Princecraft, that's what I used and it was
a very neat installation.

Right Don? :)

--

Honesty is the best policy, but insanity
is a better defense.

A strange but effective helm wiring project (on my new North River boat).
 

On Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:23:10 -0800 (PST), FishWisher
wrote:

I posted here a few weeks ago about my new "tank", a North River
aluminum fishing boat. It's been too cold to go fishing, but finally
warm enough to get the boat rigged as I want it.

I've been busy wiring the VHF, XM, am/fm, fishfinder, etc in my new
North River. I'm using the same set up I had on the Klamath, and it
may be of some interest to anyone doing similar jobs.

As strange as it sounds, I used a small, lockable kitchen storage bowl
as my "vault" for the subpanel (really!) and it works great and is
very cheap - especially if you "liberate" it from wifey's cupboard as
I did. I have all the circuits on one fuse panel near the helm, with
just one hot and one ground wire running back to the batteries at the
transom. It's very simple and convenient.

I have to wrap and route the wires to and from the electronics yet,
but am nearing completion of all these electronics projects.

Maybe photos would make this more understandable. I posted some photos
of this strange project on my homepage www.FishWisher.com

Dale

www.FishWisher.com

Neat idea, Dale. Not having looked into circuit boxes for boats
what's the alternative and the cost and other differences?

--Vic

A strange but effective helm wiring project (on my new North River boat).
 

On Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:23:10 -0800 (PST), FishWisher
wrote:

I posted here a few weeks ago about my new "tank", a North River
aluminum fishing boat. It's been too cold to go fishing, but finally
warm enough to get the boat rigged as I want it.

I've been busy wiring the VHF, XM, am/fm, fishfinder, etc in my new
North River. I'm using the same set up I had on the Klamath, and it
may be of some interest to anyone doing similar jobs.

As strange as it sounds, I used a small, lockable kitchen storage bowl
as my "vault" for the subpanel (really!) and it works great and is
very cheap - especially if you "liberate" it from wifey's cupboard as
I did. I have all the circuits on one fuse panel near the helm, with
just one hot and one ground wire running back to the batteries at the
transom. It's very simple and convenient.

I have to wrap and route the wires to and from the electronics yet,
but am nearing completion of all these electronics projects.

Maybe photos would make this more understandable. I posted some photos
of this strange project on my homepage www.FishWisher.com

Dale

www.FishWisher.com

That plastic 'vault' is a super idea!
--
* Procrastinate Now! *

John H

A strange but effective helm wiring project (on my new NorthRiver boat).
 

Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
On Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:23:10 -0800 (PST), FishWisher
wrote:

I posted here a few weeks ago about my new "tank", a North River
aluminum fishing boat. It's been too cold to go fishing, but finally
warm enough to get the boat rigged as I want it.

I've been busy wiring the VHF, XM, am/fm, fishfinder, etc in my new
North River. I'm using the same set up I had on the Klamath, and it
may be of some interest to anyone doing similar jobs.

As strange as it sounds, I used a small, lockable kitchen storage bowl
as my "vault" for the subpanel (really!) and it works great and is
very cheap - especially if you "liberate" it from wifey's cupboard as
I did. I have all the circuits on one fuse panel near the helm, with
just one hot and one ground wire running back to the batteries at the
transom. It's very simple and convenient.

I have to wrap and route the wires to and from the electronics yet,
but am nearing completion of all these electronics projects.

Maybe photos would make this more understandable. I posted some photos
of this strange project on my homepage www.FishWisher.com

If I might make a suggestion, you need to vent that container - a
couple of drain holes in the bottom, four rubber feet to keep it up
off the decking and maybe a small hole or two on top.

If you keep it closed like that, those contacts will corrode faster
than if it's vented. Those containers may seem air tight, but they
aren't over the long term - they are porous over time just like
anything else.

You can also get wire wrap at your local hardware store to neaten up
those wires. When I had my Princecraft, that's what I used and it was
a very neat installation.

Right Don? :)

--

Honesty is the best policy, but insanity
is a better defense.

CRC makes a spray that will coat electronic terminals to protect them
from corrosion.

A strange but effective helm wiring project (on my new North River boat).
 

"Wizard of Woodstock" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:23:10 -0800 (PST), FishWisher
wrote:

I posted here a few weeks ago about my new "tank", a North River
aluminum fishing boat. It's been too cold to go fishing, but finally
warm enough to get the boat rigged as I want it.

I've been busy wiring the VHF, XM, am/fm, fishfinder, etc in my new
North River. I'm using the same set up I had on the Klamath, and it
may be of some interest to anyone doing similar jobs.

As strange as it sounds, I used a small, lockable kitchen storage bowl
as my "vault" for the subpanel (really!) and it works great and is
very cheap - especially if you "liberate" it from wifey's cupboard as
I did. I have all the circuits on one fuse panel near the helm, with
just one hot and one ground wire running back to the batteries at the
transom. It's very simple and convenient.

I have to wrap and route the wires to and from the electronics yet,
but am nearing completion of all these electronics projects.

Maybe photos would make this more understandable. I posted some photos
of this strange project on my homepage www.FishWisher.com

If I might make a suggestion, you need to vent that container - a
couple of drain holes in the bottom, four rubber feet to keep it up
off the decking and maybe a small hole or two on top.

If you keep it closed like that, those contacts will corrode faster
than if it's vented. Those containers may seem air tight, but they
aren't over the long term - they are porous over time just like
anything else.

You can also get wire wrap at your local hardware store to neaten up
those wires. When I had my Princecraft, that's what I used and it was
a very neat installation.

Right Don? :)

--

Honesty is the best policy, but insanity
is a better defense.

Right as rain! Neat & tidy..... and ever since I slapped the liquid
electrical tape all over the transducer wire, all works perfectly.

A strange but effective helm wiring project (on my new NorthRiver boat).
 

On Jan 18, 4:23*pm, FishWisher wrote:
I posted here a few weeks ago about my new "tank", a North River
aluminum fishing boat. It's been too cold to go fishing, but finally
warm enough to get the boat rigged as I want it.

I've been busy wiring the VHF, XM, am/fm, fishfinder, etc in my new
North River. I'm using the same set up I had on the Klamath, and it
may be of some interest to anyone doing similar jobs.

As strange as it sounds, I used a small, lockable kitchen storage bowl
as my "vault" for the subpanel (really!) and it works great and is
very cheap - especially if you "liberate" it from wifey's cupboard as
I did. I have all the circuits on one fuse panel near the helm, with
just one hot and one ground wire running back to the batteries at the
transom. It's very simple and convenient.

I have to wrap and route the wires to and from the electronics yet,
but am nearing completion of all these electronics projects.

Maybe photos would make this more understandable. I posted some photos
of this strange project on my homepagewww.FishWisher.com

Dale

www.FishWisher.com

That is really a nice looking boat man... Have fun with it...

A strange but effective helm wiring project (on my new North River boat).
 

"D K" wrote in message
...
Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
On Sun, 18 Jan 2009 13:23:10 -0800 (PST), FishWisher
wrote:

I posted here a few weeks ago about my new "tank", a North River
aluminum fishing boat. It's been too cold to go fishing, but finally
warm enough to get the boat rigged as I want it.

I've been busy wiring the VHF, XM, am/fm, fishfinder, etc in my new
North River. I'm using the same set up I had on the Klamath, and it
may be of some interest to anyone doing similar jobs.

As strange as it sounds, I used a small, lockable kitchen storage bowl
as my "vault" for the subpanel (really!) and it works great and is
very cheap - especially if you "liberate" it from wifey's cupboard as
I did. I have all the circuits on one fuse panel near the helm, with
just one hot and one ground wire running back to the batteries at the
transom. It's very simple and convenient.

I have to wrap and route the wires to and from the electronics yet,
but am nearing completion of all these electronics projects.

Maybe photos would make this more understandable. I posted some photos
of this strange project on my homepage www.FishWisher.com

If I might make a suggestion, you need to vent that container - a
couple of drain holes in the bottom, four rubber feet to keep it up
off the decking and maybe a small hole or two on top.

If you keep it closed like that, those contacts will corrode faster
than if it's vented. Those containers may seem air tight, but they
aren't over the long term - they are porous over time just like
anything else.

You can also get wire wrap at your local hardware store to neaten up
those wires. When I had my Princecraft, that's what I used and it was
a very neat installation.

Right Don? :)

--

Honesty is the best policy, but insanity is a better defense.

CRC makes a spray that will coat electronic terminals to protect them from
corrosion.


My jetcraft, I just screwed a terminal block to the underside of the dash.

A strange but effective helm wiring project (on my new North River boat).
 

On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:55:02 -0800 (PST), FishWisher
wrote:


They don't appear to be covered so not so sure about them. I finished
my wiring today and it's all done. Final photo on my website if you're
interested.

Dale
www.FishWisher.com

Looks nice.
What I like about your circuit box is that it looks like you can just
tuck it in and tie it down somewhere, then pull it out and put it in
your lap to make changes or pull fuses, assuming you've left slack in
the wires.
Lot has to do with philosophy about such things.
Being a maintenance and modification type guy, I don't like components
buried and hard to get at.
Guess that's why I'm inclined to "open hull" boats without a lot of
stuff covered up by "non-removable" decoration or cabinetry.
Like the Carolina Skiff or the Mac 26.
Your circuit box fits in with that. Very utilitarian.
Reminds me of how older cars/trucks were easier to work on compared to
the new stuff.

--Vic

A strange but effective helm wiring project (on my new NorthRiver boat).
 

On Jan 20, 2:09*pm, Vic Smith wrote:
On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:55:02 -0800 (PST), FishWisher

wrote:
They don't appear to be covered so not so sure about them. I finished
my wiring today and it's all done. Final photo on my website if you're
interested.

Dale
www.FishWisher.com

Looks nice.
What I like about your circuit box is that it looks like you can just
tuck it in and tie it down somewhere, then pull it out and put it in
your lap to make changes or pull fuses, assuming you've left slack in
the wires.
Lot has to do with philosophy about such things.
Being a maintenance and modification type guy, I don't like components
buried and hard to get at.
Guess that's why I'm inclined to "open hull" boats without a lot of
stuff covered up by "non-removable" decoration or cabinetry.
Like the Carolina Skiff or the Mac 26.
Your circuit box fits in with that. *Very utilitarian.
Reminds me of how older cars/trucks were easier to work on compared to
the new stuff.

--Vic

Vic, there is enough wire to lift the "salad bowl" out from that
storage spot and sit it on my knee to add a circuit or change a fuse
or whatever. So while it isn't so high tech looking, it is very
utilitarian as you say. Utilitarian. That sounds like a religion...