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Old 02-18-2010, 09:10 AM   #11
J_T_R
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: scituate ma
Posts: 123
My advice would be to read a good book about it before you start. I did my whole boat last year. Before I did it, every electronic device had it's own switch in random places around the boat. I bought a switch panel with a built in fuse box and learned the hard way that if the switch panel is going to be exposed to any of the elements, then save time and money and buy a completely sealed and waterproof panel.

If you are using the male-female connectors to connect your electronics to a switch panel or breakers, then I have another good little tip. Instead of wiring your connector directly on to the main wire, take a 6" or so piece of wire and attach that to the connector. Then connect this to the main wire using a heat shrink connector. This way, since the main wire isn't exposed to the elements, it should last significantly longer. If the connector and the small piece of wire start to corrode, then just snip them off and attach a new one. The key thing to remember is that any connectors that are exposed will be exposed to the salt and that any moisture will wick down the wire. By using a small piece of wire as a bridge between the main wire and the panel, you are never changing the length of the main wire and you can just snip the old bridge off and add another without any real problems. Plus, if you replace the bridges every year, the integrity of you main wire should stay in tact a lot longer than if you connect directly to the panel, which allows water to wick down the main wire.

I also use that liquid electrical tape liberally on every connection.
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