| Author |
Message |
FAST FRED (209.26.87.63)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 26, 2001 - 5:45 am: | |
This weekend we went up 200 miles or so to the Antique Boat Festival , in Mt Dora Fl.
GREAT show , if you like looking at acres of superb Chris Craft varnish , and lots of very interesting old boats/ cars its worth the drive.
WE usually drive with the headlamps on and , when I went and switched them OFF , they stayed ON.
EZ enough to remove the wiring side cover and disconnect the wires.
Took out the old switch , and only had to read it to find out why it failed.
Stamped in the housing was 120V AC ratings , but no DC ratings.
IT did take some time to fail ,
I have no idea which previous owner cheaped out,
but it certainly DID fail !
Be sure when replacing any switch on the DC stuff in the coach to use a DC rated switch , stamped into the switch is its load cap.
IF its unrated, its unreliable, dont use it.
Will be ordering 5 or 6 switches from the boat catalog, they at least carry stuff rated for DC.
Imagine if it failed OFF some dark and rainy night!!!
FAST FRED |
Steve Fessenden (63.25.54.87)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, March 26, 2001 - 9:39 pm: | |
Fred, I think the problem is just DC or AC but Amp rating. 120 volt switches may not carry the Amps needed at 12 or 24 volts. More Amps, more heat. A switch does not care if it is carrying AC or DC, just that the total load at the contacts is not too high. SF |
FAST FRED (209.26.87.31)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, March 27, 2001 - 5:18 am: | |
Switches Are like Circuit Breakers, the rating of AC or DC is detirmined by their ability to turn off under load.
AC is pretty easy as the volts drop to zero a 60 times a second.
But a DC switch has to break the contact , carring the full load , somtimes, as when siginaling with the headlamps repeatedly.
AC switches will have a much softer make/break when snapped , the better DC units have a very positive snap as the contacts get sprung a distance apart.
Hopefully the internal contacts are big enough to take the repeated arcing , and heat from being turned off.
A Rated DC switch doesnt cost but a tiny bit more,{ although good Coast Guard approved does}
its just a bit of hunting and reading when you purchase them.
There are even home style wall switches that can be found for DC.
For the best DC results use a brass star washer under every screw heads {as GM did from the factory} .
This will allow the terminal end stay in good contact with the post , even after repeated heating and cooling cycles.
FAST FRED |
JJ (205.188.199.162)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, March 28, 2001 - 12:27 am: | |
DC rated switches have a wider contact point gap, a much stronger spring ( for quick snap response) and the contacts have much harder faces to resist the much stronger arc produced by DC. Some AC switches, when subjected to DC loads, will open too slowly, and not far enough apart, and will continue to arc. This is a sure way to find out if your fire insurance is paid up !!Alternating current voltage, by its very nature helps the arc to die, whereas DC voltage is always flowing in the same direction, and makes it harder to break the arc. The amperage (current/watts)of a circuit is a function of the applied load. A fuse or circuit breaker doesn't differentiate between AC/DC, and a switch or breaker doesn't care whether it's carrying AC or DC, UNTIL it changes position. Fred's right, boat/aircraft switches are best. Cheers...JJ |
Dale Leyten (Fdale) (199.247.178.49)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 01, 2001 - 3:44 pm: | |
Check out Ancon for DC wiring supplies, all USCG approved, great wire - 100% copper with each strand tinned, fail-proof crimp-on terminals, etc. I purchase mine here in Canada from Western Marine. Their catalog has lots of marine stuff which if very practical for bus conversions. |
don (Bottomacher) (38.38.24.84)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 08, 2001 - 11:58 am: | |
Dale- Do you have a contact number or website for Western Marine or Ancon? Thanks |
Dale Leyten (Fdale) (199.247.178.50)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 08, 2001 - 1:12 pm: | |
sorry Don - My bad typing at it again. go to www.ancorproducts.com I just received a 250' roll of their 12/3 wire for doing my 120v installation - not cheap tho' got it thru Western Marine for $394 Canadian. Great stuff tho. Do it right - Do it once. good luck. I think U will find their products first rate |
FAST FRED (209.26.87.41)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, April 08, 2001 - 5:36 pm: | |
ANCHOR is one of the premium brands of wire , there are lots of others that meet the "specs" but are not 1/2 as good.
MY OPINION ONLY (and 99% of marine users.
FAST FRED |
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