Electrical Panel Expansion

[so40gtb]

Looking over the list of projects for the coming year, it is becoming increasingly clear that I ought to replace the "blanks" in the electrical panel of my '01 SO34.2 with another switch module to accommodate the additions.

Have any US forumites done this? Any recommendations on where to procure? My yard is also a Jeanneau dealer and can probably acquire this for me, given enough time, but I'm interested in knowing if there's a quicker approach.

Interfacing this is a non-issue, as I'm a professional electrical engineer.

-- Karl

[MartyB]

You may want to open up the box, and see what style of circut breakers you have. It in the end, may be just running down to the nearest marine supply house and buying breakers, and installing them.

Marty

[so40gtb]

Marty (and anyone else interested),

The electrical control panel for my SO34.2 ('01) comprises a set of 5 modules, each having 3 on/off pushbutton switches. The later SO35s, through 2006, appear to be similar. The standard configuration has one module position of the five un-populated, with "blanks" in the 3 sets of button cutouts. One can substitute another module for that "dummy" and thereby gain 3 switchable circuits. 12 VDC source power is distributed individually to each switch unit; all use automotive-type friction wire connectors. Each appears to exist in electrical isolation from the others, save what connections occur by busing off the house battery.

I have not dissected these recently and cannot presently confirm whether they have any current-limiting capacity (be it electronic switching, threshold-actuated relays, or thermal breakers). These modules are proprietary to the French yacht panel manufacturer, Scheiber. They are not individual thermal/magnetic circuit breakers, such as Siemens compact units, which you can acquire from electronics parts distributors worldwide. I have not been able to identify a specific part number on Scheiber's web site.

I do enjoy the bilingual labeling, as it helps me earn points with the French-fluent Admiral.

-- Karl

[panoramix]

I did this on my 2003 SO37. If your switches are the electronic type, that is with an ON and OFF pushbutton and LED, you simply order an extra module from your dealer and fit it in. The module has 3 switches in it. Everything was already pre-wired (the unused extra wires in that area), so installation was simple.

[Trevor]

Hi Karl,

As an electrical engineer you may appreciate this. I too am an electrical engineer so when I took delivery of the Jeanneau 36i I thought I could easily improve things a bit. On the 36i Jeanneau do not include any shunt on the house battery supply to provide an indication of current draw. I got all fired up and worked out where to insert the shunt connections on the French panel meter to allow the current measuring function. On the larger boats it is included as a standard function so this would be easy.

I bought the shunt and installed it very neatly and then the moment of truth. It didn't work!

I did some more research and checked and double checked what I had done. I ran out of time and I have not really dedicated my life to it yet but I cannot work out why it doesn't work as I have the booklet on the meter assembly that came with the boat and cannot work out what I am doing wrong.

Final conclusion; either the meter assembly is faulty (unlikely), the booklet has a typo (maybe) or I am just too dopey to read the booklet and get it to work (embarrassing as I am also an enthusiast with this stuff).

Regards,

Trevor

[so40gtb]

Trevor has just inadvertantly added another project to my post-launch list. I, too, bemoan the lack of current metering, especially since I'm looking at the possibility of setting up 3 battery systems - crank, nav/comm, and house. I have some potentially suitable DC current shunts salvaged from retired commercial equipment. Once I characterize the meter movement, it should be a straightforward exercise to mate the meter to an appropriate shunt (and then see if I can duplicate Trevor's frustrations!).