Boat Show 2017 - DIY Marine Electrical Connections

PYS hosted “hands on” class to review marine electrical connections. Learn about proper crimping techniques, heat-shrinking tips & tricks and battery connectors.
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Jeff Cote is a systems design expert and owner of Pacific Yacht Systems, a full service shop delivering marine electrical and navigation solutions for recreational boats. Visit the PYS website and blog for info and articles on marine electrical systems, projects and testimonials.
Website: www.pysystems.ca
Facebook: / pacificyachtsystems
Instagram: / pacificyachtsystems
Twitter: / pysystems

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Join us to learn about proper marine crimping techniques, heat-shrinking tips & tricks and battery connectors.

[@JR-hx3cg]

Thank you so much for these videos! I hope you guys have endless abundance of business!

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Thanks Jesus for the well wishes, so appreciated!

[@davidblood9882]

Excellent content! Wise counsel! Thank you!

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Thanks David.

[@MachTuck]

Very helpful and professional video! got to do my whole panel, it was done by a "pro" before i bought my boat but it looks very bad. Thanks for posting this video

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Glad it helped!

[@donpetrey8007]

Good vid learned a lot going to be soon doing a refit on my boat

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Right on

[@fishyhobby3697]

Great information! Thanks..

[@PacificYachtSystems]

You bet!

[@atanacioluna292]

Wonderful class. Love the knowledge and wisdom of the advice. I have done just about each of these mistakes. From now on, I will strive to never do a job again.

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Glad the content resonated with you.

[@toobglued]

Have you tried the Greenlee EK50ML ? The 138mm version works with all the Paladin dies. This thing is a lifesaver. You should check it out

[@TheRoostersGarage]

I love your videos. After watching (and rewatching) your videos and doing more research to answer all my questions, I can say that now I can properly rewire my boat. A couple years ago before I knew better I helped a friend rewire his boat and used non tinned wire and soldered every connection. Since then I’ve found out that moving wires should never be soldered but should be crimped. I’m now crimping with marine grade terminals and marine wire, even on non marine applications. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Hi Roooster's Garage, thanks for sharing. Certainly inspiring to find out how the time I invest into these videos is resonating with you as a boater.

[@TheRoostersGarage]

@@PacificYachtSystems Between you and MarineHowTo.com I have learned so much. I've been tinkering with electrical and electronics since I was a young boy, but it seems that moving to a boat the only thing that carries over is the fundamentals. I've had to go out and buy all new tools, connectors and wire. I'm going to be doing a complete rewire of my boat because several of your "don't do this" pictures look exactly like my boat. All the wire is non-tinned, the terminals are automotive grade, the nuts on the battery switches are green - truly there isn't 1 inch of wire I can save. I only have 3 circuits that work - the manual bilge, horn and ignition. I'm going to wire it with an unswitched and switched distribution blocks, and I'm putting fuses on everything (it only has fuses at the helm currently). I can tell that you put a lot of effort into what you do and just wanted to let you know it's very helpful for those of us who want to know how to do it right.

[@ifell3]

Your videos are spot on. Do you advocate the use of ferrules?

[@satyasingh3932]

Thanking you sir

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@507BigKahuna]

I stopped using those TITAN double crimpers, they are advertised as being for crimping nylon, not heat shrink. These can sometimes cut into the heat shrink and mangle it so when you heat it up it splits apart. Ive moved on to using an iwiss heat shrink crimper which crimps down nicely on quick disconnect bullet connectors whithout mangling the heat shrink

[@williambunting803]

A pull test should be a pull and twist test. Some times the wire arrangement inside the crimp can be stacked in a way where a light twist unstacks and a wire can just fall out. Also crimp tools for insulated terminals shout be of a type that puts a crinkle in the compressed copper connection material. This so where a crimp is wire bundle compromised, the wire will still be retained. I prefer to use un insulated connectors, I post solder the connector, and for important joints that might become submerged, after soldering I flood the wire strands with super glue before applying the heat shrink. This does two things. It plugs the wire strand bundle so water can not capillarate up the wire, and it bonds the insulation to the wires themselves so the insulation can not pull back.

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Good point, thanks for sharing!

[@toobglued]

@28:00 I admit I have done this. But not anymore. now I work the terminals carefully out of the electrical plug, you can still install a full ring terminal

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Hi toobglued, thanks for sharing what you found of value in the video. Thanks for watching.

[@donaldsmith513]

To connect batteries can I use copper stap instead of cables

[@williambunting803]

Great talk there Jeff with a lot of important reminders. I have the problem of a production boat where the wiring has been install in a way where it cannot be inspected, added to or improved. The main battery switches were install into wood work under a step in such a way that the entire step had to be dismantled to get to the connection side of the switches. A horror show. I am in the process of extracting that mess and relocating it in a swing out panel which is then part of a new Victory Lithium system which I have arranged a professional to do the connection process after I have placed the components again on a swing out system so that all components can be accessed at face panel level. My biggest problem is that the wire looms are jammed into conduit so tightly that nothing can be added and the wires are impossible to trace. There is one location where I can spread the wires out to tag them so I can figure out which wire is which. My only improvement comment about your talk is that the pull test should be a pull and twist test for several reasons that you will certainly appreciate. As a product designer I am starting to think that there is a need for a terminal connection system that is designed to fit into a holes wires can be routed to and out through the hole, connected to the terminal block with whatever cross links are required, then the terminal block is pushed back into the hole for flush finish. It could include led’s for quick service observation by removing a cover. Any thoughts, objections, or improvements on this notion? One final comment is that for ultra critical electrical cables, ie up the mast, consider using aviation cabling ..... its not that much more expensive compared to taking masts down to replace wire.

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Good points all round William.

[@TheHillpeter]

One problem I find is mechanic using test light stabbing a 2G harness . The hole in the wire will suck moisture in and create resistance. That green color in wires.

[@redwood1957]

I agree with you. I'm using marine tinned wire heat shrink terminals. I feel as if I should coat the wire with deox coating prior to crimping is that over kill? Thank you

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Appreciate your input.

[@ameenseamood1895]

Hi Jeff, I wonder can I connect the ground wire in engine main negative wire which is connected in the battery?💐💐

[@1kennymc]

Ameen SeaMood thats the only place you can connect a ground battery terminal

[@nutsandbolts432]

Great video. There is a little something everyone can take away from this video. Question for you. Why not teach how to solder wires? Or how to use weather pack connectors? I know sourcing all the bobs and bits for weather pack terminals can be challenging sometimes, and they are expensive, but when done correctly, it’s “once and done”.

[@jamiemcdonald7283]

Could agree with you more, every video just repeats its self on bad workman ship wich is important but 6 episodes is a little overboard, im an elecrical enginer by trade and i think these videos could have shown so much more

[@luisgcasiquet]

Hi Jeff.... I have read in an article of Westmarine this: "Lack of a good connection between DC negative and AC safety ground may put AC current in the water around your boat." So I wonder, Should I check that green wire of AC panel has continuity to common negative DC? Thanks!

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Absolutely! Bad connection between AC and DC grounds are a serious concerns for boaters that plug into shorepower.

[@donpetrey8007]

Also I have a question what is your feelings on sea choice heat shrink terminals

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Hi Don, not familiar with that brand. We use almost exclusively FTZ heat shrinks.

[@donpetrey8007]

Pacific Yacht Systems very similar type just a name brand we get at our local Murray pacific now pacific pride

[@uniteddrones7626]

Would soldering the wire to the crimped terminal after its crimped a bad idea? I couldn’t see why not.? I’ve been doing electrical for years. House electrical that is. And low voltage like this just not on boats. I’m 20 and learned from a master Electrician. Just here doing a little studying before I go out and buy my first boat

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Hi John, no harm to solder after doing a mechanical crimp.

[@smetanavichlamanov8103]

29:19 @PacificYachtSytems I've got a pretty good question for ya.... Soo, there at that time stamp I left up their or that part of the video he says, ("Then just slip your 02" Inch heat shrink right back over.") Why's he say that exactly...? I don't have a boat or anything like that quite yet in my life hah(or at least not yet that is haha😏😄😌 soon one day here I will😏🙂...) But anyways yeah... So I don't have a boat currently or whatever, but I have been working on my car electrical quite a bit lately, & all together just in general been really loving & getting into 12v a lot ever since I've been working on my car... Correct me if I'm wrong but most boat, yachts & all that run on 12v systems correct? That's honestly why I subscribed & why I've been watching a lot of your video's on wiring and just all 12v related on the channel or whatever... But anywho back to my question about the (" Slip 02" Inch heat shrink on the wire.") So why's he say that...? Is that some sort of Marine regulation or something, am just slightly confused😕...? Like is that maybe something all boaters/boat owners are supposed to do regarding anything at all that has to do with all the on-board (12v) Electrical wiring...? Or is that just a personal preference of his...? Because I don't know, I'm sure it's not just me that thinks this but isn't that like kind of a waste a tad bit...? Or no🤔...? Like you could just cut it in half and that would be plenty and cover it completely correct...? Or🤔🙁? What is your answer to all this...? I apologize for my (01) simple question that turned into a novel.

[@PacificYachtSystems]

The 2" heat shrink rule is a way to minimize the risk of water / humidity to ever get to the strands of the wire and therefore cause corrosion.

[@PopPopJoe]

How come you never spoke of soding connections. I would think this is the best connection.

[@jamiemcdonald7283]

How about show correct workman ship, i am also an electrical engineer and you could have shared so much more knowledge on a positive, how to side of things

[@GaryKirkpatrick]

What is better, heat shrink or nylon?

[@PacificYachtSystems]

We like heat shrink connectors because it's one item that does both, connector and protection.

[@fanaticforager6610]

GDay fròm 🦘😃 🤙🏼 I Very Much Appreciate yourself & your teåm’s Dedication to assuring optimally present superseded m, reputable knowledge; regulation connection/assurity . & I like the Admiral term, & about the rats 🐀 nest.⚠️🙂✌🏼 As you’ve ‘Elderly’ [ Latin term ] Stipulated; order how potentially monotonous, still experientially offers favourably mutual results, over sullen statistics 📊. Be Well 🙏🏼 🖖🏼🌊

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Much appreciated

[@kevkamo6289]

When in doubt short it out and tune for maximum smoke

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Dead shorts and ensuing smoke and fire if the circuit is NOT fused properly is very scary.

[@mhansl]

Its absolutely not fear mongering. It's crazy carelessness like that first connector that results in disaster. Don't go swimming in the marina.

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Good, sometimes i worry that worry too much... lol. That;s the engineer in me.

[@bakervinci163]

32 volts?

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Not sure about your question, can you provide more clarification?

[@w.c.6678]

24:58... Leading People Astray...

[@PacificYachtSystems]

How so, can you share more?

[@kevkamo6289]

Safety stifles innovation

[@PacificYachtSystems]

That's an interesting perspective.

[@officialWWM]

Pfft, I'm not even scared 😂

[@PacificYachtSystems]

You shouldn't be... lol.

[@officialWWM]

Pacific Yacht Systems I actually am a little 😂

[@dustinperez6758]

Deniably a fear mongerer. 🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@dustinperez6758]

Hmmmm. Not to say u should not be very careful. But, wow

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Thanks for sharing.

[@howardgilmour8464]

Moralising self aggrandising bore who keeps magnanimously sipping his water! Just get to the content, spare us how you lacked the manners to allow somebody to finish their interview because they did something you didn't appreciate, but had no idea that you would not appreciate it because .........guess what.......they didn't know your intimate tastes and preferences because they don't know you! That's an interview buddy. Can I have my 3 minutes and 20 back?

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Thanks for the feedback,