I am also just about to install 4 panels each 50W. I have 2 on top of my Bimini, and two on a homemade arch. The arch is clamped onto the existing push pit, with VERMATIC clamps. They are actually welding clamps but with a heavy duty nylon cushion and SS 316 plates on each end. They are vastly superior to the rail mount clamps that most folks normally use.
I have used 14 gauge wire, after measuring 8ft (16 ft run) to the plus and minus bar. I will then run only 1 wire (6 gauge) the rest of the 2 ft to the battery. I am also installing a Morningstar 25amp controller and a trip switch of 30 amps......does that sound right? I also use blue seas clam on everything from my propane hose to wire but might use a different idea this time. This is a piece of hardware that I have only seen in Denmark and have looked for over here. It is a piece of SS tubing bent into a upside down U with one side shorter than the other, on the long side there is a deck mounting plate. It allows wires to be fed through the hull and the U shape ensures that you get no water through the tube. It is a bout 8 inches tall, actually comes in 2 sizes. Most boats in Denmark use these rather than through deck fittings in the back of the boats where you may have to fed through 6 or 7 differently sized cables. I might have to have one made as I have 6 wires antenna cable etc back there already. Regards John Miami _______________________________________________ Liveaboard mailing list [email protected] To adjust your membership settings over the web http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/ To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
