Day 395 Pilothouse panel
The main breaker panel, well, the panel with the most breakers, is going to be situated in the side of the dash for easy access. Once again we are using the switch style breakers so circuits can be individually shut down in case of maintenance or a problem or just to save power. All of the instruments except the radar will be connected through one breaker. It is important that each instrument has its own fuse coming off of the breaker in the event of a short circuit. The wires to each component can thus be smaller gauge, saving space in an already cluttered wiring area.  
There are probably too many breakers, but you know how it is. A toy here, a new circuit there, it all adds up and we don't want to be overloading breakers.

I thought the amount of breakers Gena had allotted was a little much,  but then I thought the amount of wall sockets she decided on in the house was ridiculous too. Turns out there are still not enough! It's just not something one gives a lot of thought to unless having gone through the sequence before. I trust this is the same thing. She is older and wiser ;)

The photos show the panel front and back. The breakers each have their own letter, then once the letters run out, a number after it. This I don't agree with. I'd rather have a label of what it is next to the breaker. It does look pretty though hey?
The sanded aluminum plate was cut at work then I sprayed it with "speckle stone" to look similar to the 3-d animation texture. First a whitish stone, then a sprinkle of black/gray.

A little list will be made up on the computer then taken in to get laminated along with the other to breaker panels. The card will be posted on the panel top for easy viewing.

Gena made up a heavy gauge copper bus from, yes again, the scrap yard. We must invite the owner of the yard out to show him what we've been doing with all that scrap. He may never look at his scrap the same way again!

Back of breaker panel

What a wiring nightmare! Gena says it will get much worse.


 		  
There it is in place with the first bunch 'o wires hooked to it. Gena is in her glory! I was deep into my steering system. A culmination of thought over the last year or so.

The diagrams indicate the basic idea of the tilt steering, as I didn't have any time to do a mock-up in 3d software.
It must follow a couple of rules to operate:
1) the center of the pivot must align closely with the center of the U joint ( obtainable at Princess Auto for cheap! )
2) there must be a stop pin of some sort, like in a car tilt steering.
I've never built a tilt steering before, (who has??) but have seen it in trucks. I know it must be sturdy, so sturdy it will be.
I just love building things! Especially when it works. Hopefully this does as it is needed.

The problem is we want a very comfortable seat to pilot on. Gena also wants to be able to stand while steering inside. This means when seated, there is no way we'll be able to reach the wheel. The early design was to mount the helm pump at an angle to accommodate sitting.
On a moving system, the pump would need flexible hoses and we really don't want to use those as they cause "bounce" in a non-powered system. With all of the tilt "stuff" in front of the pump, there is no room for the pump! The next logical course of action is to turn the pump around and connect it with sprockets and a chain. Same thing as we'll be doing with the cockpit steering station. So be it!

Day 395:
10 hours - Installed breaker panel, started of the tilt steering unit.


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