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05-01-2018, 03:55 PM
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#1
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,122
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additional DC power station
was lamenting that our E'21 only had a single 12V receptacle on the side of the little counter at the foot of the bed, so I decided to over-do it (again!)
got a triple plate with 1 cigar, 1 dual powerpole and 1 dual USB charger, gonna put each one on its own 15A fuse in the main power center, since there's plenty of extra circuits...
still work in progress, I haven't wired it in yet, but I just did the physical install... pictures are with cushions and rear table removed for access... yes, the USB plug is upside down, I decided to put them in with the flaps upside down since this will be under the table, that will make it easier to plug stuff in.
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05-01-2018, 09:35 PM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
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so... Am I right in guessing that stud on the back of the power center with the stack of black wires is the DC ground ?
and, I'm thinking 14 gauge is plenty for the less-than-a-foot run from the power center... although maybe I'll run a single 12 gauge ground 'bus' wire for all of them...
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05-01-2018, 10:46 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19
Posts: 2,716
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Wow...great that it has Anderson power pole connectors in the middle.
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05-02-2018, 06:25 AM
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#4
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
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Well, heh, those are only there because I put them there....
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05-02-2018, 08:29 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Burlington Twp., New Jersey
Trailer: 2010 Escape 19
Posts: 7,126
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz
so... Am I right in guessing that stud on the back of the power center with the stack of black wires is the DC ground ?
and, I'm thinking 14 gauge is plenty for the less-than-a-foot run from the power center... although maybe I'll run a single 12 gauge ground 'bus' wire for all of them...
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Yes, the stud on the back of the power center is where ETI has all the DC wiring grounded. It has worked for me when adding several items.
14 gauge is more than enough for such a short run assuming your stated 15 amps. A common 12 gauge ground is plenty too.
Excuse my ignorance...but what are the power pole connectors used for. Have never seen them inside a trailer. Amateur radio?
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05-02-2018, 09:59 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia
Trailer: 2018 Escape 19
Posts: 2,716
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Correct...They are the North American Standard power connector for Amatuer Radio emergency operations. The same size shell can hold different pins with ratings up to 45 Amps.
I would do ratings like this.
8 amps for the USB
15 amps for the cig
30 amps for the Andersons (provided they came with the standard 35 amp pins. This way you can run 2 radios)
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05-02-2018, 10:10 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia
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OR depending how that Anderson is wired at the back...each Anderson with 15 amp service. So the whole unit would take up 4 fuse slots. (I have not seen the back of that type of Anderson cig design)
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05-02-2018, 02:24 PM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
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i'm actually using the PP for hooking up various non-ham-radio things, mostly related to my amateur astronomy. small battery chargers and such.
and yeah, on the back, the dual PP thing is 4 seperate pins, so I may well run 2 15A circuits to it (I don't think my fuse panel is rated for 30A at a single circuit anyways). most of what I'll be plugging in will be way less than 15A anyways.
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05-02-2018, 03:09 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Burlington Twp., New Jersey
Trailer: 2010 Escape 19
Posts: 7,126
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz
and yeah, on the back, the dual PP thing is 4 seperate pins, so I may well run 2 15A circuits to it (I don't think my fuse panel is rated for 30A at a single circuit anyways). most of what I'll be plugging in will be way less than 15A anyways.
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John: If you have the standard WFCO 8955 power center circuits 10 & 11 are rated for 30 amps. The rest are rated for 20 amps.
On edit: I can see from your photo above that you do have the WFCO so you have flexibility with how you wire.
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05-02-2018, 05:21 PM
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#10
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
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ok, so I'll probably use 12 gauge for the powerpoles, and 30A fuses... last star party, someone needed a charge for a homebrew Liion pack, and their cigar to powerpole adapter melted down, as well as blowing the 15A fuse in it, so having 30A available makes sense. I've also got a "400 watt" (really, 300 watt continuous) AC inverter, that has a powerpole input, I could see that drawing 30A from 12V under extreme loads.
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05-02-2018, 11:19 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Kelowna, British Columbia
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Sounds great John and thanks Rubicon for the hi amp output info on slots 10 and 11.
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05-03-2018, 07:19 PM
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#12
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
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and its all wired up and good to go!
went ahead and used 30A fuses and marine 12/2 for the two powerpoles, I know my portable "400W" AC inverter can suck that much, and its on a powerpole...
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05-03-2018, 07:21 PM
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#13
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
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oh and my dual USB turns out to have a blue backlight :-/ but its only drawing 10mA with no USB loads, I think my dual GC-2's and 160W solar system can keep up :-p
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05-03-2018, 07:58 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Burlington Twp., New Jersey
Trailer: 2010 Escape 19
Posts: 7,126
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz
and its all wired up and good to go!
went ahead and used 30A fuses and marine 12/2 for the two powerpoles, I know my portable "400W" AC inverter can suck that much, and its on a powerpole...
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Nice work.
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05-03-2018, 09:35 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: North Van., British Columbia
Trailer: 2014 Escape 19, sold; 2019 Escape 21, Sept. 2019
Posts: 8,743
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz
oh and my dual USB turns out to have a blue backlight :-/ but its only drawing 10mA with no USB loads, I think my dual GC-2's and 160W solar system can keep up :-p
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Yes, and they make nice little night lights.
Ron
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05-03-2018, 10:58 PM
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#16
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Mid Left Coast, California
Trailer: 2014 Escape 21
Posts: 5,122
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I actually would much prefer a red or amber LED, I hate those nasty bright blue things... but this one isn't that bright, I just checked at night.
yikes, I looked closer at the picture, there's only about 1 or 2 more turns of thread sticking out on the DC ground post. adding 3 ring terminals to it was a pain (I put the 14ga USB + cigar negatives on the same 10-12 ga ring terminal), they had to be spun around funky angles, even if I alternated them with the wires on top and bottom.
another thing I want to install is a stereo. thinking car stereo and some marine speakers like these http://www.jlaudio.com/marine-speake...oaxial-systems .. one pair inside, one pair mounted on the outside (or detachable indoor/outdoor speakers on extension cables...)
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