[C38] Wiring Diagram

[D McC]

One thing to be careful of!! 
In my boat, when the previous owner was adding some
electronics, he found that the exisiting wiring did
not match the original wiring diagram. The original
owner had made some changes and did not document them.
Fortunately for me the P.O. was meticulous enough to
re-draw the entire system as he found it!!  

--- Max Soto <maxsoto at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Hi guys,
> 
> Thanks for the diagram and all the information.
> This will help me a lot!
> 
> Max Soto
> C38 #198 ESTANCIA
> Puntarenas, Costa Rica
> 
> >From: "Les Howell" <hlhowell at pacbell.net>
> >Reply-To: Catalina 38 Listserve
> <listserve at catalina38.org>
> >To: "Catalina 38 Listserve"
> <listserve at catalina38.org>
> >Subject: Re: [C38] Wiring Diagram
> >Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2006 20:01:44 -0700
> >
> >Hi, Everyone,
> >
> >     Some important points about the electrical
> systems.  First, note that
> >the DC system is only grounded to the engine.  This
> means that our entire
> >12V system is isolated from the ocean, except
> through the transmission,
> >coupling and shaft.  We replaced the engine,
> transmission and shaft in 
> >JACE,
> >and the new coupling is isolated which I think is
> supposed to reduce noise
> >(note supposed !!!).  Now JACE 's DC is totally
> isolated to ocean ground.
> >This will impact your use of RADAR, VHF, and SSB
> radios.  AM/FM stereos and
> >TV's use a different means to generate their
> reception, but they, too will
> >benefit from a good ground.  I don't have a fixed
> GPS so I can't comment on
> >that.
> >
> >     The 120VAC system is totally isolated from
> ocean ground.  I don't know
> >if this is good or not, but you are relying on the
> condition of the earth
> >ground at the dock to help prevent electrolysis and
> electrocution.  Check
> >your shore power cable at least annually.  I
> installed a galvanic isolator
> >in JACE, but when I added an inverter I didn't know
> what to do for safety
> >ground.  I am still looking into that.  If you know
> any real good 
> >electrical
> >types, who have solved this, please let me know.
> >
> >     If you just need to solve the radiation
> ground, you can add copper
> >inside the hull (4 square feet or more should do
> the job).  But lightening
> >protection may require something different.  In any
> event, I would 
> >recommend
> >finding out if your coupling is providing
> electrical ground for you, and
> >also checking leakage with the battery isolated
> (switches off).  This will
> >help you check for any possible sources of
> electrolysis.  Changing your
> >zincs often will help as well.  We put new through
> hulls in JACE, all
> >Bronze.  We were told to leave them isolated
> because having some connected
> >and some isolated is potential for electrolysis to
> eat up the zinc from the
> >bronze.  Your engine through hull is probably
> already bronze (ours was),
> >because of the constant rush of water and flexing
> of the hoses due to 
> >engine
> >movement, it was fully isolated and had no
> electrolysis evident.  You 
> >should
> >periodically check that they are not showing pink
> (bronze tends to look 
> >pink
> >if you scratch it when it loses zinc.)
> >
> >     The charging path originally in the boats was
> from the alternator to 
> >the
> >panel, through the ammeter, and back to the starter
> solenoid, where the
> >system was wired to the power panel.  Newer systems
> don't do this because 
> >it
> >is a weak link in the charging system, and because
> it can potentially burn
> >the wiring harness to the engine, so they put a
> voltmeter and tie the
> >alternator directly to the starter solenoid.  The
> panel gets its power from
> >this point as well.  You will notice that the wire
> from the engine to the
> >switch and back to the engine is 10 or 12 AWG. 
> This is because it carries
> >the current for the solenoid and the engine heaters
> or the heater solenoid
> >depending on how your engine is wired.
> >
> >     If you have a multi bank battery charger, read
> its manual CAREFULLY.
> >After noticing that my batteries were not fully
> topped off, I finally
> >re-read mine and discovered that it required any
> unused outputs to be
> >strapped to one of the used ones to get the charger
> to full output.  I did
> >that and gained about 15% more of my battery
> capacity.  Since I notice that
> >many people talk about batteries not being fully
> charged, I am suspecious
> >that I am not the only one that missed that one
> line in my charger's paper
> >work.
> >
> >     I replaced the original wire from the solenoid
> to the panel in JACE as 
> >a
> >safety precaution (it wasn't tinned).  It needs to
> be between #0 and #2 
> >wire
> >to carry the current required to start the engine. 
> The switch in the panel
> >changes the source for engine starting from battery
> 1 to battery 2, so the
> >leads from the batteries to this switch also need
> to be heavy cable as 
> >well.
> >The original house battery run in JACE went through
> the bilge, under the
> >floor, up through the back of the chart table
> behind the drawers to the
> >power panel.  There were no clamps that I could
> find anywhere on this run.
> >I ran the new cable the same way, but I don't like
> it, so re-routing it and
> >adding clamps is on the to-do list.  When replacing
> wire, use marine wire.
> >It is finer, and the strands are tinned.  This will
> help prevent sea water
> >and salt air from corroding the wire, and because
> the strands are thinner,
> >it is more flexible, meaning it will last longer in
> the flex of the boat.
> >Standard recommendation is strapping wire every
> foot or so to help prevent
> >unnecessary flex.
> >
> >     The runs from the power panel to the mast go
> through a plastic hose on
> >JACE, I don't know if this was standard or not. 
> However I haven't found 
> >the
> >entrance to the hose.  I suspect it is inside the
> liner behind the chart
> >table.  I am planning on rewiring JACE sometime
> soon, so I will know more
> >later.
> >
> >     The run from the solenoid to the power panel
> goes across the roof of 
> >the
> >engine space, down the starboard side of the door,
> through the area in the
> >forward end of the quarter berth, up through the
> liner to the inside of the
> >power panel.  Once I realized I would be redoing
> this I ran a messenger 
> >line
> >from the power panel down to the quarter berth area
> of nylon small stuff 
> >and
> >tied it to a 6" piece of wood which I leave in
> place.  It is long enought 
> >to
> >let the line go three times through this area so I
> can tie wires to it and
> >run them up to the panel.
> >
> >     One of the worst bits on our boats are those
> riveted 3 way splices.  I
> >have replaced most of mine with butt joints big
> enough to hold two wires on
> >one side and ensured the wires were well joined
> prior to insertion.  I seal
> >all my butt joints with some Marine Goop.  easier
> than heat shrink and I
> >don't have the opportunity to check out my fire
> extinguishers in sealing 
> >the
> >joints (clumsy man with a lighter or matches oft
> gets 
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