A couple of additions to the website. In the Concepts and Tutorials section, you will find a discussion on the various Connectors you may find on the boat, and which is better for which application. Also, I expanded the Electrical Calculators page, which now includes calculators for NMEA-2000 network backbone voltage drop estimation, sizing wire for both voltage drop and current carrying capacity, as well as a rule-of-thumb to remember Ohm's Law, which I'll also show here.
Hopefully spring will be here soon so I can begin a new round of projects, and photos to be added here. I am considering the following projects this year (although they have not all been confirmed):
I have also done quite a bit of canvas work on the boat; and have photos. I'll soon be writing project articles on replacing the enclosure, making a custom bimini top, and small projects, such as flag cover, dock line bag, and so on.
If there are any other projects you'd like to see, or existing projects you'd like me to elaborate on, please drop me an email.
This is going to be somewhat "old school", but it is traditionally correct. Ohm's law is easy if you simply remember the Ohm's Law Pyramid, shown here. In traditional terms, "E" = Electromotive Force in Volts, or simply Voltage (new-age writings has this as V for voltage). Similarly, I = Current in Amps (again new-age is A), and R is Resistance in Ohms (well, at least that didn't change). To use the Pyramid, simply cover the value you want to solve for with your finger. For instance, if you want to solve for Current (I), cover I with your finger, and the equation becomes E-over-R, (E/R, or e divided by R), Similarly to solve for R, you cover R, and the result is E/I. And finally, to solve for E, you cover E, and the equation becomes I x R.
This is a handy little brain-reminder that should have you memorizing Ohm's Law in no time. I figure you can multiply and divide, so I didn't provide a calculator for Ohm's Law.
To solve for Power (in Watts), although not shown by the Pyramid, is easy: P = E X I
These equations are for DC (Direct Current) only. You cannot use any of these formulas for AC (Alternating Current), as phase, power factor, and other factors have to be considered.
Thanks;
Al