Forum Discussion
MEXICOWANDERER
Dec 18, 2015Explorer
There is a "cheater's way" to assist with diagnosing a self-inflicted gunshot wound. You have I'd a definite positive and a definite connected to chassis negative cable. Two of the three.
I made up a 30 amp auto-reset circuit breaker tester lead. A breaker with two pigtails - one from each post. A foot or two length of wire (I chose 10-gauge cross-link wire). And two mean-ass electrical test lead clamps. One on each end. I used heat shrink (big stuff) over the breaker but it can be wrapped with electrical tape.
Now this breaker will do absolutely ZERO to protect against accidental reverse polarity mis-connection of the battery wires, but it does limit current to an unknown wire in case something weird happens.
NOW I PREACH...
All you younger folk have cell phones with cameras and tons of "selfies" and assorted digital images in memory. In the old days, I used to take dozens of images of an engine compartment, harnesses, underdash, the battery compartment, you name it, then rush to the local Costco store to get them developed. This saved my bacon so many times I lost track. The converter fuse area was nightmare incorporated.
It does little good to jabber this stuff to someone who has felt the effects of a mistake, but for crying out loud, when gathered together with other RV'ers mention the cell phone images trick. It really does work.
I did a 66 foot Chriss Craft yacht rehab in 1988 in which the original construction electrician ran over two thousand feet of white marine 3-conductor wire, unconnected at both ends then walked off the job. The bundle beneath the utilities console was thicker than my thigh. This can be referred to as "A Trial By Fire" Black, white and green wire inside the white jacket. Some of the circuits were D.C. using a separate ground meaning all three colors had the role of positive power leads. Paralleling AC with DC is horrible for noise induction. Thought I'd throw this own to lend a little perspective on what ID'ing a single wire means :)
I made up a 30 amp auto-reset circuit breaker tester lead. A breaker with two pigtails - one from each post. A foot or two length of wire (I chose 10-gauge cross-link wire). And two mean-ass electrical test lead clamps. One on each end. I used heat shrink (big stuff) over the breaker but it can be wrapped with electrical tape.
Now this breaker will do absolutely ZERO to protect against accidental reverse polarity mis-connection of the battery wires, but it does limit current to an unknown wire in case something weird happens.
NOW I PREACH...
All you younger folk have cell phones with cameras and tons of "selfies" and assorted digital images in memory. In the old days, I used to take dozens of images of an engine compartment, harnesses, underdash, the battery compartment, you name it, then rush to the local Costco store to get them developed. This saved my bacon so many times I lost track. The converter fuse area was nightmare incorporated.
It does little good to jabber this stuff to someone who has felt the effects of a mistake, but for crying out loud, when gathered together with other RV'ers mention the cell phone images trick. It really does work.
I did a 66 foot Chriss Craft yacht rehab in 1988 in which the original construction electrician ran over two thousand feet of white marine 3-conductor wire, unconnected at both ends then walked off the job. The bundle beneath the utilities console was thicker than my thigh. This can be referred to as "A Trial By Fire" Black, white and green wire inside the white jacket. Some of the circuits were D.C. using a separate ground meaning all three colors had the role of positive power leads. Paralleling AC with DC is horrible for noise induction. Thought I'd throw this own to lend a little perspective on what ID'ing a single wire means :)
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