Digital Switching

[stillbuilding]

I am in the process of selecting the electrical control system and have been considering the pros and cons of digital switching systems to replace the whole power distribution, panelling and associated wiring harness issues. Has anyone any experience of these? Good, bad or ugly? There are at least 6 systems out there and some with considerable experience but hard to get "real world" feedback.

[olaf hart]

Our neighbors have it, the whole system had to be replaced after lightning struck a nearby tree. We just lost one desktop computer.

[GordMay]

Nigel Calder did a series of articles for Professional BoatBuilder magazine.

➥ Professional BoatBuilder Digital Issues

➥ Professional BoatBuilder - February 2006/March 2006

➥ http://www.proboat-digital.com/proboat/200510/#pg1

➥ http://www.proboat-digital.com/proboat/200512/#pg1

➥ http://www.proboat-digital.com/proboat/200602/#pg1

and
➥ http://sailmagazine.com/boatworks/en..._leading_edge/

[stillbuilding]

Thanks for the references Gord. Had read all except the fitout report. Still very early days for Nigel too I guess.

Lightning is one of my concerns. BEP have developed a system which claims to adhere to an international code for prevention of the surge effects caused by a strike but I am unable to make any real judgement on a theoretical basis and have no feed back from real vessels. The above report of a building strike is cautionary though.

[stillbuilding]

Thanks for the comment Olaf. Do you happen to have any detail of what was damaged by the strike - wiring, control circuitary, switches, appliances attached?

[stillbuilding]

Nigel Calder comments that it is easier to trouble-shoot problems. My electrical consultant holds the contrary view that hard wiring is fixable off the beaten track whereas advice and hardware to patch may not be so readily available. I think this is very important for a cruising vessel. Depends how hot-wired the technicians are and how good the UPS delivery is I guess.
Certainly there are some savings and convenience in the reduced wiring to panels.