It’s been another week of sunshine, and the solar panels and batteries are starting to enjoy the coming summer. It’s been nice having sun on the panels all day until 6pm – being able to have the inverter on without having to keep an eye on voltages and wonder when the engine needs to go on – so far, the diesel usage has dropped considerably, which is also nice!
The next 3 jobs have all managed to float to the top of the list with the upcoming battery replacement planned for next week!
Last Thursday we did a “run in the sun” to Cropredy and back as the toilet tank filled and there is only so long you can cross your legs for! And no – I didn’t do a GPS track as it was an out and back, and I’m only starting that once we leave and don’t plan to come back for a long time!
Firstly, CRT are out and about working on Bourton Lock – nothing that will stop us though, just sorting out the lock sides and re-laying some fresh concrete
And now that the water levels are back to close what they should be.. you still get the cows wading out – at least that shows where the shallow bits are!
And – as I have work to do (it being a Thursday and all..) someone else can take turns at piloting the boat!
Once through Cropredy.. minding the ducklings..
Pumpout, Gas & Diesel done.. now back to where we were..
And now that were back at Hennef way again..
First Job – the 4G router. We have had this on the boat for 3 years now, and it’s starting to show its age. It’s not that it doesn’t work, it’s more a case of as they switch over to 5G, the 4G response seems to be dropping off – I don’t believe there turning off 4G, it’s just this router doesn’t like it or it is only able to use 4G bandwidths that they are running with less power than before! – so it’s being replaced.
I haven’t really liked this Huawei B525 router that we have had – it did the job, but I don’t like that occasionally I have caught it intercepting SSL packets and doing its own “Man in the middle” thing.. which to me it should not be doing.. plus, the signal strength has been getting really bad these last few weeks, which I cant put down to being somewhere else as we haven’t been.. so the antenna’s are also on their way out. I guess a few winters for the rubber antenna’s on the roof has been enough to damage the internals – who knows. Either way, a new router and a new antenna are on the cards
So.. A Teltonika RUT950 and a Poynting XPOL-1 Outdoor 4G antenna are being ordered from https://www.broadbandbuyer.com/ which I will be collecting on Friday afternoon and fitting on Saturday – which should cheer Anna up, and this means she will get a bit more shelf space as the old router that sits on the shelf is going, and this one, which I can mount under it will allow for a bit more space!
Second Job – I need to get the control panel for the battery monitor mounted on the services wall. When I first got this a LONG time ago, I didn’t realise how much of a design flaw it had. OK, the grey box with the screen needs to be wall mounted, and this – for most is an easy job – however, the wall I want to put this on is 10mm thick.. it’s not designed for flat wall mounting – more a case of cutting a hole in the wall and recessing the panel. And this was an option – if it wasn’t for the ports at the bottom that need cables attaching, which would then need an even bigger hole and look a total mess – so that’s not happening.
Instead, I need to build a mounting box to put the panel in, and then mount the box on the wall, which should not be too bad, this wont be the first box mounted on the wall as the remote display for the solar controller has one.
So – A custom box for the panel – made from a wall mount double socket box and blanking plate from B&Q – and less than a £5 for both.. that’ll do! The shunt (black box) will be going with the batteries, so that I don’t need to worry about yet – I will sort that next week when the batteries are here!
Cut a hole in the front and get the panel mounted in the box –
I just need to mount the box now!
And Thirdly.. but this will wait until next week or the week after.. Fit the new batteries!
I will be ordering them, and have them delivered to Cropredy marina, hence why were still in this general area.. but before there fitted, I want to charge each on its own and get them all to the same level (lets not have mis-matched charge levels from day one!)
But – for now, that’s it.. until next time!