White Shadow
Active Member
- Feb 17, 2023
- 127
- Boat Info
- 320 Sundancer 2005
AB Dinghy w/9.9 Merc
Axiom 9 MFD
Kohler Model 5E Generator
- Engines
- Twin Mercury 350 MPI Horizons w/Bravo III Drives
I'm planning on adding a Blue Sea Systems 4363 panel that has a 12V socket as well as a dual-USB charger. I'm thinking I'd like to install it in that small cabinet that currently has the TV Gain Control. Since that TV Gain Control is no longer used, I was thinking of simply taking the wires off of it and plugging them into the new Blue Sea panel. According to the wiring diagram from my 2005 320DA the wires feeding this are #'s 563 & 564 and they are 16 gauge that have been spliced off of wires #592 & 593 which are 10 gauge. This splice would only be about 3 or 4 feet away (probably not even that far). I plan on using the 12V socket for a Camco 550 Fridge/Freezer which according to the manufacturer will only draw 5 amps (and that's peak). The dual USB ports would be used for charging phones and the ports are 2.1 amp (and are fused with a 2 amp fuse in behind). I believe even of this whole thing was totally maxed out it would be drawing less than 10 amps. According to ABYC standards a 16 gauge wire could handle 10 amps up to 20 feet in length. Would I be OK with this setup? I'm not sure if I need to account for the length of only the 16 gauge section of wire, or if I also need to account for the 10 gauge wire (which could handle 10 amps up to 100 feet). Or should I consider getting some 10 gauge wire and splicing it in back with the existing 10 gauge wires where these 16 gauge ones are spliced in? Note that the switch on the Blue Sea panel is actually a 15 amp circuit breaker.