Installing SmartPlug on R25

Just for clarification, you still need two hands to plug in or remove the Smart Plug from the boat. The connection is more "positive" than the older 3 prong style. I have to "work" the plug out of the boat, much like the 50 amp connection for an RV.

We replaced ours last summer, after an arc at the boat connection with the "old style" 30 amp plug. Granted, the old style has been used for years - the Smart Plug IS a better, safer connection, though. This is (IMHO) a case where a newer idea is a definite improvement.

Here's a post showing why we replaced ours...

http://captnjim.blogspot.com/2012/05/arc-y-sparky.html

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
I think the SmartPlug will soon be added to Lone Star Ranger, but in case folks are wondering what to do with the excess cord. Here is a product that I currently use to keep the cord secured and organized while either underway or at the slip. The cordpro is great for waterhoses, electrical cords, and even coax cable. While underway, I store the cordpro in the "cave". The pic shows how I keep it at a slip.

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/cordpro-xl-cord-organizer/48799

 
John:

A see there's one cautionary note related to using the CordPro. This is when the cord set is not fully extended from the CordPro one has to be careful about how much current is being drawn. The specifications state that the safe amperage is half that of a fully extended cord set if the cord set is partially extended from the container. This is due to the coiled cord set heating up within the container.

I do like the CordPro XL for its tidy storage capability. Thanks for the ref. 🙂
 
FYI...

I've just been told by Defender that all products they sell will be discounted by 10% starting this Thursday, Mar 21st. and Shipping will start to occur on Monday Mar 25th as their Shipping Dept. will be closed during the Sale period. I'm not sure how long the Sale lasts for.

So, I will place my SmartPlug 3 items order this Thursday and save myself some $32 reducing my total cost down to some $290.68. The $23.25 S&H cost remains same during the Sale period and is based on the weight of the ordered products.
 
Hi Tugnuts,

At Cap Sante I had to purchase an adaptor last summer to have 30 amp, as I recall. Also, there were a couple of times the cord did not stay connected. I have no such problems here at Kona Kai Marina on Shelter Island in San Diego, which is quite up to date.

Given the situation at Cap Sante, I wonder if it is worth replacing a quality setup that has not been reported as a problem on any Tugs, as far as I know. To me the larger problem might be older facilities, but I need to watch Jim's video...
 
Hi Anne:

As I see it regardless of the shore side power receptacle being old/worn-out/not-up-to-date/loose/etc that issue is same with the Tug's traditional quality stock setup and the SmartPlug. What I see as an advantage for the SmartPlug is quite likely it being safer in avoiding corrosion and consequently fire at the boat side connector, better waterproofing and easier boat side one-handed fitting.

I actually got a first hand look at a SmartPlug boat-side receptacle and connector today and marveled at its quality and sturdiness. It was a demo product at my local Marine store. I practiced with it and found I could engage the connector to the receptacle with one hand very easily. Just push firmly in and then latch the cover down to click it into position. The whole receptacle and connector when engaged felt solid, felt like one integrated piece and with no movement between the two being apparent. The waterproofing aspect was excellent from what I could see.

One of the issues I have with the traditional lock ring boat side is that it requires me to use two hands for the most part and I'm constantly fighting with the lock ring to avoid cross threading the darn thing.
 
Let's not forget that one of the primary reasons some of us switched to the SmartPlug is because of its built-in thermostat that will shut down the power before overheating occurs. Yes, also better connectivity (at least boatside) and a easier connection than the traditional lock-ring type that came delivered on the Ranger Tugs.

Here is the link to the comparison of the connectors from the SmartPlug website:
http://smartplug.com/marine_why.html

Gene R
Wolf Pack
 
BaseCampAnne":1piivbwf said:
Hi Tugnuts,

At Cap Sante I had to purchase an adaptor last summer to have 30 amp, as I recall. Also, there were a couple of times the cord did not stay connected. I have no such problems here at Kona Kai Marina on Shelter Island in San Diego, which is quite up to date.

Given the situation at Cap Sante, I wonder if it is worth replacing a quality setup that has not been reported as a problem on any Tugs, as far as I know. To me the larger problem might be older facilities, but I need to watch Jim's video...
Click to expand...

Hi Anne, your problem at Cap Sante is that the electrical power at (is it P25?) your slip is 20 amp, with a 20 amp breaker and 20 amp receptacle. We had to have an adaptor to convert our 30 amp power cord down to 20 amp. Some of the receptacles have been changed out to 30 amp. But the power supplied to most of them is still 20 amps. A few breakers have been changed out to 30 amp, but not many because the system does not have the capacity. We had ours on K25 changed out last summer. We use our AC/Heat pump for taking the chill of in morning. With just 20 amps, we could not run the heat pump without tripping the breaker. Forget trying to have coffee and heat at the same time.

That said, changing out to the Smart Plug will make the boat safer as it makes a solid connection from the power cord to the receptacle on the boat. A poor or loose connection can cause heat buildup which compounds the loose connection by arcs between terminals. The Smart Plug makes a much more solid connection. The dock facilities remain the same, but at least you have moved a potiential problem to the dock and off the boat. Thus your risk of fire "on the boat" is reduced.
 
I was looking over the Smart Plug at a local West Marine store this weekend. The EEL system was on an adjacent display. I liked the LED light on the EEL. And it was much more positive than the old Marinco system. But the Smart Plug seemed heads and tails above. Such an easy and impressively positive connection. No trying to fit those curved prongs into the outlet (I admit -- on our last boat, the location of the outlet made it extra difficult). And no twisting and wiggling to get the connection to snap into place. The Smart Plug impressed me. A lot. On our last boat, the Marinco-style connection, once made, seemed positive and we never had trouble with it. But by the time we sold our boat, there were a few hints of corrosion on the prongs that a careful eye could detect. My own humble opinion is that Smart Plug has a significantly better product and that Marinco is playing catchup. But my humble opinion is just that -- humble far from expert. Still, the tactile sense of how well the Smart Plug works left no comparison for me. If Marinco didn't already have such a hold on the market, I think Smart Plug would take over in a heartbeat.

But of course, Marinco does have a big hold on the market . . . .
 
Gin: I agree. I've seen both side by side now and still believe the SmartPlug is the superior product. I spoke with Marinco Tech Help desk today and they were very helpful explaining the advantages of their EEL product. I asked them what they thought about the SmartPlug and they were somewhat terse and said "it's just scaring people into buying...". Not much more was said.

During my research into the shore power cord set I've learned quite a bit, especially the safety aspect of handling the cord set and when to and when not to turn on the power. Dropping a 'hot' boat side connecter into the water was quite alarming to lean about.

Was down at my boat today removing water from the fridge after defrosting it the other day and my slip neighbor and I discussed Volvo engines and shore power cord sets. He said his Marinco shore power cord set had shown bad sign of shorting/arcing and had to replace it.
 
baz":mcfzxdxq said:
He said his Marinco shore power cord set had shown bad sign of shorting/arcing and had to replace it.
Click to expand...

Actually shorting in a power cord would be when the AC supply current would flow directly from one leg to another bypassing or "shorting" the normal circuit through the load (your boat's wiring and components) and back to the supply. If such a short occurs, the power cord would be unusable until repaired or replaced. Many people use the term shorting or shorted to indicate a problem with an electrical device when in fact a short never occurred.

The problem with our electrical cords is rarely a short. The most common fault is a high resistance connection caused by corrosion, water, or space between connections that should be tightly connected together. This high resistance connection causes arcing which burns the surface of the normally shiny connection points making the connection more resistive or resistant to normal current flow. Thus heat is generated at the point of connection and continues to build until the insulation around the wire melts and possibly burns. Hopefully a circuit breaker will trip or a fuse will blow before this occurs. But we cannot be sure that will happen, so we must do everything to assure that our connections are clean and tight, especially at our boat.

Disclaimer: I am still using the original power cord supplied by Ranger Tug. I do leave it connected securely with the locking ring fully tightened at the boat most of the time. Easier and safer to do on the 27 vs some of the other tugs. I do check it very regularly for signs of corrosion and or arcing and will repair or replace it at the first sign of trouble.

I do think the Smart cord set is a good device mainly because of the secure and somewhat weathertight boat connector. I would still keep a close eye on the condition of the terminals at the power cord and the receptacle. As salt air environment is an enemy to electrical connections.
 
It is fine... until it isn't...

ElecPlug1e_zps2d2bffa8.jpg


That's what it looks like when you have a problem. We always used the screw on retainer ring; followed proper procedures for plugging in the cord. It also burned the first couple of inches of wiring into the boat - I replaced that entire section of wire, also.

I didn't think there was a problem with the Marinco, but I looked at it every time before plugging it in. I never felt Smart Plug was trying to scare me into making the change. I saw another boaters cord that looked much worse than mine... that concerned me. I said to myself, "If that ever happens to mine, I will replace it with the Smart Plug." A week later, we had the problem.

We have a 15 amp circuit for the boat at our home dock. I ordered another Smart Plug and a heavy 15 amp pigtail and wired it to the second Smart Plug, allowing us to use a heavy 15 amp cord at home.

For discussion, we always kept the heavy 30 amp cord stored inside the boat; didn't leave it in the cockpit other than when it was in use. From our perspective, the Smart Plug is a better, safer, more secure connection than the old Marinco 3-prong-and-a-twist.

The whale watch office where we worked last summer was right next door to Friday Harbor Marine - I saw the regular flow of people going in there to replace their fried Marinco connection. Enough so that my wife wondered aloud if there was a problem with the wiring at the Friday Harbor docks. I can't say; never a problem with the reverse polarity indicator on our electrical panel. No indication that there was a problem until I saw the fried connection.

My advice: take a moment to check that cord end every time you plug in or unplug.

Jim B.
 
Very good advice Jim, thanks
 
I have seen a few plugs that looked like the one pictured above and when I inquired with the owners I found that several people were connecting the plug to the boat with a load on the circuit. That is they did not take the time to turn the shore power switch to the off position, on the boat. A cord should never be used as a switch. There should be no load on the circuit when connecting the cord or arching will occur because you are making the connection slowly. Make all the connections, then turn the shore breaker or power selector switch to the on position.
 
Good advice... I would also say follow your instructions when disconnecting the boat side shore power connector.
 
trailertrawlerkismet":15agfnw7 said:
Barry:

If you decide to go this route most West Marine stores will price match, just an FYI if this might be more convenient for you.

Let us know how it all turns out.

JIm F
Click to expand...

Jim: I checked this out yesterday just prior to ordering from Defender during their Sale. What I found was that WM has now recently changed its policy for price matching -- at least for my local WM store. They told me that they will only price match with Brick&Mortar stores that are within 50 miles of their location. I guess Defender lies outside of that 50 mile boundary... 😉
 
I'm sold. I ordered the retro-fit parts from Amazon today. (Amazon appeared to have competitive pricing). I had noticed some scorching on the female plug of the shore power cord, but didn't think too much of it until I read this thread. Thank you, once again, for addressing these issues and providing research links.
Joe
 
I've just noted that the SmartPlug boat side connection is opposite to what Ranger Tugs provides. That is, the end of the SmartPlug cord set has a female format and the boats SmartPlug receptacle has a male format. This is opposite to that for my current R-25 setup. Why is this I wonder ?

SmartPlug's boat side cord set end pic...
Cordset%20boatside%20end.jpg


SmartPlug's boat receptacle pic...
Boats%20SmartPlug%20Connector.jpg


[Edit]

I just got off the phone with Ken Smith (founder of the SmartPlug). He's a nice chap and was very helpful telling me how the SmartPlug came about etc. I asked him about the SmartPlug boat side cords female end connecting to the male receptacle on the boat. He said its done that way to avoid people electrocuting themselves when carrying a live cable end to the boat. That is, if the shore power breaker is ON and the cord set connected then if there were pins sticking out of the end of the SmartPlug's cord set that connect to the boat's receptacle a person could accidentally touch the live pins and do damage to themselves. I told him my Ranger Tug's boat side shore power receptacle was a female receptacle and that the cord end that connected to it had the 3 pins sticking out. He was astonished and has asked me to validate this for sure and call him back. He cannot imagine that Ranger Tugs would have this shore power configured that way... so it's off to the boat to check this out with some photos to send/show to Ken Smith.

BTW... Ken gave me his personal Cell number and said he was available 24/7 to answer any questions etc and also that if even within 10 years of owning the SmartPlug I had an issue he would have the product replaced and would want the failed portion returned for failure analysis... Geeesh, you cannot get better than that. 😱 :roll: ...and in addition he said the Marinco 30amp configuration cord set was only rated for 24 amps and dates back to a 1954 electrical standard... 😉
 
You must be mistaken. All cords have the male on the side that plugs into the powered female. If not you would have hot legs exposed where someone may come in contact with them.
 
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