Solid State Relays for Marine Use??

[76SeaRay]

I am designing new switch panels for my restoration. I am thinking of using two relay powered circuits: 1) one for engine, nav lights, panel lights, docking and transom lights, wiper and VHF and, 2) one for cabin lights, courtesy lights, stereo, water pump, etc.. I am planning a fair mount of lighting with LED lights as much as possible including the nav lights. The engine circuits, horn, blower, bilge pump, trim, etc. off the ignition/battery circuit directly. Has anybody used solid state relays in their wiring systems as opposed to good old fashioned mechanical relays? If so, how well has it worked and do you have any leads on parts? Thanks.

 

[gm280]

So you are only going to have two breaker/fused type circuits for all those items? Any of the sub-circuits the are using a lot less current could have serious problems and heat their wires and circuit up and start a fire if a problem happens, if you are relying on only one large breaker setup for all of them. Usually you use one large breaker/fused setup for the main, and smaller individual breaker/fused protection for each individual sub-circuits.

As for solid state relays, I can't see any reason they won't work equally as well as regular relays. They are actually power MOSFET circuits. And the nice thing about power MOSFETS are that their on state resistance in really in the mohm (way less then an ohm) unlike relay contacts. So I don't see any issues. JMHO.

 

[sam am I]

I'd be a bit hesitant using/adding any relay (SSR or Mech) to switch any engine/running related stuff (any engine running down the lake critical stuff such as engine, radio, wipers, nav lights) as a failure at the wrong time could spell trouble. A Perko battery switch is as far as I'd go in the engine shut off circuit.......

HOWEVER, I use three SSR's for other not so critical things.........Trim/Tilt solenoid replacements (low side SSR's) and another (high side switch) so as to have a ultra low current usage/running method where a helm switch can remotely switch on/off power (50-60'ish amps) to 4 electric downriggers.

I currently use this for my high side downrigger switch for maybe 5/6 years now with 100% success..........I had made my own low side switch/SSR's for the T/T as I couldn't find what I wanted and the price was over the top for anything close. They don't burn/pit out, they run the motor up/down almost twice as fast and run way cooler due to the super low resistance, much lower resistance than mech contacts in fact.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Kind of hard to beat a marine rated VF4 relay. they are like $2.50 each and if you are in some 3rd world country and need one, simply pop the hood of your rental car.

 

[76SeaRay]

Thanks all. Each relay will feed a series of carlin switches with their own circuit breakers. The relays are only there to be able to use a single master switch to the lighting and comms panel and the house panel to make sure everything is off when shut down, key off then two master switches off. All engine circuits as well as the horn, blower, and bilge pump will run directly to battery power as in normal ignition wiring.

That SSR looks pretty cool but way over power for the two circuits I will create. Going to use mostly LED lighting etc.. Probably need something in the 30 to 40amp range but will create a power budget for each circuit.

 

[Scott Danforth]

way to complicated adding relays for controlling the lighting of a carling switch. simply daisy chain them together and fire them off with the dash light switch. that little grain-of-wheat bulb in the carling switches would take 100 switches worth to get up to an amp or so.

the battery switch is what should make sure everything is off.

 

[sam am I]

https://www.mouser.com/Electromecha...0x11qZ1z0x11oZ1z0x162Z1yzp0odZ1yzp0obZ1yzp0oa

20 - 40A SPST-NO

 

[76SeaRay]

No, not the lighting of the carling switch. For example, the cabin main switch needs to provide power to all of the cabin and courtesy lighting, stereo, water pump etc.. Sitting at the dock, the ignition is off and the instrument main is off, nav lights, dock lights, etc. are all off. The house main can be on. The house panel will run off a house battery so the main switch is an easy shutdown of all the house stuff. I would use a relay because the combined power draw if everything was on would probably be too much current for the main carling switch contacts.

 

[sam am I]

Exactly why i use the SSR for my lectric downriggers.........Simple helm switch (5'ish whatever amps) can control (with very little current) up to 200A remotely.

This thing only draws mircoamps...So no real attributed battery usage per-se to energize and control 100's amps with the switch (SSR).

i.e., When trolling(on the lake), main motor off there's no to very little charging (cept Honda 9.9 kicker) and while using the downriggers, I can de/energize them with the 200A SSR and the relay isn't drawing hardly any current from the battery drawing it down unlike, for example, a 1/200A contractor/relay who's coils would most likely use several amps to energize.

Trolling for hours at a time and running energizing coils adds up.

I reckon I could use a latching contractor/relay but, they're a bit archaic and they wear out.