How To: New Wire-5 project (Bergeron)

[CWO (ret) Gilles Aubé]

Bravo mon Col, comme toujours du travail de première classe.
Adjuc (ret) Gilles Aubé.

[Robert Bergeron]

Merci Adjudant Chef pour vos bons mots / Thank you Chief Warrant Officer for your good words . Here is am making a Christmas tree . First is a picture of the original exhaust setup in the generator cabinet and the other one is a picture of the parts i picked up yesterday at a local plumbing shop . Pretty similar i would say .

[Robert Bergeron]

The mailman came through today . Received all the components to make another generator control panel .

[RichCam]

Robert - great work! You now should be able to put together a 3rd Wire-5 with your eyes closed....I have a tire with rim and a seat for you if you still need it. We just need to figure out how to get them to you. Send me a PM, cheers, Richard.

[Harry Moon]

Originally Posted by Robert Bergeron

The mailman came through today . Received all the components to make another generator control panel .

What are the part numbers and source for those?

[Robert Bergeron]

The fuse holders are from scrounged obsolete fuse panels and the fuses are from the hardware store . I use a standard built 12 X 12 inch electrical box with a cover that opens to the right You then punch out the holes as needed .I will admit this control panel is the most challenging part of the generator system restoration . You will understand the wiring of all this when you get the nice enlarged diagram i sent you by mail yesterday . It’s not for the faint of heart so to speak , it is complicated .The little switch on the bottom right is just a standard flip switch . It ´s neat function is to source the power from the two battery banks to start a generator . You get twice the amperage for start up . Don’t forget to switch it off when not starting as the warning says «* on for starting only «* The normal position is «*off*» .

[Robert Bergeron]

Scrounging fuse holder from old style fuse panels .

[Robert Bergeron]

Currently working on making control panels . Have the Bakelite panels now . Had found the stove switches and fuse holders / brackets as previously said . This is what the control panel looks like on a software used in engraving . Something neat i had not noticed before is that the amperage of the fuses was engraved behind them on the panel . Makes sense . I did not know because i had always had a look at panels with fuses on them thus blocking the view .

[Robert Bergeron]

Interestingly enough , our C-5 Canadian charging panels were controlled by stove like snap switches . The generator and battery control panel in the Wire -5 trucks used the same switches . They were common commercialy available parts in the 30s and 40s . With a little fiddling this one will become a control panel switch in the near future . Stay tuned .

[Robert Bergeron]

Here is our first prototype generator control panel. Found real Balkelite sheats . My friend Yves C is working with hos homemade CNC machine cutter . Not bad for a first try i would say .

[Robert Bergeron]

Found this also ….

[Robert Bergeron]

I also have two of these stove switches coming in the mail . We are going to make a final choice when they all arrive . Height and diameter are of particular importance for our control panels .

[Harry Moon]

Originally Posted by Robert Bergeron

Here is our first prototype generator control panel. Found real Balkelite sheats . My friend Yves C is working with hos homemade CNC machine cutter . Not bad for a first try i would say .

you should consider etching out the holes too.

[Robert Bergeron]

You are absolutely right Harry and it is what we are going to do as soon as the switches arrive . On another subject i have just finished restoring a C-5 Canadian Charging panel . This one is different from my other panel . It has got extra posts . The current will not go through the posts were my fingers are pointing and work properly unless we install a wire between them . Q : Could a fuse of been used on this panel ?

[Robert Bergeron]

SW/BD CHARGING NO5 C MKI RMSA38 Serial No C445 . I am beginning to think this charging panel is a later variant ( MKI ) . It is very possible it was more complicated and had fuses and that my friend would be an excellent idea . My other panel has not such provision . I will check later if the designation is different .

[Robert Bergeron]

My other panel : SW/ BD CHARGING NO C5 ( Canadian ) serial No 23280. RCA 101975-501. So this is the early model and my other the subsequent model ( MKI ) .

[Robert Bergeron]

Note the absence of the second row of posts incorporated in the MKI version .He is below my panel a picture of Simon King’s panel .

[Robert Bergeron]

Source Sigs Museum Kingston . I might of just found myself a NO19 HP set Switchboard Charging panel with the extra posts …

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Harry Moon

you should consider etching out the holes too.

No etching!! The letters were printed on. The best solution is white ink (yes, there is such a thing) and a Leroy lettering set. It duplicates the lettering almost 100%. A coat of clearcoat and Bob's 'yer uncle (or at least Robert).

The early No.5.....I haven't see one like that before. If fuses are attached to those inboard posts they would probably be under the front panel (easy to check, or at least see where the wires go), but that would make them quite a chore to replace. I have doubts they would have used those post to wire fuses elsewhere as that would defeat the purpose of the switchboard and its mobility. The C5 for the Amplified set has two more posts top left in line with the regular ones.

[Robert Bergeron]

Thanks Bruce , i knew you were nearby . I am not etching the C5 panels but the truck control panels don’t worry . The C5 were definitely painted and that is why they are so faded now . As for the discussion on these it is because it is part of the complete Truck installation kit . No Wire-5 truck is complete without one . That so little is known about them surprises me . You mean to say Bruce that you have never seen one like my MKI ? This adds to the knowledge library then . Can you post a picture of the amplified set one please so we can compare ?

[Chris Suslowicz]

What's the wiring like behind the panel, around the extra pairs of studs?

My suspicion is that it's for something like a WS52 installation with extra battery pairs (possibly because they were short of the 200 Amp Hour units and had to make do with the 100/125AH ones instead). If so the upper and lower pairs of studs will be connected in parallel behind the panel.

It's also meant to be used with two chore-horse charging sets (according to my reading of the panel lettering). The upper two switches select which batteries are feeding the output terminals (left hand switch) and internal lighting (right hand switch), while the lower pair select the charging source (Chore Horse 1 or Chore Horse 2) for Battery 1 (Left) or Battery 2 (Right).

(On my British charging switchboard No.5, the charging sources are Vehicle Generator/Dynamo and Charging Set.)

Best regards,
Chris.

[Robert Bergeron]

Here you are Chris .

[Robert Bergeron]

Another shot without a tool obstructing the view of the wires .

[Robert Bergeron]

Finished painting the handrails and the antenna protectors just now while waiting for parts .

[Robert Bergeron]

I am happy to report that the nuts on the charging panel posts are a common thread .

[Chris Suslowicz]

Argh! OK, I'll have to get one of the switchboards out of the store and trace out the wiring - it's not at all obvious from the numbering on the "stove switch" tag, and the switches on the board are different from the GE version.

I'll see if I can do that tomorrow.

Chris.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Comparing Robert's multi post early one to a more typical Canadian C5 panel they are identical except for the pairs of posts which (I think) are labeled as Battery 1 and Battery 2. This seems to duplicate the posts running up the sides for the battery connections so it doesn't surprise me they were dropped. It does make me wonder why they were put there in the first place.

As Chris says, the British panel is different and calls for a vehicle dynamo instead of a second generator set and is set up a little differently. British left, Canadian right.

[Chris Suslowicz]

Well that was a mistake. Having extracted the switchboard from the shed and written it up, I previewed the post and then closed the browser!

The British Switchboard, Charging, No.5 is a simple beast. All switches are identical, two pole, two way, with two off positions. The connections on the rear of the switches are different to those on the Canadian switchboard and the screws have brass plate cable clamps to take the conductors directly. Connections are marked (clockwise from the 10 o'clock position) L (red), 1 (red) 2 (black), N (black) 2 (red) 1 (black).

Upper switches select "Charge Battery" in the 3 o'clock position (all others are "Off") Left hand switch is Battery 1, Right hand switch is Battery 2.

Lower left hand switch selects charging source; 9 o'clock is "Vehicle Dynamo", 3 o'clock is "Power Unit".

Lower right hand switch selects "Set Supply From" to "12V Output" terminals, 9 o'clock is Battery 1, 3 o'clock is Battery 2.

The "Internal Lighting" terminals are common to the "12V Output" terminals.

Robert's "Switchboard C5" is rather more complicated, and the extra battery terminals are clearly a later (bodged) addition, as one of the switches has had to be rotated slightly (presumably to clear the nuts/washers on the added terminal) and re-fixed using some modified washers as a mounting adapter! (I don't really see what the point of it was, other than to make Battery 1 and Battery 2 accessible from either side of the switchboard.

It's then "flipped" in that the upper switches select the "12V Output" source (left switch Battery 1 or Battery 2) and "Internal Lighting" (right switch Battery 1 or Battery 2), while the lower switches allow each battery to be connected to either of the charging sets.

The other strange part is that the 'inner' (added) battery terminals appear to be marked "Charge". I suppose a detailed look at the panel wiring is next.

Chris.

[Robert Bergeron]

Thank you for that Chris . Don’t mind the washers , i added them to help «*index*» the switch . The center shaft had broken in half and i had it soldered up. When reassembling the whole unit , the «*off*» positions were not at 12 & 6 ´clock as should be . I rotated the whole switch 1/8 of of a turn and it works . I had to look up the word «*bodge*» . Look forward to hear from you on the explanation about those extra poles .Spent the day soldering terminals and maintaining the No 19 set in my functionnal Wire-5 truck . Sweet time of the year when i don’t feel guilty working inside .I listened to the BBC and VOA on the No 19 set after . I strung a 100 feet long wire on some tree outside the workshop , so simple ! I have also been using this little baby ( pictured ) . A variometer to control precisely the voltage going to the CPP-2 power converter .

[Robert Bergeron]

Today , last day of the year : Cypher clerk work table brackets painted and ready .