I'm a new K3 owner, and I chose the K3 in part because of its small size, because I intend to install it in my boat, which is already cramped for space.
I am re-wiring the boat to comply with ABYC (American Boat & Yacht Council) standard E-11, /AC and DC Electrical Systems on Boats/. I have a conventional negative-ground DC system. The ABYC E-11 standard requires that in such a system, overcurrent protection (fuse or circuit breaker) to protect the boat's wiring shall be in the ungrounded (positive, red) conductor and that the grounded (negative, black or yellow) conductors in branch circuits (such as the one that one powers my ham station) shall /not/ have fuse or circuit breakers in them. The /K3 Owner's Manual/, however, states (under "Specifications", on page 8) that "[w]hen a battery is used, both sides of the battery cable should be protected by fast-blow fuses." I wonder why the manual recommends that the negative lead should be fused? Can anyone explain this for me? I intend to wire the K3 power lead with fast-blow fuse in the positive (red) conductor only, in compliance with the ABYC E-11 standard. But ,still, I wonder: why does the K3 manual recommend fuses in /both /conductors: the black (grounded, -12V) as well as the red (ungrounded, +12V)? Jim Maynard, K7KK ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
