Water Sensor

Redesigning the water sensor for the Nautilus. The new sensor will include a bluetooth module, to be able to check the water level while filling the tank.

Navigator case: update

All the components have been delivered and the first sketch of the case printed:

the case need to be shorter in height to fit
all the components can be places, enough room
the case cannot be printer in one shot, so need to be broken in several components (to avoid any deformation)
some measurements need to be adjusted
buck converters have been tested and are stable

Holiday 2022

As Nautilus have been completed, we took it for a test drive on a trip across France and Spain.

Here you can check the trip route and pictures coming soon!

Campervan: April update

Two weeks to go and most of the work have been done. Only the water tanks need to be connected and wired, the system it’s a bit over engineered but should be solid.

To monitor the water levels I created a digital gauge:

a single FULL indicator light for waste tank
six different level for the fresh water
a momentary button to check the fresh water level

The fridge and the table have been installed too. The fridge required some modification due the position of the AC/DC switcher, placed on the back of the appliance. Is now moved in front and integrated in the kitchen control panel.

The control panel for the electric system will be ready as soon this week.

Water tanks cage

because the tanks size differences, installing the two water tanks is going to be a little more complex than expected.

Here a sketch of the structure.

Campervan: March update

One month to go before holidays and most of the work has been done. The electric main skeleton is ready, just few things left:

setup the control panel
fridge
few lights

So far I am very happy with the battery (wasn’t cheap at all), the Dc-Dc Charger, the inverter, the fuse box and the schematics that I draw. From a quick test seems that everything work in safety, but I would like to do a full stress test.

As well the bed is almost done, just missing the two foldable legs (that I will complete today) and the locking system, probably created using two seatbelts.

The design of the bed changed a couple of times but the final system (my wife’s idea) is work just fine and is sturdy.

The kitchen is almost be ready too, the worktop with hob, sink and tap have been installed and is waiting for the hydraulic system.

Campervan: electrical schematics

This is the schematic that I built for the campervan, the batteries can be recharged by solar panels, engine battery/alternator and shore grid.

Leisure battery is 200ah 12v, two solar panels 175w 21v connected in parallel (due MPPT Charger limit input to 25v, just to be safe).

The dual DC-DC MPPT Charger is capable of a max output of 50Amp (25 solar + 25 from engine battery) and have a full automatic load distribution that direct the charge to the engine battery once the leisure one is full.

Inverter size is 2000W with AC input priority to stop using the battery when connected to the main grid. More than enough for our needs, the main load will be the induction hob, with 1500W max power. (from Sterling Power… as soon they have it back on stock!)

Still looking for the AC-DC charger