Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 50
D IY / T E C H
S m a r t P lu g
L o o k s L ik e a
S m a rt S o lu tio n
B y A n d re w M c D o n a ld
I
f y o u w a lk th e a isle s a t a b o a t sh o w , v isit a m a rin e sto re ,
o r sto p in a t a re p a ir sh o p , y o u 'll lik e ly b e in u n d a te d w ith
d ig ita l d isp la y s, v iv id to u c h -sc re e n s, N M E A c o m p a tib le
d e v ic e s, a n d B lu e to o th c o n n e c tiv ity. E v e ry fa c e t o f m a rin e e le c tro n ic s se e m s to b e m a k in g m a jo r a d v a n c e s - w e c o u ld n 't h a v e
im a g in e d m a n y o f th e e le c tro n ic s fo u n d o n to d a y 's b o a ts 2 0
y e a rs a g o .
E xc e p t in sh o re p o w e r.
S u re , th e re h a v e b e e n n e w p ro d u c ts - n e w p ig ta il a d a p to rs,
c o rd s w ith L E D lig h ts a n d in c re a se d a m p e ra g e fo r m o d e rn
d e m a n d s o n to d a y 's v e sse ls. B u t th e sa m e sh o re p o w e r c o n n e c tio n 'tw ist a n d lo c k ' p lu g is still b e in g u se d e v e n th o u g h it w a s
in tro d u c e d d e c a d e s a g o . W a lk th e d o c k s a t a n y m a rin a o r y a c h t
c lu b a n d y o u 'll fin d 1 5 , 3 0 , a n d 5 0 A 3 -w ire tw ist-lo c k p lu g s.
M a rin e sto re sh e lv e s h a v e b e e n sto c k e d w ith th e sa m e o r sim ila r
c o rd s a n d a d a p to rs fo r y e a rs. W e sh ru g o u r sh o u ld e rs a n d sa y w h y re -in v e n t th e w h e e l? T h o se tw ist-a n d -lo c k p lu g s w o rk g re a t,
d o n 't th e y ?
T h e o re tic a lly - y e s. T h e tw ist-a n d -lo c k a c tio n is d e sig n e d to
w ith sta n d v ib ra tio n , p ro te c t fro m h a rsh w e a th e r c o n d itio n s, a n d
p re v e n t th e c o rd fro m b e in g p u lle d o u t o f its so c k e t. B u t u n le ss
b o th p lu g a n d so c k e t a re u se d c o rre c tly - a n d m a in ta in e d a p p ro p ria te ly - th e re is p o te n tia l fo r e le c tric a l sh o rts, o v e rh e a tin g , a n d
e v e n fire .
T h e n I h e a rd a b o u t S m a rtP lu g . R e c o g n izin g th e sh o rtc o m in g s o f th e tw ist-a n d -lo c k p lu g , S m a rtP lu g c a m e u p w ith a
m u lti-p o in t lo c k in g sy ste m , w h ile m a tc h in g th e d u ra b ility o f
th e ir c o m p e tito rs' p ro d u c ts. I w a s in trig u e d . A n d th e n I w a s
a sk e d to in sta ll tw o d iffe re n t se t-u p s o n tw o d iffe re n t b o a ts a n d
w rite a p ro d u c t re v ie w . M y in te re st tu rn e d to e xc ite m e n t a s I g o t
to d iv e in a n d te st th e ir c la im s first-h a n d .
I w a s a b le to te st o u t tw o p a c k a g e s fro m S m a rtP lu g :
1 ) S m a rtP lu g In le t a n d C o rd se t | T h e S m a rtP lu g In le t is th e
fe m a le re c e p ta c le o n th e b o a t-sid e . T h e c o rd se t h a s a m a le
S m a rtP lu g c o n n e c to r fo r th e b o a t-sid e , a n d a sta n d a rd
tw ist-a n d -lo c k style 3 0 -a m p c o n n e c to r o n th e o th e r, fo r th e
sh o re -sid e .
2 ) S m a rtP lu g In le t a n d C o n n e c to r | T h e in le t is id e n tic a l to th e
50
C a n a d ia n Y a c h t in g
first p a c k a g e . T h e C o n n e c to r a llo w s fo r a n e xistin g sh o re -p o w e r
p lu g to b e m o d ifie d , b y c u ttin g o ff th e tw ist-a n d -lo c k e n d (b o a t
sid e ) a n d re p la c in g it w ith a S m a rtP lu g C o n n e c to r.
In s ta lla tio n s w e re a m a z in g ly s tra ig h tfo rw a rd .
H e re a re a fe w h ig h lig h ts :
* I in sta lle d e a c h p a c k a g e o n tw o d iffe re n t b o a ts: O n e w a s a
fib e rg la ss B e n e te a u 3 6 .7 ra c in g y a c h t; th e o th e r, a 1 9 6 0
ste e l-h u lle d c ru isin g y a w l.
* I h a d b a sic to o ls re a d y : P h illip s sc re w d riv e r, fla t-h e a d
sc re w d riv e r, w ire c rim p e rs, w ire c u tte rs, w ire strip p e rs, a n d
A lle n k e y s. I o n ly n e e d e d th e p h illip s sc re w d riv e r to re m o v e
fo u r sc re w s.
* T o re p la c e th e o rig in a l in le t w ith th e S m a rtP lu g in le t, th e
p a c k a g in g in c lu d e d th e o n ly o th e r to o l n e e d e d : a n A lle n k e y.
* N o c u ttin g w a s n e c e ssa ry, th e S m a rtP lu g in le t m a tc h e s th e
su rfa c e a re a a n d sh a p e o f th e e xistin g in le t.
* N o c a u lk in g , ta p e , o r g lu e n e e d e d , a n d g a sk e t m a te ria l is
in c lu d e d , p re -c u t.
* In sta llin g th e first p a c k a g e w a s m o st stra ig h tfo rw a rd w ith
th e to ta l tim e re q u ire d , fro m o p e n in g th e p a c k a g e to fin a l
te stin g , b e in g 1 7 m in u te s.
* In sta llin g th e se c o n d p a c k a g e re q u ire d a b it m o re c a re a n d
sk ill - w ire s h a d to b e c u t, strip p e d , a n d fe d - b u t th e fo lk s
a t S m a rtP lu g h a v e m a d e th is a s sim p le a n d stra ig h tfo rw a rd
a s p o ssib le , b y in c lu d in g c le a r d ire c tio n s a n d a n a d d itio n a l
g u id e -to o l to a id in th e n e c e ssa ry c o n n e c tio n s
H e re a re s o m e h ig h lig h ts o f th e fin a l re s u lts :
* T h e S m a rtP lu g a d v e rtisin g in d ic a te s th a t th e p in s h a v e
in c re a se d c o n ta c t a re a v s. c o m p e tito rs - th is c e rta in ly se e m s
M A Y 2 0 18
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting May 2018
At the Helm: Sit down to read the paper
Special Event: View To A Thrill - 2018 Melges 24 Worlds Preview
Travel Destination: Lake Simcoe and The Trent Severn
Club Profile: Mixing it up at the Newport Yacht Club
The Port Hole: May 2018
Power Review: Scarab 255 Open
Sail Review: Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440
DIY/Tech: SmartPlug
Crossing the Line: The 60-Year-Old Bird
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - Welcome
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - Cover1
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - Cover2
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 3
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - At the Helm: Sit down to read the paper
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 5
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - Special Event: View To A Thrill - 2018 Melges 24 Worlds Preview
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 7
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 8
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 9
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 10
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 11
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - Travel Destination: Lake Simcoe and The Trent Severn
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 13
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 14
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 15
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 16
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 17
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - Club Profile: Mixing it up at the Newport Yacht Club
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 19
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 20
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 21
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 22
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 23
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 24
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 25
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 26
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - The Port Hole: May 2018
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 28
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 29
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 30
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 31
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 32
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 33
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 34
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 35
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 36
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 37
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 38
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 39
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - Power Review: Scarab 255 Open
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 41
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 42
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 43
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 44
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 45
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - Sail Review: Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 47
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 48
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 49
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - DIY/Tech: SmartPlug
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 51
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 52
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 53
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 54
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 55
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 56
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 57
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 58
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 59
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 60
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - 61
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - Crossing the Line: The 60-Year-Old Bird
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - Cover3
Canadian Yachting May 2018 - Cover4
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