For something new to emerge, something old must first make way. In this case, it’s mainly the old batteries and, most likely, many of the old cables. At this point, a before-and-after comparison might be appropriate:
The old batteries and their charger have now been removed. This was followed by further dismantling in the navigation table area. Here, I found more-or rather less-than I had expected. Looking at the wiring of the solar panel and navigation instruments, I had to remind myself that it looks worse than it actually is. After a few calm minutes analyzing the relatively straightforward wiring and making some initial guesses about where all the cables lead, my gaze shifted to the switch panel…
Will I find something similar behind it?
I certainly hope not. Dismantling and rewiring the switch panel, as well as installing the new MPPT controller for the solar module, will definitely be an interesting challenge. Unfortunately, I’ve already realized that the board to which these devices are mounted won’t be easy to remove from the bulkhead—probably not at all!
That’s it for the relevant removal work so far. Next up: laying the new cables and installing the new devices.