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Richard10002

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Posts posted by Richard10002

  1. Keep the battery cable run as short as possible and use a single fuse in the positive feed.

     

    Thanks Chris & Richard.

     

    The cable run is about 8m total, (pos +neg). Can't do much about it unless I fit the inverter in the engine bay, or move the batteries... Neither is an option I'm going to do in the foreseeable :)

     

    The fuse will be about 30cm from the battery, so at least that bit is reasonably OK.

     

    Thanks again.

  2. Given that power flows both ways in the cables from an inverter charger to the battery, should there be a fuse near the charger, as well as a fuse near the battery?

     

    There is nothing in the instructions about two fuses, but it would seem to make sense to have a fuse in the positive, close to the battery, and a second fuse in the negative, close to the inverter?

  3. Water lubricates? That is a new one to me. Cooling perhaps, but lubricating..? And what kind of technolitgy relies on grease finding it's way to the bearing by change.... :blink:

     

    Water definitely lubricates certain items.

     

    When my yacht was out of the water in 2009, if I turned the prop, the cutlass bearing squeaked. Throwing a bucket of water along the shaft, and into the bearing, stopped the squeaking.

     

    The grease is under pressure on the prop shaft. As tha shaft turns, the grease spreads around, and along, the shaft. Over time, as it spreads more thinly, the pressure reduces, and more grease is neaded, hence tightening the screw on the grease container.

     

    Not a difficult concept.

  4. I would fit a digital ammeter and shunt off Ebay (about 20 quid) and maybe a digital voltmeter (a fiver) and put the balance of the 150 towards the batt replacement fund.

     

    Nobody has mentioned the Nasa BM battery monitors that cost 30% less than SG aimed at the same market.

     

    NASA BM-1 about £90 reads up to 100A

    NASA BM-2 about £120 reads up to 200A

  5.  

    and am going to call in at an old fashioned auto electrics yard next week.

     

    Called in this morning, showed them the lug, and they said no problem and about 50p a crimp. Apologised that they couldn't do it today :)

     

    Looks like a result, but it will be next week before I've got the wires cut to length and prepared with the lugs attached.

     

    Thanks to everyone for the kind offers.

     

    Tim: if all fails, I'll take you up on your offer - Might even come by boat :)

     

    Richard

  6. what in the name of sweet Mary and Joseph do you need 95 sq mm cable for ?

     

    That's what I would've thought before getting into this!

     

     

    A 2500w inverter, 4m from the batteries. It's to do with voltage drop, rather than current.

     

     

    I am in Hinckley Leics

     

     

    Most Of the ther Boat Yards that I know do not have the capabilty to correctly crimp 95 mm cable

     

    Keith

     

    Similar trip to Nottingham - but thanks.

     

    I've enquired of the local yard at Stretford Marina, and am going to call in at an old fashioned auto electrics yard next week. If neither works, I'll probably plump for buying the crimpers at £60. At least I'll be able to help others out in the future.

  7. Exactly right

     

    A properly set up stern gland should never drip,the greaser is to lubricate the (usually) bronze bearing behind the packing

     

    grease will act as a temporary method of stopping or slowing a drip.

     

    In 30 years of yachting, the consensus was that a manually greased stern gland should drip about once a minute, and should feel warm, but not hot, in use. The choice seemed to be "just dripping", or, "just not dripping". The former seemed easier to achieve than the latter where, if you tightened it to stop the dripping, it may be too tight, thus wearing the prop shaft.

     

    I always felt more comfortable with a slow drip which, if it became a faster drip, suggested the gland needed either tightening, or repacking.

     

    Now I have a supposed maintenance free gland, which makes me feel a bit uncomfortable :)

  8. Hello

     

    I have an existing 12v system via an inverter. My question is this... The inverter plug is in place at the front of the boat. I do a lot of lap top PC work 1/2 way along the boat and would like another plug there. If I can find the supply wire can I spur a 12v plug into it or do I need to wire in a knew length of wire with a new plug?

     

    trog ;)

     

    Best solution is to get a 12v charger for the laptop. Otherwise, you are converting from 12v to 240v, through the inverter, then back to about 15v through the laptop charger. Each time you convert, it's inefficient, and you lose some amps.

     

    It will also be easier to tap into a 12v supply half way along the boat...... But make sure the wires are thick enough to take the current and maintain the voltage.

  9.  

    They've got a CCA, so won't be true deep cycle. Many suppliers describe batteries as deep cycle when they aren't. They may, or may not, have thicker plates than the norm, but won't be deep cycle.

     

    Unless you know your stuff, it seems that you can only trust brands like Trojan and US to be as described.

     

    Richard

  10. Hello Richard

     

    I would be more than happy to crimp the cable for you

    What part of the UK are you in

     

    Keith M

     

    Thanks Kieth... I'm in Manchester. Had an offer from Nottingham, but it would cost as much in fuel as buying a crimper :) where are you?

     

    Richard

     

    Those are perfect.You can hire the crimpers for a couple a quid.

     

    Where from. I can only find them at the usual places for about £70 per day !!

     

    Richard

  11. I bought a Honda 20i on eBay for £700. Works fine, and very quiet.

     

    Having said that, it's heavy, and there is no way my wife could lift it onto the deck from its storage spot. The 10i would be fairly straightforward for her, although it would be running at full power to provide 50A.

     

    I wonder how long a charger would be trying to pump 50A into the batteries. My Sterling inverter charger runs at 69A for a few seconds, then drops to about 55A for a short while, before dropping to about 40A for the majority of the bulk charge time.

     

    What happens if the charger asks for more than the generator can provide? Does it just get whatever the generator can provide, or does the generator or charger cut out, or does the generator run too highly powered and get damaged?

     

    I don't profess to know the answers, merely wonder at how these things would work out?

     

    Richard

  12. 3KW Hair dryer? That worries me a bit. No wonder you've lost your hair!:D

     

    It's not mine, it's SWMBOs!

     

    I checked the spec and it's 2.1KW. Ran it from the genny - Very hot, and very powerful.

     

    I say 250A to allow for inefficiencies, and stuff :)

     

    Apparently, the inverter is spec'd for spikes up to 7200va, so it could possibly draw up to 600A momentarily.

  13. I am still mistified by his wiring diagram and what is central to it. Does it make sense to you & others?

     

    Looks like one of Sterlings diagrams..... Similar style anyway. Perhaps it's an alternator regulator?

  14. If you are drawing 250 a I hope you have a good bank of batteries.

     

    Only 330 Ah, but I won't be drawing 250A very often, and not for very long. Maybe a few minutes of hoovering, or hair drying, ( not mine - I haven't got any!). I just wanted the facility to do so if necessary.

     

    We have a Honda Eu20i genny for any lengthy use of high powered stuff.

     

    The thing is, no matter how infrequent, if I might reach 250a on occasion, I guess I need a meter that can read it, hence the question.

  15. Taken the plunge with lighteningboy2008, and bought a 20V voltmeter, and a 150A ammeter with shunt, for £20 inc delivery from China...... Fingers crossed :)

     

    Thanks to all for the replies. I'll report back when fitted and run for a while.

     

    Not fitted yet but.....

     

    Having fitted a 2500w inverter charger, it seems that if I use the full 2500w, I will be drawing in excess of 200A. So it looks like I should have a 250A or 300A ammeter.

     

    Can I just buy an appropriate shunt, to attach to the (volt) meter that came with the 150A shunt, or am I likely to need a differently calibrated meter?

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