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bottle

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Posts posted by bottle

  1. Battery conundrum

    in Boat Building & Maintenance

    Posted

    So left the mooring 2 days ago after having been on float (13.5v) for a while with the occasional cycle of tbe charger.

    Stopped the 1st night after 6hrs cruising, woke up next morning SG showing 89% voltage with no load 12.6v

    Inverter wouldn't switch out of standby and voltage when waterpump running was 11.5v.

    Not what you need on first day of holiday

    10hrs cruising next day with much panic as to where will I source new batteries at a sensible price.

    Stopped last night and after a couple of hours decided to check each battery independently all were 12.95 with no load and 12.9v under waterpump load.

    This morning 89% and again less than 0.05v drop with waterpump on.

    Because they are sealed calcium I haven't been able to do an equalizing charge every couple of months when at home so I suspect that capacity had been reduced, which oddly SG didn't report, and the 10hrs at 14.4v has improved matters.

    Batteries are 4 years old and have spent most of that on float....

    What does the panel think?

     

     

    10hrs at 14.4V will have stirred up the electrolyte a bit and removed a bit of Sulphation. Do that a few more times and see how you get on.

     

    SG won't report loss of capacity - it has no way of knowing that - it'll only tell you how charged they are as a percentage of whatever capacity they have.

     

    Technical answer from WotEver, me being a simple soul would say think of a bucket and water.

     

    When the bucket is new it can be filled to the top but as it ages, gunge etc. collects in the bottom, the bucket can be filled to the top still but does not have the same capacity.

     

    The bucket is full but...

     

    The Smartgauge will still tell you the bucket battery is full but it does not know how much gunge is in the bottom.

     

    The Smartgauge will still tell you a true usage of the the available capacity.

     

    When you notice that the batteries do not last as long and you are charging them more often (same usage) then it is a good indicator that the batteries are on there way out.

  4. tv aerial signal booster

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    An amplifier will only 'boost' what is available, if nothing available it will boost nothing, if crap is available it will boost crap.

     

    If getting break up, check what is between the aerial and the transmitter, trees, especially wet ones, will block the signal.

     

    Hight of aerial can also have an effect but sometimes not in the way expected, have had it where by lowering the aerial it has picked up a cleaner signal. wacko.pngwacko.png

     

    Also check all connections are clean and good.

     

    ps. I also have a log periodic aerial but sometimes it is just impossible to get a signal, depends on location.

  5. Best way to Measure Amp Hours used

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    The one and only way to be sure of counting the amperes in and the amperes out is an ampere hour meter and this important point the measurement must be at the batteries. ie, a shunt as the last connection to the batteries. (Usually the negative)

     

    My previous MPPT controller counted the amperes but only those going to the batteries not those leaving.

     

    If for instance I had a 5amp load and the solar was putting out 10 amps then the batteries were only getting 5 amps, the other 5 were supplying the load

     

    Even then, as mentioned you need to put back more than you take out.

     

     

    just someone trying to decide how much I am using and how many batteries I need to make my life comfortable.

     

    It is not so much how many batteries (amp.hr capacity) you need but how much capability, the charging system has of replacing your usage.

     

    Then a decision on the size of the bank can be made, it would obviously be not a good idea (cost) to have a 1000 amp.hr bank and only use 50 amp.hrs. but when you get to 100 amp.hr battery bank with 50 amp.hr usage then although possible, it would 'work' the battery hard.

     

    Increasing the battery bank to 200 amp.hr and still using 50 amp.hrs the batteries would 'work' less hard and also be maintained at higher SOC.

     

    Instead of battery bank down down to 50% SOC then the larger battery bank would be 75% SOC so being kept at a higher SOC which batteries like.

     

    You would still be using 50 amp.hrs and have to put back more because of charging losses.

    • Greenie 1

  6. Just brought a widebeam riveted house boat advise needed..

    in New to Boating?

    Posted

    Thanks for all the good replies didnt think id get such replies. I am new to tge boating scene so please forgive any questions i have asked that are not up to your standards. The pics i posted where the only ones i had when i go today ill take some more. I would definatley say it is a mud hopper. Thanks again.

     

    It's not about standard of questions, it is about standards of answers.

     

    Many have answered your questions and some have been a bit blunt as will be mine.

     

    You have ignored good advice, the boat yard.

     

    Sorry to say you have gone ass about face to this.

     

    I really do want all the warnings about what you may find, a metal boat with concrete ballast that could/maybe actually a concrete bottomed boat because all the metal has rusted away.

     

    Good luck and prove us wrong.

     

    ps. keep asking questions, we can and do help, many new and old boaters

  7. Hull Thickness

    in New to Boating?

    Posted

    Boats have got thicker as time has moved forward, if the thickness now, is the same or as near as dam it to the original then no problem with the boat.

     

    One proviso the insurance company may be a bit 'jumpy' and demand surveys on the thinner ones and probably much explaining about it being original will be required.

  9. Two twelve volt systems

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    I would explain the reasoning behind keeping one bank and not two.

     

    Take a bucket of water and you need to use half that bucket

     

    Now take two buckets of water and use the same amount of water, that means each bucket is three quarters full, instead of one being half full.

     

    Batteries like to be full and if you empty them less and refill them fully they will last longer (life)

     

    The above, that know, could described it better and more technically but I understand it this way.

  10. Is this ok

    in New to Boating?

    Posted

     

    A semi chined hull, ("V" shaped) Replated to surveyors specification in 2010. Blacked 2013.

     

    Due a blacking and with that hull shape, there is usually a premium in cost and not all yards/marinas can do it.

    • Greenie 1

  13. From Napton

    in Holidays Afloat

    Posted

    Using canalplanac: plan a journey, left hand column selection.

     

    Using default settings.

     

    This is a trip of 105 miles, ¼ furlongs and 121 locks from Napton Junction to Napton Junction.

    This will take 60 hours and 21 minutes which is 8 days, 4 hours and 21 minutes at 7 hours per day.

     

    It is 7 hours a day for eight and a half days.

     

    A weeks hire, you would be working hard and have to keep going virtually non-stop.

     

    In theory it could be done but probably travelling for at least ten hours per day, with no hold ups, delays, breakdowns etc.

     

    (all settings travelling times first day, last day etc. can be 'tuned' in canaplan) have a look.

     

    Your holiday/workout. wink.png

  19. Filling gas bottles

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    Can I pose a question 2 13kg proper sold as such refillable gas bottles fitted & connected to a remote filler by the company selling the bottles who have the proper certification ( in this case a Camping Car ) You connect to the GPL pump in the same manner as a GPL fueled vehicle, the bottle cuts off the fill at the required 80%.Is it illegal to carry out this task in the UK, the reason for my question is I planned to visit the UK using my camper, but if I cannot get GPL/LPG I guess the trip is off I have filled in France, Spain,Portugal, Italy; Croatia, Slovakia, Greece, Turkey, Morocco, without any problems am I going to be shot down by the country of my birth.

     

    It is not illegal but some garages/supermarkets do not understand the difference between purpose designed refillable bottle systems and just 'ordinary' gas bottles and have put a ban on 'gas bottles' the poor attendants only see bottles and do not understand the difference.

     

    See post #16 and for more info try one of the Motor-home sites/forums, do a search as it comes up quite often. wink.png

     

    http://forums.motorhomefacts.com/index.php

     

    http://forums.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/5/

     

    http://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/

     

    You may have to register but not to search and look.

  22. Filling gas bottles

    in Boat Equipment

    Posted

    Refilling will be a problem.

     

    Refilling opportunities are getting less and many garages are not stocking as there is a reduced demand, less vehicles running on gas.

     

    Many Motor-homes have a purposely designed systems using bottles and some/most garages and supermarkets will not let them refill.

     

    Those with purpose built under-hung tanks are usually OK but even them some stations are 'awkward'

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