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Dave Taylor

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Everything posted by Dave Taylor

  1. It would be VERY useful to know where we stand BEFORE we plan to fill up, especially if there is no great choice of suppliers within range. This 'flexibility' which allows suppliers to limit the %ages which they will accept actually undermines the responsibility – which falls on the boater – to accurately declare the %ages which they use. Effectively, the suppliers' limited acceptance of different %ages forces the boater to break the law, which can't be right. I should have thought that the 'administrative burden' falling on the supplier would be very simply handled by appropriate software. Only need to enter the relevant %ages declared and the computer would work it all out!
  2. Briefly, touching on the '60/40 rule' (so-called) I seem to remember that when the need to declare your percentage was introduced, the option was open for boaters to declare WHATEVER percentage they calculated to be correct. I went to some considerable pains to calculate my %ages and – to start with at least – most boatyards agreed. Then there seemed to be a conspiracy to only allow 60/40 or 100% domestic and no-one would accept other %ages. As we no longer live aboard, it is not such an issue for us as it was, but did the rules actually change, or were we railroaded by boatyards being awkward?
  3. Yes, Kuranda will be keen to say it's OK on HVO because they say that their hobs etc are OK on red diesel. Our experience on board was that red diesel was an ongoing disaster, especially for the Wallas hob. We didn't run the oven much, so that didn't get the chance to clog up with sooty bits. All OK since we changed to kerosene, but it would be nice to be able to run the hob and oven on HVO – IF they will run just as cleanly!
  4. That's interesting, too! Most domestic CH oil boilers use kerosene (ours does), so does that mean that HVO can replace kerosene as well as diesel, across the board? We have a Wallas hob and oven on our boat, designed to run on diesel but running much better on kerosene, and the Wallas dealers (Kuranda) say that they will run well on HVO. Perhaps I need to get my next domestic oil fill to be HVO instead of kerosene? I'll check with the manufacturers of our cooker/boiler.
  5. From some of the earlier comments in this discussion (notably from Up-Side-Down, 13th September) and from the IWA's report , it seems that HVO is proving to be a winner in engines of all ages. I haven't seen Listers mentioned, but Bolinders and others have apparently trialled it with success, as well as the newer generations of engine.
  6. I have suggested to the IWA that what boaters need is an up-to-date and constantly updated online directory of waterway-based HVO suppliers. Yes, of course we can ask boatyards to supply HVO when we are filling up but, if they don't have it and the next yard does have it, they probably won't tell us and we may never know that there was a supplier within easy range. So, a combination of knowing where it is and asking for it even when they don't have it MAY have some effect in increasing the waterside supply – without having to buy in 205-litre barrels or 1000-litre IBCs ourselves!
  7. Much appreciated! I have been looking for this. I have passed on the info to a few more people, who will also be grateful. Many Thanks, Dave
  8. That's great, Peter, many thanks As you will have seen from the replies from cuthound and by'eck, I have now been given lots of very similar advice, so all I need to do is follow it! Thanks very much, one and all!
  9. Thanks again to cuthound, and also to by'eck for the confirmation of availability of sulphuric acid. Looks like the faulty cell(s) may live again - just so long as the plates are not buckled and there is still SOME active material left in them!! It may be some while before I complete this work, but I'll report back when it's done - either way, success or failure!
  10. Thanks for this, very helpful. No, the cell casings are opaque, so I can't see the plates. I suspect that the cause is sediment at the bottom of the faulty cell(s), especially as the boat was moved by lorry fairly recently and the inevitable extra bumps and vibration may have contributed to the 'fall out'. You don't say anything about whether to rinse out with water (presumably distilled) or anything else, nor about the advisability of re-using the old acid or getting fresh. Any words of wisdom on these points will be greatly appreciated! Any other points to note?
  11. Thanks for this, Peter. I just logged on today after ages, to see whether anyone was talking about batteries and to see whether anyone would say anything useful for my situation. You did, so many thanks! We have ex-forklift cells, heavy brutes and big, each at 2 volts, arranged as 2 banks in parallel, each bank being 6 in series. Result, of course = 12 volts and lots of capacity. Recently found that the whole lot were losing charge fast and tried isolating the two banks. One bank healthy and keeps its charge, other bank not good and I suspect one or more shorted cells. I next need to identify the faulty cell(s) and was wondering about the possibility of doing as you said, draining out the faulty ones and refilling. Didn't even know it was possible, but just wondered. Seems it can be done, so can you (or anyone else) give some more specific pointers about how to go about it? For example, you say 'wash out' the cells - with water?? - and then refill with fresh acid. Worth using the old acid or is that a waste of time? Where to get fresh acid and what concentration? Would I be able to get it ready mixed from (say) an auto battery supplier? Thanks. Dave
  12. Thanks, but no email or web address there! Not that I can find, anyway! After posting the question, I went on Googling (as I had already done for about half an hour) and eventually came up with johnwhiteboats@hotmail.co.uk . Tried it, and have already received a very helpful reply! Not only good steelwork, good response to customer enquiries, too! The search is now off! Thanks again.
  13. Does anyone have either an email address or a website address for John White Boat Builders of Liverpool? Thanks
  14. . . . which I would not have even known about without your very informative website, along with the supportive help from you and all the others who chipped in their ha'porth.
  15. PROJECT REPORT Well it has only been a month since the last post on this subject !!! Sorry for the long delay in reporting back. I have been plagued with one 'supplier' in particular not delivering what I have paid for – just a simple relay, but I wanted to fit it alongside the two diodes so that I could switch off the voltage enhancement. The little KBPC5010 bridge rectifier seems ideal for the job, connected as recommended. Within a short while, the charge voltage rose above the previous maximum of 14.4 volts and gradually crept up to 14.8. At this point, the relay is activated (initially manually by me, soon to be automatically by SmartGauge) to avoid possible damage to items connected to the batteries. The D+ connection to the brush/regulator assembly within the Iskra alternator was the small terminal which I had identified, so I have been able to intercept that connection, bending the tag on the brush/regulator and inserting insulation to prevent shorting. The fact that it is a bolted connection has made inserting the diode circuit relatively easy. So far, then, very successful and worthwhile. I look forward to my leisure batteries being better charged, with the benefit of a frequent 'mild equalisation charge' after nearly 2 months of just being charged at 14.4 volts or less. Thanks again!
  16. Thanks, Tony! Have now tried it, no problems at all! Not even the merest suspicion of delay in the alternator 'firing up'. Thanks for the technical backup - my understanding has been growing apace! Agreed. And it IS! The fan and ducting are already in place, so I shan't bother with a thermometer. As you will have gathered, my main objective is to direct some cooler air to the alternator in an otherwise not very well ventilated engine 'room'. In theory it shouldn't need it, especially now that I am not running the Sterling A to B unit which worked the alternator hard. But it's there now, and cooling the alternator a little may help to prolong its life. I wasn't planning to fit a shunt ammeter, but MIGHT get a clamp one. Not so essential now, as I have looked at the current output graphs for the Iskra alternator in question, and the amps at normal engine revs look OK to me. (I assume you're picking up the thought from my post about high amps or high volts.) Might be worth getting the clamp ammeter to check that Iskra are not telling porkies! Thanks, all, for your help and reassurance. The fan is now connected on D+ and continuing to work, but now automatically when the engine starts. Objective achieved! Dave
  17. Wow! I didn't expect my innocent little question to start all this!! Nice idea, and worth bearing in mind if I need to increase the flow - thanks. Thanks, Innisfree. My reasoning exactly! And I'm glad that Gibbo agrees about moving cool air, though the main point is that it is directed straight to the alt. I am no electrical expert, but this is how I understand the proposed setup:- As far as I can see, when I turn on the ignition key, but before I start the engine and the alternator 'fires up', the warning lamp and the fan will definitely be in series, current flowing through one and then to the other, though some of it will also flow through the field coils. They will be in parallel with the fan, and both of them in series with the lamp. As soon as the alternator is producing current, the current to the fan and the field coils (still in parallel) will be fed from D+, and there will be no current flow through the lamp as there will be no potential difference across it. At that point, the series / parallel question (as regards the lamp) seems hardly relevant, as no (or very little?) current is flowing through that part of the circuit, except perhaps in the scenario Tony describes. However, if the alternator were to fail, the situation would revert to the 'ignition-on-but-alt-not-firing' state, and the lamp would light. Hopefully it would still light with my fan in series!! When I initially posed the question, it was not with these sort of questions in mind. I was just trying to make sure that I would not be overloading the D+ supply, designed primarily to supply the field current to the rotor coils. However, having thought this through a little more, I don't think that the function of the warning lamp will be impeded by the presence of the fan, will it?
  18. THANK YOU! You actually answered the question, instead of posing several other ones! Thanks to all the others, too. I had already thought of the alternatives you suggested, but specifically wanted an answer to the question I actually asked. Well done, Sir Nibble, and thanks again. Dave
  19. I agree, the fan on the alternator (2 actually) do(es) much more in terms of moving the air through the alternator. My 2.4 watt 'weedy waft' brings in some cool air via ducting from outside the otherwise quite warm engine compartment, which the alternator fans can then shift around nicely. I am trying to improve what was designed as a poorly-ventilated engine compartment, especially as the alternator is just about as far as it could be from the external air vent! The question I need answering is electrical, relating to the advisability of taking current off D+.
  20. I have a 12 volt 0.2 amp computer fan which I use to pull cool air from an external engine compartment vent and direct it to the alternator. Not a lot, but I think it helps. Until now, I have switched it manually but wonder whether I could feed it from the D+ terminal? I have read that the D+ can be used to trigger relays, and most relays probably have a similar current draw. As I see it, if there are no reasons NOT to do it, then running it off D+ would automate its action - on with the engine, off with the engine - which seems ideal. I would fuse protect it, of course. Any reasons not to do this, or snags to avoid? Thanks in advance.
  21. Thanks for your reply, blodger. I'll insert my comments in blue next to yours: To sum up:- As far as I can tell, the brush / regulator assembly on an N-type, negative ground alternator has only 2 external connections, D+ and B-. Having satisfied myself that there is a clear connection to B- and that there are no other connections, the small terminal should therefore be to D+. No other option, as far as I can see! I shall now go ahead and buy the appropriate hardware, i.e. a bridge rectifier and a relay, plus some appropriately-gauged wire and connectors. I shall most likely go a little quiet for a while until I have got all these and done the modifications, but I shall come back and update the thread when I have finished - hopefully with success! Once again, Many Thanks to all who have offered their help on this one. Dave
  22. Right! Here's a photo: Yes, I am aware of the different approaches, and only used the Merlin AMS instructions to help me locate the positive brush. But thanks for the warning! Gibbo's diagram (here) shows the diode(s) inserted between the D+ terminal and the regulator. I think I have identified the terminal from the positive brush. In the photo, D+ is the middle of the 3 terminals at the top. They are W , D+ , and B+ . B- is to the left. I am assuming that the round object to the right of the brushes is the regulator, and the C-shaped black assembly carries the connection from the positive brush to D+ as well as the various diodes rectifying the stator outputs. (?) What I think is the positive brush connection is the small slotted bolt head immediately to the right and below the brush assembly in the centre. It appears to feed straight out from the brush, but I cannot see whether that feed out is only going to D+, with an invisible (and separate) connection to the regulator, or whether there is another connection to the regulator, 'after' this slotted bolt. If there is, and I insert the diode(s) here, they will be not only between the D+ and the regulator, but also between the regulator and the brush. On Gibbo's diagram, that would be in the purple wire immediately above the brushes and below the branch off to the regulator. I don't know enough to know whether inserting the diodes here would work, rather think not. It is difficult to see what more I can undo to reveal more potential connections. Perhaps the brush/regulator assembly, secured by the two posidrives? The whole C-shaped black assembly has several soldered connections to the stator coils, and I cannot see how any of it can be removed without unsoldering those - which I am NOT going to do! I have a pocket multimeter. Are there any tests I can do to check whether the small slotted bolt would be the right place to insert the diodes?
  23. Mmm . . . yes,I wondered about that. Never mind, it was worth asking! Now I am looking at how to intercept the connection between the regulator and D+. I have opened the cover on the back of the alternator, and there is no obvious connection, as the whole thing is encased in plastic. However, the Merlin AMS installation PDF (here ) identifies the FRONT brush on Iskra alternators as being negative. The REAR brush must therefore be positive, which is the connection we need to intercept, and there is a connection tag from the nearest brush coming to a small bolt facing me as I look at the opened alternator. Am I right to assume that 'front' and 'rear' could be stated as 'pulley end' and 'non-pulley end' respectively? If so, this looks like the connection which I need to intercept. To check this, I am thinking of using my pocket multimeter to test the resistance between this bolt and D+. Presumably, if this is the correct terminal, there should be zero resistance between them? Just checking, I can't do any damage by testing with my multimeter like this, can I? Obviously, I don't want to make expensive mistakes. I could post a photo if that would help. Thanks again.
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