Tom and Bex
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Posts posted by Tom and Bex
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12 hours ago, ivan&alice said:
I've been told that Wheaton Aston is the cheapest on the system, is that true?
Hawne Basin will be cheaper! Think it was 45ppl when I filled up there earlier this year! Might have been 55p but fairly sure it was 45. They sell it 10ppl cheaper into boats than cans (apparently they sell a lot to users on the industrial estate).
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Also worth noting that the supplied wiring is almost certainly too thin, particularly if using it at full length. Could easily be fuel related, but voltage drop is very commonly the cause of spurious errors. Also make sure fuel pump is installed at correct angle, and fuel pipe is smooth with no kinks or sharp bends (I know yours comes pre-assembled, but that's no guarantee it's correct!).
Lots of advice on the Facebook group I linked, but think you have to join first.
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2 hours ago, ivan&alice said:
Hi @Tracy D'arth, I decided to get one of these to tide me (and my lithium batteries) over until I have a proper heating solution.
I installed this on Sunday and it worked very well for 2 days!
Today though it is giving me an E-10 error (Ignition Failure). The instructions say to "Check whether the oil way is blocked, or the oil is not smooth, the oil pump is stuck, the oil problem causes the volatile network to be blocked, and so on,m so that the 2 ignition fails to burn normally".This sounds like a fuel problem but I can see the diesel fuel chugging through the clear plastic pipe. I can also see exhaust being emitted from the exhaust pipe. The blown air feels like it is starting to warm up but then the heater shuts down with this error (around 5 minutes after having started it up).
Have you encountered an error like this in operation?
There's a very good Facebook group for troubleshooting these heaters.
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With the leaking bottom gates, you'd be waiting a long time for the lock to half fill without opening the only top paddles on the lock?
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The only good thing about this boat is that despite multiple attempts at a sale over several years, it's still not been bought by anyone!
Luckily that also means it's not moved far from its mooring, and probably never seen a lock!
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3 hours ago, Midnight said:
Pretty standard leak for
Bingley 5-risemost locks around the system.Fixed that for you!
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Haven't watched the video, but sounds like an everyday occurrence to those of us with full length boats. If I made a fuss everytime I went into a lock with gates that leaked like that I would never get anywhere!
Very common to have water cascading over our front doors, and the well deck filling with water. Here's one from earlier this year at Bratch - and yes the well deck did fill up enough to come over the threshold.
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But to take just that example, we've never had to touch our shower mixer, but living in a house, it scaled up every 6 months or so.
I do get your general point though. Could be to do with more variable conditions on a boat (humidity, temp etc)? Vibration and general movement?
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2 hours ago, nicknorman said:
The BEP seems to take 12mA when switched off. Maybe not a lot but surely an aim should be to have as close to zero power consumption as possible, if the battery has to be switched off due to low SoC. 12mA for a month is 9Ah.
Which is why I'd do it differently next if starting again. 12ma is not much, and certainly much better than a relay, but as you say, not ideal if bms operates due to low cell voltage. Not really a problem as liveaboard, but could see it as potential problem if leaving boat for period of time.
Having said that, we've got no plans to change any of the current set up. It's in and working, and requires no interventions from us. Having just completed a full discharge cycle (just for my curiosity), they measure exactly the same capacity as when installed 2 years ago.
Maybe if we change boats again in a few years I might look at changes, but in a few years a lot can change with lithium technology for boats! Just look how many on this forum have now got then compared to a couple years ago!
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On 17/09/2020 at 15:38, Karis said:
Does it just mean lock operation is DIY or are there other restrictions?
Just in case you weren't aware, locks on CRT waterways are nearly all user operated. Some of the Grand Union locks (particularly on the widened section from Napton to Birmingham) can be very heavy to operate. You might get lucky and get some help from a volunteer lockie on some flights, but would not count on it, particularly at that time of year.
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On 14/09/2020 at 22:13, pgrange said:
This is interesting. Forgive me I'm completey ignorant when it comes to electronics. Would the 12v my BMS provides to close relays if put through this circuit would it latch a relay closed? Similarly when the BMS cuts the 12v the relay would latch open. Does that make any sense? ?
There is always commercial REC BSLRD (Bi-stable latching relay driver) which I'm using for my overcharge protection.
https://www.solar4rvs.com.au/rec-bi-stable-relay-driver-bslrd-for-bottom-end-sw
And here:
https://www.off-grid-systems.de/REC-Touch-Display-BMS-4S-16S-Q_2
Alternatively another low powered solution is a motorised battery switch as used by me (for my loads) and Dr Bob. No complicated electronic circuits to build and understand, but maintaining the advantages of low parasitic power drain.
https://www.bepmarine.com/en/701-md
If starting again though, I'd be looking for a BMS with direct support for bi-stable relays.
Tom
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Well mine were reading 11.0v at 8.30 this morning, with all my alarms going off?
That was because I was doing an annual test of my lithiums though! Still holding exactly the same capacity as when installed 2 years ago -: around 280ah. Probably could extract more, but that's as far as I like to push them, and an easily repeatable test. Main thing is no detectable loss after 2 years.
Tom
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Went up a couple weeks ago and don't recall any problems with heavy paddles, just several top paddles that slipped badly when winding up due to worn rack. Was told by volunteer that most of the paddles do that, it's not a problem and not dangerous at all!
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3 hours ago, IanD said:
They're just plain more finicky then lead-acid and need more care, and cost a lot more if you do kill them -- which people who don't understand them inevitably would unless the system prevented them, which means no possibility to override Vmin and Vmax, which means a closed system they can't mess with, which means not a DIY one.
I'm not saying that lithium isn't a good solution for people who see and understand the advantages and know how to use them, but right now they're just too expensive and fragile to put in the hands of people who can't even keep lead-acids alive...
I would disagree with that. I find ours much less finicky than LA. And living off grid, we struggled to get 12 months out of LA, despite hours and hours of generator running. Now we just run the engine for an hour or 2 every day or 2 depending on usage. We're also much more careless with our power usage than before, as it's so much easier to replace!
All components I used were "off the shelf" other than the alternator controller (which is now off the shelf, albeit at $500+!) No option to change max and min voltage settings on the BMS I've used. I think most of the complexity arises from alternator charging, and if you don't need this, it really is very easy indeed.
No programming knowledge needed. Just the ability to safely connect a few wires. Our system will have definitely paid for itself by the end of this winter, if not already. Thinking about it, would have paid for itself just in saving cost of buying generator if I hadn't already bought it for endless hours charging LA batteries! Lithium would be a better investment, and cost less than a Honda generator.
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10 hours ago, David Mack said:
Feakes Lock no.7, River Stort I think.
Thank you! That looks the one based on this pic from Canalplan:
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11 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:
Does an MOT station accept that you have done the necessary work without seeing the vehicle ?
Depends on the garage, but yes, had them do that several times - issued a pass on condition car was taken straight home and certain things were done (even welding on one occasion!). Also taken car back for retest, and had them log car onto computer, and issue a pass while car is still sat in car park. Sometimes with a cursory glance to see if failure item(s) look new, sometimes not even that.
Not going to name garage, but had built good working relationship over several years.
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Not a very good pic, but where is this taken? Hotel room picture, and no further details present. Just curious really.
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4 hours ago, Binkie's Grandson said:
I just saw a terrapin above bridge No55 above Hatton flight. It was clinging to a branch in the water as I went past, but had swim off before I could get a photo. Can anyone corroborate my sighting as my family don't believe me (Not after the 4ft swimming grass snake I saw on the K&A).
There was definitely one just the other side of bridge 66 earlier in the year, so yes, very likely.
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4 minutes ago, JamesFrance said:
Maybe with all the leaking gates they are worried about changing water levels.
That might be an excuse in a shortish pound, but think if the level dropped significantly on the N Stratford I'd not be worried about leaking gates!
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28 minutes ago, furnessvale said:
My speed varies according to how they are moored. Boats on rings or chains allow me to pass faster than ones on pins.
If I see someone in the process of tieing up I am nearly stationary. On the other hand, I expect 3/4 mile of offside linear moorings to have had plenty of notice to tie up like a supertanker.
Exactly like us. It does surprise me though when passing long lines of permanent moorings how many boats are moored with very slack lines and consequently surge and bang into each other no matter how slowly you pass.
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2 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:
as a side question, i'd like to know if those passive aggressive "SLOW DOWN" signs taped onto boats actually make people slow down or just think nuts to it.
It definitely doesn't seem to make the boat displaying them slow down - quite the reverse!
2 minutes ago, nicknorman said:Most beginners I see crashing do so because they are going too slowly for proper control. Probably due to all the people who can’t or won’t tie their boats up properly, shouting abuse at them on day 1.
Definitely this. Have seen several hire boats get into difficulty passing too slowly, particularly when windy.
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In our experience 95% of hire boats slow down to tickover or just above, whereas it's the opposite for private boats, who generally, at most, just knock the revs back a touch when alongside.
Having said that, it really doesn't bother us how fast boats pass. We try to moor properly, and have never had pins pull out. The only time it's a slight irritation, is when moored by just the centre line at the water point, but I regard that as our fault as I'm too lazy to tie up properly!
I do slow down when passing all boats myself though, and slow even more for badly moored boats, and boats moored on pins.
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2 hours ago, Victor Vectis said:
Do we have dates for the 2021 Challenge?
Well I've assumed it's going to be the the bank holiday weekend at end of May as that's the time I've booked off work! Really hope they don't change the dates.
If it's any other dates I definitely won't be able to enter - have to book annual leave 12 months ahead to have any chance of getting specific dates, particularly bank holidays or school holidays.
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So that's everyone starting ar Walsall next year then.....
Best brand of coal to use in a Morso Squirrel?
in General Boating
Posted
Yes but need trimming to fit if you have a back boiler. Useful, but expensive for what they are!