Search the Community

I am thinking of getting a Victron Centaur 60amp 12v charger for a battery bank which has 6no Trojan 6v batteries arranged so that they are producing 12v and have 675AH at 12v. Will my 1Kw gennie be able to handle the loads required to run the charger? I am not entirely sure how to work out the loading....and I could not find this info on Victron website. I have solar power as well but want to make sure that if I get stuck and batteries need topping up, then I can with current generator... Thanks in advance!

Noticed this on Screwfix over the weekend, £169.99 for a small inverter genny doesn't sound tooo bad... http://www.screwfix.com/p/impax-im800i-700w-inverter-generator-230v/15760 OK, 'ya get what ya pay for', but this sort of money buys a lot better cheap genny than a few years ago, and if it breaks within the guarantee it could be returned to the local Screwfix. Not as good as a Honda clearly, but might serve as a bit of a backup to solar in the winter months. There's also some reviews for an identical looking genny on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Earthquake-11613-Portable-Generator-Compliant/product-reviews/B00FL89I2W/ref=dpx_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1 Put it this way, you could have a fairly decent solar setup AND this little genny for the price of a Honda EU10i, not bad if you're on a budget. cheers, Pete. ~smpt~

Hi everyone, I have just moved onto a canal boat and am looking to update my electrics and install some solar panels. I am a newbie so really appreciate any advice you can give. I have been attempting to do an electrical audit (using a template I found online) Firstly I wonder if someone could have a look over it and see if I have made any glaringly obvious mistakes?? I have done my best but I must admit I do find the electrics a little confusing !! I am continually cruising and my boat is 57x10 I am looking at installing: - 3x 260w or 305w solar panels (with the plan to add a fourth in the future) - 2x 40A MPPT controllers - Victron Multiplus Inverter/ Charger - A monitor of some kind recommendations apreciated! I will also have a Honda EU20i generator to top things up. The questions which I am struggling to find answers to online are... What is a good size battery bank to match this system? I have been told it's important not to go too big as it means lots of time spent trying to charge them up. Not to mention the expense. Is it a good idea to get a multiplus inverter and charger or a separate inverter and charger? I am thinking about purchasing a washer dryer which will need 2.1kw to run (not shown on audit) would it be acceptable / advisable to run this of my setup while the generator is running? So the batteries / inverter would only need to supply the extra bit of energy as the Honda is only rated at 1600w continuous. Is there any other major bit to the system I am missing. My understanding is Batteries / Inverter / Charger / MPPT Controllers / Solar Panels / System monitor. Do I need fuses or any other bits? Thanks in advace for your time. Look forward to hearing your opinions. (Please be gentle I am new and still figuring it all out) Martin just figured out how to attached the file hope that works ok : http://www.martin-price.org/downloads/boat.pdf