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Stephanie should know better


dor

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I rarely venture on to the NBW site, but an article by Ms Horton of RCR on "post lockdown maintenance" caught my eye.  She starts off with advice about batteries and goes on to say:   "Systems’ charging times vary, however a 70amp alternator charging four x 110amp batteries from flat will take around three to five hours."

 

Now I know that it used to be believed by many that a 70A alternator will put out 70 amps all the time, thus those 440AHr of batteries will be fully charged from 'flat' (50%?) in a few hours, but it has been repeated on here so many times over many years that that is not how it works.

 

I'm rather disappointed that RCR should still be giving out the sort of advice that will lead to premature failure of batteries, not prevent it!

 

RCR used to appear on here occasionally, or at least read it.  It seems now that they think they know better than the many experienced genuine experts that post here regularly.  It does make you wonder how good the rest of their advice is (except perhaps, to sell membership).

 

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1 minute ago, dor said:

I rarely venture on to the NBW site, but an article by Ms Horton of RCR on "post lockdown maintenance" caught my eye.  She starts off with advice about batteries and goes on to say:   "Systems’ charging times vary, however a 70amp alternator charging four x 110amp batteries from flat will take around three to five hours."

I’m pretty sure that same advice is on RCR’s website somewhere and I emailed them to advise that it’s more like 12-24 hours. I never received a reply. 

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5 minutes ago, Murflynn said:

.................  in which case it would seem likely that she couldn't hack it in the real world.

My thoughts exactly! Just because you have a bit of paper doesn’t meant you know what you are doing! 

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2 minutes ago, frangar said:

My thoughts exactly! Just because you have a bit of paper doesn’t meant you know what you are doing! 

I know some people who have more degrees than a compass, and, were probably the 'oldest student in town' but they have absolutely no idea about 'the real world' application of the theory.

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40 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I know some people who have more degrees than a compass, and, were probably the 'oldest student in town' but they have absolutely no idea about 'the real world' application of the theory.

We hired a chap straight out of university with a first with honours. Two years later he would often be heard saying to folk that it was only when I started showing him how things were done in the real world that his real learning began. Then he packed it all in and went cycling round Eastern Europe...

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4 minutes ago, Tracy D'arth said:

Stephanie also seems to think that boats have fan belts, very rare. Alternator or water pump belts for sure, not seen many fans.

But then I am not a fan of Stephanie.

But she can sell you a new engine when the belt breaks....terminally damaged.....

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Just now, frangar said:

But she can sell you a new engine when the belt breaks....terminally damaged.....

I'll just correct that for you.

 

"But she can sell you an old painted engine when the belt breaks, oh, and the gearbox too"

 

TD'

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I've not met Stephanie - only spoken to her.

She's a manager - not a technician

She started RCR when nobody else would bother.

RCR has developed techniques that other companies haven't - because of limited demand.

As with most other boating businesses, RCR have to deal with 'us' boaters - most of whom know diddly squat about their boats' equipment, but think they do.

 

Are there other companies who would provide a breakdown and repair service for boates.

 

Give the poor lady a break!!!

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2 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

I've not met Stephanie - only spoken to her.

She's a manager - not a technician

She started RCR when nobody else would bother.

RCR has developed techniques that other companies haven't - because of limited demand.

As with most other boating businesses, RCR have to deal with 'us' boaters - most of whom know diddly squat about their boats' equipment, but think they do.

 

Are there other companies who would provide a breakdown and repair service for boates.

 

Give the poor lady a break!!!

I’m afraid if you put yourself up as an expert then expect to be called out when both you and the company you run fail to deliver. I have had first hand experience of the poor service they have offered to others. 

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1 hour ago, WotEver said:

We hired a chap straight out of university with a first with honours. Two years later he would often be heard saying to folk that it was only when I started showing him how things were done in the real world that his real learning began. Then he packed it all in and went cycling round Eastern Europe...

At the time, and looking back, apart from earning some letters that were a passport to my chosen employment, I benefited little from uni.  I only started my learning on the job.  Thankfully my first employer was Laing which was a major contracting employer in building and civil engineering at the time and they gave me a formal indentured training from which I have never looked back.  I am also thankful that I didn't go to work for a consultant straight out of uni.  Nothing beats being chased around the site by a general foreman who wants lines, levels and inspection forms - all YESTERDAY! 

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2 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

I know some people who have more degrees than a compass, and, were probably the 'oldest student in town' but they have absolutely no idea about 'the real world' application of the theory.

I had a brother in law like that

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 I think you may be being a little hard on Ms Horton. The pedants might want a more technical explanation but she did say flat rather than 50% charged and if they the batteries were that low I think that 3 to 5hours with the alternator running fast would put most of the capacity back in the batteries if they were in good condition. It hard to generalise of course but for someone reading it without much knowledge it at least does mean that they will not think 10 minutes would do it

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57 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

Are there other companies who would provide a breakdown and repair service for boates.

Yes there are, but on 'lumpy water', I'm sure that if they thought that there was 'worthwhile' business on the ditches that they would have expanded to cover them.

She has set up a business that in the main is acting as a 'broker' for a list of 'boat repair technicians' around the system, I have no idea what qualifications, if any, are required to join-the-list but the quality of the repairs does seem to be vey variable.

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I am not sure if it still applies but an RAC guy once told me that they would turn out to canal boats under the terms of their fleet service. No membership required and a fixed rate fee per visit.

I would imagine that it would be mainly the mechanical side but possibly engine electrics & batteries too, same as RCR.

Nobody seems to want to know about the cabin side of a boat.

I think I would have more faith in an RAC man than a lot of the guys RCR use.

 

 

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24 minutes ago, Mike Adams said:

 I think you may be being a little hard on Ms Horton. The pedants might want a more technical explanation but she did say flat rather than 50% charged and if they the batteries were that low I think that 3 to 5hours with the alternator running fast would put most of the capacity back in the batteries if they were in good condition. It hard to generalise of course but for someone reading it without much knowledge it at least does mean that they will not think 10 minutes would do it

A lot of boaters think they have recharged batteries that are depleted lower than recommended in an hour at the most.

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33 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Yes there are, but on 'lumpy water', I'm sure that if they thought that there was 'worthwhile' business on the ditches that they would have expanded to cover them.

She has set up a business that in the main is acting as a 'broker' for a list of 'boat repair technicians' around the system, I have no idea what qualifications, if any, are required to join-the-list but the quality of the repairs does seem to be vey variable.

 

I can categorically say that when I ran the courses for RCR that was not true. They had their own engineers typically based at home in each area and only went to outside contractors if their own engineers were busy.  I accept things may have now changed.

 

They were training their own apprentices who were sent to college on engine related courses, maybe motor vehicle, maybe agricultural, I don't know, but its the best anyone can do. Just as in other fields some were excellent and the odd one a bit on the poor side, I know they got rid of one. They also provided CPD because I was involved in delivering some bespoke electrical courses and mechanical familiarisation curses for their customer facing office staff.

 

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