generator..inverter..help?? wha do i need??

[chasing cars]

ok, sorry to sound slightly clueless but i need some advice...and have been asked which if any i want fitting on my new boat..will i need either or could they wait??

(its a live aboad widebeam - will be in marina on electric hook up all week-cruising weekends if that helps)

 

Travel power, 240v engine 3.5Kw generator / alternator pack. Available across the range of engines.

 

Mastervolt Mass Combi 2000/100 Inverter/charger (upgrade)

[Gary Peacock]

Both good options used to be our standard spec.

 

The inverter is among the best on the market.

 

The Travel power units are very good too but on a broad beam boat with a large engine probably not the best option, if the budget will stretch to a cocooned gen set that would be better.

 

A Inverter/charger is easy to fit later but the Travel power will definitely cost you more to retrofit to the engine later.

Edited October 2, 2007 by Gary Peacock

[honey ryder]

thats sounds like basically the set up Ive got on my boat and it works a treat.

Im very happy with the travelpower, although as has been said above, i think if i had a wide beam and had the space i would have a cocooned genset to provide the "big" power for when theres a need for it ( washing machine/ dryer etc)

[WJM]

You absolutely MUST have an inverter. You cant run any mains powered things without it.

 

If you are in a marina with mains electricity you probably wont need a generator - when you are away from the mains hook up you have most likely been running your engine all day so your batteries will be full.

[pagan witch]

You absolutely MUST have an inverter. You cant run any mains powered things without it.

 

Whilst I agree an inverter is a very useful item - so useful in fact that I have a 2kw job it certainly isn't a MUST. There are many different solutions in the way of generators ranging from qute literally £50 for a 2 stroke 700w hand start job that the likes of me can carry around in one hand up to a 'how much do you want to spend' cacooned fully installed jobby.

 

I know I'm old and been boating some years but I do remember when I was a hirer some 20 years ago that the only 'mains' on a boat was the shaver socket in the bathroom. In fact I've never hired a boat with mains.

[blackrose]

If you only plan to be cruising on weekends I doubt you need more than that.

 

Personally I think a cocooned 1500rpm remotely controlled diesel genset is the ultimate in providing AC power to run mains appliances as well as battery chargers, and I prefer this to the Travelpower setup because it means you don't have to run your engine which tends to vibrate the whole boat. However that's going to be much more expensive and is way beyond what you actually need for your weekends away.

 

By the way, is the Travelpower recommended for running battery chargers? I only ask as I wondered whether there is any conflict with having an alternator and a battery charger on at the same time to get a faster charge?

Edited October 4, 2007 by blackrose

[RLWP]

I know I'm old and been boating some years but I do remember when I was a hirer some 20 years ago that the only 'mains' on a boat was the shaver socket in the bathroom. In fact I've never hired a boat with mains.

 

I'll have you know that our boat still resembles that remark! In fact it has less 240V AC now than when we bought it as I have removed the shaver socket from one of the bathrooms in order to fit a cupboard!

 

Richard

 

Mind you, ours is a weekend plaything boat, not a liveaboard.

[pagan witch]

I'll have you know that our boat still resembles that remark!

 

Reminding me of a bloke I used to work for who wasn't the most gifted with words. A competitor once stood face to face with him and told my bloke what a swindling / dishonest (you get the idea) person he thought he was.

 

My bloke replied with "I am going to sue you for definition of character"

 

I had to walk away before I exploded with mirth.

[Radiomariner]

Reminding me of a bloke I used to work for who wasn't the most gifted with words. A competitor once stood face to face with him and told my bloke what a swindling / dishonest (you get the idea) person he thought he was.

 

My bloke replied with "I am going to sue you for definition of character"

 

I had to walk away before I exploded with mirth.

 

I think that is called a Maliprop.

 

My spouse once told the TV repairman that the TV was erotic!

[blackrose]

A friend's 8 month old Travelpower went up in smoke yesterday, fitted on a new Colecraft. He said he heard a bang and saw blue smoke coming out of it. Sounds terminal.

[Guest]

A friend's 8 month old Travelpower went up in smoke yesterday, fitted on a new Colecraft. He said he heard a bang and saw blue smoke coming out of it. Sounds terminal.

Not a good sign I think