1st time CC - living on 12v

[MtB]

16 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Can you watch the news on a PS4? I spose you can? 

 

 

I listen to the news rather than watch it. On Radio 4 on my phone, using BBC Sounds. 

 

Saves having to buy a telly license! 

[Jake29]

Thanks to everyone for your replies. It's a lot to take in, as i am a newbie to all this, but i really do appreciate those taking the time to help and educate me. I've decided against running my PS4 while CC'ing, as i realise my current power supply will not be enough.

 

@TheBiscuits I will try that experiment on Monday and get back to you on the results. Thank you for your ongoing advice

 

@Tony Brooks & @booke23 I'm using an Outwell Ecocool Lite 24L. It has an eco setting, but it doesnt say anywhere on the product the power rating in eco mode, although i assume less than 45W. All i know is my engine is a Honda 15, but there are several different models with 15hp. Specs online say '12A electric/6A recoil', so im going to run with that for now.

 

@PD1964 For heating, i'm using a Warmlite WL42005 halogen heater and a wife.

 

@mrsmelly I am indeed an adult with his own hobbies and interests. One of them being gaming.

[MtB]

23 minutes ago, Jake29 said:

 

@mrsmelly I am indeed an adult with his own hobbies and interests. One of them being gaming.

 

 

Bear in mind mrsmelly is 176 years old and thinks anything to do with electricity is 'newfangled'.

 

  

[Alan de Enfield]

42 minutes ago, Jake29 said:

For heating, i'm using a Warmlite WL42005 halogen heater and a wife.

 

1 hours use and that alone will flatten your single battery.

That takes more power than running an immersion heater.

 

You really do need to try and get a grip on what electrical consumption you have and how you are 'going to live within your means'.

Yoy boat and how it is set up is not suitable for living aboard without being plugged into the mains electric.

[Tony Brooks]

50 minutes ago, Jake29 said:

 I'm using an Outwell Ecocool Lite 24L. It has an eco setting, but it doesnt say anywhere on the product the power rating in eco mode, although i assume less than 45W. All i know is my engine is a Honda 15, but there are several different models with 15hp. Specs online say '12A electric/6A recoil', so im going to run with that for now.

 

OK, so forget about even thinking about running the cool box. As it offers both heat and cool it is a Peltier device and unlikely to have a thermostat so will be very electricity hungry compared with a compressor fridge and they are bad enough.

 

If you mean 12V and 6A charging output then that will average about 3 amps over 4 hours running so about 12 Ah of output but probably only about 8 to 10 Ah stored in the battery.

 

If you mean 12A domestic charging and 6 amp engine charging then double those figures for the domestic charging.

 

I can see no way in which you can make it work as you hope without a generator or deep enough pockets to buy a new battery every very few days. Be aware just adding more batteries will not help, it will just take fractionally longer before you destroy them. Your problem is lack of charging current and I doubt as much solar as you can fit on your roof will be much help apart from in high summer.

 

As Alan implies you are being totally unrealistic with the equipment you have. Either stay in a marina where you can stay plugged into the mains or  but a decent generator but that heater plus the other electrical stuff may well mane a 2Kw (2000 KVA) generator struggle.

Edited February 20, 2022 by Tony Brooks

[PD1964]

50 minutes ago, Jake29 said:

 

@PD1964 For heating, i'm using a Warmlite WL42005 halogen heater and a wife.

 

I take it it’s a 240v plug in heater?

 How are you planning to run this? 
 Your biggest problem at the minute is you’ve only 1x battery, to go CCing you need a good battery bank simple as that, to run all your 240v you’ll need a good inverter, you will need a good generator to charge the batteries or to use your 240v.

  Your boat may be good as a day boat or for the weekend, but at the minute it’s not set up to be a good CC boat, sorry to say you’ll need to spend a fair bit of money for this. Good luck.

Edited February 20, 2022 by PD1964

[David Mack]

1 hour ago, Jake29 said:

For heating, i'm using a Warmlite WL42005 halogen heater and a wife.

Two of you CCing on a 25 ft cruiser!  That's ambitious 

[PD1964]

3 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Two of you CCing on a 25 ft cruiser!  That's ambitious 

And it was a coin flip between the PS4 and the wife, the latter winning on best outa three. 

[MtB]

6 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Two of you CCing on a 25 ft cruiser!  That's ambitious 

 

 

I reckon after 48hrs they'll be back on the mooring ns sucking on that bollard...

 

 

[PD1964]

Just now, MtB said:

 

 

I reckon after 48hrs they'll be back on the mooring ns sucking on that bollard...

 

 

Playing his PS4😂

[Alan de Enfield]

Just now, MtB said:

 

 

I reckon after 48hrs they'll be back on the mooring ns sucking on that bollard...

 

 

 

1 1/2 hours of that heater and they'll have no lights, no fridge,  nothing.

They'll be back on the mooring before dark.

[Mike Hurley]

4 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

Assuming the op is an adult, what the hell would they want a PS4 for? Theres a real life out there, especialy living aboard a boat.

Exactly, PS5 is the thing now, linked to 55 inch HD 4KTV, whole new experience. You need a tender full of batteries topped with solar panels. If i were you i would stay on hook up.

[Graham Davis]

1 hour ago, Jake29 said:

 

@Tony Brooks & @booke23 I'm using an Outwell Ecocool Lite 24L. It has an eco setting, but it doesnt say anywhere on the product the power rating in eco mode, although i assume less than 45W. All i know is my engine is a Honda 15, but there are several different models with 15hp. Specs online say '12A electric/6A recoil', so im going to run with that for now.

 

That item isn't a fridge, but a cool box and looks very "power hungry"!
Spec sheet:
https://www.outwell.com/Files/Images/Productimages/a1e7bb5e-b6a6-462e-92f9-1747be84e74a.pdf

[Ianws]

I was just about to say it is a thermoelectric coolbox not a fridge. They dont cycle on and off and will draw power constantly while switched on. 

Edited February 20, 2022 by Ianws
I dont think there is such a thing as a thermoelectric toolbox 😀

[Ianws]

12 hours use of the coolbox would use approx all your usable leisure battery capacity, assuming it is charged to full original capacity. Ok for occasional leisure use but not suitable for months of cruising unless you are living off long life milk and tinned food. 

[David Mack]

I said it recently on another electrical thread, but it bears repeating. If you are an off grid boater all the power you use must be generated by some combination of boat engine, generator and solar. Batteries only store energy, they don't make it, and you lose a proportion of that energy in battery charging and discharging. It takes a long time to push the last bit of energy into a battery to fully recharge it, but if you don't fully recharge regularly, the batteries lose capacity and will soon need replacing.

The OP has an outboard motor with limited charging capacity, and a 25ft boat with space for only a limited amount of solar. And running a generator is noisy and antisocial, as well as the potential CO risks.

The only way this might work for the OP is a lifestyle with an absolute minimum electricity demand. So solid fuel, gas or diesel for space and water heating and cooking, no fridge in winter - just keep perishable food in an outside locker and shop frequently (solar might run a compressor electric fridge in summer, but not a peltier coolbox), LED lighting, charge your phone and laptop at work, in the pub, library etc and use on the boat only as long as the battery lasts...

Edited February 20, 2022 by David Mack

[Alan de Enfield]

I think to summarise these postings, Jake can either :

 

1) Adapt his life style and expectations to suit what the boat can provide, or

2) Buy a boat that is equipped to provide the power and the re-charging ability to meet his life style expectations.

 

At the moment there is a huge mismatch between 'boat capability' and 'expectations'.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Ianws said:

I was just about to say it is a thermoelectric toolbox not a fridge. They dont cycle on and off and will draw power constantly while switched on. 

 

They are also very annoyingly noisy. When we use ours to provide increased cooling capacity it goes outside under cover.

[Richard10002]

1 hour ago, Ianws said:

I was just about to say it is a thermoelectric toolbox not a fridge. They dont cycle on and off and will draw power constantly while switched on. 

We have one at home that I used when the narrowboat fridge failed.

 

The noise and continuous running meant I soon bought a thermostat from Amazon, and put it in the circuit that powered the cool box. Kept it at about 4C, and noticed it switching on and off. No idea how much power was saved.

[booke23]

3 hours ago, Jake29 said:

For heating, i'm using a Warmlite WL42005 halogen heater.

As mentioned this type of heater is absolutely only useable when you are plugged into shore power.

So unless you are only planning on CCing in summer you need a means to heat the boat. I would suggest looking at installing a small solid fuel stove......something like a Newport solid fuel stove (bulkhead mountable to save space) or a Pipsqueak. Both very compact options.

[mrsmelly]

2 hours ago, Mike Hurley said:

Exactly, PS5 is the thing now, linked to 55 inch HD 4KTV, whole new experience. You need a tender full of batteries topped with solar panels. If i were you i would stay on hook up.

My youngest daughter married a nice bloke about thirteen years ago. She thought he was an adult. She had a fairly heavy, intense job and he a lesser so, no problem. He was always home before her. She used to come in and he would be playing kiddie games on his play box in front of the telly, she would then get tea ready. She asked him if he could get tea ready rather than play over the next couple or three weeks on several occasions. After a year of marriage she went in one evening having had a bad day, he was playing kiddies games on his box thing. She went upstairs and packed him a couple of suitcases and put them in the boot of her car, house in Cornwall. She told him to get in the car, I guess a couple of words beginning with F may have been used though I am unsure. She then drove him home to mummy in Bournemouth, that must have been a hell of an interesting drive lol, and that, as they say, was that lol. She now has an adult partner, he doesnt play kiddies games and shares responsibilities in life........oh, and he often cooks tea 🤣

[Mad Harold]

3 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

My youngest daughter married a nice bloke about thirteen years ago. She thought he was an adult. She had a fairly heavy, intense job and he a lesser so, no problem. He was always home before her. She used to come in and he would be playing kiddie games on his play box in front of the telly, she would then get tea ready. She asked him if he could get tea ready rather than play over the next couple or three weeks on several occasions. After a year of marriage she went in one evening having had a bad day, he was playing kiddies games on his box thing. She went upstairs and packed him a couple of suitcases and put them in the boot of her car, house in Cornwall. She told him to get in the car, I guess a couple of words beginning with F may have been used though I am unsure. She then drove him home to mummy in Bournemouth, that must have been a hell of an interesting drive lol, and that, as they say, was that lol. She now has an adult partner, he doesnt play kiddies games and shares responsibilities in life........oh, and he often cooks tea 🤣

She sounds a sensible lady.

I have two daughters, one kind and thoughtful who has had several disasterous relationships,the other is as hard as nails and has yet to have a relationship.

Whoever he is,he has my sympathy.

[Ianws]

I know it's only banter and should be pretty anonymous but I'm pretty sure my children would be less than impressed at me talking about their personal traits and relationships on a public forum. Then again, I dont do it on Facebook or anything else either. 

Edited February 20, 2022 by Ianws

[MtB]

57 minutes ago, Ianws said:

I know it's only banter and should be pretty anonymous but I'm pretty sure my children would be less than impressed at me talking about their personal traits and relationships on a public forum. Then again, I dont do it on Facebook or anything else either. 

 

 

I'm surprised you can get onto facebook these days.

 

On the odd occasion I try to log in, with my correct password, it invariably tells me it wants to 'verify' who I am by sending me a text with a number for me to enter. So I do this then it announces it is sending me an email for the exact same reason. I enter the number in the email then it demands I send PHOTO ID. WTF? 

 

At which point I decide FB can shove it and I close the window.

[David Mack]

4 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

My youngest daughter married a nice bloke about thirteen years ago. She thought he was an adult. She had a fairly heavy, intense job and he a lesser so, no problem. He was always home before her. She used to come in and he would be playing kiddie games on his play box in front of the telly, she would then get tea ready. She asked him if he could get tea ready rather than play over the next couple or three weeks on several occasions. After a year of marriage she went in one evening having had a bad day, he was playing kiddies games on his box thing. She went upstairs and packed him a couple of suitcases and put them in the boot of her car, house in Cornwall. She told him to get in the car, I guess a couple of words beginning with F may have been used though I am unsure. She then drove him home to mummy in Bournemouth, that must have been a hell of an interesting drive lol, and that, as they say, was that lol. She now has an adult partner, he doesnt play kiddies games and shares responsibilities in life........oh, and he often cooks tea 🤣

My wife had a colleague in a similar situation. She was married to a guy she met at university, and when I knew her she was in her mid-late twenties and a rising star in the accountancy firm she worked for. She already got a bit of ribbing from colleagues about the fact that she washed and ironed all his clothes and did all the housework, but one evening when we in the pub she commented that when she travelled away on business she left a fridge full of prepared meals for hubby, along with a meal plan list and reheating instructions, and seemed very surprised that my wife didn't do the same for me! I think this must have opened her eyes because they weren't married for much longer!