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GSer

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They seemed to have a very impressive selection of equipment and boat systems, what are peoples experiences when using their services and parts?

 

Does anybody use one of the Can Bus systems on their boat?

 

Paul

 

NB Willawaw is the one to ask - I think he specifies Mastervolt for the installations he designs.

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NB Willawaw is the one to ask - I think he specifies Mastervolt for the installations he designs.

 

I've got a MasterVolt inverter/charger. Considering it was installed by a fool, it's been remarkably trouble free. Said fool was also able to follow the manual which, in a break from tradition, he actually read.

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No I haven't used their CanBus system.

 

I use CanBus technology widely in other places, but it hasn't penetrated my inland waterways world (yet).

 

I have Mastervolt on my boat and will always recommend it as my preferred kit of choice.

 

Its more expensive than the other kit, but its well designed, well-made and as reliable as you are going to get in a damp, cold environment.

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No I haven't used their CanBus system.

 

I use CanBus technology widely in other places, but it hasn't penetrated my inland waterways world (yet).

 

I have Mastervolt on my boat and will always recommend it as my preferred kit of choice.

 

Its more expensive than the other kit, but its well designed, well-made and as reliable as you are going to get in a damp, cold environment.

 

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for the reply, I am at the moment trying to decide a path to use to fit out my new boat, it is attractive to me to use fully compatible equipment but i'm still not that convinced at the moment by the CanBus malarkey, I like the idea of the flexibility it allows and the less wireing it entails, but having never dealt with the technology before I was wondering how end user friendly it was when it gets down to programming functions. If its all in code and 'geek speak' I might find it easier to just run wires especially if its really complicated.

Also i don't want to become too entrenched to one particular engineer, so when the lights go out, so to speak, i'd like to be able to fault find myself at least to a component level.

 

Paul

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I have to say that I never got involved with the Masterbus system.

 

My marine use of Canbus is limited to using it as a communications medium between two fixed units communicating in a complex way.

 

Analog might involve 12-core wire when it can be achieved with canbus using much less and the system will report (alarm) if the link breaks down.

 

Canbus can also be used for communication over a much longer distance whereas in my example, the analogue signal would need to be repeated after 60m.

 

My view on narrowboats is to keep it simple.

 

Unless you like playing with gadgets and gizmo's, I would use a conventional system.

 

Canbus comes from the auto-industry and is quite reliable, but its a digital communications format.

 

My logic with technology is use it only if it really gives some benefit.

 

On a large yacht with an integrated system, it might be impressive, but do you really need it on a narrowboat ??

 

The installation might be easier (same cable ??), but you've got to make off the RJ45 connectors if you opt for the DIY kit.

 

Mastervolt already use some digital communication between their units and their remote panels. This is fine by me because if there are

any problems, you can disconnect it and at worse, lose your remote panel - no big deal.

 

I don't think I would like a boat totally wired like that.

 

I occasionally design narrowboat AC/DC systems and I always ensure that one failure doesn't bring the whole system down.

 

Integrated systems are what the design engineers want to move towards, but having experienced them on ships, I will resist as long as I'm able.

Edited by NB Willawaw
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Hi

My good friend Keith Meadowcroft, AKA Volt Master has years of experinece of working with Mastervolt systems and is one of their UK agents. He specified and fitted Resolute's elctrical system, turning a bundle of spaghetti in the negine room into a neat well ordered system, all Mastervolt componenets that have served us well for the last 8 years without problems. He'll be at the London boat show on the Mastervolt stand or you can contact him on 07740200775. Mention me!

Cheers

Dave

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Hi

My good friend Keith Meadowcroft, AKA Volt Master has years of experinece of working with Mastervolt systems and is one of their UK agents. He specified and fitted Resolute's elctrical system, turning a bundle of spaghetti in the negine room into a neat well ordered system, all Mastervolt componenets that have served us well for the last 8 years without problems. He'll be at the London boat show on the Mastervolt stand or you can contact him on 07740200775. Mention me!

Cheers

Dave

 

 

Yes, If he was from the leicester area he was the guy I was talking to on the stand, nice guy with a nice attitude, he is certainly in the running to oversee the work whichever way I decide to go.

 

Thanks

Paul

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Yes, If he was from the leicester area he was the guy I was talking to on the stand, nice guy with a nice attitude, he is certainly in the running to oversee the work whichever way I decide to go.

 

Thanks

Paul

 

 

Interesting. I doubt it could have been the same guy, when we approached the Mastervolt stand at Crick a few years ago with a tentative enquiry, as soon as the salesman heard we were planning an electric boat he went off on one, was offensive, agressive, effectively told me I was an idiot, it wouldn't nay couldn't work, and I might as well pile my money up in the garden and set fire to it. :lol:

 

Needless to say we dismissed that company from consideration. Eventually went with Victron and Fischer Panda equipment.

 

PS Mr Nasty, it's all working very nicely!

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Oh well, I did an electric boat with all Mastervolt equipment, including a 48V charger and it works fine.

The owner has now cruised from Mercia to London and is on the Stort. He has had no problems with the Mastervolt stuff at all.

 

So to Mr.Nasty !!

 

:lol:

Edited by NB Willawaw
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I was trained by both Mastervolt & Victron and before my day they were one and the same.

 

Victron have a large R&D department and a very small sales department.

 

Mastervolt have a very large sales department and a smaller R&D department.

 

Both companies have had occasional problems with their products in recent years and rectified them satisfactorily.

 

I personally prefer Victron because I have had less problems with it and the price is a bit less if you use the third party ESP panels and accessories from Energy Solutions.

 

I do also like Mastervolt but find to do a job based solely on Mastervolt components it can become eye watering expensive and Mastervolt UK used to be absolutely awful to deal with but since that roll is now filled by Aquafax things are probably a lot better now.

 

Both manufacturers are in a far different league to the "Dark arts enthusiast kit" will it work or won't it that is so beloved in the Ditch crawling world.

Edited by Gary Peacock
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They seemed to have a very impressive selection of equipment and boat systems, what are peoples experiences when using their services and parts?

 

Does anybody use one of the Can Bus systems on their boat?

 

Paul

 

:lol: Dont think I could get any kind of bus on my boat even at 70 feet not even one in a can. I do tho have a mastervolt inverter and its the dogs doobries and uses very little lektric stuff on standby......... :lol:

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They seemed to have a very impressive selection of equipment and boat systems, what are peoples experiences when using their services and parts?

 

Does anybody use one of the Can Bus systems on their boat?

 

Paul

Just to echo many other posts, I install both Mastervolt and Victron equipment regularly and both are very good.

 

My gut feeling is that the control side of Victron is better but the power side of Mastervolt is better.

 

My preferred combi for narrow boats is the Mastervolt 12/2500/100, I use quite a few and never have any problems.

 

Canbus is a good system of digital control and has evolved over the years in the automotive industry to a trouble free system - however - I do question the necessity of this level of control in a narrow boat. My take is to keep it simple.

 

Good luck,

 

Regards

 

Arnot

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Thanks for all the replies, they have been very useful.

 

I think i'll need to cost it all up, the one thing Mastervolt seems poor on, is publishing a full retail price list! Without that its hard to know weather you're being offered a good price or not for a job lot of parts.

 

Is Canbus useful on a narrowboat, i'll guess in the future it will be added alongside pump out/cassette or gas/diesel heating G.I. or I.T. red or brown etc in the topics most often discussed sections.

 

I like the idea of being able to remote start a generator by phone, to charge batteries, i'm a full time working livaboard and getting back to the boat to charge batteries before 8pm is sometimes very difficult. Being able to assess systems remotely and then operate a genny if needed would be nice. 3 of the 10x10dc DB's would easily be enough for all the DC and AC (by relay) i'm ever likely to need. Being able to program lights to operate when i'm not there would be a boon for security and a few deck lights operated by phone from the car park must be an improvement over the standard solar garden lights you see twinkling along the towpath. I could even set the diesel heater to run as I left work so I come home to a warm boat with warm water and fully charged batteries as well :lol:

 

I'm sure there are many other advantages I've not thought of yet, the possible downsides appear to include mainly price and a lack of simplicity.

 

The price? Well If I can't afford it i won't buy it. But the boat is a very nice boat and I think the money would not be wasted on it.

 

Simplicity, that depends on where your looking from I suppose, i'm not that daunted by the technology at the moment and I'll certainly be more knowledgable by the time its all fitted.

 

Paul

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Hi Paul,

 

I must give you a "tour" of ours - it's a Victron, and does have RJ45 cables connecting modules.... not sure what can be added though.

 

I actually "resisted" the suggestion of going too "state of the art" with too much digital stuff, as I felt I would like to be able to diagnose / fix as much as possible myself, with a meter, rather than have to call in a techie with a case full of equipment. I was also concerned it might radiate RF hash, as one of my on-board pastimes is HF radio, and getting away from domestic / house mains and all the poorly controlled cheap electronic devices pouring into houses these days, and gives a new dimension to being able to operate in a near hash-free environment...

 

I too would like to be able to control a few things remotely, but haven't researched if there are any stand-alone pieces of kit that you can phone up and control remotely, that could be retro-fitted.. I know you can get remote-controlled alarm systems that will text you of any problems.

 

Sounds like a good excuse for a pint ( at least) to me !!

 

To answer your original query, I was left with the afterthoughts that both makes are excellent kit, Victron might be slightly less expensive in the long run, and Mastervolt seems that it might be able to do more advanced "ancilliary" things ( not researched Victron yet ) . Originally ours was to be Mastervolt but there were problems with something, so we went with Victron... No regrets at all though ...

 

Nick :lol:

Edited by Nickhlx
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Thanks for all the replies, they have been very useful

 

it occurs to me to mention that Gibbo, late of this forum was involved in an R&D project for his new masters for a system very similar.

 

Are they called Merlin power?

 

Any integrated Mastervolt system is going to put your budget into luxury yacht league, but if it floats your boat....

 

If you are intending to remote start systems then it would seem sensible to have remote operated safety systems as well. Fire is one danger that springs immediately to mind.

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