sitting in the dark again

[Trix]

Can anyone point me in the right direction here. I run my engine for about an hour in the evening when I get home from work , at this time (7pm)I charge my lap top and two mobile phones when I turn off the engine I turn off the lap top charger but keep one phone on charge as it is my internet hub. I have two lights on which are basically stop and tail car bulbs 21w . By 10pm I'm sitting in the dark , the batteries have been tested and I'm told are good so are these bulbs too big or do I need to run the engine for longer . Currently stuck at a stoppage so I can't cruise for a while . I do want to invest i.e. solar when funds allow but is there anything I can do in the meantime , possibly LED bulbs , would they make much difference ?

Any help gratefully received as I'm fed up with the dark .

[PaulJ]

How many batteries have you got?

How big is your alternator?

[Tuscan]

Can anyone point me in the right direction here. I run my engine for about an hour in the evening when I get home from work , at this time (7pm)I charge my lap top and two mobile phones when I turn off the engine I turn off the lap top charger but keep one phone on charge as it is my internet hub. I have two lights on which are basically stop and tail car bulbs 21w . By 10pm I'm sitting in the dark , the batteries have been tested and I'm told are good so are these bulbs too big or do I need to run the engine for longer . Currently stuck at a stoppage so I can't cruise for a while . I do want to invest i.e. solar when funds allow but is there anything I can do in the meantime , possibly LED bulbs , would they make much difference ?

Any help gratefully received as I'm fed up with the dark .

 

 

Try running engine for at least a couple of hours and on higher revs than tickover.

[GoodGurl]

run the engine for longer and do the charging of lappy and phones whilst its running.

[jodansgang]

Change all the bulbs for led, this WILL make a difference.

[bargemast]

Get an ammeter to see how many amps you're putting into your batteries.

 

And change your lightbulbs for leds.

 

Peter.

Edited January 21, 2013 by bargemast

[Trix]

There are two leisure batteries and one starter , not sure on alternator size but will look in the daylight on Wednesday when I have day off . We have been on the boat a month or so but on shore power we are now trying to move up the k&a but are stuck so it would be nice to have some light , does it hurt the engine running for longer , I'll try and find some LED bulbs tomorrow at work .

 

I have an amp clamp so I'll see what they are taking

[GoodGurl]

it won't harm your engine, we run ours for about 4hrs a day.

[MtB]

Laptops gobble power, and 1 hour of charging a day is nothing like enough.

 

Do you have a fridge? If so, without doing some calcs, I'd estimate about six hours a day of charging was necessary. No fridge and I'd say three hours at least.

 

What alternator and batteries do you have?

 

MtB

[Ex- Member]

Led bulbs will help. However you seem to be constantly trying to survive on minimum power which is not helping your situaion. If all you're getting from your battery bank what ever size is power for a laptop and a couple os sandard 12 v bulbs then your batteries are surviving on minimal charge. You clearly need to get more amps into your batteries, depending on B/bank size this could mean running your engine for several hours to bring batteries o a full charge.

 

From what you're describing you seem to be putting charge into flat batteries and using that charge quickly, NOT good you need to fully charge B/bank and manage power usage from there. By operating the way you appear to be, you are simply flogging a dead horse and damaging your current batteries.

 

Bring your B/bank to full charge. Run your enging for long enough to ensure your b/bank stays 50% charged or over, even after using and charging your laptop. Adding solar panels will help a little more so in the summer of course, however you need to know how to best treat batteries and how to calculate power usage so do some homework on battery management and charging or coninue to flog a dead horse and waste money in diesel to charge posssibly knackered batteries.

[Chris Pink]

Can anyone point me in the right direction here. I run my engine for about an hour in the evening when I get home from work , at this time (7pm)I charge my lap top and two mobile phones when I turn off the engine I turn off the lap top charger but keep one phone on charge as it is my internet hub. I have two lights on which are basically stop and tail car bulbs 21w . By 10pm I'm sitting in the dark , the batteries have been tested and I'm told are good so are these bulbs too big or do I need to run the engine for longer . Currently stuck at a stoppage so I can't cruise for a while . I do want to invest i.e. solar when funds allow but is there anything I can do in the meantime , possibly LED bulbs , would they make much difference ?

Any help gratefully received as I'm fed up with the dark .

 

While you're running your batteries at this level you're in a no-win situation. It sounds like they're about 15-20% charged when the lights go dim, an hour charging lifts them to 30% and round you go. The usuge is not the problem though yes, LED bulbs will use 1/10th of the auto bulbs it's running the batteries in that fashion which will also kill them pretty quick.

 

The solution; at the weekend charge them for 6-8 hours then next week follow the same routine as you do but hopefully charging to 80% and using then to 65% each night. At the weekend do this again, charge for 6-8 hours

 

You say you are by a stoppage? Are you intending to be off-grid after you get wherever you're trying to go? If so then you should consider a suitcase generator and 30-40a battery charger. This is a considerable outlay but will save money quickly in fuel and servicing costs.

 

Your usage would also be covered by 160W of solar from around late March but is not a complete solution as next winter you'll be in the same condition.

 

Think about your batteries as a reservoir; you need to keep them full(ish) use a bit then put it back rather than, as now, keeping them empty and putting a little in. Batteries die quickly like this.

 

Make sense?

[Trix]

Ok I'll give the engine a good run tomorrow , hell that water will be hot lol you can't touch it after an hour , will also get some bulbs and see how we go from there

[boatymum]

This isn't a techno solution nor one that will do anything other than create an ambiance and doesn't flog the horse. I suggest you eat some oranges/tangerines/mandarines and make oil lights with them, and/or buy some candles, and/or oil lamps. (Obviously with all the safety aspects adhered to). You don't need the lights on at all if you are on computers and you don't have to be in the dark without electricity. It can be most beautiful without. Folks managed for years without it. Keep the power for the techno machines and the beauty for yourself.

 

P.S. using orange lights, put them in a bowl of water, then they don't burn up at the end.

Edited January 21, 2013 by boatymum

[Chris Pink]

Good advice.

[Trix]

Cheers Chris that makes a lot of sense I do have a generator but it's massive drinks fuel and is very loud have been offered a smaller one that's quiet for a swap but with much lower output . I'll start the routine of bringing the batteries up tomorrow .

[boatymum]

Just because I happen to be in love with them at the moment. Orange lights last 5.5 hours in a water bowl. I timed one last night.

 

pic upload

Edited January 21, 2013 by boatymum

[roggie]

Careful about which LED lights you buy - you need the ones that don't mind a fluctuating voltage. We got ours from Baddie the Pirate but there are other boat specific ones out there - get the wrong ones and they won't last long. Nip down the pub/cafe etc. and look for a plug to 'borrow' to charge electrical gear.

[Athy]

This isn't a techno solution nor one that will do anything other than create an ambiance and doesn't flog the horse. I suggest you eat some oranges/tangerines/mandarines and make oil lights with them, and/or buy some candles, and/or oil lamps. (Obviously with all the safety aspects adhered to). You don't need the lights on at all if you are on computers and you don't have to be in the dark without electricity. It can be most beautiful without. Folks managed for years without it. Keep the power for the techno machines and the beauty for yourself.

 

P.S. using orange lights, put them in a bowl of water, then they don't burn up at the end.

Greeno awarded for a most charming (if not totally practical) post.

[gaggle]

led bulb for limited time on lidl email dated today , dont know what type but i have had ceiling bulbs to replace my recessed ceiling halogen bulbs from them before and they are ok , advert says £5.99 which is dearer than what i paid also led lamp ,again not sure of type.

[MtB]

Greeno awarded for a most charming (if not totally practical) post.

 

I agree. Another option is gas lamps, oil lamps or a Tilley lamp. Aldebaran has all three and gas lamps especially give a gorgeous living light, and one feels very smug not to be using ANY electricity at all....

 

MtB

[Ange]

How are you charging / powering your laptop Trix? If you're running it via an inverter you're wasting a lot of power taking 12v up to 240v then back down to 19v. You can get a gizmo from Maplins that will take 12v to 19v - it made a huge difference to us for the first two years we lived aboard with two knackered batteries.

[gaggle]

Bulbs on here 2 for £10 plus other diy stuff available 24th jan-

 

http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg//lidl_uk/hs.xsl/offerdate.htm?offerdate=38163&ar2=7&id=1210&country=GB&zipcode=Bootle&city=Merseyside&district=L20+3EX&street=Stanley+Road&ar=7&nf=TRUE

[matty40s]

Firstly, I would charge laptop and phones at work......

 

LED's are a good idea,however,if you only have an hour to charge, it is really only giving your bateries cosmetic charge.

Get a solar panel installed, this will charge if sunny from now onwards(not from march)

[Ex- Member]

How are you charging / powering your laptop Trix? If you're running it via an inverter you're wasting a lot of power taking 12v up to 240v then back down to 19v. You can get a gizmo from Maplins that will take 12v to 19v - it made a huge difference to us for the first two years we lived aboard with two knackered batteries.

 

 

 

Hi Ange

 

you can plug your laptop directly in to any 12v supply as you would a car van. You don't need an adaptor although many believe it's safer to use one. I've run lap tops radios and all sorts of 12v equipment directly from 12v sockets, Our boat TV does also has done previous models we've used, If you have shore line then use the brick, but CC'ing we use 12v direc with no problem.

[Ange]

Hi Ange

 

you can plug your laptop directly in to any 12v supply as you would a car van. You don't need an adaptor although many believe it's safer to use one. I've run lap tops radios and all sorts of 12v equipment directly from 12v sockets, Our boat TV does also has done previous models we've used, If you have shore line then use the brick, but CC'ing we use 12v direc with no problem.

 

Hya

 

I didn't know that! I thought the lappy was 19v and therefore needed an adapter.

 

Saying that if Trix is running her lappy via the inverter she's got to buy an adapter anyway hasn't she?

 

I know a million times more than when we fist moved aboard, but a million times nothing ain't very much

 

Edited for appalling grammar

Edited January 22, 2013 by Ange