Battery charging with solar/engine

[hopefulboaterlndn]

3 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

£7000-£10000 will get you a reasonable diesel cacooned generator installed.

Thank you. That's beyond my means, I think moving the boat closer to where I work may be a better option for now! We are looking for a mooring in the winter as well, either a permanent or just winter mooring undecided as yet 

[LadyG]

Hi, newby here too, what about the idea you need to equalise your batteries [ie overcharging once a month].

My plan was to fit approx 480 watt solar panels, have approx 250ah leisure batteries., not to moor under trees, and to visit a marina once a month for laundry and overnight charging., possibly twice a month in winter if batteries are suffering. oh and a Generator from Lidl [noisy but cheap] for occasional usage.

 

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, hopefulboaterlndn said:

I think moving the boat closer to where I work may be a better option for now!

Or closer to the sun would work too.

1 minute ago, LadyG said:

Hi, newby here too, what about the idea you need to equalise your batteries [ie overcharging once a month].

A good point, especially with Trojans.

[Alan de Enfield]

1 minute ago, LadyG said:

Hi, newby here too, what about the idea you need to equalise your batteries [ie overcharging once a month].

My plan was to fit approx 480 watt solar panels, have approx 250ah leisure batteries., not to moor under trees, and to visit a marina once a month for laundry and overnight charging., possibly twice a month in winter if batteries are suffering. oh and a Generator from Lidl [noisy but cheap] for occasional usage.

 

How would you 'do' your daily charge ?

As a liveaboard your batteries are unlikely to last between the 'twice a month' charge and would probably/possibly need replacing twice a month.

[hopefulboaterlndn]

4 minutes ago, LadyG said:

Hi, newby here too, what about the idea you need to equalise your batteries [ie overcharging once a month].

My plan was to fit approx 480 watt solar panels, have approx 250ah leisure batteries., not to moor under trees, and to visit a marina once a month for laundry and overnight charging., possibly twice a month in winter if batteries are suffering. oh and a Generator from Lidl [noisy but cheap] for occasional usage.

 

Thanks! Okay, also need a plan for equalising. 

The real question here is, why the hell did I moor under a tree! 

[mrsmelly]

Just remember it is cheaper to live in a house than on a boat. Not anywhere near as nice but deffo cheaper to live in a house.

[rusty69]

4 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Just remember it is cheaper to live in a house than on a boat.

mmmm , not sure about that one.

Edited June 30, 2017 by rusty69

[LadyG]

13 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

How would you 'do' your daily charge ?

As a liveaboard your batteries are unlikely to last between the 'twice a month' charge and would probably/possibly need replacing twice a month.

I would cut usage back to basics, have two or more rechageable packs for my laptop, which would be the main power usage [would the pub or some fast food place mind if i used their sockets?]  Run the engine up maybe twice a week, and use the generator where / when it is not going to annoy everyone else.

No TV [use laptop], no fridge in winter. LED lights, some cheapo battery lanterns. With the SF stove providing heat and some light, I only need a reading lamp, at worse this can be  a camping headlight! I might get a wind up camping lantern too. Not sure about the windup radio, they seem to have gone out of fashion. There is a washing machine which needs no power, and I;d keep on top of laundry that way. Use the SF stove for hot water if none in calorifier [aka cauliflower]

I do have a 240v TV with a DVD thingy, but I assume it would be better to use the laptop in winter.

Edited June 30, 2017 by LadyG

[rusty69]

3 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I would cut usage back to basics, have two or more rechageable packs for my laptop, which would be the main power usage. Run the engine up maybe twice a week, and use the generator where / when it is not going to annoy everyone else.

No TV [use laptop], no fridge in winter. LED lights, some cheapo battery lanterns. With the SF stove providing heat and some light, I only need a reading lamp, at worse this can be  a camping headlight! I might get a wind up camping lantern too. Not sure about the windup radio, they seem to have gone out of fashion.

I do have a 240v TV with a DVD thingy, but I assume it would be better to use the laptop in winter.

You forgot water pumps.Fridge off during Winter will save loads. FM radio on batteries last for weeks.12 V TV doesn't consume much(or Iplayer on laptop,preferably 12V)

[nicknorman]

1 minute ago, LadyG said:

I would cut usage back to basics, have two or more rechageable packs for my laptop, which would be the main power usage. Run the engine up maybe twice a week, and use the generator where / when it is not going to annoy everyone else.

No TV [use laptop], no fridge in winter. LED lights, some cheapo battery lanterns. With the SF stove providing heat and some light, I only need a reading lamp, at worse this can be  a camping headlight! I might get a wind up camping lantern too. Not sure about the windup radio, they seem to have gone out of fashion.

I do have a 240v TV with a DVD thingy, but I assume it would be better to use the laptop in winter.

I really would try to avoid a frame generator. They are just so noisy and in order not to annoy everyone else, you have to be a long, long way away. Try a Kippor, which is a suitcase genny, much cheaper than a Honda and seems to be OK. I have one for my caravan. One thing to seek is an inverter genny with something along the lines of a "smart throttle". Put simply, a basic frame genny has to run at a specific and fairly high rpm all the time, even if the load is very light. It is thus always very noisy. A suitcase inverter genny with "smart throttle" type thing doesn't need to run at any specific rpm and so when the load is light it can run quite slowly and hence quietly, only when the load is very high does it need to run at maximum speed. Charging batteries properly takes a lot of time and for much of that time, they are not taking much current. Thus with an inverter genny much of the time it will be running slowly and relatively quietly. With a basic frame genny it will always be running at max rpm.

[hopefulboaterlndn]

3 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

You forgot water pumps.Fridge off during Winter will save loads. FM radio on batteries last for weeks.12 V TV doesn't consume much(or Iplayer on laptop,preferably 12V)

Or if you have a tablet, I bring mine to work and charge it there. Lasts for days and with no charging on the boat necessary 

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, hopefulboaterlndn said:

Or if you have a tablet, I bring mine to work and charge it there. Lasts for days and with no charging on the boat necessary 

Could do that with your Trojans too, but may get some funny looks

[LadyG]

16 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

You forgot water pumps.Fridge off during Winter will save loads. FM radio on batteries last for weeks.12 V TV doesn't consume much(or Iplayer on laptop,preferably 12V)

I avoided mentioning it, lol,  but I d be using a big jug of warm water over the wash hand basin, to wash at night, and cutting back on daily showers, I am used to living on minimal water, and liberal use use of free facilities when they are availble can really make a big difference.

One thing I hardly see mentioned is the use of solar showers, in summer a few of these should provide free warm water, pretty much ad lib I would have thought.

Edited June 30, 2017 by LadyG

[rusty69]

2 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I avoided mentioning it, lol,  but I d be using a big jug of warm water to wash at night, and cutting back on daily showers, I am used to living on minimal water, liberal use use of free facilities when they are availble can really make a big difference.

Sounds like you could make it work. As suggested above, a tablet could be a good option, especially if you have a power hungry laptop.

[LadyG]

4 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Sounds like you could make it work. As suggested above, a tablet could be a good option, especially if you have a power hungry laptop.

Yes, best to give it a try, and decide how best to manage, I like living in a in small places , but I am not intending to "camp", a bit of luxury is easily justified 

Edited June 30, 2017 by LadyG

[hopefulboaterlndn]

16 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Could do that with your Trojans too, but may get some funny looks

*excuse me London commuters, could you please get off the tube and make way for my 100kg of batteries 

[rusty69]

Just now, hopefulboaterlndn said:

*excuse me London commuters, could you please get off the tube and make way for my 100kg of batteries 

Get them to carry one each! 

[hopefulboaterlndn]

5 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Get them to carry one each! 

Genious! 

[mrsmelly]

1 hour ago, rusty69 said:

mmmm , not sure about that one.

Do the sums. If you own a house you pay council tax about 1500 quid a year for small house and lecy etc gas etc is cheap as chips national grid.

If you own a boat licence is about a grand and then mooring is 2 to 22k a year and all consumables such as coal/gas lectric much more expensive than house bills.

Add on replacing batteries, blacking etc etc diesel for charging etc and its way cheaper to live in a house.

Of course if there is any debt to be attributed to either boat or house then there are too many variables to comment.

[OldGoat]

It might be worth considering beefing up your engine generating capabilities. In 2001 folks expectations were more basic and Beta fitted small engine alternators as standard, relying on folks who wanted more power investing in their add on packs.

So I suspect yours is not 175 amps - that's quite a large beast to fit on the standard mounts, especially as it's quite a load on the main pulley keyway. I'd be happy to be proved wrong.

The easiest way is to ring them up - but you'll need the serial number (it's on a plate - probably covered in paint, on the top of the engine, OR the WOC, if you have the original documentation / instruction book). Be polite - 'cos they get a lot of folks who are sometimes unpleasant.

If you're lucky they may be able to supply a bolt on kit (brackets, adaptors, pulleys and alternator - the latte can be pricey). Worth doing a costing?

 

[mrsmelly]

2 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

It might be worth considering beefing up your engine generating capabilities. In 2001 folks expectations were more basic and Beta fitted small engine alternators as standard, relying on folks who wanted more power investing in their add on packs.

So I suspect yours is not 175 amps - that's quite a large beast to fit on the standard mounts, especially as it's quite a load on the main pulley keyway. I'd be happy to be proved wrong.

The easiest way is to ring them up - but you'll need the serial number (it's on a plate - probably covered in paint, on the top of the engine, OR the WOC, if you have the original documentation / instruction book). Be polite - 'cos they get a lot of folks who are sometimes unpleasant.

If you're lucky they may be able to supply a bolt on kit (brackets, adaptors, pulleys and alternator - the latte can be pricey). Worth doing a costing?

 

My engine is 2007 and comes with standard twin 80 amp alternators so I suggest you are right and 175 is a bolt on extra. My twin 80s do the job admirably.

[hopefulboaterlndn]

30 minutes ago, OldGoat said:

 

The easiest way is to ring them up - but you'll need the serial number (it's on a plate - probably covered in paint, on the top of the engine, OR the WOC, if you have the original documentation / instruction book). Be polite - 'cos they get a lot of folks who are sometimes unpleasant.

If you're lucky they may be able to supply a bolt on kit (brackets, adaptors, pulleys and alternator - the latte can be pricey). Worth doing a costing?

 

Thanks I have the serial number and I'll do this!

[rusty69]

52 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

Do the sums. If you own a house you pay council tax about 1500 quid a year for small house and lecy etc gas etc is cheap as chips national grid.

Damn, your right smelly. I have done the sums,its much cheaper to live in a house.

[cuthound]

52 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

My engine is 2007 and comes with standard twin 80 amp alternators so I suggest you are right and 175 is a bolt on extra. My twin 80s do the job admirably.

My Beta 43 is 2007 vintage and came with an 80A alternator for the engine starter battery and a 175A one for the domestics. It also came with the brackets value Travelpower mains alternator,  but not the pulley or Travelpower itself. 

I suspect you got what the boat specifier ordered at the time.

[Robbo]

If you have solar and need to top it up, do it in the morning so the engine is doing the bulk phase and then let the solar does the rest.