power while on the hook

marvin4239 · Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:13 am Post subject:

One thing I don't understand is: My pickup generater has an output of like 175 amps, yet when going down the road with a refrigerator on DC it will run the house battery down and run my pickup batteries down as well. A previous post said it all. Makes no difference how big the charge is, the batteries will only accept so much. Dometic and Norcold both will tell you
that is true. Why the make a three way, I don't know.
captd[/quote]

Funny you mention your boat running down your pickup battery. I just experienced the same thing with my Jeep connected to my pickup. I ran a circuit from my Cherokee to my boat to power my Waeco freezer. I only left it connected while the Cherokee was running and it still ran down the Jeep battery on a 800 mile trip. I'm beginning to think the added load may have damaged my alternator in the Jeep? On the subject of the Dometic 3/way I had one in and RV and found that it wouldn't run on 110 Volts if the house battery was dead or disconnected. If I remember correctly the control circuit for the Dometic came directly from the battery.

Sea Wolf · Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 12:33 pm Post subject:

Here's a source that I'm sure an answer your questions about why the refrigerators running on 12 v can run down your car battery while driving:

Allan Crane @ gasrefrigeration.net

Joe. Teeth

Tad and Toby Jackson · Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 1:03 pm Post subject:

captd,

Great to hear you will be down our way. We will be launching on Lake Harney on Sat. 27 Dec. and heading north up to or near Jax. We have to return back to Harney on Sat. 3, Jan. We too want to hit all the springs this year. We also want to take the canal to the Rodman Dam and make it down the Ocklawaha to the Harris chain of lakes. We would love to be able to put a few miles on with you and the Mrs. Let's stay in touch. When you head down the ICW, we would love for you to stop for a cold one or two and maybe a dinner if you want. We are right on the ICW across from MM 77 just south of the State Rd. 520 Bridge from Cocoa to Merritt Is.
We are planning a 15 day trip the last two weeks of next May '09. We'll leave our dock and head south down to the Keys and then back up the Gulf ICW and take the Okeechobee Waterway back to the Atlantic ICW and then back home. If you all decide to head that way before the Bahamas, I will pick you brain for some suggested anchorages. We prefer to drop the hook rather than stay at marinas, so we will be looking for some quiet coves or creeks to stay in.
What kind of craft is the Lucky Fin? It's exciting to get a new boat!

Tad

thataway · Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 6:47 pm Post subject:

Sometimes I wonder how we can keep the threads on track? Maybe PM? Back to the questions about batteries, charging and refrigeration: Boris, you can use an alternator regulataor by pass--these used to be very common, and Spa Creek out of Annapolis made them for years. You had to moniter the voltage, but it would allow fully charging batteries. Basically this used a rayostat to control the field voltage of the alternator and you could control the output to the battery system. Modern smart chargers (not the one which comes with the diesel engine alternator) will allow very effecient charging up to 85 % capacity.
Using large battery banks (1200 amp hours) and running up to 300 amps of 12 volt charging, for 2 to 4 hours a day, we had plenty of power ot run autopilots, nav gear (radar, Sat Nav, etc, lights, ) for the other hours of the day, without any other source of power generator.

Remember that there are two types of 12 volt refigeration. The compressor refigerators run from 3 to 5 amps per hour. The more common RV ammonia "three way" refigerators, use a heater on propane, or a heating element on 110 volts or 12 volts, and these will run down batteries very quickly since they use aobut 15 amps on 12 volts.

We run a separate 12 volt circuit (plus and minus directly from the charging circuit of the tow vehicle to the battery bank of the boat). I don't know how others have approached the problem of a ground, but if you use the trailer hitch, there will not be a ground circuit to the boat, and thus the battery will not be charged.

Tad and Toby Jackson · Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 8:48 pm Post subject:

Dr. Bob,

You are entirely correct! I should have been more mindfull of the subject of the thread and those interested in the information being shared. In my defense, I hadn't seen a post from captd in awhile and I got carried away. I will try and keep my non-thread communications to personal messages in the future.

Tad

20dauntless · Posted: Tue Oct 21, 2008 1:18 am Post subject:

Evilskier,

I don't know what boat you have, or are thinking of buying, but I can speak a little bit about the 22. We have two group 24 batteries, one for engine start and one for the house. During the month on the boat this summer, I used the house battery exclusively and never had a problem.

Typical overnight use was running the Wallas, anchor light, and cabin lights. Even doing this two nights in a row, the battery always had enough power to start the engine.

I don't know if I used more than 50% of the battery capacity doing this, but even if I did a deep cycle group 24 battery is not very expensive, and I haven't noticed any reduced capacity thus far.

It was always nice knowing that I had another battery to start the engine if necessary though.

Starry_Night _Joe · Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 10:28 am Post subject:

evilskier · Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 12:15 pm Post subject:

20dauntless

thanks for the response! i'm looking at ranger 21ec's....i figured no problem, but just wanted some real world experience insight.

captd · Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 6:09 pm Post subject:

[quote="Starry_Night _Joe
CAPT D
We have set our long term goal to go to the Bahamas with Starry Night. Where do you cross the Gulf Stream at?

Joe[/quote]

Joe ,
We leave from Worth Inlet at Palm Beach. Good place to hang out and wait for the weather window. Peanut Island has free day time docking.
A direct shot to West End in the Bahamas. About 60 miles. Go all the way around to Marsh Harbour to Little Harbour. It is the Abacos where all the fun is. If going to the EXumas, Leave from Miami to check in at Bimini.
(Alice Town)
Enjoy
captd

Doryman · Posted: Sat Oct 25, 2008 6:24 pm Post subject:

Capt D -- are you insured when you go to the Bahamas? If so, with whom?

Warren

captd · Posted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 7:49 am Post subject:

Warren,
Progressive covers us 75 miles off shore. It is only 60 to the Bahamas. Then you are on the Banks. They have the best rate by far. The state you hail from or use as a base seems to have a large effect on the rate.
captd

thataway · Posted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 12:17 am Post subject:

I also have Progressive-and the 75 miles goes by fairly quickly--not difficult to get a rider for the Bahamas, and that Is what I do. My recollection is that it was close to $300 for the year.