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There are marine grade heat shrink connectors with hot melt glue inside that waterproof the connection. For emergencies I carry the wire nuts with the goo inside. Problems I have had with lights have originated with leaks into the box. Also, only tinned wire should be used. If not you end up...

Bob, It seems that the two of us have had a radically different experience with chargers. Here is my situation: I keep, and have kept, my boats on a trailer. In the winter we can get several days with temperatures around freezing and the boat hull and equipment equilibrate to these...

If you decide you need a new charger, avoid any with an internal fan (a good indicator is a grill on the housing that lets air into the interior). I started by using these because they were less expensive, but they all failed within a year. After a lot of research and reading the fine print...

Don, 1 kWh of storage can be a lot or little depending on your power use. As a starting point a 12 V 100AH battery stores a maximum of 1.2 kWh of energy (12 V x 100 A = 1.2 kWh). However, a 12V High end lead acid battery only stores about 0.7 kWh of energy because they should not be drained...

Check the wattage of the solar panel. If you can't get at the label assume the maximum is about 20 watts/square foot. If the panel is flat, and not facing the sun at 90 degrees and your boat is moving in different compass directions, the actual value is much lower. Here in the Pacific...

Also, always use "marine" rated wires. That is tin coated copper. Never use aluminum, copper coated aluminum, or just plain copper. After 29 years of going electric I know from experience that any of the latter will eventually corrode (even plain copper). In my first electric boat I tried to...

First of all: if your battery is fully charged and only reading 12.08 V you need to replace the batteries. A fully charged Lead Acid battery (AGM or Flooded) should be reading 12.6-12.8 V when fully charged, and with no load on it. Also, if the voltage at your inverter (battery end) is reading...

The Dometic coolers/freezers now have their own compressors made by Dometic. The current draw on my two units (3.2 - 3.4 A) are actual measurements not what is listed in the specs.

Hi Don, There are two types of DC amp meters. The first runs all the power through a shunt that sends a signal to a dial separate from the shunt. These are permanent installations and are what power your amp meter in the battery or on your console. Also non-clamp multimeters, with a DC amp...

More thoughts: The DC amp meter will also usually have a volt meter. Measure the voltage of your battery during use. If the voltage drops significantly, it is your battery that is the problem. When I was using lead acid batteries I also had a resistance battery tester I got at an auto parts...

Don, Here are some suggestions for trouble shooting. 1. Get a DC clamp meter that measures DC current without unhooking any cables. These run about $50. Make sure it is for DC not AC. 2. With everything turned off, check to see if there are any currents leaving the batteries. This will...

The current draw on a 12V fridge/freezer depends on the size you want. I have a DOMETIC 35 liter unit and it draws only 3.2 amps. It has good insulation and runs only about 2 minutes out of 10. So, over 24 hrs. it may use only 15 AH of my battery.

Have you tried contacting NMI (Northwest Marine Industries) that is building your boat? I am sure they have all these technical specs since they set up the trailers for these boats as well.

Definitely go with the AGM for boat use. I have yet to find a "flooded" lead acid battery that does not leak a little in heavy seas. My first electric boat (29 years ago) had 12 flooded golf cart batteries, and I tried all kinds of tops/plugs. All of them ended up leaking to some degree, and...

I have two bow lines permanently attached to the forward cleat, one for each side, so I don't have to go forward every time I want to dock. I bring the lines back and hold them tight with a cam cleat just before the cockpit. The extra line is coiled and hung on a hook that hangs from the...

Here are my thoughts, though this is a topic where everyone has their strong opinion: 1) I prefer my dock lines to be about 35 ft for my 22ft cruiser since some marinas have longer finger piers and cleats are further apart. 2) Also the longer length means the extra can be used as a spring...

There is one issue with using Li batteries for starting that has not been mentioned. If you are using them for starting I assume that they are also being charged by an alternator on the motor. This is where it gets tricky. Most alternators are designed to charge lead batteries at a certain...

I Have now posted a picture on the rudders I added to my electric outboards to improve slow speed steering. (ALBUM - WATT NOW) [img]http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_albumName=WATT-NOW&id=rudders&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

rudders