It's not how often do I need to start the motor a second time, it's how often I
may have to TRY to start the motor a second or third or fourth or more times.
I do not live in a perfect world so I must design my vessel to give me the best
shot at operations under much less than perfect conditions.
Personally, I favor the two-alternator system; using an internally regulated
$60 automotive style alternator for keeping the starting battery up, and a 150
amp or better externally regulated for recharging the house bank.
But, I, um, don't actually do it that way. I have a Chrysler externally
regulated 60 amp alternator with a fancy control panel having a rheostat or
3-stage regulator, battery selector switch (with field disable feature),
ammeter, fuses, and Ann-Marie's Combiner. I could select to charge the house
or the starting or both, but of course, the Combiner has made the switch
redundant. I also have a 20KW 240 vac belt-driven shaft generator to use if
desired.
As for solar panels, I favor a full sized array, as big as you can carry, and
keep the start battery charged with a Combiner.
But then again, I am planning on putting a solar panel on my dinghy outboard to
keep it's starting battery charged.
Oh, well, everything comes around to the starting point again I guess...
Norm
S/V Bandersnatch
Lying Julington Creek
30 07.695N 081 38.484W
Wally
Its all in how you see it. A solar panel may be slow but it has no moving
parts. How often do you need to start the motor a second time after already
starting it the first time?
A properly sized start battery has enough energy stored for three complete
start cycles before it is depleted fully. A single start on a good motor will
deplete less than 10% of the stored energy. Does it make a difference if that
energy is replace in 10 minutes or in an hour or two? And who says the solar
panel has to be only 10 watts. You could get a bigger one. Mind you; a 10
watt solar panel is perfect as a trickle charger for maintaining a battery
bank against self discharge over long periods. Hot tropical climates
encourage more electro-chemical activity and thus self discharge in any storage
battery.
Arild
_______________________________________________
Liveaboard mailing list
[email protected]
To adjust your membership settings over the web
http://www.liveaboardnow.org/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard
To subscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To unsubscribe send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
The archives are at http://www.liveaboardnow.org/pipermail/liveaboard/
To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
The Mailman Users Guide can be found here
http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
