Why do battery threads get so granular?

[hpeer]

You REALLY, REALLY need to read his long post on the appropriate thread and reply there.

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...rs-239438.html

Please!

[PaulvR]

UFO asks for a book.

100 years ago when I put my 30 footer together for blue water work, I had " The 12Volt Bible".

There must be a modern day equivalent...??

[misfits]

I've come to the realization that no matter what one has for batteries, eventuality you will kill them.
It's the nature of batteries. Having an electric boat, I have monitors, chargers, solar so you would think I'd be on top of this. As much as I'd like to think so there's only so much one can do because in the end, batteries die. That's just the way it is.
I guess if you're not getting at least five years out them, you're doing something wrong.

[sailjumanji]

Yep, I should have added a link. Its a long post, because I tried to address what we've already done.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Cthoops

I'm not asking this to be snarky - I am truly curious. Why do the battery threads on here turn into double-digit pages with discussion of shunt this, percentage that, float here, 1% there?

We have a mental block when it comes to the subject of electricity, so in recognition of that fact we installed two Firefly batteries two years ago before we left to go cruising full-time. We also installed a Balmar battery monitor. With the exception of pushing the button on the Balmar a few times a week to check the capacity percentage, we have ignored the batteries since installation. In fact, the Balmar died last month and we decided not to bother replacing it.

We charge the Firefly's with two Renogy 100 watt semi-flexible solar panels, each hooked up to their own Genasun solar controller. They are also charged when we are motoring by a 70 amp alternator on our Beta (which was an upgrade from the 40 amp stock alternator). This set up has proven more than sufficient for us.

Now before everyone starts telling me we're doing it wrong and "we're gonna die", I will say that we have minimal power loads on our boat. The biggest draw is charging our electrical gadgets and our Engel refrigerator. We have LED bulbs for every light (both exterior and interior), an alcohol stove and no pressure water (so no minimal draw for a propane/LPG stove or when we are using water), and your standard chartplotter/transducer/VHF.

Realize that I am NOT saying that everyone else is doing it wrong. I'm just wondering if the extra attention that is being paid by people on these battery threads is due to a larger boat? More electrical needs? A general interest in the subject? I truly would like to know because I find it rather perplexing.

Thanks.

People get very specific about batteries, it seems to me, because very small, seemingly innocuous things can have large affects on battery performance and longevity.

[sailorboy1]

Batteries do die, if not murdered before their time.

[Jack C]

Originally Posted by Wotname

All of this plus there is group of folk who don't really understand electricity or battery technology yet are happy to repeat stuff they firmly believe to be true or fail to recognise they 'don't know what they don't know'.

Add to that, a lack of reading skills and zero comprehension ability

Very well said. Unfortunately its not limited to electricity or battery technology. Myths are repeated with conviction. No understanding of the basic principles. Failure to read and comprehend, repeating same mistakes over and over and blindly relying on "professionals" without asking them common sense questions.

[UFO]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

BOOKS

Every so often folks ask: "What book should I buy to learn electrical stuff about my boat?"

The appropriate answer is: "Depends on how you like to learn."

Go to a chandlery and read a few in person, and start by buying one that you think suits your "level" and is "readable" to you."

Here's a good start: https://www.bluesea.com/support/refe...trical_Systems

Jan. 2018 - West Marine revised their website, so the following link no longer works. Darn! But a Google or Amazon search for "boat electrical books" will do it for you. Charlie Wing's comes highly recommended by many.

A good starting list is provided by West Marine in the their online Advisors (and usually in their catalogs, one of which should be in your house and the other on your boat).

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs...trical-Systems

Thanks

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

In addition, two of us I know of have spent decades assembling boat electrical system information on the internet.


Maine Sail, a frequent contributor here, has his commercial marinehowto site.


I developed a series of links on our boat specific Association website, with many links to his writings not only on his site but others, as well as a series of our own. https://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5977.0.html


Neither one of us "hides" what we do and I quote and link them often here and on other boating forums.


We have learned, however, that we can make the information available but we can't make folks read it.


If they don't understand it, we strive to help. That's a separate issue.

Bottom line to the OP question is that you do the best you can with what you have.

If your boat is a liveaboard with an electric galley and substantial solar, it gets complicated.

I take in everything I can from the talented experiences of guys like Stu and Maine Sail, .....but in the end, I go back to a quality manufacturers support team to verify.

Presently doing this with a Victron Multi upgrade of old and new components.

Got a good start with the help of sv Jedi and others....

Now I'm comparing notes with the help of Johannes of Victron via emails to hopefully achieve what I want the system to do in a way that Victron supports.

I start again with the basics like this video that Johannes put out to see the path.

https://youtu.be/UPfUn5ki7OM

If your not an electricial technician, expect a steep learning curve every time you go back to it after a few years, because things do change.

Once I have a solution, I will share back on the Thread I stsrted in case it helps someone else,..
.... but you always need to do your own due diligence!

[MultiCountryDon]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

It's because the details of the beer staying cold is a granular amalgamation of electrical and battery coalescence, which habitually occurs in boats that transcend 32' of protraction.

what he said !!!!!

[Askeeta]

Maybe it’s because the topic has a greater conductivity and low resistance

[ben2go]

Originally Posted by Cthoops

I'm not asking this to be snarky - I am truly curious. Why do the battery threads on here turn into double-digit pages with discussion of shunt this, percentage that, float here, 1% there?

We have a mental block when it comes to the subject of electricity, so in recognition of that fact we installed two Firefly batteries two years ago before we left to go cruising full-time. We also installed a Balmar battery monitor. With the exception of pushing the button on the Balmar a few times a week to check the capacity percentage, we have ignored the batteries since installation. In fact, the Balmar died last month and we decided not to bother replacing it.

We charge the Firefly's with two Renogy 100 watt semi-flexible solar panels, each hooked up to their own Genasun solar controller. They are also charged when we are motoring by a 70 amp alternator on our Beta (which was an upgrade from the 40 amp stock alternator). This set up has proven more than sufficient for us.

Now before everyone starts telling me we're doing it wrong and "we're gonna die", I will say that we have minimal power loads on our boat. The biggest draw is charging our electrical gadgets and our Engel refrigerator. We have LED bulbs for every light (both exterior and interior), an alcohol stove and no pressure water (so no minimal draw for a propane/LPG stove or when we are using water), and your standard chartplotter/transducer/VHF.

Realize that I am NOT saying that everyone else is doing it wrong. I'm just wondering if the extra attention that is being paid by people on these battery threads is due to a larger boat? More electrical needs? A general interest in the subject? I truly would like to know because I find it rather perplexing.

Thanks.

I quit reading battery and electrical threads years ago. I instead bought a book from a pro. When I need to know something, it's right there. I book mark pages with info I want to reference later. Heck, I may even make a spread sheet that searchable for the info I may need. Here's a link to the book. It's a good one and comes highly recommended by many marine techs I've talked to.
https://www.amazon.com/Boatowners-Me...language=en_US

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by ben2go

I quit reading battery and electrical threads years ago. I instead bought a book from a pro. When I need to know something, it's right there. I book mark pages with info I want to reference later. Heck, I may even make a spread sheet that searchable for the info I may need. Here's a link to the book. It's a good one and comes highly recommended by many marine techs I've talked to.
https://www.amazon.com/Boatowners-Me...language=en_US

Other than the basic theories, cautious saftey standards and formulas, dont you think they become outdated pretty fast on modern day electronics and new developments in power storage?
Everything these days have nuances and multifunctional aspects that you need to research if wanting to buy leading edge stuff

[ben2go]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Other than the basic theories, cautious saftey standards and formulas, dont you think they become outdated pretty fast on modern day electronics and new developments in power storage?
Everything these days have nuances and multifunctional aspects that you need to research if wanting to buy leading edge stuff

That book covers most of today's modern electronics including lithium based batteries. Not a lot has changed since the last version of this book. The only things have have changed are electronics are getting more efficient.

[sailorboy1]

Posting that you don’t read battery threads ON a battery thread