My little piece of peace

[jdarling]

Originally Posted by masalai

I may have found some suitable batteries http://www.forklift-batteries.com.au/classic-range/ or ".../liberator/" range more information in the following weeks I hope, does anyone have some data other than the website on these batteries?

I don't have any information about the batteries that you asked about, but can say that when it comes to inexpensive batteries your local hardware store and radio shack are your friends. No, I don't mean the ones on their shelf's, I mean the ones in the recycle box.

With a little sweet talking to the managers they will let you take whatever you want from the box. Look for the LiON's and check cells carefully and you can get a very nice battery pack for nothing more than the cost of gas back and forth for quite a few trips. Believe it or not, this is how the original Tesla was built.

I have a few packs running around that I've used for my home green projects (mainly NiMH, but 1 LiON complete and one LiPO in the works). Just have to watch your cells closely and select your chargers properly as you build.

Just a thought,
- Jeremy

[Fanie]

Ok Mas, I'm going fishing for a week. When I get back I want to hear the full launch saga ok

Stay out of trouble -

in a week

Cheers.

[masalai]

NEWENGLAND,
Thanks for your interest and appreciation... This one is not designed to be overloaded with iron crap - design load weight (including passengers and stuff is 4862kg) and the hull shape is for sail, NOT POWER... Send your specifications and requirements to Bob Oram and a deposit so he can commence designing to meet your needs...

Jeremy,
Very amusing, not enough amphours or reliability

Fanie - that will be a looooong fishing trip as launch date, as I have said earlier, is around April 2010, so, if you want to watch the launch, you are welcome, bring some fishes and bread for a barbeque - ready to feed the multitudes...

[Frosty]

Just a thought, can you go fishing for a week? what if you catch one ? a week later its going to stink.

[masalai]

Freeze it after gutting and filleting then give it to feed the hungry....

[masalai]

Some more images? 1= looking aft to where a berth will be with drive/house batteries under the near part. - 2= looking forward to storage and washing machine will fit in a opening to be cut. - 3= from the berth forward to the shower area with a doorwau further for the toilet. - 4= forward of the mast to have storage, some water & fuel and the genset as well as RO watermaker, inverters and ships systems & engine start batteries. - out of image forward is anchor winch and chain/anchor locker...

[judy]

Nice looking fillets!

[masalai]

Hehehe - took me a while to twig

[Manie B]

Mas i read on one of the other threads that you have decided to go with normal domestic fridge/freezer units, which i assume are 220 v ac. What is the reasoning behind this. I have been under the impression that it is a power hungry setup, because the invertors 12 v dc to 220 v ac have high losses resulting in a much higher fuel bill to charge batteries. I was told that the best way is 12 v dc compressor refrigeration units. I personally like the 220v domestic stuff, easily obtainable, cheaper to buy, and when its finished throw it away and buy a new one.

[masalai]

My inverter is 48vDC to 240vAC, and from some measurements by Bryan on his 44C, very low draw per day averages, bang for buck, far cheaper (internal volume for the money) and my galley is 240v (hot-plates, microwave, toaster, electric kettle, iron, washing machine & RO watermaker) as well as all the reasons you declared... Recently there seems to be a spate of issues with 12 volt stuff and I would have to make special arrangements for the heavier loads on feeding those items 12 volts anyway - at the present only nav & genset starter motor are 12 volts...

[Frosty]

Mannie --I got 220 V stuff,-- Ok I am 99% of the time in the marina but even when im out I can run fridges for Fa . Your right about the chuck away replace thing. These marine companies have fkd themselves , no one want this expensive crap that lasts 3 months if you lucky or need an expensive mother boards to fix it. Well I don't.

[marshmat]

Inverters aren't anywhere near the wasteful power hogs they used to be. Most of the current Xantrex 12-120 units have efficiencies of 85-90%. 24- and 48-volt inverters are better still, some reach 95%. A long way from perfect, but good enough that the losses are small. If you can save a few thousand dollars on appliances, etc. as a result, that might pay for the inverter, a one-size-larger alternator, and an extra battery or two. And heavy copper cable for high-power DC gear costs a small fortune right now.

It's great to see things really taking shape, Mas Keep us posted!

[Manie B]

Thanks guys, very interesting info, you learn everyday.

The invertors that you guys are running / installing, are they "full sine" invertors. My question really is - can you also run "sensitive" equipment like computers and TV's etc and other regular household items.

Then how big, because if you are carefull and only run one or two machines and stay under 15 amps, you could get away with two small invertors for redundancy ??

I know this may sound crazy, but a small 220v bar fridge and invertor on my small microcruiser is WAY cheaper than the "boat" stuff that they quote me on. Here in deepest darkest i pay value for value the same as you do for domestic stuff and Macdonalds (sausage egg Mcmuffin meal + hashbrown+ coffee)
Boat **** is so frikken expensive here that it is simply out of the question, our market is non existent small.

[marshmat]

Manie & Mas, I think you guys might be on to something good with the 120/240 V galley stuff. I was shocked, last time I was in West Marine, at what some 12 V gear is going for... refrigeration units running well into the four figures, among other things.

I've never had any issues running laptops, phone chargers, etc. off a couple of 300-watt mod-sine inverters, Canadian Tire specials at thirty dollars each. A laptop's power supply includes rectifiers and heavy filtering; they can take a lot of nastiness on the supply line without a fuss. However, microwaves, induction cooktops, analog TVs and many other devices that depend on clean AC power will not like a stepping waveform.

The waveform from a modern pure-sine inverter, even near maximum load, is as clean as, even better than, grid power. Anything that can run on grid power will run just as well on a pure-sine inverter of suitable capacity.

[masalai]

Manie, I am sure Fanies expertise would be better qualified than mine
Inverters, theoretically, can be run in parallel, with the next cutting in as needed if an appropriate control system is installed to do the switching on and off according to load??? and I am advised some will synch better than others - I am still thinking out on this one - - but not much choice in 48v supply, so I may have to go 4000 watt continuous and a hefty peak load to cover electric motor start - modified sine seems OK for modern computers - especially laptops etc - The issue may be the induced spike on capacitance start electric motors (not many of those left)...

For fridges, pick a front-opening, energy efficient, "draw" type, freezer and add an external thermostat with digital readout and temperature adjustment and a thin thermocouple that hangs over the top and just inside near the top shelf which holds your regular access stuff and set the temp for about 4dec Celsius as in a fridge... All too easy for Fanie - it cuts the power at the "wall plug" so no internal mods needed - therefore re-saleability option later (keeping the thermostat for the next freezer conversion)... My el-cheapo (AU$99.00) 750W microwave seems to survive OK? on a small modified sine wave inverter...

Did you see the 2 plate 15amp 220/240v ceramic covered cook-top I scored on a remnants counter at the "Sanctuary Cove Boat Show" - AU$50.00