Welcome to the Hatteras Owners Forum & Gallery. Sign Up or Login

Enter partial or full part description to search the Hatteras/Cabo parts catalog (for example: breaker or gauge)
+ Reply to Thread
Page 5 of 5 FirstFirst ... 3 4 5
Results 41 to 47 of 47
  1. #41

    Re: Battery chArger size

    DON'T LENGTHEN BATTERY CABLE RUNS OR YOU MAY CAUSE THE FIRE.

    Battery switches for the engines need to be on short cable in line with the way they run the shortest path.

    Cables become problems with all the extra foot here and foot there.

    The CG uses a chart. If you go up a few feet you may need larger cable. There's more heat in the drop and more issues in the ER area.

    If you think you know more than the guys who built your boat you should own a bayliner. Then it may be true. The laws of physics have not changed in 50 years.
    Scott
    41C117 "Hattatude"
    Port Canaveral Florida.


    Marine Electronics and Electrical Products Distributor.

  2. #42

    Re: Battery chArger size

    So, what is common practice? Where are manufacturers placing chargers on new boats? When you go to a boat show, do you see chargers in closets, under seats, or in companion ways? Or are they in Engine rooms and utility rooms?
    Sky Cheney
    1985 53EDMY, Hull #CN759, "Rebecca"
    ELYC on White Lake--Montague, MI

  3. #43

    Re: Battery chArger size

    I have yet to see one in a companion way but I've not gone through all the big money boats made today.

    The ones I'm familiar with actually have them in engine rooms that are laid out to accommodate them.

    Having a charger in the er is no big deal for most. Especially when they run so little compared to commercial vessels.

    I see no reason to mount a charger in an inhabited space. I've seen and installed inverter systems in closets, under beds and in areas set aside to be utilized for inverters.

    I can say LiFePo batterys dont gas out so not an issue with them
    Scott
    41C117 "Hattatude"
    Port Canaveral Florida.


    Marine Electronics and Electrical Products Distributor.

  4. #44

    Re: Battery chArger size

    I only ask because I assume that most large manufacturers employ engineers and marine architects that have studied these things whereas most boat owners who modify these boats do not. I would think long and hard before modifying what Hatteras engineered into my boat. New components to replace old technology is understandable. But take a good look at how that new equipment is being installed by those that have the expertise in such installations before you engineer it on your own.
    Sky Cheney
    1985 53EDMY, Hull #CN759, "Rebecca"
    ELYC on White Lake--Montague, MI

  5. #45

    Re: Battery chArger size

    I also have no idea what present day practices are in new boats but I can confirm that in my boat, the engine room heat never affected my chargers but did kill my batteries. Improvements in ventilation solved that problem.

    In thinking about it, it’s possible that one of my chargers may have shut down due to high heat from hard running in the Florida summer in the early years but I stopped running my charger when under engine power early on and this never happened again that I can recall. Also, when I upgraded my chargers the new ones appear to have better internal cooling.

    George
    Florida
    2002 Cabo 47
    MAN mechanical 800/8's

    "You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality"

  6. #46

    Re: Battery chArger size

    The original battery cables installed by hatteras on the 53 were pretty long running from the genny room aft into the ERs, then up 4’ to the battery switches then back down and across to the starter.

    Just the run up and down the wall to the switches added 8’ of cable. So much for factory engineers knowing best I cut the run to each engine by over half...

    Chargers are usually rated up to 140 degrees. It s not uncommon to see temps of 120 degrees after a run leaving only a 15 to 20 degree difference for the charger to cool.... close to the limit. Does anyone really believe electronics aren’t affected by temperature?
    Pascal
    Miami, FL
    1970 53 MY #325 Cummins 6CTAs
    2014 26' gaff rigged sloop
    2007 Sandbarhopper 13
    12' Westphal Cat boat

  7. #47

    Re: Battery chArger size

    Quote Originally Posted by Pascal View Post
    The original battery cables installed by hatteras on the 53 were pretty long running from the genny room aft into the ERs, then up 4’ to the battery switches then back down and across to the starter.

    Just the run up and down the wall to the switches added 8’ of cable. So much for factory engineers knowing best I cut the run to each engine by over half...

    Chargers are usually rated up to 140 degrees. It s not uncommon to see temps of 120 degrees after a run leaving only a 15 to 20 degree difference for the charger to cool.... close to the limit. Does anyone really believe electronics aren’t affected by temperature?

    Heat accelerates electronics failures, that how we life tested integrated circuits to determine their failure rates so that we didn't have to wait a million hours to make those calculations. That said, and with my engine room at over 120F after every hard run, I never had the electronics in my charger fail. Now that is only a single data point and every charger is going to be sensitive to heat in there own way and with different cooling strategies. All other things being equal, cooler electronics will last longer but the difference in MTBF (mean time between failures) may not be relevant if your on Medicare like me. Now my Balmar alternator regulators are a different story, those fail far too often but I don't know if that's heat related.

    George
    Florida
    2002 Cabo 47
    MAN mechanical 800/8's

    "You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality"

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts