32 Volt Survey

[Glory]

I know this will get some criticism, but I dare anyhow.
I think 16 maybe 17 years ago I switched to 12 volt. I published the details, there was nobody cheering. NY main reason was to avoid handling 145 pound batteries when I get old.
The funny thing is I got old already. A 64 pound Group 31 battery is much wiser to handle. And while I made this change I had upgraded, starters., relays, alternators (now brushless), heads, DC lighting, bildge pumps, sump pumps, water pimps,some wire, breckers and you likely get the picture.
Due to the cost of the change, I coincider it an upgrade, and the cost of 8 volt batteries today it worked out for me.
It was alot of work and I did it myself.
Battery weight while handling them and lots of new parts in my, at the time, 35 year old boat was the plan.

 

[Dragonten]

My 32 volts work just fine. I've upgraded most of the lights to LED. The name board lights did get switched to 12volts using converter. I can still, knock on wood, get those large 32-volt batteries.

 

[pmacFL]

I am trying to determine the rough number of 32 volt users still in the world. I am too stubborn to give up on what seems to be an extremely robust system, so I am trying to convince a specialty Battery company of the market size.

Would any of you 32 volt using yachtsmen/women please respond. Thank you

For those of you who have not seen heavy duty lithium cranking batteries, the do exist. Lithium Hub has its Ionic Red line. Largest is 3000 CCA. It is designed for heavy truck engines. They can run parallel as we do on our trucks. They are far superior to any lead acid. They have a low voltage safety shut off with reserve to still start. It would be great if they had a 32v or 8v solution.

LiFePO4 Diesel Starter Battery + Heater | Group 31, 1800 CCA

Power heavy-duty trucks & yellow iron equipment with LithiumHub's 12V Group 31 Heavy Duty Diesel Starter Battery. Experience peak reliability & unparalleled performance.

lithiumhub.com

 

[pmacFL]

That being said, this is a vote for 32v lithium or 8v. In a side note, the 32v blowers are hard to find.

 

[Boatsb]

That being said, this is a vote for 32v lithium or 8v. In a side note, the 32v blowers are hard to find.

They are not good for banks. No network BMS. No safety integration for boats and no way of really testing the system.

Ill pass for now.

 

[Jimn53MY]

32 and likely staying that way

 

[Noah E]

I’ve owned my 53’ MY since April. Lots of major projects. The 32v system not one of them. Works great!

 

[pmacFL]

They are not good for banks. No network BMS. No safety integration for boats and no way of really testing the system.

Ill pass for now.

The point is that they don’t exist in 32v or 8v. If they were engineered for the purpose, they would have bms, networking, and a full complement of fail safes. They would also have bms work with existing alternators.

 

[Boatsb]

The great efficiency of LiFePo4 batteries is low resistance charging which will burn up standard alternators. By adding charge resistance for a drop in you lose this. Also remember the majority of lithium batteries is not LiFePo4 but a magnesium cobalt chemistry that will burn up like a tesla battery and will not be safe for the small marine market.

 

[Boatsb]

I have 2 remaining analytic 32 volt 40+ amps charges left. They are the 1550 model with 120/240 input
$2k delivered fedex ground withing the lower 48.

and yes they will charge all kinds of batteries efficiently.

 

[Bob Quinn]

I'm 32 Volt too.

 

[piripucha]

I will probably be hammered by this, but the good thing about the 32 vdc system is that it can handle up to 40 v. 8 years ago when it was almost imposible to get 8 v batteries I had to go up to a 36 v system. The only modification was that I had to change the breakers of the galley maid head pumps. Everything else seems to tolerate the higher voltage.

 

[bigbill]

your 32 volt alternators are not properly charging your 36 volt batteries

 

[zigzag930]

32v works well for me. Starting system, head pumps, windlass all still 32v with new Rolls batteries. Lighting and a few other devices (bilge pumps, etc) have been converted to 24v but no plans to convert anything else.