11-09-2015, 03:58 PM
(10-09-2015, 08:01 PM)Ed_Dinning Wrote: Hi I'd second the remark about car batteries; they may be cheap but have entirely the wrong characteristic to power an inverter. Leisure batteries as supplied to motor homes are what is required. A separate starter battery should be used for starting the engine, charged by the alternator.
If you get an electronic charge splitter (not just 2 diodes), it is possible to charge starter and housekeeping batteries when moving. It can also be arranged to charge at a higher rate when the engine is idling if an external control box is added to the alternator (or you can use 2, with a longer drive belt.
Be careful what you run from your invertor as it may not give a sine wave output and may damage some AC equipment.
Your Payne book sounds very useful, but you may find things have moved on since it was published. It should be simple enough to fit MCB's as you sound to be doing a major re-wire and some automatic change over equipment. Do not use AC contactors on DC. Albright do an excellent range that are used on electric vehicles.
The 17th edition of the IEE wiring regs has some detail that will be pertinent; it is not specific to canal boats but covers both transport and marinas.
Ed
John C Payne's website is here:
http://www.fishingandboats.com
I found him to be exceptionally good. His philosophy of making simple and direct electrical systems is the way to go. I've seen far too many over-complicated systems that have let people down (as I was let down when my inverter crashed).
His book the Electrical And Electronics Bible is a must-read. It contains a whole chapter just on batteries. Then another chapter on alternators and even how to change regulators or fit smart regulators. Engine wiring and D.C. systems plus all cable ratings are in another chapter. The back has information on just electronics such as Radar systems and HAM Radio. I have the eighties publication but I don't mind as I like the simpler systems that were used in the eighties (and had to laugh at reference to VCR).
The amusing part is a comment at the end to boat owners who call out marine service technicians to yachts. "Asking the engineer if 'he's fixed it yet' or 'found the problem' may lead to sharp exchanges if the engineer is in some tightly cramped compartment.
