Shaun Van Poecke wrote:
For a Thunderbird, I think I'd look for an outboard that had an
alternator, and carry an AC charger. You won't have much space to
store a portable generator.

You're right about not having much space to store anything ;-) Most
thunderbirds have an outboard well in the stern, so the outboard can popup
out of the water and be stored there. Ive got an outboard bracket on my
stern, so that area of storage which is a reasoanble size is free. I could
pretty easily fit a small generator in there (maybe 1000watts) but Im trying
to keep weight down in the stern if i can.

I'd originally envisioned having a very paired down electrical system; a
single100AH battery, which would run a cabin fluro, nav/anchor lights, a
bilge pump, and a cd player, and occasional use of a laptop. The CD player
only draws 1amp, the bilge pump sees hardly any use and if i go with LED nav
lights i should be able to keep my power consumption down to somewhere
around 20Ah/day.

I was thinking to go with a generator to give me some flexibility to use
power tools when i need to, but now its looking more like i might go with a
30W-40W solar panel and a honda 9.9 4 stroke with an alternator in it.

Shaun



Folks, let's keep both oars in the water on this topic and pay more
attention to science than to hysterics! ;-)

Consider the following quote:

"In general, lead-acid batteries may be recharged at any rate that does
not produce excessive gassing, overcharge, or high temperatures.
Discharged batteries may be recharged at a high current initially.
However, once the battery approaches its full charge the current must be
decreased to reduce gassing and excessive overcharging."

The above is a direct quote from:

http://www.eh.doe.gov/techstds/Stand...4/hdbk1084.pdf
hdbk1084.pdf (application/pdf Object)

The bottom line is that lead acid batteries CAN be charged at higher
rates than with an automobile charger that is designed to replace the
very small amount of capacity used to start a vehicle. One cannot charge
at increasing rates without limit, of course.

At some point, the chemistry may theoretically set a limit on maximum
charging rate, but in reality, it is "gassing, overcharge, or high
temperatures" that we need to be concerned with. These factors are
well-known and incorporated into smart charger designs so that maximum
charging rates will fall on the safe side of danger to the battery.

There seems to be no disagreement that battery charging rates are at
least partially up to the user: a Radio Shack solar cell will charge at
a far slower rate than an automotive alternator/regulator. A constant
current charger will charge at a far faster rate than an automotive
alternator/regulator. Assertions to the contrary really need scientific
backup and support.

Chuck

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