What electrical loads qre you planning on carrying? Could you get by without
a generator?

====

Charles T. Low
- remove "UN"
www.boatdocking.com/BDPhoto.html - Photo Contest
www.boatdocking.com
www.ctlow.ca/Trojan26 - my boat

====

"Skip Gundlach"
skipgundlach.sez.remove.this.and.the.dots.to.mail wrote in
message ...
...
As we prepare to cut the cord for the rest of our lives, we're actively
considering an arch to carry solar and wind gear, as we'll be spending the
rest of our lives in the Caribbean, where there's ample of both. However,
the boat currently (pardon the expression) has a working generator of
recent
vintage (under 600 hours). It's got a (Diesel) Kubota engine driving an
Onan 6.5KW 3600 RPM electrical end (along with an alternator on a belt).
...
Skip and Lydia

Hi, Charles, and group,

"Charles T. Low" wrote in message
news
What electrical loads qre you planning on carrying?

We don't yet know for sure. There's some stuff which needs attention, and
some other stuff we expect to buy. In any case, I'm not happy with the
amount of charging provided by the engine, which we ran for an awful lot of
the time on our shakedown/delivery cruise, and still found ourselves not
fully charged most of the time. Otto (the autopilot) is so hungry we
basically didn't use him, preferring to go with Manny (Manuel Steering) most
of the time, due to the drain. FWIW, the batteries, 4xT105, are pretty new.

Could you get by without a generator?

No doubt - but only at the expense of installing a solar and wind farm,
which, actually, is our preference. As noted in another post, humorously
observed by Larry, but seriously by Bill, we'd readily consider selling it,
as it would enable our conversion. We'll be in the tropics, where sun and
wind are abundant.

L8R

Skip and Lydia

On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 00:55:23 -0400, "Skip Gundlach"
wrote:
I'm not happy with the
amount of charging provided by the engine, which we ran for an awful lot of
the time on our shakedown/delivery cruise, and still found ourselves not
fully charged most of the time.

===================================

Do you have a heavy duty alternator (100+ amps) with a 3 stage
regulator?

If not, that's the answer. The bad news is that you'll need dual
belts to drive it, but well worth the investment.

You can go up to a 160 amp alternator without having to
resort to a large frame dual belt model.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 00:55:23 -0400, "Skip Gundlach"
wrote:
I'm not happy with the
amount of charging provided by the engine, which we ran for an awful lot
of
the time on our shakedown/delivery cruise, and still found ourselves not
fully charged most of the time.

===================================

Do you have a heavy duty alternator (100+ amps) with a 3 stage
regulator?

If not, that's the answer. The bad news is that you'll need dual
belts to drive it, but well worth the investment.

On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 08:50:10 -0400, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

You can go up to a 160 amp alternator without having to
resort to a large frame dual belt model.

========================================

Doug, can you cite some references on that? I've never heard of
anyone recommending 100+ amps without dual belts. I used to run a 120
amp Balmar on one of my old sailboats with a single belt. Frankly it
left a lot to be desired even at 50 to 60 amps - lots of squealing and
chewed up belts. It would never get even remotely close to 100 amps,
even for short periods. The belt slip was just too much for it.

In article ,
Wayne.B wrote:

Doug, can you cite some references on that? I've never heard of
anyone recommending 100+ amps without dual belts. I used to run a 120
amp Balmar on one of my old sailboats with a single belt. Frankly it
left a lot to be desired even at 50 to 60 amps - lots of squealing and
chewed up belts. It would never get even remotely close to 100 amps,
even for short periods. The belt slip was just too much for it.

Ok here we go with the Math...... 120 amps @ 13.6Vdc = 1632 Watts
figure that you alternator is say, oh 75% efficent that equals
2175 watts of input energy, which equals 2.916 Horespower.
Now 3 HP thru one belt? Well, it can be done with a C size belt, but
most engineering folks like to spec max 1.5 HP per belt.

So two belts would be prefferable for 3 HP worth of work.

The above assumes Vbelts, and not gear-belts which can easily
handle up to 6 HP with no problems.


There are belts and there are Belts, so lets get the definitions
set down first......


Bruce in alaska who is running a 6 HP air compressor on a 2.5
inch gearbelt off my 4-108 Perkins 10Kw genset
--
add a 2 before @

All I can cite is the fact that I have run a 160 amp alternator
on a single belt for about 4 years. No slip, no squeel, and
full output when needed. No problems with bearings and
still on the original belt, although I have a couple of spare
belts due to the heavier stress expected. Very happy so
far. I would use a dual belt unit if my space would allow it.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 08:50:10 -0400, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

You can go up to a 160 amp alternator without having to
resort to a large frame dual belt model.

========================================

Doug, can you cite some references on that? I've never heard of
anyone recommending 100+ amps without dual belts. I used to run a 120
amp Balmar on one of my old sailboats with a single belt. Frankly it
left a lot to be desired even at 50 to 60 amps - lots of squealing and
chewed up belts. It would never get even remotely close to 100 amps,
even for short periods. The belt slip was just too much for it.

How many amps do you actually get from the alternator, and how big is your
battery bank? I have a 100 Amp alternator, but it hardly ever does more than 84
Amps into a 425 AH bank.




"Doug Dotson" wrote in message
...
All I can cite is the fact that I have run a 160 amp alternator
on a single belt for about 4 years. No slip, no squeel, and
full output when needed. No problems with bearings and
still on the original belt, although I have a couple of spare
belts due to the heavier stress expected. Very happy so
far. I would use a dual belt unit if my space would allow it.

Doug
s/v Callista

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 08:50:10 -0400, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

You can go up to a 160 amp alternator without having to
resort to a large frame dual belt model.

========================================

Doug, can you cite some references on that? I've never heard of
anyone recommending 100+ amps without dual belts. I used to run a 120
amp Balmar on one of my old sailboats with a single belt. Frankly it
left a lot to be desired even at 50 to 60 amps - lots of squealing and
chewed up belts. It would never get even remotely close to 100 amps,
even for short periods. The belt slip was just too much for it.

On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 23:33:42 -0400, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

All I can cite is the fact that I have run a 160 amp alternator
on a single belt for about 4 years. No slip, no squeel, and
full output when needed.

===================================

What kind of alternator and what kind of belt?

Wayne.B wrote in
news
On Wed, 23 Jun 2004 08:50:10 -0400, "Doug Dotson"
wrote:

You can go up to a 160 amp alternator without having to
resort to a large frame dual belt model.

========================================

Doug, can you cite some references on that? I've never heard of
anyone recommending 100+ amps without dual belts. I used to run a 120
amp Balmar on one of my old sailboats with a single belt. Frankly it
left a lot to be desired even at 50 to 60 amps - lots of squealing and
chewed up belts. It would never get even remotely close to 100 amps,
even for short periods. The belt slip was just too much for it.



Lionheart's big alternator has only one belt on the alternator's crooked
pulley. It only draws 100+ amps for a few minutes, so if you keep the belt
tight it's fine.

Why does everyone think a 200A alternator is going to charge house
batteries at full current for 20 minutes and end up with a fully-charged
set of house batteries? That's CRAZY! The amount of current it will draw
has NOTHING to do with the peak current an alternator puts out. The
alternator puts out its rated output until the battery voltage rises
somewhere near the regulator's set voltage, then the current drops
DRASTICALLY to a more sane level to safely charge the plates. A surface
charge quickly raises the voltage, then the real charging begins SLOWLY
creating the chemical reaction, we hope, that recovers most of the lead
sulphate in solution back to lead plates before it crystalizes and falls
into the bilge of the battery.

Your boat can no more fully charge your boat battery at really high
currents than your local garage can fully charge your car battery in 20
minutes. It's just a SURFACE charge! To fully charge the house batteries
takes HOURS of SLOW charging to re-plate the lead which takes TIME!!

Sorry......

Larry

The funniest thing at any marina is a boater with a new 4KW inverter
carrying his electric heater down the dock with a big smile on his face.