Hi, Group(s)...

This and other recent responses (left below for reference) just reinforce my
thoughts on wind and solar. Where we're going, wind is nearly a given, all
the time, and sunshine, too, for many hours a day. A constant (well,
continuous) input at an appropriate rate seems to me to be the best
charging, assuming you have the capacity to keep however much you are
charging, up.

I loved Steve's comment about his fridge running because he'd forgotten to
shut it off when he disconnected the batteries, and the solar panels were
keeping up with the draw.

I'd a whole lot rather keep the batteries topped up and the engine(s) off.
I'm into quiet in a big way. Even if it weren't entirely sufficient,
perhaps the engine running could be limited to times per week rather than
times per day.

So, back to an earlier place, I'm getting more serious about the possibility
of sale (see earlier for details, and my URL for some pix) of the genset.
The few K it might be worth would go a long way toward the installation of a
proper arch for solar and wind - and along the way I'd have what I've been
told are a very good and pretty pricey set of davits available, too! Maybe
selling the davits would allow another battery bank (after the genset left
to provide the space, of course!).

L8R

Skip, and Lydia, by proxy

PS for those who ca I'm doing absolutely famously post-op on my shoulder
surgery. Checkup is in 4 days, and active rehab begins in 4 weeks. If it's
anything like what I've experienced so far, we may have to move our
timetable back up!

--
Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig
http://tinyurl.com/384p2

"And then again, when you sit at the helm of your little ship on a
clear night, and gaze at the countless stars overhead, and realize
that you are quite alone on a great, wide sea, it is apt to occur to
you that in the general scheme of things you are merely an
insignificant speck on the surface of the ocean; and are not nearly
so important or as self-sufficient as you thought you were. Which is
an exceedingly wholesome thought, and one that may effect a
permanent change in your deportment that will be greatly appreciated
by your friends." - James S. Pitkin

"Larry W4CSC" wrote in message
...
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.