wrote in news:OYzIg.2718$9u.47781@ursa-
nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca:

Conversely, I should look for a better integrated inverter when I buy my
next boat.



I disagree. That's like buying a TV-Stereo-Bar with party lights. When
the FM radio dies, you have to buy another TV, which is why they no longer
make massive integrated entertainment centers. The buyers finally wised
up.

Nope, when the inverter goes, I don't want to have to buy another $1800
battery charger. Keep them separate. Our 1KW inverter came from the main
chandler, Radio Shack, on sale. It was so cheap I can't afford to fix it
when it finally gives up living in the bilge with the Perkins. I pulled
the control panel off it and soldered a pair of wires to its little power
switch. I ran the wires to the NAV station where I put a tiny little
miniswitch in handy reach, next to a neon indicator light that runs off the
AC power it produces so I can see 1) it's on and producing power and 2) the
light looks about the right brightness and is stable, an indication of the
power condition coming out of it before I plug something expensive-to-
repair into it. Works great....CHEAP!

Spending $2K on some fancy charger/inverter makes my hiney burn....(c;

--
There's amazing intelligence in the Universe.
You can tell because none of them ever called Earth.

On Mon, 28 Aug 2006 09:50:05 -0400, Larry wrote:

Nope, when the inverter goes, I don't want to have to buy another $1800
battery charger. Keep them separate.

Bad advice in my opinion. Cheaper perhaps, but much less capable and
convenient.

There are few, if any, battery chargers with the amperage output
offered by the inverter chargers. When you are trying to recharge a
400 to 800 Amp-Hour battery bank you need a charger with some serious
power.

Also, the convenience of having automatic transfer switching,
integrated with your onboard AC power, is hard to imagine unless
you've tried it.

Larry wrote:
wrote in
:

I wonder what would be the best and most economical kettle to use to
boil water while cruising.
For year I have used an aluminium enclosed kettle with a whilst on a
Origo non pressurized alcohol stove.
I did not any better ( and still do) and was satisfy with the time to
bring water to a boil, the pouring and the filling.
Today I am looking at propane and the purchase of a new kettle and I
wonder what would be the best buy?
On a long cruise/crossing the more time it takes to bring water to a
boil means more propane.




http://tinyurl.com/kepnp

Sunbeam Hot Shot - $20. Makes 16 oz of boiling water in 1 minute and 20
seconds off the 1KW inverter, just right for hot drinks. Its
construction makes it easy to bungee to the bulkhead near the sink on a
semi-permanent basis. Uses 850 watts/13V=65A x .0222hrs = 1.45AH. Just
like the microwave heating a sandwich, it uses almost no battery power at
all between charging cycles. Propane usage = ZERO. No hauling gas for
it down that long dock.

Oh, that little bugger makes wonderful instant coffee for the
midwatch....(c;

The tank is aluminum and the tight fitting cover will keep the water from
slopping out AFTER you get it loaded. At sea, we leave it in the sink.
The electrics and heater are all, unlike a coffee pot, in the TOP of it
so leaving it in the sink for a fast fillup that may spill into the sink
is fine. As you are going to empty it every time you use it, unlike a
kettle with water left in it sliding around on the stove, it's no hazard
just sitting there. It weighs lots less than the empty kettle and stores
vertically in minimal space.



--
There's amazing intelligence in the Universe.
You can tell because none of them ever called Earth.

On my old boat I installed a 110VAC/12VDC instahot hot water maker
in the galley, it worked like a champ. I got one intended for an RV, it
was like $100, and no need for an inverter. It was very simple to
install.

The most efficient way is an electric kettle and the best is a Russel-Hobbs
in stainless (British). They will boil a liter less than 2 minutes, but it
draws a lot of current. You must have a generator. Forget batteries.
Steve

wrote in message
...
I wonder what would be the best and most economical kettle to use to boil
water while cruising.
For year I have used an aluminium enclosed kettle with a whilst on a Origo
non pressurized alcohol stove.
I did not any better ( and still do) and was satisfy with the time to
bring water to a boil, the pouring and the filling.
Today I am looking at propane and the purchase of a new kettle and I
wonder what would be the best buy?
On a long cruise/crossing the more time it takes to bring water to a boil
means more propane.

Steve Lusardi wrote:
The most efficient way is an electric kettle and the best is a Russel-Hobbs
in stainless (British). They will boil a liter less than 2 minutes, but it
draws a lot of current. You must have a generator. Forget batteries.
Steve


If you have a generator, then you must have fuel.

Better to burn the fuel for heat in a stove directly than to:
burn the fuel for heat in an engine
use the engine to turn a generator
use the generator to charge a battery
use the battery to run an inverter
use the inverter to power an electric stove

bob

On Mon, 28 Aug 2006 12:56:57 -0700, RW Salnick
wrote:

If you have a generator, then you must have fuel.

Better to burn the fuel for heat in a stove directly than to:
burn the fuel for heat in an engine
use the engine to turn a generator
use the generator to charge a battery
use the battery to run an inverter
use the inverter to power an electric stove

Theoretically true but if you have the inverter and batteries, you are
trying to mimize generator run time, and that is a worthwhile goal in
my experience. Electric stoves are a great way to cook if you have
the right equipment.

If you have a generator, then you must have fuel.

Wrong. It would be incredibly impractical, not to mention outright
dangerous, to use gasoline or diesel as a fuel for cooking stoves. One
could also argue against propane or alcohol stoves for the other dangers
they present.

"Bill Kearney" wrote in message
t...
If you have a generator, then you must have fuel.

Wrong. It would be incredibly impractical, not to mention outright
dangerous, to use gasoline or diesel as a fuel for cooking stoves. One
could also argue against propane or alcohol stoves for the other dangers
they present.




Diesel is actually a very good cooking stove fuel, as long as you are in
northern climes. Nice dry heat, and economical. But it also strikes me as
inefficient to run an engine to power an electric appliance to boil water.
If you're running the engine anyway, fine -- but to start it up and run it
JUST to boil water? Seems silly.

Bill Kearney wrote:
If you have a generator, then you must have fuel.

Wrong. It would be incredibly impractical, not to mention outright
dangerous, to use gasoline or diesel as a fuel for cooking stoves. One
could also argue against propane or alcohol stoves for the other dangers
they present.
I'll admit I'm not a fan of gasoline stoves (or engines, for that
matter) but what's the problem with diesel? I had friends that had a
Dinkinson for many years and liked it.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Bill Kearney wrote:
If you have a generator, then you must have fuel.


Wrong. It would be incredibly impractical, not to mention outright
dangerous, to use gasoline or diesel as a fuel for cooking stoves. One
could also argue against propane or alcohol stoves for the other dangers
they present.



I have a diesel cook stove (Dickenson Pacific) that is absolutely
wonderful except in the summer when we use a non-pressurized alcohol
stove. They are both very practical and safe. I'll argue with you.

Gary