On Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:32:48 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:


Thanks Bruce,
This is the sort of information I am looking for.

It's a pity about the wind in that area. I always have to smile when I
see people hiring the Sunsail yachts out of Langkawi and then motoring
everywhere. Still, not a bad place to motor around the Islands and
then up to Siam.

In Curacao the trades blow non-stop. Even disconnected from the mains
and relying on the one 80 watt solar panel (16 years old) and the new
Airex wind generator, it keeps the batteries charged no matter my
usuage and the charging light goes off indicating a full charge quite
often during the day.

Need some of those trades back home.

cheers
Peter
On Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:14:20 +1000, Herodotus
wrote:

On Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:06:49 +0700, Bruce in Bangkok
wrote:

On Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:01:40 +0000, Larry wrote:

Herodotus wrote in
m:

http://www.isotherm.com/en/product?f...1254FirefoxHTM
LShellOpenCommand

I've got a fridge in my truck about the size of a Cruise 85 running off the
shop inverter. It's made in Korea and cost $US89 from Home Depot on sale
in January of '06. What attracted me was the can dispensing rack in the
door. Has a tiny freezer that's near worthless but could keep some meat
solid. Ice trays freeze really fast.

What the hell makes a BOAT fridge the same size cost 10 times the price,
the $60 inverter screwed into the case?

What a rip.....boat crap!

Stop by. I have another one in the house....holding the Heineken's minikeg
to just the right temperature, right next to the computer desk....(c;

Larry, Larry, you just don;t understand. You see cheap Korean fridges
are sold by some bloke at Home Depot while proper YACHTING gear is
sold by gentlemen wearing white pants and those funny shoes with all
the squiggly cuts in the soles.

Obviously anything sold by a white pants salesman has got to be the
correct type of thing that a fellow would want on his boat whereas one
would rather be dead then to have the chaps know that he had a (Ug!)
Home Depot device aboard.

Besides, we were talking about built in fridges :-)

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)

Larry, Bruce,

Gentlemen (My God! I have to lie sometimes to get what i want)

It does seem to me to be a lot of money to pay for the systems that
are sold. The problem is that I have a great wind generator (another
that can be added if necessary) an 80 watt solar panel (and will get
another) as well as a smart charge system for my 120 AMP alternator.

I have 4 Trojan 6 volt batteries in parallel and series - 440 Amp
hours. If necessary I could get another 2 of these but at the moment
don't think I need them.

I really want a system that will work well with minimal charging of
`the batteries by the alternator. I don't want one that I have to run
the motor for an hour each day just to run a fridge. I have noticed
that often the wind generator tops up the batteries and then feathers.
I hate to see potential charging going to waste especially if the wind
and sun fizzle out later in the day.

Well, first of all you need a "Larry Lesson" on how batteries charge
as your 110 amp alternator is just a waste of money.

Secondly, I have three 42.7 watt, old, solar panels and, God willing
the sun shines every day, they will keep MY 440 AH battery bank
charged and run my old 12 volt built in fridge. (providing I don't
turn on a light very often).

If you are going to hang about in Oz you may have enough wind to make
your wind generator useful but if you move up to Pinang they don't
work as well :-) Apparently they become indolent once they arrive in
Malaysia.

Now, there is a guy down the jetty that I just talked to, has a new
eutectic, built in, powered by a 12/220 volt compressor and tells me
that if the fridge is operated correctly (runs all the time; keep ice
on the plate; keep the fridge full; etc.) he gets buy with two solar
panels. I will get some details, panels, fridge model, etc., and let
you know as it sounds like what you want.

I am normally seldom moored to a dock and thus shore electricity is
not a factor. (BTW Herodotus isn't tethered either - in case either of
you make a smart arsed comment regarding my English useage).

What smartass? Moored - "hitched to a dock" We usually say "tied up"
where I come from, though.

The idea of a holding plate is that I could utilise periods of greater
charge whereas a conventional fridge runs off and on over the entire
day.

I do wonder why these systems are so expensive though. I can think of
a lot of things I could do with the dollars.

Now, now. To quote John D. Rockefeller, "If you have to ask how much
you can't afford one" :-)


Do you know if I can just buy the components separately or is there
something wrong with my logic?

If you get into seriously thinking of building a system I can probably
pick Stephan's brains for what, where and how much. It probably
wouldn't be cost effective to have him build the system as he is
oriented toward the high end of the market but he is a pretty friendly
guy and would probably tell me where he gets parts.

If you are thinking of building your own system beg, borrow or steal a
copy of the book by Nigal Calder "Refrigeration for Pleasure Boats:
Installation, Maintenance and Repair" as it has all the calculations
to plan insulation thickness, plate size, heat exchanger specs -
everything you wanted to know and more. Well worth the price.

BTW Bruce, I am due in KL on next Thursday night Inshahallah. Are you
still at Phuket? Apart from Penang, I am also visiting KL (Pelabuhan
Klang), Johor Baru, Singapore and Karimun and Medan in Sumatera. I
would love to make time to meet with you If I can. Don't worry. I
shall speak and listen slowly and can understand dull, boring, tedious
Southern drawl if required.

Can't make it this trip. I'm just out of the Yard and haven't even
been able to scrape the yard dirt off because it has been raining so
hard. As soon as I get that done I'm off to Bangkok for a couple of
weeks to my wife.

Have to be next trip.

I do appreciate both of your advice and your help.

regards
Peter

Bruce-in-Bangkok
(correct Address is bpaige125atgmaildotcom)