PeterV wrote in message
om...
I've checked through the archives and found a few on this subject but
none that clearly state if there is any real advantage of running a
24V system.

Obviously the current draw for a given load will be less but I've
not seen any mention of 'standard' instruments that run on 24V. I've
read somewhere that fishing trawlers use higher voltage systems
(24/36V?) but do they have DC-DC conversion (36-12V) for their
instruments? Or do they use 24/36V instrumentation? I assume, as 12V
is 'standard', that costs of higher voltage instruments will be more
expensive than 12V ones.


Thanks,

Peter

***

You are right, there is no reason to put 24V instalation in boat smaller
than 60ft. All boats with higher voltage than 12V have **V/12V inverters for
audio/video/instruments/??lights. El. current in 24V instalation is 1/2 of
12V instalation with same load so all wires can be thinner but voltage is
higher so insulators must be better and higer voltage instalation is much
more sensibile to electro-corrosion than 12V.
The bigest loads on boat are motor starter (motor batery is usually close to
motor so wires are short and there is no problem), bow-thruster and anch.
winch (use only 2 large wires to connect "+" and "-" of service battery with
relays mounted close to thruster or anch. winch) command wires are not
problem.

By.