Can anyone direct me to some sites where I could get some ideas on what I
should be doing to wire up a boat correctly (with diagrams - I prefer to
see things) for properlly servicing the boat and managing the batteries
properly. Beyond lighting I'm not sure what I could/should be planning for.

From threads in these ng's I've come to the conclusion that most chargers do
not top off the batteries. Is that correct? There must be some commercial
off the shelf chargers that can do the topping off?

What kinds of useful 12v appliances are out there?

Thanks

On Sat, 4 Dec 2004 15:51:10 -0500, "sel1"
wrote:
Can anyone direct me to some sites where I could get some ideas on what I
should be doing to wire up a boat correctly (with diagrams - I prefer to
see things) for properlly servicing the boat and managing the batteries
properly. Beyond lighting I'm not sure what I could/should be planning for.

The following book is widely regarded as being one of the best for
this sort of thing:

http://tinyurl.com/54b5l

Here's another good one:

http://tinyurl.com/5so2j


From threads in these ng's I've come to the conclusion that most chargers do
not top off the batteries. Is that correct? There must be some commercial
off the shelf chargers that can do the topping off?

State of the art in battery charging is what's known as "3 phase
charging" where the battery charger has built in logic to recharge as
fast as possible regardless of battery level. There are various 3
phase chargers on the market designed for permanent boat installation.
Walmart also sells a nice little portable unit for about $70 in the
automotive department.

What kinds of useful 12v appliances are out there?

I've had bad luck with most 12 volt appliances. My preference is to
use 120 volt appliances running from an inverter or generator.

From threads in these ng's I've come to the conclusion that most chargers
do
not top off the batteries. Is that correct? There must be some commercial
off the shelf chargers that can do the topping off?

I keep my two 12v batteries topped off and desulphated using the little
Battery Minder by VDC. I've had it for a couple years now. My batteries
were connected to it all last winter with no loss of battery fluid. I got
mine at Northern Tools. Here's a link to the product:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...012&R=197 012

also if you're interested in desulphation, here's a link to the topic at
VDC's site:
http://www.vdcelectronics.com/desulphation.htm

On Sat, 4 Dec 2004 15:51:10 -0500, "sel1"
wrote:

Can anyone direct me to some sites where I could get some ideas on what I
should be doing to wire up a boat correctly (with diagrams - I prefer to
see things) for properlly servicing the boat and managing the batteries
properly. Beyond lighting I'm not sure what I could/should be planning for.

From threads in these ng's I've come to the conclusion that most chargers do
not top off the batteries. Is that correct? There must be some commercial
off the shelf chargers that can do the topping off?

What kinds of useful 12v appliances are out there?

Thanks


I've used one of these for many years for car, motorcycle, and boat
batteries. I rotate the boat and motorcycle batteries all winter,
hitting each about every two weeks for a couple days at the 2 amp
setting. Works well.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...s+%26+ Cables

Good luck.

John H

On the 'PocoLoco' out of Deale, MD,
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

JohnH wrote in message . ..
On Sat, 4 Dec 2004 15:51:10 -0500, "sel1"
wrote:

Can anyone direct me to some sites where I could get some ideas on what I
should be doing to wire up a boat correctly (with diagrams - I prefer to
see things) for properlly servicing the boat and managing the batteries
properly. Beyond lighting I'm not sure what I could/should be planning for.

From threads in these ng's I've come to the conclusion that most chargers do
not top off the batteries. Is that correct? There must be some commercial
off the shelf chargers that can do the topping off?

What kinds of useful 12v appliances are out there?

Thanks


I've used one of these for many years for car, motorcycle, and boat
batteries. I rotate the boat and motorcycle batteries all winter,
hitting each about every two weeks for a couple days at the 2 amp
setting. Works well.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...s+%26+ Cables

Good luck.

John H

On the 'PocoLoco' out of Deale, MD,
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

I just bought one of these and I've used it a couple of times. I
agree that it works well. I bought it in a pinch because I owned one
of the Motorguide onboard chargers that were recently recalled. The
Sears charger will keep me going until my onboard replacement comes
in. After that I can use it on the mower and the cars.

As for wiring, a lot depends on how you use your boat. I'm out a lot
at night, so I wired in plenty of 12v outlets for spotlights. I also
bought a few clamp on lights, like you would use in a workshop. I cut
off the 120v plugs and replaced them with 12v plugs. Then I put 12v
RV bulbs in them. They work great for lighting up the interior of the
boat. They're easy to clamp in a handy position. They also don't
drain the battery as quickly as a spotlight.