Maine Sail
Member III
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OK - Maine Sail doesn't understand what I am saying so I better explain myself for the rest of you.
KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid.
An example of simple: An icebox is simple. You put in ice and it keeps your beer cold until the ice melts and the water warms up. No other systems involved except a bucket to get rid of the melted ice. It can be a PITA because you have to lug cold food home at the end of the trip and back again along with ice the next time. But it is simple. If it becomes too much of a PITA a fridge conversion unit can make life a lot easier. I recommend heartily it, but it is not simple. You will need a larger battery, a larger and more complex charging system, you will lose storage space, you might add a heat source to the cabin, you will need to learn a little about refrigeration, and you will have a potential maintenance headache, not to mention spending big bucks. It is convenient, but it is not even close to being simple. And no amount of spin will make it simple. The Admiral wants it, so we give up simplicity.
Not even worth a comment.
Then of course you don't have to have one, nor do you need one as we've discussed. The REALITY is that Sven ALREADY HAD AN ECHO CHARGER and intended to install it as he stated VERY CLEARLY in post #1. In post #7 I gave him the most simple and safe manner to do this that complies with current industry standards. You can't just direct wire a group 27 AGM to the starter, and if he wanted "dedicated" start, then wiring would have been a lot more complex and less "simple"...
And my customer did not have me there at 2:30 AM and he got himself and wife back and running, ALL BY HIMSELF because the system and the instructions I left him allowed him to do so..
Because I was not there. Why didn't my customer not change it or jump it right then? Because it was 2:30 AM and they just wanted to get to the cove, drop the hook and go to sleep. No one likes to drop anchor in the middle of the ocean to affect repairs and when you don't have to why attempt to undertake more repairs than you need to. The quickest and easiest option was to use their deep cycle RESERVE/start battery, as that is why it is there, and a prime example of why I installed it.. They did use it, and it worked as it should have, and happily supplied their house loads until the next morning. I offered to change the fuse because I happened to be there and I wanted to inspect the wiring anyway to make sure there were no hot spots or voids in the insulation. 300A is a large fuse...
That is what happened it was jumpered. There HAD BEEN a fuse but like anything on a boat it grew feet and hid in some corner. That fuse was there to be in compliance with basic safety standards. Every boat built since the mid 90's has been required to have house bank fusing. Considering I am an ABYC member, and certified, and fully insured, I need to wire boats to current safety standards. What would have happened if that boat burned to the water because there was no fuse? Right, me and my liability insurance would have likely been called into court as I was the one to replace the bank and add a reserve/starting battery. Of course there no lawyers or court patting me on the back because I saved his boat from burning down only if I had not installed proper fusing..
And for the record in post #1 Sven said;
Myself and others tried to work with what Sven already had and equipment he said he WILL use. In post #7 I gave him the proper procedure for wiring what he already had and said he WILL be using, the Xantrex Echo Charger. You have done nothing but criticize his choice of using the Echo charger and criticize others for trying to help him get it wired appropriately based on what he has for equipment and what he had already chosen to use..
He then also said this relating to battery switching;
His KISS was relating to a question about wiring his start battery DIRECTLY to the engine with no switch and whether or not he should tie in other engine functions as well to that bank. Seeing as he can't direct wire and comply with basic safety standards myself and others gave him advice on how to keep it simple based on what he already had to work with, a 1/2/BOTH, 420 Ah AGM house bank, a 105Ah start/reserve bank and an Echo Charger.
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