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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2018 18:53:41 GMT
Despite advice, I will still have a lookey for a new starter battery. Just because I want one. I will carry on in the belief that the above (1-BOTH-2) is correct. We have had no problems so far, everything has worked as it should. However, it would be really nice if someone could one day drop down into the engine 'ole with me and explain what all them wires do, and I can take photos and make notes. Our leisures are 3.5 years old. I have checked the fluid in the batteries, just to make sure there's wet over the lead plates (well, at least the starter - I think the leisures are sealed). (ps - surprisingly, even after 3 months of standing, the engine fires up straight away on first turn of key) There's nothing more to it than is on these pages - the cables head off from that switch to their respective batteries with no magic in-between. That selector switch isn't a bad quality one, even with a ROC sticker on it! the contacts are good and thick and the terminal posts are well set in the switch body. I'd be surprised if it didn't start tbh, you have one small pot to turn over, Tony had also given you some excellent advice on how to deal with a tired battery using the decompressor on your battery thread. Get witchy to turn the key while you operate the decompressor - easy peasy π
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Post by naughtyfox on Feb 10, 2018 19:02:05 GMT
the other time you don't use the domestics to start (except in an emergency) is when you have traction batteries as domestics ....... they are designed and constructed to give a moderate amount of current for a long time whereas a starter battery is designed to give a lot of current for a short time. they are constructed differently to withstand different demands a starter battery will be specced to supply so many hundred "cranking" amps you never see that rate quoted for tractions ...... they should not be exposed to that demand How do I know if our leisures are 'traction'. Well... anyway... I know that leisures are different (giving out electricity 'slowly' / 'evenly')... so I always try to start the engine using the 1 position (starter battery only) but I sometimes forget, and think to myself, that the engine was warm anyway, it's not going to do the leisures any harm. There's no difference in sound on starting using only starter or only leisures. It's all a bit academic. We use so little electricity anyway. I have been insistent not to use the old fluorescent cabin lamps too much as they get hot - and now we have 4 LED lamps waiting for us which I'll have a go at connecting as soon as we get back to the boat. The other electricit we use is for the water pump, shower pump (Whale Gulper) and... engine coolant temperature meter! Also hoping to get 2 bedside lamps soon - they are 240v but I'm hoping the Harrisons light store in Halifax can help us with new fittings for LED bulbs.
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Post by JohnV on Feb 10, 2018 19:08:02 GMT
they are probably "leisure" batteries on your boat which are not much different from starter batteries. Semi tractions such as Trojans or full tractions are usually only installed on large narrowboats with huge amounts of electrical demand.
For smaller and more basically equipped boats it would be very unusual to find tractions ..... to be honest I shouldn't have muddied the water by mentioning it ..... sorry
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Post by Deleted on Feb 10, 2018 19:21:05 GMT
Talking of electricical wotsits, nowadays many cars round here have powerful extra LED lights on the front, as an assistance to main beam. Night into day. I had wondered about sticking such a unit on the front of our boat, but from where would the electricity come? Another cable all the way from the starter battery... or... could we use the old starter battery in the cratch (assuming we buy a new starter). That would make for wicked night driving and tunnels! Do it, it Drives the old fuckers on CWDF insane. m.ebay.co.uk/itm/9-inch-54W-CREE-Led-Work-Light-Bar-Flood-Spot-Offroad-4WD-Boat-Driving-Lamp-/272708847642?_mwBanner=1These are very good π
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Post by JohnV on Feb 10, 2018 19:24:05 GMT
was looking at those the other day Gazza they look grand ..... I was thinking of them for Sabina ..... you need something like that on rivers in the dark ..... as Peterboat and I found out on the Ouse !!!
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Post by Jim on Feb 10, 2018 20:04:26 GMT
Now I am puzzled. I have been told that our main switch numbers mean: 1 - starter battery only BOTH - both starter battery and the 2 leisure batteries 2 - leisure batteries only I thought if it was on 2 and I started the engine, it started from the leisure batteries (you're not supposed to do this, but it seems to work - I sometimes forget to turn the switch to 1) Also that on charging through the Mastervolt 'intelligent charger' that 1 = only the starter charges, BOTH = all three batteries are getting charged, 2 = only the leisures will be getting charged. -so why would you need to put jump leads from leisures to a dead starter battery? Aren't the leisures somehow already connected to the starter? I suppose I could take our starter battery out and see if it turns over solely from the leisures. Or if our leisures are not connected to the starter motor directly, are they not somehow connected to the starter battery... some day it would be nice to find someone who knows about this stuff and explain to me how all our wiring works. A meter is your friend π. Turn the switch, check the wires. What's live what's not?
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Post by Mr Stabby on Feb 10, 2018 20:56:01 GMT
Talking of electricical wotsits, nowadays many cars round here have powerful extra LED lights on the front, as an assistance to main beam. Night into day. I had wondered about sticking such a unit on the front of our boat, but from where would the electricity come? Wire it up to the tunnel light with a separate on/off switch.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2018 6:26:11 GMT
If you use a Β£5 remote control relay you can then wire it to the tunnel light and have it switchable (as long as tunnel light is already on obviously) by using the remote control fob from the steering position without having to run wires all the way back for a wired switch This . Β£3.60 from China Look at this on eBay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/132360725617 Or Β£8.30 from UK warehouse- Look at this on eBay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/282828633727Same idea as remote control locking on a car. They are handy for negating the need for switch wiring in retrofitted equipment. Might be worth putting the relay box in a sealed sandwich box for weatherproofing or as someone suggested to me just spray the circuit board itself with lacquer once set to the right mode (toggle).
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2018 7:36:43 GMT
I bought a 2 channel one a while ago. Been sitting in a box. I Just tested it and button A turns on and off one relay (latching so one press on then one press off) and button b the same for other relay. Excellent. One of these 2 channel units could be used to switch a pair of high power LED lights one on each side perhaps pointing slightly off centrr so you light up a wider area and can individually switch them from the helm This is the one I've got and tried just now Look at this on eBay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221986465839. Instructions are Chinese but wiring is fairly easy I'm happy to put a hand drawn diagram up if you get one and have any trouble.
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Post by naughtyfox on Feb 11, 2018 9:42:27 GMT
I like that idea. I think I'd put our old starter battery in the cratch on the right hand side (because our boat leans to the left), so fairly short cables straight up to the LED-retina-ruiner up by the H3-bulb headlight. Just a bit of fun. I shall start this week by asking at car parts stores in Kannus. With that simple set-up (ie. no 12m long cables all the way from the batteries in the engine 'ole) such a remote on/off key fob is an ideal companion. Of course I'd disconnect the cables from the battery for when we are away, can never be too careful with electricity.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2018 9:45:45 GMT
was looking at those the other day Gazza they look grand ..... I was thinking of them for Sabina ..... you need something like that on rivers in the dark ..... as Peterboat and I found out on the Ouse !!! My brother has fitted a 3' light bar to his DC 30, he has now been promoted to run leader when he is out with a group of boats - nobody wants him behind them when he turns his night sun on
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Post by bargemast on Feb 11, 2018 11:10:42 GMT
I like that idea. I think I'd put our old starter battery in the cratch on the right hand side (because our boat leans to the left), so fairly short cables straight up to the LED-retina-ruiner up by the H3-bulb headlight. Just a bit of fun. I shall start this week by asking at car parts stores in Kannus. With that simple set-up (ie. no 12m long cables all the way from the batteries in the engine 'ole) such a remote on/off key fob is an ideal companion. Of course I'd disconnect the cables from the battery for when we are away, can never be too careful with electricity. These very useful relays are made in CHINA
Peter.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2018 11:20:54 GMT
They are Chinese but so are the LED light bars he's considering.
I would just use the headlight circuit rather than a dedicated battery. Even powerful LED lights don't use much power so I would expect the headlight circuit to cope.
Would need to check though.
Looking them up the big ones do seem to use a bit of power to be fair.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2018 11:31:12 GMT
They are Chinese but so are the LED light bars he's considering. I would just use the headlight circuit rather than a dedicated battery. Even powerful LED lights don't use much power so I would expect the headlight circuit to cope. Would need to check though. Looking them up the big ones do seem to use a bit of power to be fair. The 54w one will be anywhere from around 3.5 - 4.5a depending on what the alternator is chucking out. Unless the cable used is 0.75mm he should be fine, even a bit of volt drop won't bother it too much.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2018 11:32:12 GMT
The other approach is just to fix the lamp at the back of the boat. My cruising ditch barge has the tunnel light at the back just forward of the steerer. I replaced the naff fixed Hella light with a nice Freeman hand operated directional light. I really like having the whole roof lit up as well as sides of tunnel.
I don't like big lights when navigating in the dark personally but for tunnels a pair of forward mounted square LED lamps would be quite useful.
I disagree with causing temporary blindness to other people - unless its a dickhead cyclist in which case I want a 1000w blinking white light to try to get them to have a fit.
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