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Thanks for this link! I've already thought of several things I can use this for.

OK, here's the direction I'm going in: FLA bank is charged by the alternators and used to start the engines and raise the anchor, but not connected to the house bank. No paralleling. The shore power and generator is connected to the existing OutBack charger/inverter which will in turn be...

Operating voltage or float voltage? So, we discussed the FLA needing a higher float voltage than the LFP can handle, and that if the two batteries had different chargers that wouldn't be a problem, or if I were to use 11 cells for the LFP it wouldn't be a problem. Those are the two scenarios...

If I were to go with the 11S2P battery pack, I would need a BMS for that arrangement. If I keep the 10S arrangement, I'd need a 10S BMS. Right?

I moved aboard my boat three months ago in Baltimore Harbor, and I liveaboard full-time. I absolutely love it. I've made several upgrades but have a long way to go to get things the way I want them. Energy wise, I've made a huge difference by replacing the 36 year old 21 cubic foot refrigerator...

Thank you so much for that insight. I will look into adding a cell to the LFP or keeping them separated. I like the idea of keeping them separated for redundancy.

I have FLAs. What if I keep the two banks separated?

Yes, I think I will end up with two of them. I've been watching his youtube videos for several months now and am very entertained. :) I think that the 5KW vs 8KW depends on if you are counting the energy available in the fuel they burn or the heat that they produce. They don't indicate if it is...

Interesting. I would think that at certain temperatures the reverse cycle A/C would be more efficient/less polluting than the diesel heater. I already have them, so it isn't a matter of installation cost vs. the benefit. Also, I actually have a relatively large amount of space that could be...

Yes, I think having both LiFePo and SLA banks will give me the best of both worlds. The diesel heater is forced air. I think I'll probably be adding a second one as well. The way my floor plan is, I have two engine rooms with a hallway between them that connects the galley/forward berth to the...

So I've been living aboard the Hatteras in Baltimore for a few months now, and am starting to get my head wrapped around all of the various systems. I've had it out in the harbor a few times for short trips, but mostly I'm using it as a condo. My goal is to eventually use it for more cruising in...

I just got a Renogy 50 AH LiFePo4 battery that I use for an electric boat, so it frequently gets depleted to around 20% between charges. I know that the ideal charge controller is sized to the battery, but I'm wondering how much that matters. Should I have a 50 amp charge controller or will a 20...

I'll take possession of the boat in a few weeks (COVID has delayed things a bit). It will probably be a few months before I get started on upgrading the electrical systems. I, too, am thinking that I should keep the FLA starting batteries. Let me know if you have any ideas, and I'll also keep my...

Good thing I'll have a paddle (oars) not to mention a sail. :) But yes, I agree that bottom balancing is the way to go.

That is so helpful. I'll keep everyone updated when I get everything assembled. In the meantime, I still have to go up to Maine and pick up the boat. The motor won't be here for another few weeks. So I'll get the batteries ordered now, and hopefully they will arrive by the time I get the motor...

Very nice!

Thanks!

" the estimated draw is around 1 ampere per hour under normal usage." Overcurrent protection is usually a lot more than the full load of the appliance.

I just bought a Minn Kota 12 V electric motor for my little rowboat and I need to figure out what to do for a battery. The easiest and most conventional thing to do would be to get a lead-acid battery, but I'd like to have something that is not so heavy, will handle thousands of charge cycles...

Yes, that's true, but then I'd have to keep them topped up all of the time for my appliances to have the proper voltage. I'd rather add an extra cell and be able to discharge farther.

Thanks. Propane can be a good solution in some circumstances but I'd rather not have it on board. I'd probably consider an on-demand diesel water heater, though. But since I can fit 4KW of solar on the roof, a water heater can be a good place to store extra energy. Also, I'll be connected to...

Thanks. Propane can be a good solution in some circumstances but I'd rather not have it on board. I'd probably consider an on-demand diesel water heater, though. But since I can fit 4KW of solar on the roof, a water heater can be a good place to store extra energy. Also, I'll be connected to...

You and me both! :) We've been held up by the pandemic, but should take possession by the middle of July. Then the fun begins.

Thanks for that resource!

Thanks for those pointers!! Yes, it is a 32V system. I could probably get away with 10s, but I'd rather use 11 and only charge them up to around 35V. They should last longer that way to my understanding, and it should be better for the equipment.

I'm looking at building a DIY battery (my first) for a boat I'll be buying that has a 32V system (which I don't want to convert). I'll be using 11 cells to build the battery and I was wondering which BMS I should use. Ideally, it would have low-temp protection and Bluetooth. It should be rated...

@$3/Gal for diesel we'd spend $0.50/kWh to run the genset. I think the diesel heater might cost less than the reverse cycle heaters on shore power at very low outdoor temp, but I'll be curious to see.

I know! It's twice as much as what we use in our house, so I'm curious to find out why it is so high, but I've seen their utility bills, and that's what they use. They probably run space heaters in the winter to supplement the reverse cycle AC units and blast the AC in the summer. I want to see...

That is a great idea! If only I knew an energy auditor. Wait - I'm an energy auditor! Lol. My day job is with the US Department of Energy. I'll definitely be checking out every single appliance and using your spreadsheet. Thanks. My big concern is heating and cooling, which will change from...

From what I've heard from other Hatteras owners, it isn't worth it to try to rewire the whole boat. Not only is it a huge expense in coper and new parts, but you pretty much have to dismantle the whole boat. It's one of those quirky things about owning an old Hatt, kind of like the Whitworth...

I would assume that it cuts off around that voltage. I know that a 12V car battery is usually charged with around 14V. I don't have access to the boat yet, so I can't tell you what the normal operating voltages are precisely. I'm assuming that 32V is a nominal voltage, like 12V is for most...

That's very useful. Thanks so much. I was worried about a 4KW system not being enough, but you're doing pretty well with less than 1KW. Maybe I could get by with 2KW. The boat has some good real estate for panels forward of the pilot house, but I'd rather have all of them up above the fly bridge...

I don't know. This is the inverter: https://www.solar-electric.com/outback-power-mobile-sinewave-inverter-vfx3232m.html It seems like a pretty high quality unit, but I'm not finding info on chemistry.

The thing is that the conductors are all sized for 32v, so just I could go with 48v devices, but not lower voltage without rewiring everything. For the lights, I'll have to put in special 32v LEDs made especially for old Hatts. There is an inverter for the 110/220v appliances.

I'm in the process of buying a 53' Hatteras as my new home. We're planning on living aboard in a marina, and will probably not take it out more than a few times a year because the fuel consumption on this baby is ridiculous (twin Detroit Diesel V8s). These old Hatts have 32 volt systems on them...