installing electrical system

[willsnow]

im getting together parts to install a new electrical system on my Mac26D... to replace the non-existent one... ill use 2 6v trojan t-105 batteries. now, for better weight distribution, i would like to install one under each settee. since they are run in series, is it a concern that the main positive lug will be closer to one battery than the main negative lug is to the other? for organization's sake, the battery switch and the main + and - lugs will all be in one area.
also, how do i connect my battery charger? since i essentially have one big 12v battery with 4 posts, the charger would connect to the - on one batt and + on the other, right?

 

[Bill1565]

im getting together parts to install a new electrical system on my Mac26D... to replace the non-existent one... ill use 2 6v trojan t-105 batteries. now, for better weight distribution, i would like to install one under each settee. since they are run in series, is it a concern that the main positive lug will be closer to one battery than the main negative lug is to the other? for organization's sake, the battery switch and the main + and - lugs will all be in one area. also, how do i connect my battery charger? since i essentially have one big 12v battery with 4 posts, the charger would connect to the - on one batt and + on the other, right?

All your connections should be like that. Not just the charger, but also the loads. Use big wire for the series connection of one negative to the other positive and it won't matter that he wire is a few feet long.

 

[kentobin]

Compass Marine has a lot of good boat information:
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/boat_projects

some of the electrical information they have I'd recommend reading:
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/battery_fusing
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/battery_meltdown_averted
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/flooded_battery_orientation
http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/wire_labeling

Probably others there but these are a good start.

 

[Sumner]

That space under the sette's is so easy to get at and use are you sure you want to use the space for the batteries and getting the wiring from one side to the other I would think is going to be a pain in the a$$ with the ballast tank and I'll bet ends up being longer than 4 feet.

We left one under the sink ahead of the drain as that area isn't much good anyway with the drain hose and put the other forward under the extended V-berth but others just put the second ahead a little further under the V-berth. I think you have foam there on the D but you could move a little for the battery and put it some place else if you felt you needed to keep it. With the batteries in those two locations the weight would still be centered on the boat and you could move the forward one to the port of starboard side if you needed to balance the boat out some. Also the consensus seems to be that with our boats (Mac D & S) moving the weight forward on the boat helps them.

Going with the two 6 volt batteries is a good plan and we will go the same way once our current batteries are shot.

I have info on all of the above on our site here...

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor2/inside-30.html

Good luck and I'm sure you will enjoy the new wiring,

Sum

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[BARBARIC]

May I ask how much this all set you back? Also could you detail the parts you have and where you got them? I am preparing for a full electrical install myself. Thank you!

 

[Sumner]

If you are asking me, at the time I bought the main fuse panel from Defender Marine...

http://www.defender.com/

But now buy almost all of that from ....

http://www.genuinedealz.com/?tabid=2

..... who should have all of that but....

.... the amp/volt gauges that I bought from Solar Blvd but they no longer carry them. I did find them here ...

http://www.energyalternatives.ca/catalogue/Categories/181.htm

...but you can find alternatives to those also. They have worked well for us.

This site might have some of that also so you might compare those places to here. You will just have to make up a list of what you need and start pricing,

Sum

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Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

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[willsnow]

Barbaric: an electrical system on a Sprite would be pretty straight forward. or is it on a different boat?
Sum, like you i have enlarged my forward berth:
http://forums.macgregor.sailboatowners.com/album.php?albumid=2914&pictureid=19707
and my original thought was putting them under there next to each other along the centerline. but i like the idea of an extra 70lbs outboard on each side, and those batteries are only 10l x 7w x 10h so one under each settee would take minimal space. and the cable run would go past the ballast valve area, should be about 4 or 5 feet. and this way, the battery switch will be inches from the battery and still be right by the companionway. as for forward weight: ill have at least 4, 7gal water jugs up there... 224lbs?
nothing is final yet, ill gather everything and lay it all out in the boat before making any decisions. and thanks, i really value your input. lots of what ive done and plan on doing was inspired by your mods on kera jane

 

[BARBARIC]

Carrying a cooler on board is about as much of an upgrade the Sprite can handle. My new adventure is bringing an old South Coast 22 back to life.

 

[willsnow]

a digital 30a ammeter with 30a shunt for $10???? i ordered it, i guess we will see if it works...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-0-30A-Bl...d=100005&prg=1088&rk=3&rkt=4&sd=170751447166&

 

[Sumner]

a digital 30a ammeter with 30a shunt for $10???? i ordered it, i guess we will see if it works...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-0-30A-Bl...d=100005&prg=1088&rk=3&rkt=4&sd=170751447166&

Yes please let us know how it works.

I wouldn't let it see the cranking amps of the outboard if you have one with electric start but other than that we don't have a load on our boat of 30 amps or more and I'm not positive what the outboard's starting amps are,

Sum

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Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links[/FONT]

 

[chp]

a digital 30a ammeter with 30a shunt for $10???? i ordered it, i guess we will see if it works...


I'll have to give this a try as well. $10 bucks. What is there to loose.