Best backup source of 12 volt power I have ever seen.

[Muttondressedaslamb]

After a lightning strike hit the top of my mast back in 2018, some of the electrical wires got fried, including that supplying the chartplotter on my pedestal. Since then, I have been using various sources to supply my navigation pod ranging from jump starters to a 12 volt wheelchair battery. About a month ago, Ryobi power tools came out with this gadget for use with their 18 volt cordless tool batteries, of which I have an extensive collection. It has a 12 volt outlet for use with automotive and marine accessories, as well as ports for charging phones, cameras, and tablets. Can't wait to try it on my boat this summer

 

[stickinthemud57]

That's pretty cool. Thanks for sharing!

 

[dlochner]

Is this a long term solution or an emergency solution? Didn't your insurance company pay to repair the damaged wiring?

 

[shemandr]

There are numbers of boat owners who would like to take their chart plotter or fish finder/GPS home to practice the menus, plan routes, tweak stuff or upgrade (Someone who has WiFi at home but not on the boat), who could use this at home. Portable 12 V power would be a big help.
What's approximate price point?

 

[Davidasailor26]

There are numbers of boat owners who would like to take their chart plotter or fish finder/GPS home to practice the menus, plan routes, tweak stuff or upgrade (Someone who has WiFi at home but not on the boat), who could use this at home. Portable 12 V power would be a big help.
What's approximate price point?

Old power bricks from laptops and similar electronics can be useful for that too. Just need to find one that’s rated for a few amps at 12-14V

 

[Tally Ho]

How do you start your engine? Or is that wiring still in tact?

I once used a jumper pack to run the lights and radio on my boat while laid up for the winter…didn’t last very long ;-(


Greg

 

[dlochner]

There are numbers of boat owners who would like to take their chart plotter or fish finder/GPS home to practice the menus, plan routes, tweak stuff or upgrade (Someone who has WiFi at home but not on the boat), who could use this at home. Portable 12 V power would be a big help.
What's approximate price point?

To power instruments at home, a Variable DC power supply can be used. I have one for that purpose. They are fairly inexpensive, certainly cheaper than a LA battery. Amazon has a number of them available.

Amazon.com : dc power supply variable

 

[RoyS]

A fixed 12 Volt DC power supply from Amazon is even cheaper. That is what I use for powering my chart plotter at home.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

PD USB is able to supply 12v at up to 5 amps depending on the cable and devices attached. I've been experimenting with using a USB power brick as a backup for a tiny USB-C desktop computer I have. A 3/4 full 30,000 mah battery pack was able to power the little guy for 4-5 hours yesterday. Sadly it shutdown the ports as soon as I gave it some power to charge it up

Old power bricks from laptops and similar electronics can be useful for that too. Just need to find one that’s rated for a few amps at 12-14V

Most are 19v these days. The IBM T40 series power supplies has a potentiometer inside for some voltage adjustment however, it's easier and cheaper to buy a fixed 12v power supply with the appropriate connector (they make them w/cigarette lighter ends)

 

[tfox2069]

EGO is another company that makes electric mowers, snow blowers, weed trimmers, etc. and offers two solutions for using the same batteries that power those devices to provide 110v and USB power: 150 watt and a 400 watt power inverters. The batteries are 56v and come in varying amp hour capacities. Admittedly the batteries can be pricey, but the power inverters are easy to use and pretty bulletproof. If you already own something of theirs, buying the inverter lets you use the batteries that are just sitting around, as in my case with a snow blower that hasn't seen snow in two years. Great for camping too.

 

[Muttondressedaslamb]

That's pretty cool. Thanks for sharing!

You are most welcome. Mutton Dressed as Lamb. It's what's for dinner

 

[Muttondressedaslamb]

Is this a long term solution or an emergency solution? Didn't your insurance company pay to repair the damaged wiring?

It started out as a temporary solution. When the lightning hit the mast via the antenna, it took out most, but not all of the wiring. It fried the circuits going to most of the navigational instruments, but spared the original, hard wired chartplotter which was on a separate circuit. After the claim was settled, the OEM Raymarine chartplotter, along with its wiring went belly up. I went with a bracket mount and portable power supply so that I could take the unit home when not in use; safe from weather and theft, not to mention having the ability to plot a course in the comfort of my living room barcolounger. There was a 12 volr outlet at the base of the edson pedestal, but that too, shorted out

 

[Muttondressedaslamb]

There are numbers of boat owners who would like to take their chart plotter or fish finder/GPS home to practice the menus, plan routes, tweak stuff or upgrade (Someone who has WiFi at home but not on the boat), who could use this at home. Portable 12 V power would be a big help.
What's approximate price point?

The unit was $60.00 without batteries. Lucky for me, I already had a huge collection of Ryobi 18 volt batteries, as well as home and vehicle chargers

 

[kloudie1]

Don'tcha love it when the ads say "400 watts of continuous power" !
The so called solar generators use that same kind of misleading advertising..

 

[Muttondressedaslamb]

How do you start your engine? Or is that wiring still in tact?

I once used a jumper pack to run the lights and radio on my boat while laid up for the winter…didn’t last very long ;-(


Greg

Lucky for me, the wiring for the engine was intact, and I was able to use the boat for the rest of the season. BTW, was your jumper pack lithium ion or lead acid?

 

[Muttondressedaslamb]

EGO is another company that makes electric mowers, snow blowers, weed trimmers, etc. and offers two solutions for using the same batteries that power those devices to provide 110v and USB power: 150 watt and a 400 watt power inverters. The batteries are 56v and come in varying amp hour capacities. Admittedly the batteries can be pricey, but the power inverters are easy to use and pretty bulletproof. If you already own something of theirs, buying the inverter lets you use the batteries that are just sitting around, as in my case with a snow blower that hasn't seen snow in two years. Great for camping too.

View attachment 213819

Neat unit. But no cigarette lighter socket and a bit on the bulky side. The unit I showed fits inside a large fanny pack which wraps around the console

 

[Tally Ho]

Lucky for me, the wiring for the engine was intact, and I was able to use the boat for the rest of the season. BTW, was your jumper pack lithium ion or lead acid?

Lithium I think. Not a real expensive unit.

Greg

 

[Muttondressedaslamb]

Don'tcha love it when the ads say "400 watts of continuous power" !
The so called solar generators use that same kind of misleading advertising..

Advertising and misleading have always gone hand in hand, but this tops it all