First there was Marinco then SmartPlug and now VoltSafe??? I’m not totally convinced

[Hello Below]

I was watching a Webcast put on by a local cruising guide, Waggoner, and they made mention of a new prongless plug that uses a magnetic plug designed to connect the ends of a shore cable at both boat and shore. I understand it is at the prototype phase only. An impressive web page.

Volt Safe Marine - Prongless Magnetic Interface

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I’m not totally convinced
And neither am I. I jumped at the Smart Plug five years ago and now, am underwhelmed.

The plugs at each end are solid enough but the vinyl cord in between is crap quality. The surface is black with mold staining and looks like the devil. No amount of scrubbing with every cleanser out there will improve the looks. My old Marinco looked nothing like this after 15 years but I had to have the next generation because of the improved heads. Safer maybe but still a piece of crap.

The manufacturer was less than no help offering that all cords go like that in time. It was three years old then and looked like a diamondback rattler. He was offended when I told him my Marinco never looked like that.

 

[ggrizzard]

And, What happens to the plug connection when the Earth's magnetic poles swap North to South?

 

[jviss]

The Voltsafe thing has merit. Remember the. Apple Magsafe connector? I really liked it. Voltsafe is not just pursuing the marine market, they are going after residential, RV, diesel block heaters, etc.

 

[Davidasailor26]

I like the idea, but I think they have a long road in front of them to get any adoption. Hubble can’t even make their retention rings out of stainless anymore because their retailers say it drives the price up too much. Selling a cord (and presumably receptacle) with integrated circuits to make this all possible will be tough.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

And, What happens to the plug connection when the Earth's magnetic poles swap North to South?

The hot wire becomes neutral, the neutral becomes hot, and the ground wire ................. well, we don't talk about that. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

 

[mikeracca]

When it comes to the Apple MagSafe we are talking of roughly 12v and maybe around 5 amps max. With RV and Marine we can god 30 to 50 amps. Not sure it’s going to earn my dollars. How will it handle the corrosive environment? How about the boat moving around when the water is a bit rough? Is there a locking mech? If so how is that then any different from what’s available today? So no sorry I’m keeping my 3 prong 30a for now.

 

[VoltSafe Founder]

Yes, the VoltSafe Marine shore power plug is now at a “near-commercialization” stage and the one pictured on the site is fully functional and is an app controllable smart plug (however app not required to operate in default mode).

 

[VoltSafe Founder]

The Voltsafe thing has merit. Remember the. Apple Magsafe connector? I really liked it. Voltsafe is not just pursuing the marine market, they are going after residential, RV, diesel block heaters, etc.

Indeed we are. Think of VoltSafe tech as a connector that has an electricity gate in place (whereas all pronged plugs have outlets with recessed metal that is always live). Additionally because our outlets are by default de-energized when not connected, there is no arcing when being connected. This also means if it is dropped into the water while plugged into the pedestal… nothing happens because it isn’t energized. It is only when opposite sides fully connect to hot-neutral-ground (and an electrical fingerprint check occurs) will power be allowed to flow 5 milliseconds afterwards.

 

[VoltSafe Founder]

Indeed we are. Think of VoltSafe tech as a connector that has an electricity gate in place (whereas all pronged plugs have outlets with recessed metal that is always live). Additionally because our outlets are by default de-energized when not connected, there is no arcing when being connected. This also means if it is dropped into the water while plugged into the pedestal… nothing happens because it isn’t energized. It is only when opposite sides fully connect to hot-neutral-ground (and an electrical fingerprint check occurs) will power be allowed to flow 5 milliseconds afterwards.

I’m not totally convinced
And neither am I. I jumped at the Smart Plug five years ago and now, am underwhelmed.

The plugs at each end are solid enough but the vinyl cord in between is crap quality. The surface is black with mold staining and looks like the devil. No amount of scrubbing with every cleanser out there will improve the looks. My old Marinco looked nothing like this after 15 years but I had to have the next generation because of the improved heads. Safer maybe but still a piece of crap.

The manufacturer was less than no help offering that all cords go like that in time. It was three years old then and looked like a diamondback rattler. He was offended when I told him my Marinco never looked like that.

Materials selection for a product’s intended use always are so critical.

 

[VoltSafe Founder]

And, What happens to the plug connection when the Earth's magnetic poles swap North to South?

The sun will undoubtedly rise each morning, upside-down.

 

[mikeracca]

So I’m right now at the point in my refit that I’m planning my electrical system upgrade. I have new panels, new shore connection, new charger and a few other required goodies. What would this cost a person like me who is at this point to make this happen?

 

[VoltSafe Founder]

I like the idea, but I think they have a long road in front of them to get any adoption. Hubble can’t even make their retention rings out of stainless anymore because their retailers say it drives the price up too much. Selling a cord (and presumably receptacle) with integrated circuits to make this all possible will be tough.

The team at VoltSafe is used to facing roads that are littered with obstruction (entrenched standards). It took 5 1/2 years to get our technology successfully safety certified to UL and CSA standards. Not because our plug technology isn't safe, but because existing standards that regulate voltage levels above 60V (and not wireless), don’t accommodate for anything other than pronged designs for the last 140+ years. In fact if you tasked an engineer to design and build plugs that are in compliance with the existing written UL/CSA standards... the only possible product built (based on existing compliance wording) would be a pronged plug.
There’s no doubt that plugs in their current forms and value proposition have been at a commoditized state for a long time. VoltSafe technology embedded into Marine plug applications is by default an (IoT capable) SmartPlug. The VS Marine plug has a value proposition that provides users with access to additional feature sets. Some users will value these additional feature sets, some won’t some will be willing to pay more for them, some won’t. Our value prop. delivers a level of electrical safety that rivals aerospace with built in redundancy and watchdog circuitry, including AFCI/GFCI-like betterments. It also delivers both accessibility (convenience through quick connect) and a quick disconnect when forgetting to unplug before embarking on a trip. Additional smart enablements can include: App-control, energy-monitoring, load factor detection, LTE-M data, Wifi hotspot - enabling IoT product ecosystem on board for monitoring your boat, mesh networks, etc. VoltSafe Marine is likely to the the market at competitive cost (related to the hardware) while offering additional smart features to be “unlockable” subscription (SaaS) based, so basic users that don’t want to unlock these features aren’t hit with the additional costs.

 

[jviss]

Thanks for replying, it's nice when vendors participate in forums. I like it, 'though I have little need, as I'm on a mooring. But it has great promise, I think, including the residential applications.

 

[ggrizzard]

While the sun may be upside down, It would definitely rise in the West!

 

[Mark Maulden]

Just what I need…Another app..I’ve used Hubbell and Marinco for 40 yrs between 4 boats. Liveaboard on three of them with electrical heaters. I spend <30 seconds to plug, twist and tighten down. When I tighten, I determine the clamp strength and seal. AND….if the main breaker is turned off (standard practice), there is no ”electrical arcing”..It’s simple and it works along as it’s done right. My grandfather also used em and taught me how. I'm 69…

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Just what I need…Another app

Are you sure your Apple iPhone has enough apps on it to make you feel comfortable ? Wouldn't you like a few more apps to thoroughly confuse you because it's been so long and you have no idea what this latest app is for. And when your fancy new cord doesn't work, and your batteries are at 75% DOD, and your electric heater doesn't work, and it's hovering near zero outside, isn't it comforting to know it's all there in the app. The app which you don't remember is the only thing that will make the cord work.

Sweet mother of Jesus, it's a bloody extension cord . Yes, mechanically upgrade extension cords for more reliable service but let's adhere to the KISS principle.

 

[jviss]

Are you sure your Apple iPhone has enough apps on it to make you feel comfortable ? Wouldn't you like a few more apps to thoroughly confuse you because it's been so long and you have no idea what this latest app is for. And when your fancy new cord doesn't work, and your batteries are at 75% DOD, and your electric heater doesn't work, and it's hovering near zero outside, isn't it comforting to know it's all there in the app. The app which you don't remember is the only thing that will make the cord work.

Sweet mother of Jesus, it's a bloody extension cord . Yes, mechanically upgrade extension cords for more reliable service but let's adhere to the KISS principle.

I don't think the app is necessary to operate the cord.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

I don't think the app is necessary to operate the cord.

Granted.

However, it's the override circuitry in the connectors that concerns me. It may cause problems which are not easily diagnosed at the dock and cannot be bypassed for obvious reasons.

It's in a hostile environment of baking sunlight and salt water which only adds to the potential problems as the extension cord ages at the dock.

 

[Rjm st.petersburg]

Cord protection. Plug protectors are coming soon.