H216 Power Options

[Paul Wash]

For this year's project I've decided that I would like to install a mountable VHF Radio and use my handheld as the true backup radio b/c of its limited range. Since the 216 does not have power, I cannot run the VHF without installing an electrical system of some sort. Although I could install a proper electrical, shore power recharge based system, I prefer to keep things simple in the spirit of the 216. Ideally, I want to leverage a portable power unit possessing DC and AC style plugs that I can plug the VHF into when sailing and then unplug and carry it (the portable power unit) back up to the house to recharge. Since all our sailing is day sailing with an occasional overnight camp out, this is a very simplistic portable model that works well for us.

The challenge of course is that the VHF DC power leads (black and red) expect a traditional marine electrical installation. Can the VHF DC power leads adapt to a DC style lighter plug or even an AC plug with the appropriate DC to AC converter? If so how and where do you find such a thing?

Any other ideas to make this as simple as possible? Thanks in advance.

- pw

 

[troutsmoustang]

Hi Paul, I just did it. I put a LED trilight on top and XM antenna. I hope I did it right, but I bought a 105 amp marine deep cycle battery from Walmart and a 2000 watt inverter. Everything is working good so far and uses very little battery. hope this helps. david

 

[Clark]

A marine radio is intended for 12 VDC power.

And yes, you can adapt the power leads to a standard car power outlet type. Just keep the + and - correct :dance:

No need for AC for this application (but you could run a few small AC powered items like a laptop or cellphone charger)

 

[troutsmoustang]

I needed the ac power for a boombox and blender:dance:.

 

[Paul Wash]

Things That Make You Go...Hmmmm...H216 Power Options

Clark thanks thats good to know - any ideas where I find said adapter or what to search on? I've been looking but can't seem to find the magic phrase that yields results.

And David - you've piqued my curiosity. Do you have any pics of your installation? Where did you place and secure the battery? Do you have any patch panels and/or any fuses or did you just wire directly to the battery? How do you recharge the battery? Sorry for the 20 questions...I was considering a mast light as well and it just clicked on how I would run multiple things off a single DC car style adapter without a mess.

Overall, I wonder if going the traditional way is better and simpler as opposed to my concocted scheme. Anyone have any additional pros/cons on this stuff?

 

[Clark]

Paul, you have several options on what to do.

The most simple is a battery with an inverter attached (with spade connections to battery lugs) and a 12 VDC female connection wired to the battery. Attach the male 12 VDC to your radio and you'll be good to go. Search for a 12 VDC extension cord; like here:
http://www.amazon.com/12-Volt-Exten..._2?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1268251620&sr=8-2

Best Buy, Radio Shack or even some AutoZone - type stores will carry them.

I did this for another hobby of mine. Just cut the cord ~ 12" from the female end. Split the cable, strip the ends (crimp on connectors if so desired) and attach to the battery. Splice the rest of the cord to the radio DC cable and voila. Just keep the polarity straight. I believe the + is marked on the cable and the center pin (male) is +.

 

[troutsmoustang]

Hi Paul, will get you a picture. I secured the battery in a batter box by the strap that came with it to the metal that holds the hatch cover. I am still working on something so when I heel, it will not move. The battery was bought from walmart for $65.00 and inverter cost about $50.00. I did also buy a tri switch from Boater bits ( I think) from ebay. Ran line from battery to switch and my lights to switch. I have a hook up near the switch to disconnect the wire when I take down mast. Inverter hooks up to battery for my sate radio and blender. I love the 216 and I have hooked up a winch to raise the mast like you did. Thanks for all of your postings in Boat Mods. I have had the power on in the year for a while and it does not use much battery yet. I plan on taking the battery out when it gets low so I can charge it. david

 

[cephius (Dave)]

Paul,
Radio Shack has the plug alone, so you don't need to cut an extension cable.
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3806057

Here's a link to portable power, keeping with your original plan:
http://www.earthtechproducts.com/emergency-backup-power.html

 

[Clark]

Good one Dave. The use of the Duracell unit precludes the need for a male and female DC plug - he'd just need the male end for his radio. It is a nicely packaged unit but for the price, he could assemble something with 3x the battery and almost 2x the AC capacity. Still, a nicely packaged unit.

 

[Paul Wash]

H216 Power Options - Executive Decision

I have made an executive decision. After the comments posted here and independent research, I am going to:

- Install a proper electrical system with a deep cycle battery
- Fuse panel
- Mounted VHF radio
- Mast Antenna
- Mast nav lights
- DC/AC inverter
- Addtional nav lights

The inverter is for my Sirius boom box and portable Xact unit plus whatever else I can think of (cell phone charger, etc). For this project I am going to construct and mount a panel for the fuse panel installation and inverter. I am installing the panel on the port side under the cockpit benches - tighter space but its not a high traffic area. Additionally, I will mount a battery board to strap and secure the battery beneath the panel as well. Because I still get occasional water leakage into the cabin, the battery board will be mounted at least 3 inches above the bottom of the hull.

So thats the plan, I am going down this wknd to demast and prep the cabin for the work. I'll keep everyone updated on the progress and issues as they arise.

 

[cephius (Dave)]

Good plan. The tried and true 12VDC electrical system has much to offer. I had a similar system on my Catalina 22. I only had to charge the battery a couple times a season.

 

[Paul Wash]

Ground?

Something I just thought of that I did not include. How do you ground this system? I assume it requires grounding as any other electrical system I've worked with does...

 

[troutsmoustang]

good choice Paul. I think that you will be happy. I use my negative terminal of the battery for the ground. david

 

[Paul Wash]

Venting?

First of all - thanks everyone for your help - really appreciate the comments...

I talked with the local West Marine today regarding my installation and then did some research. The folks at West Marine seemed to think my installation was sound. But after my research, I have a few concerns about the venting requirements and spillage potential of deep cycle flooded batteries. I am wondering if AGM style is a better choice - of course this comes with an added expense.

From what i understand all batteries emit some gas, however, the flooded produce more and since they are not sealed they can spill. Since my planned installation is under the port cockpit seats, there is no direct venting for the battery gases besides the open hatch which is about 3 feet fore of the targeted install area. Of course it is also possible the gases could collect aft as well. Additionally, I targeted the distribution panel directly above the battery and those instructions specifically say don't put it where battery gasses can collect. Do I run the risk of a hazard with this battery type? Since I always sail with my hatches open is this enough venting?

* I realize that charging produces a significant amount more gas, so I assume i will have to pull the battery off to ensure a safe charge.

 

[Clark]

Paul, the gas released is Hydrogen and can collect in an enclosed area but will try to rise - like hot air - since it is much lighter than the surrounding air. My battery compartment is a PITA to access so I chose AGM's to preclude the need for monitoring water levels and to eliminate concerns about acid spilling out while installing them or when caught by nasty gusts. I chose East Penns' DEKA line because I had a good local source and they were fairly reasonable in price. I've had them for 3 years on our 280 and have had no issues. Gels would be better but they are the most expensive and you have to be carefull about which charger you use.

Hope this helps.. . .

 

[Paul Wash]

AGM 92Ah

Thanks Clark, for me that further justifies spending a little more for safety and peace of mind instead of "piece of mind" lol. In fact there is an East Penn dealer a few miles up 95. But...West Marine is running a sale on a SeaVolt AGM 92Ah battery for $40 off which brought the price slightly lower than the DEKA line. Plus there is a West Marine right down the street and 2 within a mile in DVL where my berth is. So I think I am going to pull the trigger on that one. It is probably more than I need but seems like a good buy for the money.

Oh and evidently the AGM and gel still have the potential to release H gas when charging but everything will be off there is no "acid mist" and nobody will be sitting down below during those times. No Hindenburg for us...

Thanks!

 

[Paul Wash]

Sketch Up

Hey guys, I spent some time last night sketching up my plans. Although I'm targeting the port side, I went ahead and sketched out the starboard side - (it was easier to draw for some reason). There are 4 jpgs attached, each showing a different perspective. This is a rough model and it is not to size or scale.

Notes:

- I am considering having a stainless bracket (much like the hatch board bracket) fabricated to hold the battery box in place. I will screw (or rivet) the bracket to the trunk. I am waiting for Hunter's response on whether this is doable in the trunk material or not
- I am not sure if the battery box and battery will fit under the cockpit floor hangover until I measure and test it
- The panel components are much closer together than portrayed
- The panel is mounted using heavy duty liquid nails and "L" brackets for support while setting up
- The cable runs are not illustrated but will have support every 11 inches using plastic eyes screwed in with small screws and fabric ties with velcro to ease the pain of taking the mast down and disconnecting applicable wiring

* I used Google Sketchup for the first time last night so the sketching was a learning experience...

 

[Paul Wash]

Bulkhead & Electric Phase 1 Complete

I will be adding this information to the 216 improvements area once 100% complete. This weekend we created and fit the bulkhead in place, modified the mast head, mounted items to the bulkhead, mounted the radio, and wired up the system. Because the mast is raised temporarily until I get some additional sunbrella added to jib (created by Jerry Latell in DVL last year), we have to take the mast down again to re-attach the jib. As of now the cable runs are not secured and the bulkhead is not secured. Next phase is to build up some mounting blocks with epoxy to attach the bulkhead as well as secure the battery.

Initial tests are positive. The VHF was receiving transmissions from ~25 miles away from the back of the creek surrounded by trees. Transmission were received clearly from some folks a few miles south. The inverter was powered and everything was sound.

So here are a few pics of the in progress installation. Please ignore the messy cables - they are only temporarily hung to keep them off the bottom of the hull while she is safely secured at dock.

 

[cephius (Dave)]

Nice job Paul. Include photos of the mast base connections for your modifications article.

 

[Lamar14031]

I have made an executive decision. After the comments posted here and independent research, I am going to:

- Install a proper electrical system with a deep cycle battery
- Fuse panel
- Mounted VHF radio
- Mast Antenna
- Mast nav lights
- DC/AC inverter
- Addtional nav lights

The inverter is for my Sirius boom box and portable Xact unit plus whatever else I can think of (cell phone charger, etc). For this project I am going to construct and mount a panel for the fuse panel installation and inverter. I am installing the panel on the port side under the cockpit benches - tighter space but its not a high traffic area. Additionally, I will mount a battery board to strap and secure the battery beneath the panel as well. Because I still get occasional water leakage into the cabin, the battery board will be mounted at least 3 inches above the bottom of the hull.

So thats the plan, I am going down this wknd to demast and prep the cabin for the work. I'll keep everyone updated on the progress and issues as they arise.

Hi Paul,

Good work on your new electrical system. I don't know if you get water in your boat that often but with your system you could very easily add a bilge pump in the area under the cockpit seats just behind the centerboard trunk.
My H216 is a 2004 model and before Hunter got the mast boot right I got a large volume of water in the boat due to heavy rainfall during the aftemath of a hurricane. The bilge pump was a whole lot easier than dipping to get rid of the water. I installed the pump with a long discharge hose that will reach to the outside of the cuddy cabin and just let it lay on the bottom of the boat under the cockpit seats until it is needed. That way I didn't have to drill a hole through the side of the boat to discharge the bilge water.

Looking forward to the final set of photos for your system.

Lamar Sumerlin