We will soon be owners of a 2004 387 and would like to add an inverter to run a few AC items like microwave, hair dryer (not at same time). My idea was to use the two 4D's as the house bank and install a seperate start battery. Has anyone else done this? Where can I place the start battery? Should I scrap the existing 40 Amp C Charger 5000 and replace with Inverter/Charger in same location? Should I get pure sine wave or modified? I have had noisey inverter/charger in past and do not want to repeat. Any advice here? Is 80 amp alternator going to keep up with charging when crusing for several days without shore power? I may repalce the 4Ds' with golf cart batteries when they wear out. Has anyone done this with the 387? Any experience members have on any of these questions will be appreciated.
Inverter Install
- Thread starter Two PiSeas
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This is a BIG question, and involves basic boat electrical
design that this too large for this forum. If your shorepower charger is a good three stage unit, then you have a choice, keep it and add an inverter or scrap the charger and get a combo I/C. Your boat, your choice. The cost differences include the wiring and the absolute need for an A.C. source switch and its attendant wiring and connections. See: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=833.0 and http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=2170.0 You need to decide whether you want to have the inverter connected to the onboard A.C. wiring or standalone (using its receptacle). That involves additional wiring considerations from the inverter to the existing A.C. wiring. Many have combined their 4Ds and added a start bank. West Marine's catalogs and online Advisors have plenty of information on this. Where you put this is up to you based on the space you have, Don't know if there's a C387 separate association website, but if you're a member of your International Association you should get Mainsheet magazine with contacts for all sorts of people with your same boat. Your 80 amp alternator MAY be OK, but you need to do an energy budget and also find out how the alternator is regulated. If it is internally regulated, as I suspect coming from the factory that way, you'll need to consider replacing the alternator or its internal regulator with a high output alternator with a separate smart regulator. See www.amplepower.com and download their Ample Power Primer, among other good stuff there. Balmar and Xantrex have excellent information about alternators, regulators and associated equipment on their websites. Modified vs pure sine wave is up to you. Our modified has worked just fine for the past 10 years. Depends on what you plan to power it with, and most computers work fine on modified. Your wallet. Suggest you also purchase Nigel Calder's Boatowner's Manual for Mechanical and Electrical Systems, best $50 you can spend on your boat. It includes energy budgets and electrical systems. There was a thread just the other day where I posted West Marine's energy budget calculator online link (see reply #17 here: http://www.sailboatowners.com/forums/pviewall.tpl?&fno=21&uid=73200280089&sku=2008035155112.95). Other books are available and there's lots of stuff at Ample Power and www.jackrabbitmarine.com.
design that this too large for this forum. If your shorepower charger is a good three stage unit, then you have a choice, keep it and add an inverter or scrap the charger and get a combo I/C. Your boat, your choice. The cost differences include the wiring and the absolute need for an A.C. source switch and its attendant wiring and connections. See: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=833.0 and http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=2170.0 You need to decide whether you want to have the inverter connected to the onboard A.C. wiring or standalone (using its receptacle). That involves additional wiring considerations from the inverter to the existing A.C. wiring. Many have combined their 4Ds and added a start bank. West Marine's catalogs and online Advisors have plenty of information on this. Where you put this is up to you based on the space you have, Don't know if there's a C387 separate association website, but if you're a member of your International Association you should get Mainsheet magazine with contacts for all sorts of people with your same boat. Your 80 amp alternator MAY be OK, but you need to do an energy budget and also find out how the alternator is regulated. If it is internally regulated, as I suspect coming from the factory that way, you'll need to consider replacing the alternator or its internal regulator with a high output alternator with a separate smart regulator. See www.amplepower.com and download their Ample Power Primer, among other good stuff there. Balmar and Xantrex have excellent information about alternators, regulators and associated equipment on their websites. Modified vs pure sine wave is up to you. Our modified has worked just fine for the past 10 years. Depends on what you plan to power it with, and most computers work fine on modified. Your wallet. Suggest you also purchase Nigel Calder's Boatowner's Manual for Mechanical and Electrical Systems, best $50 you can spend on your boat. It includes energy budgets and electrical systems. There was a thread just the other day where I posted West Marine's energy budget calculator online link (see reply #17 here: http://www.sailboatowners.com/forums/pviewall.tpl?&fno=21&uid=73200280089&sku=2008035155112.95). Other books are available and there's lots of stuff at Ample Power and www.jackrabbitmarine.com.
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