before you go out and buy a larger alternator be sure to check with your engine's manufacturer and your mechanic. some of the replacement Bal mar upgrades simply would not fit on some of the yan Mar engines.
Long range cruising DC questions
- Thread starter redunculous
- Start date
In places with sun like Florida and the Bahamas one can survive on solar alone if you have an adequate panel output and you work on improving your demand side. The biggest draw there will be the fridge/freezer.
I use the compressor style fridge above in the Macgregor on trips and it has a similar draw to Engle and others and is 63 quarts and uses 35-40 amp/hrs a day on the average.
I made the fridge for the Endeavour and it is about twice the size and has a small freezer section and yet draws about 20-25 amp/hrs a day as best I can tell (I'll have an hour meter on it at some point).
The secret is it has a LOT of insulation. 4 inches on the walls, 3 inches in the top/lid, and 7 inches in one part of the bottom and 9 in the rest of the bottom. More at the bottom is a big help.
On the Mac I now have 560 watts of solar and never once had to run the outboard or....
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/outside-13.html
... my 12 volt gen/set in 3 months going to the Bahamas.
I have 480 watts on the Endeavour and hope for the same results. As others pointed out I don't want to be running the diesel 2 hours a day putting the hours on it when I don't have to.
More on the Fridge here ....
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-inside-mods/inside-index.html
and the solar on the Endeavour here....
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-electrical/electrical-index.html
Have a great trip,
Sumner
=============================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida, Bahamas
I use the compressor style fridge above in the Macgregor on trips and it has a similar draw to Engle and others and is 63 quarts and uses 35-40 amp/hrs a day on the average.
I made the fridge for the Endeavour and it is about twice the size and has a small freezer section and yet draws about 20-25 amp/hrs a day as best I can tell (I'll have an hour meter on it at some point).
The secret is it has a LOT of insulation. 4 inches on the walls, 3 inches in the top/lid, and 7 inches in one part of the bottom and 9 in the rest of the bottom. More at the bottom is a big help.
On the Mac I now have 560 watts of solar and never once had to run the outboard or....
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/macgregor/outside-13.html
... my 12 volt gen/set in 3 months going to the Bahamas.
I have 480 watts on the Endeavour and hope for the same results. As others pointed out I don't want to be running the diesel 2 hours a day putting the hours on it when I don't have to.
More on the Fridge here ....
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-inside-mods/inside-index.html
and the solar on the Endeavour here....
http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-electrical/electrical-index.html
Have a great trip,
Sumner
=============================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida, Bahamas
Actually all our computers have been 18 or 19 volts DC which requires a converter (not inverter) to keep them functioning on 12 volts DC. As this is a step UP in voltage the computer's power consumption is considerably greater than one would expect. Keep this in mind when adding up your power requirements. I have found these converters from about us$18.00 to us$75.00. The cheaper ones fail frequently, usually at the cigarette lighter plug. Be sure to purchase one that has a fuse in the plug. Most draw around 6 amps of 12 volts DC when operating and charging the computer's battery.