Speaking of on-board battery chargers...

[Chris Burti]

Experts?

Every opinionated armachair sailor that authors an article isn't an "expert". I am satisfied with the conclusions I have derived from my former experience and education as an electronics quality control technicion (for Westinghouse Space and Defence Center back in the sixties) that there ain't no such thing as sray current...just lousy wiring. I have never read anything to the contrary by a qualified author. If you have a reference to information stating otherwise by a qualified author, please be so kind as to cite the authority. I hope I never get too thickheaded or stubborn to learn something new.Thanks in advance,

 

[Tom S]

I agree with Chris Burti.

What "experts" are telling jim a this stuff. I would love to see where he gets his information. I think he really doesn't understand this stuff as well as he thinks he does, and is misinterpreting comments or things that he has read.Please show us what experts have told you that:1) (YOUR Quote) "Why do you keep it on all the time(reference: battery charger)! Your cooking your batteries! Geez I guess jim a is correct and all those companies, Like Trojan, Rolls, East-Penn, Deka, Lifeline, Concorde, etc, and many, many other battery manufacturers and industry people are wrong !...(LMAO). Remember we are referencing a GOOD 3 stage charger (Bulk, Absorption Float stages), not a cheapo Pep Boys charger.To get you started you can read this link, but I can point you to a hundred others that explain it for you. Keeping a float charge on a battery is GOOD for a Lead-Acid battery and helps prolong battery life.http://www.wind-sun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm#Battery%20Charging http://www.boatus.com/boattech/battchg.htmAnd if you want to go "nuts" and do some serious studying on this you can go here http://uuhome.de/william.darden/batlinks.htm#faqs . I can honestly say I have gone to a great majority of these websites listed here.2)(YOUR Quote) "That's great for you (sic) boat! All that stay (sic) electricity corroding your vessel. And all for cool beer! I am sure the guys in the next slip love you!"What part of "Proper Wiring", "Galvanic Isolator" and "Total Isolation via a drive saver" don't you get? Show me where your "expert" says having a set up such as mine would cause those problems. Do you even understand what I described, Do you even **really** understand how a "Galvanic Isolator" and the other things I described works? I'm not sure how else to respond other than saying, "I don't think you are understanding all the details fully"Here is just a brief primer, but the details extend further.http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/galvanic/default.aspNot that it really matters, but I DO study this stuff AND in detail. I have a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering with post graduate work studying solid state physics and I can assure you, I have studied the flow of electrons more years that most people.jim a, nothing wrong with unplugging your boat, and its more failsafe that way, which might be for the best in your case, because it seems as if you don't grasp all of the concepts fully. And in these cases it is better safe than sorry.

 

[Stu Jackson]

To Plug or Unplug, That is the Question

Whoa guys!Funny coming from me, but now I can agree one sure thing:There's more than one side to every opinion. It is, first, a choice you make as to how you use you boat: cold beer ON board, or top off at 7/11 for a new six pack until your refrigerator cools off; plugged or unplugged; potential for corrosion or not.Tom's right, people who really know their own boats and wiring and understand circuits, etc. are qualified to make those choices, lotsa the rest of the stuff is wives's tales.I choose a middle ground: leave it unplugged as much as possible when I'm away from the boat, using a solar panel to keep the house bank charged up with a combiner for the start bank.My boat, my choice. There are so VERY many different ways to CHOOSE to use your SYSTEMs.The link below has about 3 years of those discussions from our C34 owners, for anyone who's interested in reading other owners' ideas. We tend to post some long messages and have extended and cross referenced threads on these subjects, which some of you may find of interest. Please note that there ar 5 pages on this indexed reference when you scroll to the bottom.This is in addition to the appropriate technical references furnished above.Happy reading.Stu

 

[Fred Ficarra]

In the northwest

I recall NO boats in marinas that are left UNpluged. Nobody does that. And to garner the comments that Jim A is receiving from VERY knowledgeable people on this web site is, well, my greatest fear. That's why I try to only comment here, with REASONABLE posts. Even cheapo chargers, for the most part, do NOT fry batteries when left on. The technology is pre-WWII.