Using both power sources ....

[puddlejockey]

My '82 Hunter is setup now with factory shore power, and a single DC wetcell system, with no charging relay installed on the shore power.

I'll be installing a 2nd battery, ACR system, and smart charger; but for now, whenever the AC MAIN is on to power the 110 outlets, the DC main won't work.
Aren't these two systems totally stand alone? we use the AC for a small portable heater/ fan/ or AC unit in the Summer, but I'd still like to be able to use the radio and/ or cabin lights at the same time.

I can't for the life of me figure out why the AC Main and Dc main can't both be powered. They do share a panel, but the AC main is just a throw switch in the panel; there's no distribution of AC power through the panel...

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

 

[Bill Roosa]

You are correct that the two systems should be separate and usable at the same time.
Before we get to deep into this, when the shore power is live and the CB turned on to power the AC circuits the rest of the DC system does not work? nav lights, cabin lights, nothing. Is that correct?
If you turn off the AC CB does the DC work?
If you leave the AC CB on and unplug the shore power cable does the DC work?
Certainly weird

 

[puddlejockey]

Bill,

Yes, weird is a pretty good definition! If the AC CB is on and shore power attached, you get zero power to any of the Dc circuits.
I haven't tried to flip the breaker with the shore power NOT attached, but will certainly do so.
( I'm also wondering why the Depth sounder loses power when you turn on the breaker for the radio...but I think that's another issue entirely...working on the wiring on this boat is like participating in a live version of Poltergeist... )

 

[onecoolair]

Bill,

Yes, weird is a pretty good definition! If the AC CB is on and shore power attached, you get zero power to any of the Dc circuits.
I haven't tried to flip the breaker with the shore power NOT attached, but will certainly do so.
( I'm also wondering why the Depth sounder loses power when you turn on the breaker for the radio...but I think that's another issue entirely...working on the wiring on this boat is like participating in a live version of Poltergeist... )

Is the main d/c feed from your batteries connected to the other side of your shorepower/generator switch? If so get it off of there!!!

 

[Jon Bastien]

The first thing that pops into my head with the mention of the depth sounder and the radio issue is "Bad ground on the DC side". Making it more interesting, it seems that there's a device somewhere aboard that's connected to BOTH power sources (Fridge? Battery charger? Inverter? Charge controller?), and isn't switching properly from one source to the other-- and disconnecting/shorting the DC side when it DOES switch.

The good news is that the electrical system on a H27 shouldn't be too complicated... so ringing out all the wiring should be pretty easy. Pay special attention to any terminal blocks, buss bars, or any other place where more than two wires come together.

 

[puddlejockey]

Thanks, guys;

It brings up another issue that may or may not be related: On the factory schematics, there's a "key switch" for the AC/DC mounted on the bulkhead near the chart table. However, this boat has no such switch, and has a multi outlet 110V box surface mounted permanently where that switch would be...inside the quarterberth "pocket" just aft of the chart table.

The bad ground makes sense, but there really isn't anything that could potentially be hooked up to both...no fridge, no ac...the 110 seems to ONLY power the outlets. I hesitate to add another battery and a switch, until I get the existing issues straightened out...no reason to add variables.

Is the main d/c feed from your batteries connected to the other side of your shorepower/generator switch? If so get it off of there!!

.. This sounds intruging...without seeing the boat, can you give me more info on what to look for? The shore power leads directly into a small box, that's nothing more than a terminal block for the 110; off of which run several romex feeds to various parts of the boat. The Only panel I've found on the boat is the main control panel, which has an AC Main, DC main, and all of the various breakers for the Dc accessories..

Thanks!

 

[onecoolair]

Thanks, guys;

It brings up another issue that may or may not be related: On the factory schematics, there's a "key switch" for the AC/DC mounted on the bulkhead near the chart table. However, this boat has no such switch, and has a multi outlet 110V box surface mounted permanently where that switch would be...inside the quarterberth "pocket" just aft of the chart table.

The bad ground makes sense, but there really isn't anything that could potentially be hooked up to both...no fridge, no ac...the 110 seems to ONLY power the outlets. I hesitate to add another battery and a switch, until I get the existing issues straightened out...no reason to add variables.
.. This sounds intruging...without seeing the boat, can you give me more info on what to look for? The shore power leads directly into a small box, that's nothing more than a terminal block for the 110; off of which run several romex feeds to various parts of the boat. The Only panel I've found on the boat is the main control panel, which has an AC Main, DC main, and all of the various breakers for the Dc accessories..

Thanks!

ix:

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

Puddlejockey;

Tim McRory who is the yard manager of All Seasons at Lake Norman is the best sailboat mechanic on the lake. He has worked for a couple of Hunter dealers in the past to include me. If you need some good imput, call him up and tell him big brother Crazy Dave said hello. I am not really his brother but we get a chuckle out of that.

 

[puddlejockey]

Thanks, Dave;
The boat actually just left Tim's yard a few weeks ago; he and his guys did the bottom job, some of the running rigging, as well as some drivetrain work. He's a great guy...and I'll ask him for some advice; but it wasn't in my budget to have him sort out the electrical.
Cool ; I'll post some pics. Meanwhile, close your baby blues and picture a floating housing project, with the Maintenance guy from "Good times" doing the wiring, following a master drawing done by Larry the Cable Guy after a 3 day drinking binge...and you're probably getting close.

 

[puddlejockey]

Follow up: Thanks for the suggestions, guys..and I got her fixed!

The root cause of the problems will probably be firmly planted under " I dunno", but I started tracing wiring today and fixed several problems.
The Depth sounder was sharing a ground with BOTH leads coming from the speedometer, which then fed through a corroded ring terminal directly to the battery. They now have their own wiring ( including both pos and neg for the speedo ..), and are routed through the common ground block independantly.
There was a Red 14 AWG aftermarket wire marked "bilge pump grnd"; which was connected to the "hot" side of the DC main...and wasn't actually running anything that I could find. It disappeared into the netherworld of inside the bulkhead...so it got disconnected and everything still works, including using the AC and DC sources simultaneously. The only thing i can think of is somebodies creative way or wiring...something.
But she's squared away now; and ready for her dual battery install!