My VHF radio currently comes off the (+) buss with an inline fuse. I took it off the panel switch since it has its own off switch and I didn't want any extra steps or confusion if it needed to be turned on in an emergency. I might be busy dealing with the problem and it wouldn't be a good time to be shouting, "Third switch from the right, the panel, no, no, the black thing with all the switches on it, yes, those switch.... NO! not the big red switch, look, over.. hand me the other fire extinguisher.. see all the little switches over to the right, now two rows, .... NEVER MIND! WE'RE GETTING IN THE DINGHY!"
Most people will see a knob labeled "Power/Volume" and know what to do.
I think the next step is to move the radio power connection from the buss to the power side of the battery switch. There is some risk of leaving the radio on and running down the battery but I'm pretty good about those things. As a former pilot, I got used to the idea that I could die if I forgot a switch. Of course, we had checklists.
My thinking is that, if you had an electrical fire, the first thing you would want to do is turn off the battery master switch. The second thing you would want to do is put out at least a "Pan Pan" call in case things got out of hand. It would be nice to still have a radio at that point.
USCG inspected vessels have emergency batteries. It might not be too difficult to wire one of those in. The battery store near me just gave me two of the small batteries used in emergency lighting units. They are 12 volt and many companies replace every one annually so they end up with pallet loads of batteries that have been on float charge for a year and are headed for recycling even though they are nearly as good as new. If one of those could live happily wired into the radio circuit so it is on constant charge from the 12 volt system, it would continue providing power after the master switch was turned off. A diode could prevent it draining back in case of a low SOC condition in the main bank.
Most people will see a knob labeled "Power/Volume" and know what to do.
I think the next step is to move the radio power connection from the buss to the power side of the battery switch. There is some risk of leaving the radio on and running down the battery but I'm pretty good about those things. As a former pilot, I got used to the idea that I could die if I forgot a switch. Of course, we had checklists.
My thinking is that, if you had an electrical fire, the first thing you would want to do is turn off the battery master switch. The second thing you would want to do is put out at least a "Pan Pan" call in case things got out of hand. It would be nice to still have a radio at that point.
USCG inspected vessels have emergency batteries. It might not be too difficult to wire one of those in. The battery store near me just gave me two of the small batteries used in emergency lighting units. They are 12 volt and many companies replace every one annually so they end up with pallet loads of batteries that have been on float charge for a year and are headed for recycling even though they are nearly as good as new. If one of those could live happily wired into the radio circuit so it is on constant charge from the 12 volt system, it would continue providing power after the master switch was turned off. A diode could prevent it draining back in case of a low SOC condition in the main bank.
