Panbo

The Marine Electronics Hub

Category: Editors’ Blog

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LiFePO4 / Editors' Blog / Safety & SAR / The Trade

ABYC 2025 Standards Week, improving safety and evolving standards

ABYC published their first lithium-ion battery standard in the summer of 2022. At the time, I wrote an entry on the standard and expressed some concerns about some requirements not in the standard as well as a strong reliance on manufacturers’ documentation and specifications. My first paragraph began with the words, “I’m not an expert on the many intricacies involved in getting a standard ratified.” Attending this year’s ABYC Standards Week provided me with a deeper understanding of the process. Additionally, since I had some concerns about the initial version, it only seems fair that I participate in its revision. So, here’s what I’ve learned so far.

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Getting Technical / LiFePO4 / Editors' Blog / Wireless & Apps / Network & control / Safety & SAR / Electrical & Engines / The future

Getting Technical: Top tier technologies

Innovation in the past five years or so has been a little bit lumpy. The impacts of a global pandemic, followed by severe supply-chain shortages, slowed the pace of product introductions and advancements. Even so, three major innovations are hitting the marine marketplace with a big splash. Each one is changing the way boaters use their boats, and leaving a lasting imprint on the industry.

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Editors' Blog / Cabin & deck gear / How-to / Electrical & Engines

How-to: Making engraved dash panels

Ben Ellison and I began working together on Panbo seven years ago. For me, that time has been a journey of figuring out a new industry, a new career, and new side gigs. One of those side gigs has me installing marine technology. My work ranges widely including full electronics refits, lithium battery upgrades, troubleshooting, and more. Recently, I took on the update of a friend’s center console. A casual mention that he’d like to modernize the look sent me down a rabbit hole of figuring out how to make a new panel with labels etched into it. Obviously, once I figured that out, I had to add the boat logo. Ultimately, a simple ask turned into nearly a dozen prototypes, countless hours, and a lot scrap before the finished product. I learned a lot during the process and I’m excited to share it.

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LiFePO4 / Editors' Blog / Panbo & misc. / Electrical & Engines

My test bench runneth over with lithium from SFK, Mastervolt, and Epoch

I have big things planned for upcoming battery tests. I’m working to evolve my testing of LiFePO4 batteries to match their evolution. Battery capacities are increasing, physical size is decreasing, prices are dropping rapidly, and acceptance is increasing. New options hit the market regularly and keeping up with the pace of change can be challenging. In the coming months, I will review quite a few batteries in different positions in the market and try to help readers decide which price point and battery is right for them.

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LiFePO4 / Editors' Blog / Electrical & Engines

Charging LiFePO4, what’s the impact of lower voltages?

What voltage should I charge my LiFePO4 batteries? That seems like a simple question likely to have a single, direct answer. But, the actual answers are often unclear. Many LiFePO4 battery manufacturers recommend 14.6 volt absorption. But, that singular recommendation doesn’t account for numerous factors like managing a larger system, battery longevity, and more. Increasingly, we are seeing good reasons to lower charge voltages to 14 volts or below. But, what impact does that lower charge voltage have on capacity and charge time? Let’s take a look.

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Getting Technical / Editors' Blog / Network & control / The future / The Trade

Getting Technical: Standard upgrade

NMEA OneNet is the National Marine Electronics Association’s most recent standard, one of only three major electronics standards the organization has released in the past 40-plus years. First came NMEA 0183 in 1983, then NMEA 2000 in 2001, and now OneNet. The previous standards stood the test of time. In fact, despite being 41 years old, NMEA 0183 continues to be built into many electronics and remains the preferred standard for many light commercial vessels.

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LiFePO4 / Editors' Blog / Electrical & Engines

Update: Epoch’s 460ah battery, what we’ve learned

In January of this year, I published my review of the Epoch 460 amp-hour, 12 volt battery. My review was quite positive and reflected how the battery performed in my testing. But, once the battery was in the wild, reports began trickling in of troubles with some installations of the 460s. That lead to weeks of investigating the issues. At this point, I believe I have a solid command of what’s happening with these batteries and some of their limitations. While this better understanding of the batteries does serve to take a little shine off them, I still believe these are very solid batteries and capable of delivering excellent service. But, for best service, some tuning is required.