Category: Electrical & Engines
The ABYC has ratified standard E-13 covering the installation of lithium batteries on boats. E-13 replaces TE-13, a technical note that provided a preview of the direction the ABYC was headed with the standard. But, not having an approved standard for lithium battery installs presented some challenges. The main one comes from insurance companies not having an approved standard they could reference. Now that we have a standard let’s look at what it means for new installs and those who have already installed lithium batteries.
Industry Leader in On-Board Charging Solutions Releases New High-Power Product Line Up to 50 Amps with Industry-First, Patent-Pending Functionality Auburn, N.H. – ProMariner, a leader in the design and manufacture of on-board marine charging products,...
I work around boats pretty much every day of my life. So, what would cause me to jump in my car and drive 28 hours round trip to go see a boat? The answer: A brand new, luxury 44-foot sailboat ordered with no generator and no air conditioning. But fear not, although it was delivered without systems many regard as required, it’s now been outfitted with arguably the best air conditioning and power systems available.
r as long as I’ve been covering marine technology, I’ve heard consistent talk of a move to a higher voltage than the defacto 12-volt standard. 48 volts is often cited as the sweet spot between efficiency, safety, and reduced weight. But, why make a change? 12-volt has served boats well for a long time, why change? Let’s take a look at the reasons for a change and perhaps some reasons to move cautiously.
Outdoor technologies leader Scanstrut, announces a major upgrade to their groundbreaking waterproof ROKK Wireless range.
KiloVault might be a relatively new name in lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, but I’d expect to hear a lot more about them based on what I’ve seen so far. The HLX+ series of batteries are well-made, drop-in-style batteries with lots of capabilities at an affordable price point. I’ll be installing a pair of the 300 amp hour batteries in my RV, but first, let’s get to know the batteries better.
Balmar LLC, the leading manufacturer of onboard DC charging systems for cruising sail, powerboat and RV motorhomes announced today the release of a new family of Alternator Protection Modules (“APM”). Shipment of the APM-12 (for 12 volt systems) and APM-24 (for 24 volt systems) began February 1st.
A Furuno and Suzuki partnership is delivering all-new control features for boaters utilizing select Suzuki outboard models driven by the Furuno NavPilot 300 Autopilot. These new features offer enhanced autopilot controls for precision navigation of routes and advanced fishing features for anglers while jigging or trolling. Requiring only a simple software update, the NavPilot 300 can take advantage of new FishHunter Drive boat control features leveraging Suzuki’s Precision Control, which…
Garmin today announced the Garmin Boat Switch, an all-in-one digital switching solution that operates seamlessly with Garmin ECHOMAP and GPSMAP series chartplotters for easier control and operation of onboard functions. Powered by EmpirBus, the Garmin Boat Switch replaces the need for conventional two-element systems – fuse box and switches – and offers boaters a way to digitally manage a variety of onboard electrical functions with control of up to 20 circuits via Garmin chartplotters…
If you’re like me, at some point in your boating career you’ve probably found an electrical problem on your boat only after things got a little scary. Perhaps the problem was one of your making or maybe, like my example linked above, the boat came that way. Now that I’m doing more work on the DC systems aboard my own boats and others, I went looking for a way to ensure the quality of my work and the health of the systems aboard. For the last few jobs, I’ve been verifying my work with a FLIR C5 thermal inspection camera. I think it delivers real peace of mind.
