ABYC Selection and Installation of Boat Batteries: The Good, Bad, and Ugly
Posted by Liam P. Kennedy on 6/19/2020 to
Batteries (Conventional)
ABYC Technical Instructor Ray Toth will talk all things batteries in this week's webinar.
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ABYC Webinar Explaining Lithium Ion Battery Basics
Posted by Liam P. Kennedy on 6/19/2020 to
Batteries (Lithium Ion)
ABYC has released this webinar by Dr. Denis Phares, CEO of Dragonfly Energy and Battle Born Batteries, to discuss lithium ion batteries.
Using DC DC Converters for power conditioning
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 4/30/2020 to
Techniques and How to...
Anyone using sensitive electronics in a mobile environment will be familiar with the problem of equipment malfunction caused by a fluctuating power supply. This article describes how to solve the problem...........
ABYC Webinar - De-mystifying Basic Electrical Concepts
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 4/3/2020 to
System Integration
This ABYC Webinar covers a lot of ground and discusses wiring, wire sizing, circuit protection and the basic concepts involved in putting together a marine electrical system
Setting up parallel and split phase systems using the Victron MultiPlus and Quattro inverter chargers
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 12/4/2019 to
Victron MultiPlus and Quatro
This article is about setting up parallel and three phase systems using the MultiPlus and Quattro inverter chargers
Video on the inner workings of the MultiPlus inverter charger
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 11/28/2019 to
Victron MultiPlus and Quatro
This 20 minute video has an in-depth look at the inner workings of the MultiPlus and Quattro inverter chargers 
How to change a pulley on an alternator
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 11/22/2019 to
Alternators
To change an alternator pulley you need the right tool, this short video shows you how. 
Victron MultiPlus in Power Assist Mode
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 10/28/2019 to
Victron MultiPlus and Quatro
The Victron MultiPlus inverter charger can sync with a small generator to provide additional power to start a load like an air conditioner that the generator by itself wouldn't be able to get started.
Alternator Charging Lithium
Posted by George Kaye on 10/7/2019 to
Alternators
How to not blow up your alternator
Testing your Lithium Ion battery system
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 9/18/2019 to
System Integration
When you have completed your lithium battery system you need to take if for an extended test drive so that you understand fully that it works the way it was designed. Don't assume it works, try it out. 
Programming your Victron MultiPlus inverter charger with the VE Configure program - Part 3 - "The Assistants"
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 9/18/2019 to
Victron MultiPlus and Quatro
Programming with the VE Configure program is easy. Part 1 of the Blog Post described the proceedure. Part 2 described the settings, and this is Part 3 which discusses the use of "Assistants" which are apps you can load and which control how the MultiPlus behaves in certain circumstances.
Programming your Victron MultiPlus inverter charger with the VE Configure program - Part 2 - The Settings
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 9/18/2019 to
Victron MultiPlus and Quatro
Programming with the VE Configure program is easy and Part 1 of this Blog Post described the procedure. This part describes the settings themselves.
Programming your Victron MultiPlus inverter charger with the VE Configure program - Part 1 - The Procedure
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 9/18/2019 to
Victron MultiPlus and Quatro
Programming with the VE Configure program is so easy compared to trying to program your MultiPlus using the dipswitches. You will require the Mk3USB interface. Here are part 1 of the instructions which describes the procedure. Part 2 wil then go into the settings themselves. Since this article was written Victron have updated the instruction manual for the VE Configure program. You can read about it on my updated Blog Post
Installing your Victron MultiPlus Inverter Charger
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 9/18/2019 to
Victron MultiPlus and Quatro
The post details unpacking, mounting and wiring your new MultiPlus, subsequent articles will detail the programming options.
Mounting Procedure for Heavy Victron Energy Items
Posted by Liam Kennedy on 8/22/2019 to
Victron MultiPlus and Quatro
This is the Mounting Procedure for Heavyweight Victron Energy Items like the MultiPlus, Isolation transformers, Quattro inverter chargers, and large battery chargers like the Centaur and Skylla.
Test it out
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 7/15/2019 to
System Integration
One way to test out a complicated system is to build it on the test bench before installing it. This is a great idea on so many levels. It allows you to get thoroughly familiar with what we are installing, it is so much easier to work on a system sitting on a table, and it allows you to get the bugs out without being on your hands and knees.
Signal K and Victron Energy integration
Posted by Peter Kennedy and Victron Energy on 6/13/2019 to
Older Posts
This article points to a Blog Post from Victron Energy outlining some of the things you can do by integrating Victron Energy with Signal K
How to deal with a boat that is tripping the dock Ground Fault circuit breaker
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 6/11/2019 to
Circuit Protection
Recently boaters have been coming across docks fitted with ground fault circuit breakers on their shore power receptacles. This is in accordance with the latest edition of the National Electrical Code and applies to all new construction. Eventually, as docks get rebuilt, all docks will be wired to this standard. Unfortunately for some boaters their boats are having a hard time using these receptacles because they trip immediately on switching on the power. This article is an attempt to explain what this is all about and what can be done about it.
Mounting procedure for dual foot alternators
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 5/21/2019 to
Alternators
When you have a dual foot alternator it is important to mount it correctly to avoid bending or breaking the mounting feet.
DC load calculations for marine and mobile projects
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 4/10/2019 to
Techniques and How to...
DC Load calculations for marine and mobile projects. A discussion on how to size the loads for panelboards, how to calculate daily power consumption and generation, and how to use that to come up with a battery size. 
Mounting options for the Blue Sea m-Series battery switches
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 4/10/2019 to
Techniques and How to...
Blue Sea Systems m-Series battery switches can be mounted in three different ways and this article shows how that works.......
How we handle warranty claims at PKYS
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 3/14/2019 to
News
Warranty claims are handled differently depending on the manufacturer of the item. Read more to learn how to deal with warranty issued for items purchased at PKYS
Generating a 120/240 Volt split phase power supply from an inverter
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 3/7/2019 to
Victron MultiPlus and Quatro
There are a couple of ways to set up a split phase 120/240 volt system using an inverter. This article discusses the merits of the different methods,
Demo electrical system layout with Victron 24 Volt MultiPlus inverter charger, solar panels and generator
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 2/15/2019 to
System Integration
This post shows a wiring diagram prepared by Victron Energy showing in detail how some of their products connect together. I have annotated the drawing with notes and comments. 
Please use Victron VE Bus cables to hook up Victron VE Bus equipment.
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 2/14/2019 to
System Integration
Please use Victron VE Bus cables to hook up VE Bus equipment. Other brands may or may not work, its really not worth the hassle. Read more....
Peter Kennedy has been in business since 1991 designing, installing and servicing marine electrical systems. The purpose of this blog is to offer support to both professional installers and do-it-yourself boat owners who wish to undertake this work themselves.
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