What is the alternator field disconnect terminal on a battery switch for?
Posted by Administrator on 12/12/2013 to
Alternators

(2) Comments
Installing a Balmar alternator on a Yanmar 3JH3E
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 11/21/2013 to
Alternators

Here is a short video clip, some photos and a description of a project to replace the standard alternator on a Yanmar 3JH3E with a Balmar 60-100-SR-IG alternator. The boat is a Dehler 38 Sailboat and as it is going on the Annapolis to Bermuda race next summer the owner wanted to have plenty of power available for the trip.
Sabre 54 Fly Bridge Sedan uses Blue Sea Systems custom panels
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 11/6/2013 to
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Overcurrent Protection
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 11/5/2013 to
Circuit Protection
ABYC Standard 11.10 OVERCURRENT PROTECTION is a key section of the standards. The principal is very clear, an overcurrent device, such as a fuse or circuit breaker, needs to be placed within seven inches of where the conductor is connected to the source of power. The overcurrent device is protecting THE WIRE from carrying more current than it is able. What follows is an outline of this part of the standard but please see the disclaimer at the end.
Digital Multimeter
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 10/29/2013 to
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USCG standards for Electrical Systems on boats
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 10/28/2013 to
Electrical Standards
Federal Regulations on electrical systems for boats are covered by 33 CFR 183.401-460. The regulations, although mandatory, are somewhat limited in scope. They are available for free online: 33 C.F.R. PART 183—BOATS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT In addition the ABYC has published a booklet explaining and simplifying the rules. What follows here is a brief discussion of the material covered by the regulations, please see the disclaimer at the end.
An outline of ABYC Standards for Electrical Systems
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 10/23/2013 to
Electrical Standards
This is an outline review of the ABYC standards relating to Electrical Systems. It just highlights the subject area of each standard. Further Blog Posts will delve into the details of the standards. The ABYC standards are a voluntary set of standards written and maintained by the American Boat and Yacht Council. They cover the design, manufacture and outfitting of small craft built in the US and compliment the compulsory standards written by the US Coast Guard. Each ABYC standard is updated every five years. The USCG standards are covered in a separate Blog post.
ABYC standard for installation and wiring
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 10/22/2013 to
Electrical Standards
ABYC standard E11 covers AC and DC wiring on boats. In this post we are going to look at one small part of the standard relating to installation. In particular this standard refers to how electrical conductors should be routed and supported. In the standard its referred to as 11.14.6 Installation-General
Simple AC circuit tester
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 10/20/2013 to
Older Posts

Non Contact AC Voltage detector
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 10/19/2013 to
Older Posts
I carry this little gizmo on every job I go on

40ft Sailboat custom panel
Posted by Administrator on 10/19/2013 to
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Custom AC/DC powerboat panel example
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 10/19/2013 to
Older Posts

A simple 230 Volt AC panel example
Posted by Peter Kennedy on 10/19/2013 to
Older Posts

This is a very simple 230 Volt AC panel that was shipped to New Zealand. The boat owner already had a single 360-Series panel on board which he liked so much he decided to redo the entire AC system and so this panel has a blank which will be replaced by his existing panel.