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Posts: 726
Location: Eau Claire, WI | What kind of marine grade products are out there to help with voltage regulation issues on board?
I've been in quite a few boats where the electronics shut off when you start the motor. When you turn the key, I believe that the motor is asking a lot from that battery and it can't keep a steady supply to the electronics so the voltage dips out of tolerance for a brief moment causing a shut down.
Today's electronics are asking for more power than they used to and that compounds the issue leaving you with a dead starting battery if you don't run enough on the water to keep a charge. Basically these are computers and like any computer it can't be good to take them down like that.
What can be done? Get bigger batteries with higher CCA and Reserve capacity? Run smaller batteries in parallel? Set up a capacitor in line to compensate for the brief voltage dip? All of the above?
Thanks,
Jono
Edited by Jono 4/11/2008 11:19 AM
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | What kind of electronics are you running? I'm running two large color Lowrances and all my other accessories off my Everstart Marine 27 series and never have problems. Unless your going hours on end without starting your motor all day, then you shouldn't have a problem. The problem is when your running multiple live wells, recirculator's, maybe as many as three large locators and more.
But I know on Lowrance units they have a volt meter built in. That should be able to keep you up to date on whether you have the correct voltage or not. |
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Posts: 726
Location: Eau Claire, WI | Oh just the usual: fridge, microwave, bandsaw. stuff like that. LOL!
Seriously, I've got 2 520s, 350a, x67c, marine band radio (although not on all the time). My electronics will shut off when I turn the key (actually this happened prior to installing the 520s and the radio) and I know there are more boats out there that do this. So there is a threshold that is crossed no matter the cause that creates an under voltage situation which leads to a shut down. FWIW, this is a 27 Interstate Marine Starting/Deep Cycle in question. It is a year old.
I am familiar with the volt meter on the lowrance units. Problem with them is that you can't see the voltage when it shuts off. So you would need a device to measure voltage external to the unit at the moment the unit shuts off.
My old boat had no problems. My new one has a 150 opti on it and from what I've heard they are notorious for demanding a lot of cranking power to the detriment of other devices connected at the time the key is turned.
So just playing around with what some options might be. You have no problems, that is great!
Jono
Edited by Jono 4/11/2008 1:12 PM
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Posts: 2323
Location: Stevens Point, WI | Maybe you have something else drawing down the power. Or your battery is bad and is not holding a charge. I'd suggest having the battery load tested to see how good it is. The battery could just be bad, perhaps it had a long shelf life.
But it sounds like you have other issues. Perhaps your wiring is run wrong or something. But what your explaining should not be happening. I know plenty of guys running two or three large units like the LCX-113's at the same time and everything else like the live wells, radio's, etc.
Here is my suggestion if your looking for something to test your battery other than using the sonar unit that might be shut down and unavailable.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp;jsession...
Also, have you checked all your wiring connections? Is everything tight? |
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| The Opti max motors require 1000 MCA, or Marine Cranking Amps. If your battery is rated less than this, replace it. Group 24, 27, or 31 doesn't matter, if you don't have the minimum MCA.
I would look to a dual purpose battery, if you are running all those, plus the livewell all day long. Also, I would recommend charging everytime you come off the water. |
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Posts: 32959
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Ditto on the last post. |
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Posts: 726
Location: Eau Claire, WI | Yep I believe that to be the case in this example too.
I always use dual purpose and I always charge.
This is a new boat for me and I'm still in the "getting to know you" phase.
I'm pretty sure the battery is just not up to the task. It's probably always been that way but never bothered the previous owner or he didn't know what to do.
But still I'm curious to know if there are power conditioners that do help even out dips in voltage. They exist elsewhere so why not for marine purposes?
Jono
Edited by Jono 4/11/2008 1:44 PM
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| The Optimax motors require 1000 MCA, or Marine Cranking Amps. If your battery is rated less than this, replace it. Group 24, 27, or 31 doesn't matter, if you don't have the minimum MCA.
I would look to a dual purpose battery, if you are running all those, plus the livewell all day long. Also, I would recommend charging everytime you come off the water.
I'm pretty sure the battery is just not up to the task.
i had the same issue last year (Interstate battery, 200hp Opti, console combo unit, bow gps and bow sonar, cell phone charger). it would mostly happen at the end of a day of fishing when the gps/sonar units had been running all day long and when i fished into the night and had my boat lights turned on.
nothing the matter with the wiring, the electronics, or with the battery per se, that's just a lot of stuff draining the battery down all day and a big demand to crank up the main motor; go to start it and the draw would shut everything else down due to lack of power. my console unit was even nice enough to give me a "low voltage" message each time before it turned itself off...which started to seem a bit sarcastic to me by the end of the year. 
i adapted to it by only running whichever set of electronics i needed (bow or console) at the time, running my big motor for a bit before dusk/night fishing to get some charge to the battery, and by turning my running lights off briefly before starting the motor up.
this year i'm just going to make sure it's got a battery that's more up to the demands that the larger electronics are putting on it.
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Posts: 1294
Location: Stevens Point, Wi. | Jono, you're on the right track with the battery being the problem. Your idea on voltage reg. won't help. Voltage supressors help prevent voltage spikes (high voltage) from damaging electronics, but won't help a low voltage situation that you describe. |
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Posts: 726
Location: Eau Claire, WI | Hi ghoti, I used that term too loosely. The voltage I am trying to regulate is brown out type dips. I believe that capacitors would help regulate that because they will hold the same output while the input voltage can fluctuate up or down within a certain time and voltage tolerance. So theoretically speaking, with the proper system, the capacitors could keep steady output voltage to the electronics (thus keeping them on) while the input voltage decreases as most of the available amps are devoted to turning the motor over.
Optis want 800CCA or 1000MCA so if a battery can't deliver, the electronics will suffer. Nothing replaces the right tool for the job. Step 1 is get a good battery but adding a system like this could help in situations like Lambeau described.
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Posts: 32959
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | An additional smaller deep cycle aboard the rig that is wired to the start battery works nicely. Set the rig up with the engine wiring and charger attached to the start battery and jumpers to the deep cycle, which holds only the accessory harness. Since the two tend to level, but the accessories pull from the deep cycle for a very long time before drawing down the start battery at all. One can set up a splitter to isolate the start battery when the engine isn't running, easily. |
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Posts: 2754
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | You should consider dual batteries with an A-B or both switch. When charging or running it's in the "both" position. When fishing go to A position- then you have a fresh battery in B position when/if needed. This is a very common salt water setup. A little extra insurance can go a long way!
Out east a lot of guys think if you have marine radio & "Sea Tow" you're coverd. That's only true as long as the marine radio has a good battery to call "Sea Tow" and your GPS is working or you know your exact position, i.e., lat & long..
An automotive audio type of filter capacitor will certainly help peak surge conditions. But if you need that you should also consider other battery alternatives, such as larger battery or, parallel batteries or parallel batteries with A-B-Both switching.
Al
Edited by ESOX Maniac 4/11/2008 9:21 PM
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Posts: 726
Location: Eau Claire, WI | Great discussion. I love this stuff. Thanks to all for the input! |
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| Al...what's your going rate for a couple hours of help when it's time to rig the new X190???
does the union have a set fee structure or can you freelance?
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Posts: 1096
Location: Hayward, WI | When putting the cables on the battery, first put on a stainless steel star washer, then the motor cables and then the acc cables and sceure with a stainless steel nut, no wing nuts. It is amazing what problems a loose or dirty connection can cause.
If you have room a 2nd battery with a selector switch is always a good idea. Check out the BP selector switches, they are much smaller and easier to mount then some of the other larger selectors that you will see. |
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