Sailboat Electrics Simplified - Don Casey [1999, PDF]

Contents

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
1. SAFETY FIRST
Battery Acid
• Containment
• Spark
• Explosive Gas
• Fire
• Corrosive Fumes
• Fuse
2. UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS
Terminology
Amp
• Volt
• Ohm
• Watt
Three-Part Harmony
Ohm’s Law
• Power
• Load Calculations
• Desert Algebra
Circuits
Not Like Water
• Boys Will Be Boys
• Polarity
• Open and Closed
• Series
• Parallel
• Extra Credit
AC/DC
Magnetism and Current
• Current
• Polarity
• Loads
• Voltage
• Power Factor
• Safety Revisited
3. BATTERY
The Basic Cell
Fully Charged
• Discharging
• Fully Discharged
• Charging
• Gassing
• Shedding
• Plate Sulfation
• Inefficiencies
Batteries
Internal Construction
• Plate Thickness
• Spongy Lead
• Self Discharge
• Starting or House?
Battery Choices
Automotive—Conventional Flooded
• Maintenance-Free
• Deep-Cycle
• Gel Cell
• Scales Don’t Lie
• Absorbed Glass Mat
• Selection Chart
Capacity
Amp-Hours
• Cycle Life
• Weight and Amp-Hours
• Cold-Cranking Amps
• Marine-Cranking Amps
• Reserve Minutes
Sizing Batteries
Load Calculation Redux
• The Alternative to Bigger Batteries
• House Bank
• Starting Battery
• Powering Inverters
Installation
Series
• Golf-Cart Batteries
• Parallel
• Matching
• Negative Ground
• Temperature
Maintenance
Discharge
• Recharging
• Water
• Clean and Dry
• Terminal Corrosion
• Voltage
• SG and Voltage
• Specific Gravity
• Keep Records
4. WIRE
Wire Selection
Construction
• Size
• 10% Drop
• 24 Volts
• Insulation
Routing
High and Dry
Connections
Crimp Connectors
• Crimping
• Soldering
• Tinning the Soldering Iron
• Heat-Shrink
• Bare Wires
• Wire Nuts
Overload Protection
Fuses
• Circuit Breakers
• Sizing
• Installing
• Supply Side
• Equipment Protection
Switches
SPST
• DT
• DP
• Battery Selector
Neatness Counts
Labeling
• No More than Four
• Terminal Strips
• Junction Boxes
• Right Angles
• Spiral Wrap
• Panel Location
Coax
Size
• Construction
• Connections
• Weatherproofing
• Backstay Connection
Copper Ribbon
5. CIRCUITS
Wiring Diagrams
Symbols
• More about Ground
Circuitry Step by Step
Closed Circuit
• Open Circuit
• Overload Protection
• Series
• Parallel
• Real World
Mapping Your Own Boat
AC Caution
• WYSIWYG
• Circuit Diagrams
• Master Diagram
• Layout Schematic
• signal Wires
6. TROUBLESHOOTING
Signs of Trouble
Dimming
• House of Cards
• Sluggish Starting
• Flickering
• Blown Fuse
• Ground Return
• Heat
• Odor
• Heat Loss
• Corrosion
• Wet Wiring
• Rat’s Nest
Test Light
Make or Buy
• Using a Test Light
Digital Multimeter
Digital vs. Analog
• Auto Ranging
• Polarity
Clamp-On Meters
Meter Fundamentals
Connecting Test Leads
• Measuring Voltage
• Measuring Current
• Measuring Resistance (or Lack Thereof)
Troubleshooting with a Meter
Voltmeter Tests
• Multimeter Connections
• Zero Adjust
• Checking Your Hydrometer
• Extending Your Reach
• Kirchoff’s Law
• Ohmmeter Tests
• Masthead Lights
• Changing Resistance
• Ammeter Tests
7. CHARGING SYSTEMS
Alternators
Output
• Pulley Ratio
• Sizing
• Ignition Protection
• Expecting Too Much
Regulators
Standard Regulator
• Fooling the Regulator
• Manual Controller
• Three-Step Regulator
• Equalization—The Fourth Step
• Charging Gel Batteries
Alternator and Regulator Wiring
Output
• Internal Regulation
• Attached Regulator
• External Regulation
• Polarity
• Excitation
• Surge Protection
Alternator Maintenance
Belts
• Connections
• Bearings and Brushes
Troubleshooting Alternators and Regulators
Alternator Output
• Regulator Faults
• Excitation
• Bypassing a Faulty Regulator
• Diodes
Battery Switching
The Standard Way
• Direct Alternator Connection
• Fuse
• Isolating Diodes
• A Better Way
Solar Cells
Choices
• Output
• Uses
• Installation
• Turning the Panel Off for Installation
• Troubleshooting
Wind Generators
Choices
• Output
• Mounting
• Connections
• Troubleshooting
• Water Generators
8. ALTERNATING CURRENT
Warning
AC Basics
Frequency
• Voltage
• Power Factor
• Three-Wire System
• The Grounding Wire
• Wire Type and Size
At the Dock
Plug Types
• Polarity
• Polarity Tester
Shore-Power Connection
Inlet Fitting
• Power Cord
• Supply Wire
• Main Breaker
• Neutral and Ground
AC Circuits
Single Circuit
• Dual Circuit
• Breakers
• Switch Panel
• Polarity Tester
• Routing AC Wiring
• Junction Boxes
• Outlets
• Ground Fault Interrupt
The Green-Wire Controversy
The Danger
• Testing the GFCI
• Grounding the Green Wire
• Cutting the Green Wire
• Unplug
• Galvanic Isolator
• Isolation Transformer
Testing
Polarity
• Grounding Wire
• Isolated Ground
• Green-Wire Connection
• Ground and Neutral Separation
• Ground Fault
• Stray Current
• Leakage
Inverters
Types
• Waveform
• Sizing
• Load Realities
• Battery Capacity
• Connections
• Location
• Transfer Switch
• Neutral and Grounding
• Connection
Generators
Transfer Switch
• Frequency
9. HEAVEN AND EARTH
Lightning Protection
Lightning Rod
• Static Dissipator
• Cone of Protection
• Wooden Masts
• Ground
• Freshwater Sailors Beware
• Directing the Charge
• Connections
• Parallel Paths
Bonding
For Lightning Protection
• For Corrosion Control
• Isolating
• Grounding
• Testing for Isolation
RF Ground
Ribbon, Not Wire
• Copper Screen
• Stopping Direct Current
Lightning and Electronics
The Facts
• Protective Measures