Installing an Inverter in the Delta
Spencer and I ran the boat up to Bethel Island last Sunday afternoon. It was an amazingly beautiful and warm ride. We moored the boat at a dock neighbor of my electrician's home on the south side of Bethel Island. I'm having him install a Heart Freedom 30 DC to AC inverter and 8 US-145 6 volt batteries. That should give me 980 amp hours at anchor. It will also solve the problem of the charger that died on the trip down from Seattle.
The plan is to leave the boat in the Delta through the end of September. Paradise Point looks like its going to be our base to explore from this year.
This weekend is the Boatered/California Delta Forums raft out in Mildred. Stop by if you will be in the south Delta. I'm going to use some of that anchor time to read Hal Schell's Cruising California's Delta. It is a wonderful blend of folksy history and cruising guide.
Comments
Don't forget that it takes two 6v batteries to make 12v so the available amperage will be half of the total amperage of the 8 batteries. You will only be able to use about half of the max amps if you don't want to damage your battery bank. Example - 8 6v bats @ 135 amps ea = a total of 540 amps available but you only get to use about 270 amps without risking damage to the batteries.
Earl
Posted by: Earl | July 21, 2003 03:58 PM
My 980 number is the total capacity. US-145s are 245 Amp Hours per battery. Multiplying 245 by 4 so that I factor in the pairing issue leaves me with 980 amp hours total. Of that there is a debate, but the conservative answer is that I will have about 50% or 490 useable amp hours.
I've been told that if you twist the arm of most of the 6v battery manufacturers, you find that you can get about 600 cycles if you fully discharge them between charges. These batteries are going to be toast long before I reach 600 cycles...
Posted by: Gene Hoffman | July 21, 2003 04:08 PM