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Both high-power and low-power footswitches exist. Some of the windlass manufacturers, Lewmar (Simpson - Lawrence) for instance build low-power (500~600Watt) windlasses that can be directly wired using high powered switches (30-40Amp) at the helm and footswitches. Higher power windlasses...

The general proper use of a windlass is to: 1. run the engine while running the windlass, so that there is sufficient power. 2. do not pull the anchor aboard with the windlass only, you generally must put the engine in gear and move towards the anchor point whilst retrieving the anchor...

I installed the same transducer in my boat recently as well (but with a RayMarine DSM 300). AirMar is OEM for many if not most transducers for depth and sonar equipment on the market. I did contact AirMar about why they no longer recommend using 3M 4200 or 5200, but rather GE Silicone I or...

"Moon bounce" comes to mind.

I maybe exaggerated the lobes a bit to prove the point, but Paul, you are more than welcome to use the drawings. Here are a couple more - should be self-explaintory..... (these are actually from an article I wrote awhile back)

Paul; I appreciate your effort to explain antennas - its almost voodoo science to many. And, I know what you mean by getting old and forgetting stuff - believe me, it has happened more than I can remember... :grin: By the way, here is a little drawing I like to use to explain ERP...

Thinking......

Just remember that 1.5:1 is only probably likely at the center of the VHF band. If you look at Shakespeare VHF Marine antennas, they can achieve close to 1.5:1 at the band center, but across the VHF band, the specification is 2:0. So when you are measuring the VSWR, it depends on what...

Paul; While I generally agree what you are saying in principle, the only caveat I would make is that the signal is not amplified by a higher gain antenna, but rather, its ERP (Effective Radiated Power) is increased along the characteristic lobes of that antenna, which in effect concentrates...

RayMarine MFDs can display graphical engine data, not just text boxes. I am monitoring both of my fuel tanks via Lowrance tank monitors and I am displaying them on both C-Series display and Lowrance LMF-200. The LMF-200 only shows tank percentage, but RayMarine display not only shows...

You mentioned a 15A service. There may be some safty issues here, depending on how you intend to wire everything up. Shorepower inlets are normally 30A or 50A, and typically must have a circuit breaker located within a couple of feet of the inlet. If you added a shorepower inlet, you...

Yes, the SH is a nice way to save helm space.

I have a M504, and one of the best features I like on it is that the channel changer is a knob. Many of the lower priced radios have an up and down button for changing channels, which I don't like all that much. This is not unique to ICOM or the M504, but I think just about all of the...

A galvanic isolator is located on the ground wire between the AC breaker panel and the shorepower inlet. They are often jambed in to a spot behind the panel. Sometimes they are attached to the backside of the panel. They are usually the size and shape of say the box your checks come in - if...

Do you know if the boat has a galvanic isolator? Most factory setups do, but with the smaller sized boats, some manufacturers might skip installing one, since they are optional. Larger boats tend to have them as standard equipment since they may be more "slippable", while the smaller...

I would want to add a disconnect switch to have the capability to disconnect the batteries wired in parallel.

The pedestal has to do with two issues. Many boats have "low" arches, which are not sufficent enough in height to get the radome high enough out of the way of occupants of the boat. You don't want even a 2KW (18") radome radiating the rear of your head. Fortunately radar energy is...

Radar by nature is quite directional. For the RayMarine 2Kw and 4Kw radomes, they have a 15 degree pattern off center. If you can visualize a line, dead-center on the radome, facing forward; straight out at a tangent to the radome, you can think of that as a center-line. The radiation...

I would say that 4 years are pretty much life-cycle for the batteries. I usually replace mine every 3 seasons, but I boat on Lake Michigan where it can be dangerous to go out with the possibility of batteries dying. I am sure the ocean folk do similar.

I would use a float switch made especially for the marine industry. All electrical items in the bilge are supposed to be ignition rated.