Adding An Onboard Charger (connecting to shore power)

I agree with you Nehalennia. I will ground the green wire to the block. This keeps things safe and reduces the chance for back-fed 110 through the 12v system. I guess I need to add the galvanic isolator prior to putting her in the water. I will see if I can get one of those rebuilt models.

Nehalennia said:
I'd install the proper 30A wiring inlet on your boat and then when you want to use this 30A to 15A adaptor for plugging it into a home source.

41BPL703WTL._SL500_AA280_.jpg


The issues many have brought up here are valid. The biggest would be exactly the same concerns raised on the Honda Generator thread regarding a proper ground. Make sure you do your homework on that. When I installed my charger, even though I had the 3 wires including ground from the shorepower side, I had instructions of running a groud to the ground block attached to the engine.
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Surfinjoe -
I wasn't tryin to rain on your parade, just want to make sure you know what is involved before you start. Sounds like you have done your homework and could do the project just fine.

I don't know, but it seems like if you could simplify the setup if you do the following: plug a 30A shore power cord into the dockside connection. Run the cord into the boat and use an adapter on the boat's side (like todd posted above) to make it a regular 110 plug. Then plug the battery charger into that. Mount the charger permanetly, and have it's plug sticking out somewhere you could easliy get to and plug in - under the back seat or something. That may allow you to skip the galvonic isolator and keep from needing to ground any 110 on the boat, since it is not as much an AC system, but a single "appliance" plugged in. I don't know if there are problems with that setup, but someone else will!
 
Not a bad idea. I will take a look and see what is the most effective solution. Thanks for all the input. You are not raining on my parade. I don't want to avoid a problem and create another (like galvanic corrosion). I will swing on over to my local West Marine and see what I can come up with. Once I have my plan finalized I will post it here for more feedback (prior to installing it).

berth control said:
You could add one of these too :
http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...=true&storeNum=5002&subdeptNum=9&classNum=311
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The one thing that I did read is that it is important to have the weather-proof locking connector just in case your mooring ropes have an issue and your shore power chord becomes a mooring rope. From the sound of it, this has happened before. The other issue is that I don't want my boat to look 'ghetto' with an extension chord set-up. I would prefer to spend the extra hundred bucks and make it look like a marine system.

berth control said:
Surfinjoe -
I wasn't tryin to rain on your parade, just want to make sure you know what is involved before you start. Sounds like you have done your homework and could do the project just fine.

I don't know, but it seems like if you could simplify the setup if you do the following: plug a 30A shore power cord into the dockside connection. Run the cord into the boat and use an adapter on the boat's side (like todd posted above) to make it a regular 110 plug. Then plug the battery charger into that. Mount the charger permanetly, and have it's plug sticking out somewhere you could easliy get to and plug in - under the back seat or something. That may allow you to skip the galvonic isolator and keep from needing to ground any 110 on the boat, since it is not as much an AC system, but a single "appliance" plugged in. I don't know if there are problems with that setup, but someone else will!
Click to expand...
 
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Just out of curiosity, how many of you run dual galvanic isolators? I have seem to recall reading that some recommend two in the event that one fails.

Doug
 
My boat has shore power and a built in charger.
A Charles SP 2000. Boat had a old 30 amp charger.
So the AC wires were already installed. A just installed my 20amp charles smart charger last season.

I have not seen how my AC wires are hard wired in the breaker panel on my boat from the shore power plug in.
Im guessing WHT,BLK,GREEN like a house

It has a 30amp AC main breaker switch.
The Refer and AC recepticals use a 15amp breaker.
My 20amp system is designed to keep the batterys charged (3 bat.) even if I am using up to a 20 amp DC discharge while plugged into shore power.
Its kind of neat watching the chargers amp meter peg when turning on the water sytem,etc

The AC wires going into my charger are WHT,BLK,GRN.
UL cable. Thats designed for direct burial (Wet Conditions)
The DC wires coming out of my charger are just Blk and Red
Pos/Neg hooked direct to batterys.

With that said,
GFI receptical at dock or house.
It will trip if there is like 1/3 of a volt loss due to a poor or improper ground.
Mount shore power receptical on boat.
Use UL 10G or 12G wire hard wired from boats shorepower receptical to Charger. Then hook DC wires to batterys. They should be fused close to batterys also..

Try calling your chargers tech support people to confirm everything.
 
surfinjoe said:
Will do Gregg. I hope to have my boat in the water as soon as it thaws (say mid-April). Do you go attend the raft-up? What a party! Can't wait.
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Surfinjoe,

No, I have not attended the raft-up. I haven't done much of that. Most have done low key stuff with the family/friends. That being said, we have been gradually accumulating "water toys", so who knows what the future may hold?

Gregg
 
Joe,
It looks like you are adding 95% of the components for true shore power. Dumb question why don't you go ahead and do the whole thing, including the controller?
 
chuck1 said:
Joe,
It looks like you are adding 95% of the components for true shore power. Dumb question why don't you go ahead and do the whole thing, including the controller?
Click to expand...

Does the 240SD have shorepower?
If there is room to add a circuit panel, I think you're right that if you're going to add the inlet and wiring, you're a few hours and a few components from getting the whole banana. I think a qualified Marine electrician would be a good idea though.
 
Nehalennia said:
Does the 240SD have shorepower?
If there is room to add a circuit panel, I think you're right that if you're going to add the inlet and wiring, you're a few hours and a few components from getting the whole banana. I think a qualified Marine electrician would be a good idea though.
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Mine does:thumbsup:
 
My "ancient" boat does not have that. do I need to add all that? or can i just use the charger? Maybe add the galvanic isolator? I have no circuit panel. I just want to keep my batteries charged. arrgghhh!
 
My response would be yes, you do need all that stuff. Other than the actual breaker panel all that provides safety features to protect you and your boat.

This discussion highlights that boat builders probably didn't add this feature in the past because of cost. Unfortunately that was before the iPod, fishfinders, GPS displays and 200 watt stereos.

There are other ways to charge the batteries. I'm currently looking into flexible solar panels to keep our batteries up during the week while our boat is on its mooring.

Henry
 
Last summer I had the West Marine (yellow) solar panel. Worked great until I left it out in the rain then POOF.

All I am trying to do here is to keep my batteries up to charge and have 'extra' power if something happens while I am away that causes water to enter the boat. That is the only reason that I want to add the charger. If I can find a water-proof solar panel that that would most likley be less $$ and safer. Anyone have any leads?

Henry Boyd said:
My response would be yes, you do need all that stuff. Other than the actual breaker panel all that provides safety features to protect you and your boat.

This discussion highlights that boat builders probably didn't add this feature in the past because of cost. Unfortunately that was before the iPod, fishfinders, GPS displays and 200 watt stereos.

There are other ways to charge the batteries. I'm currently looking into flexible solar panels to keep our batteries up during the week while our boat is on its mooring.

Henry
Click to expand...
 
For me, $$$ is the issue. I am really trying to save up for my bimini enclosure. Everytime I add additional 'crap' to this charging system, I am eating into my enclosure budget. We got caught in a couple of bad storms last year, and the wife was bitchen about getting pelted with rain (to be honest so was I). I have made up my mind: Enclosure before shore power! If the boat fills with H2O and sinks, well that's what insurance is for I guess?>?>?>?>?

chuck1 said:
Joe,
It looks like you are adding 95% of the components for true shore power. Dumb question why don't you go ahead and do the whole thing, including the controller?
Click to expand...
 
The raft-up is not low key, but nothing like jobbie nooner. Much more family oriented in my opinion. No naked women that I have seen! LOL

Hope to see you on the H2O this year! 65 and partly sunny today. I think I will do 'something' to my boat (any excuse to get me out of the cave....i mean house)!

ghuskin said:
Surfinjoe,

No, I have not attended the raft-up. I haven't done much of that. Most have done low key stuff with the family/friends. That being said, we have been gradually accumulating "water toys", so who knows what the future may hold?

Gregg
Click to expand...
 
SurfinJoe,

A good friend of mine has the flexible solar panel mounted to the top of the dodger on his sailboat. It is at least 8 years old and stays there all season. I'll see him this weekend and find out what brand. Also he is an old time Yankee and ragboater which probably puts him the top 5% of the frugalist people on the planet (cheapskate is such a harsh word).

Henry
 
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