GL: Battery-inverter-charger questions

[Phil Bolin]

snip: I have recently purchased my first boat and will be spending all of
2008 getting the boat (and the Captain) ready to do the Loop in the spring
of 2009.  The boat is currently equipped with twin Volvo diesel engines and
I should be sure to have dedicated house batteries, an inverter and a proper
charging system that will charge both house and starting batteries.

My input and experience: 

I put Xantrex 2500 Inverter with its 130 amp charger supported by 8 golf
cart batteries on Apolonia.  I did not purchase the remote controller
(~$300) as Xantrex said the system was engineered to run automatically.  It
does.  Controller just provides monitoring numbers and human control.  The
discharge rate and operation are known quickly with your use and it doesn't
change, so why have numbers to tell you. The engineers who built it, I know,
are smarter than I am.  Has worked perfectly including first year (2005) on
the loop.  Just keep water in batteries if wet cell, as mine are.  Once a
month check.  I followed Xantrex install instructions and had qualified
electrician verify my install plan (proper fuses and wire size and length).
Purchased 2500 at discount store for just over $1,100 ... golf cart
batteries and wiring from another discount store for ~$680.  I tied the
inverter to one 30amp panel on boat and put everything on that panel that
would run from inverter.  It's quiet at night (no genset) and 115V from
inverter comes on instantly and automatically when the genset or shore
supplied power is shut down with its breaker.  Not even a flicker in the
lights, refrig, or TV.  I only have 40 amp alternators on engines so use
genset to charge battiers 1.5 hours per day usually during dinner; remainder
of charge easily handled by alternators when underway.  The draw backs are
two: 1) to stop auto operation of inverter must go to engine room where main
controller is and push the off switch which I seldom do as I like it in auto
operation, and 2) after power applied by either genset or shore the charger
automatically comes on.  To shut it off, which I seldom do, I also must go
to main control panel in engine room. These potential draw backs can be
overcome with the remote control.  It was not worth $300 to me. 

Sincerely,
 
Phil and Carey Bolin
Apolonia, 43' Vista
804-761-3425
web page:  http://home.earthlink.net/~pwbolin
email:  pwbolin at earthlink.net