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THE 12 VOLT DOCTORS
PRACTICAL HANDBOOK
for the boats electric system
by Edgar J. Beyn
(SpaCreek]@
SPA CREEK INSTRUMENTS CO.
616 3rd Street
Annapolis MD 21403
(301) 267-6565
THENEWS?ACREEK
ELECTRICAlPARTSCATALOGIS
NOWAVAILABLESEEBACK
PAGEFORORDERFORM.
THE 12 VOLT DOCTORS
PRACTICAL HANDBOOK
for the boats electric system
by Edgar J. Beyn
ASPEClALDlSCOUNTORDERFORMISLOCATEDONTHE
lASTPAGEFORYOURCONVENIENCE,
SPA CREEK INSTRUMENTS CO.
ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND
Introduction
You may think that making a wiring diagram for your boat would be a
monstrous headache, and the results as useful as a street map of Brooklyn
viewed from ten feet away. But read how simple it is when you take small
steps, one area and one sketch at a time, whenever you happen to look at
a particular detail. Eventually, you will have a collection of sketches which
is your wiring diagram.
With the diagram, trouble shooting will be much easier, and so will plan-
ning. Repairs will be much faster, too. Sooner or later, you will decide that
as designed, the boats electrical equipment is less than perfect. You may
want lights in new places, switches in different locations, add instruments
and equipment, run electricity from better charged batteries. The step from
knowing your boats electrics to making changes will come quite naturally.
Start with a relatively easy subject and later you will be surprised by the
degree of confidence you have gained. Your boat will then fit your personal
expectations in a way no one else can match with any amount of hired
repair service.
As in earlier editions of this book, you are invited to write with questions
and comments which we will answer as swiftly as possible. Especially, tell
us what new details should be covered in the next edition, and what addi-
tional equipment you would like to have or make. And tell us about your
boat: it enjoys a quality not many others do, your tender loving care.
Annapolis, September 1983
Ed Beyn
Spa Creek Instruments Co.
Seawind Ketch OBADJAH
Publisher: Spa Creek Instruments Co., Annapolis,
Maryland
ISBN number: O-911551-07-7
0 1983 Spa Creek Instruments Co., Annapolis, Maryland
/
COMMERCIAL USE OF ANY ClRCUlTS
IN THIS BOOK STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
1
I
Contents
introduction ..................................................................
Very Basic Electricity .......................................................
Volt, Ohm, Ampere, Watt Calculated ......................................
How to Make and Use a Test Light ........................................
The Volt Ohm Meter (VOM) ................................................
Wiring Diagrams ............................................................
Wire Size Table and Examples ............................................
Soldering .....................................................................
Finishing Touches ..........................................................
Switch On Here, Off There .................................................
Trouble Shooting ...........................................................
Electrical Leaks .............................................................
Electrolytic Corrosion ......................................................
Stray Electric Current Corrosion
..........................................
Lightning .....................................................................
Meters ........................................................................
Engine Instruments and Alarms
...........................................
Low Ohm Meter
.............................................................
Battery Capacity Meter
.....................................................
Alternators ...................................................................
Manual Alternation Controls
...............................................
Charging Diodes ............................................................
Table: How Much Current ..................................................
Noise and Filters ............................................................
Power for the Calculator ...................................................
American Boat & Yacht Council: Safety Standards
.....................
Electric Power from the Sun
...............................................
Bilge Pump/Loran Supply Circuit .........................................
Bilge Pump Alarm ...........................................................
Batteries and Battery Charging
............................................
Lamp List ....................................................................
Printed Circuit Boards ......................................................
Wind Electricity
..............................................................
. . .
III
1
9
11
15
17
44
45
51
55
57
67
71
103
119
129
137
143
145
147
159
175
179
181
185
191
193
196
197
199
217
223
225
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .,....,.,...,........,.................. . . 229
Very Basic Electricity: the Plumbing Equivalent.
It is easy to see how elec-
trical units are related to each
other if you compare them
with experiments with water.
Let us compare a battery
with a supply of water under
pressure. In Sketch 1, a
weighted piston presses on
water. The pressure is mea-
sured by the pressure gauge
which may indicate in
pounds per square inch (PSI).
The gauge is our equivalent
to a voltmeter.
Connect a garden hose
nozzle to the water supply,
and have the nozzle shoot a
jet of water into the air. With greater weight on the piston, Sketch 2, there
will be a higher water jet. The height of the jet could serve as a measurement
of pressure.
Compare electrical current or Ampere to water current or flow rate: we
could measure water flow rate with a bucket, by catching the falling water
jet and counting, in gallons per minute. Other flow rate meters could be
propellers or paddle wheels in the water line, much like your boats speed-
ometer impeller.
Instead of the weight on the piston, we could use more water to generate
the weight and pressure, by making the water container tall enough until
we reach the desired pressure (voltage), and wide enough for the needed
capacity, our battery size.
Now let us experiment and take some measurements, to show how things
are related. Connect a valve to the water supply, Sketch 5. While the valve
is turned off, flow rate is zero. What do you think the pressure gauges will
show? The one on the left will show the pressure of the water supply., the
one on the right will show zero. The closed valve resists water flow perfectly,
it has infinitely high resistance.
Next, open the valve in Sketch 5 enough to let some water flow. Let us
assume that the left pressure gauge reads 12 Volts and the one on the right
zero, and that the water flow rate into the bucket is 5 Ampere. How much
water will flow if we double the supply pressure from 12 to 24 Volts? The
flow rate will double, to 10 Ampere. And the resistance of the valve in that
setting, by Ohms law, is Pressure or Voltage divided by flow rate or Ampere,
namely
Pressure Volt 12 24 _
Resistance = F,ow Rate
=Amp=5=10 = 2.4
Where would we install a paddle wheel flow rate meter, our ammeter equiv-
alent, in this experiment? We could install it anywhere in the line, left or
right of the valve, since the flow rate is the same everywhere.
Sketch 6 shows an electrical circuit: ammeters at any of the locations
marked A would give the same reading, all locations are suitable to
measure current.
Would any size of flow rate meter work? No. Look at Sketch 7: The
paddle wheel meter is so small that a large drop in pressure occurs at the
meter: pressure upstream is the pressure in the water supply, and pressure
downstream is essentially zero. The resistance of this small ammeter equiv-
alent is too high for this application. The flow rate meter in Sketch 8, on
the other hand, does not resist flow at all. But it is so large that the small
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flow in the pipes (note sizes) will not move the paddle wheel. In an electrical
example, this would be a 60 A ammeter not responding to a current of only
one Ampere.
About meters in general: note in all of
the sketches that the pressure gauges are
connected by a T to the main water
lines. Very little flow rate is involved with
pressure gauges or voltmeters, the lines
may be small or the wires thin but they
must withstand pressure: wires must have
insulation to withstand the involved volt-
age. Flow resistance of voltmeters is very
high: there is no flow through pressure
gauges which makes their resistance infi-
nitely high. Ail voltmeters use a small
amount of current, you could compare
their function best with the method of
measuring the height of the water jet in
Sketch 3. The best voltmeters do their
measurements with the smallest current
or the thinnest water jet. The best volt-
meters will have the greatest resistance.
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Ammeters, on the other hand, are installed in the main line of flow and
must have low resistance because all current must pass through them, to
be measured (shunt type ammeters are the only exception, detailed later
in the book). Ammeters for very high currents will have extremely low
resistance, while meters for only low ranges of current will have somewhat
higher resistance. We will see in a moment why that is no problem. First, a
sketch which shows an electrical circuit with both voltmeter and ammeter.
In Sketch 9, ammeter A is connected in the supply wire to the lamp, the
4
flow of lamp current is measured by the ammeter. Voltmeter V measures
the tension or pressure of the supply. Lamp current does not flow through
the wires of the voltmeter.
Let us talk about power. We
measure it in horsepower, or in
Watt (kW, kilowat = 1000 Watt).
The paddle wheel machine in
Sketch 10 shows how we can
generate mechanical power from
our water supply: we direct a water
jet at the paddles so that they turn.
To generate the same power at
the paddle wheel, we can use water
of lower pressure and choose a
big jet, or use water at higher
pressure which allows us to use
less volume, because the water jet is faster due to the higher pressure.
Power is determined by both flow rate and pressure, by both Ampere and
Volt. One Watt is generated when a current of one Amp flows, from the
tension of one Volt.
Think of a 40 Watt lamp (light bulb) at home: connected to 110 Volt,
only 0.36 Ampere need flow to generate 40 Watt. On the boat, a 40 Watt
lamp draws 3.3 Ampere when on 12 Volt. But in both cases, Volt times
Amps give us the 40 Watt. How are the lamps different? The one for 110
volt is designed to have a much higher resistance, namely about 300 Ohm
(calculated from 110 Volt and 0.36 Ampere as discussed with Sketch 5).
I f you connected this bulb to 12 V, the pressure would be only about one
tenth of 110 V, and only about one tenth of the current would flow, approx-
imately 0.036 Ampere. On 12 Volt, that would only be 0.036 times 12 = 0.4
Watt which shows why the 40 Watt household lamp would not work onboard.
5
The 40 Watt lamp for 12 Volt has a resistance of only about 4 Ohm, as
calculated from 12 Volt and 3.6 Ampere. I f you connected this lamp to 110
Volt at home, about ten times the pressure or voltage would force about
ten times 3.6 Amps of current through this lamp: a very short surge of
power of 36 Amps times 110 Volt = 3960 Watts would destroy the lamp and
blow a fuse.
With household electricity, we always talk about Watt when we discuss
power. On the boat, we assume that all electricity is used at 12 Volt and
mostly talk in terms of Ampere instead. We talk flow rate but mean power:
each Ampere equals 12 Watt, and a battery with 100 Ampere hours supplies
1200 Watt hours or 1.2 kilo Watt hours: the units of our household electric
meters. Ampere multiplied by Volt give Watt, and 1000 Watt or W are one
kilo Watt or kW. We have seen earlier that resistance affects flow rate or
current. Look at Sketch 5 again: as you close the valve, you increase
resistance and reduce flow rate. What happens if there are two resistances
(bottle necks!) in the same water pipe. 7 In Sketch 11 we have two resistors
in series. These bottle necks in the pipe are called R, and R?. I f we knew
their values in Ohm, we could calculate the flow rate into the bucket. In
series, their values are simply added together. I f their total were one Ohm,
one Volt would cause a current of one Ampere. I f the total resistance were
10 Ohm instead of 1 Ohm, only one tenths of current would flow, all just as
you would expect.
Now to the pressure gauge or voltage readings: two of them are obvious.
The voltage at left will be the supply voltage, 12 volt, and at right, with no
other restriction coming, it is zero. The voltage between the resistors though
is not easy to guess but very significant as we will see in the following
example. The voltage between the resistors will be half the supply voltage
if the resistors are alike. With other sizes, the size ratio determines how the
voltage is divided. I f the resistors were 10 and 2 Ohm, the voltage drop at
the resistors would also be at a ratio of 10:2. Sketch 12 shows the electrical
diagram and how the voltages are measured. On the boat, many problems
are related to resistors in series, and this subject is so important that we
should look at some examples.
First example: There is a switch for the compass light. The lamp in the
compass is rated 1W. The switch is slightly corroded and has developed
contact resistance of 5 Ohm. How will that affect the compass light?
Answer: the compass light draws: 1 Watt divided by 12 Volt = 0.083
Ampere, it has a resistance of: 12 Volt divided by 0.083 Ampere = 144 Ohm.
Adding another resistor of 5 Ohm, the switch, in series to the lamp will
increase total resistance to 149 Ohm, the effect will hardly be noticeable.
Second example: The same type of switch is used to switch a 40 Watt
cabin light. This switch also has corroded and developed 5 Ohms resistance
at its contacts. Will that affect the cabin light?
Answer: On 12 Volt, the cabin light draws:
40 Watt divided by 12 Volt = 3.3 Ampere, it has:
12 Volt divided by 3.3 Ampere = 3.6 Ohms of resistance.
Adding the switch resistance in series with this lamp will more than double
the total resistance, so that the current will be reduced to:
12 volt divided by 8.6 total Ohm = 1.4 Ampere which flow through switch
and lamp. This lamp will therefore hardly glow at all.
And another problem, at the switch we now have a voltage drop of 7 Volt
(12 Volt split by the ratio of resistances, or 12 divided by 8.6, multiplied by
5), so that 7 Volt times 1.4 Ampere = almost 10 Watt of heat are generated
at the switch contact.
Third example: the starter motor on your engine is rated 3000 Watt. A
battery cable terminal has developed very slight contact resistance at a
battery post, the resistance is only l/100 of an Ohm and now is in series
with the starter motor. Can you start your engine? Can you find.the battery
connection by hand touch? Answer: The starter motor uses:
3000 Watt divided by 12 Volt = 250 Ampere, its resistance is:
12 Volt divided by 250 Ampere = 0.048 Ohm. The added resistance of O.Oi
Ohm is series brings the total resistance to 0.058 which allows only:
7
6
12 Volt divided by 0.058 Ohm = 207 Ampere, so that power is reduced to:
207 Amps times 12 Volt = 2484 Watts instead of 3000 Watt. And of these
2484 Watts, not all are applied at the starter motor. Of the full 12 Volt, about
2 Volts are dropped at the added resistance at the battery post which
corresponds to:
2 Volt times 207 Ampere = 408 Watt, so that only 2484 minus 408 = 2076
Watt are trying to turn the engine, about two thirds of normal, perhaps
barely enough. The 408 Watt at the battery post are enough to make that
post and terminal HOT in seconds. You would easily find it by just feeling
the cable connections until you find the hot one. Much less resistance of
almost perfect connections, makes itself noticeable by the generated heat
during starting.
The Plumbing Equivalent: Table of Units and Relationships
Electrical Equivalent
Potential, Tension
Volt
Current
Ampere
Power
Watt
Work
Watt hours
An increase in voltage causes an An increase in pressure causes an
increase in current increase in flow rate.
An increase in resistance causes
a decrease in current
An increase in resistance causes a
decrease in flow rate
To do more work in the same
time, more Watt are needed.
To do more work in the same time,
more power is needed.
Volt times Amp = Watt. Greater
Watt may be from higher Amps
or Volts, or both.
More power may come from greater
water pressure, or from higher flow
rate, or both.
The same Wattage may come
from high voltage but low
current, or low voltage but high
current.
The same work may be done with
high water volume under low
pressure, or low volume at high
pressure (water jet on turbine for
example)
Pressure
Pounds per Square Inch, PSI
Flow Rate
Gallons per Minute
Power
Watt or Horsepower
Work
Watt hours, Kilowatt hours,
Horsepower hours, Man hours,
Joules, BTU
Volt, Ohm, Ampere, Watt Calculated
Here are some examples with numbers. In Sketch 1, the resistor R could
be a piece of electrical equipment. Ammeter A and voltmeter V show how
they must be connected.
12 Volt
4 Ohm = ~
3 Amp
12 Volt = 3 Amp x 4 Ohm
12 Volt
3Amp = ~
4 Ohm
12 Volt x 3 Amp = 36 WATT
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In Sketch 2, two resistors are in series. The total resistance is 2 Ohm
plus 4 Ohm = 6 Ohm. Then,
12 Volt
~ = 2 Amp are flowing
6 Ohm
I f you measure the voltage between the two, meter V would show 8 Volt.
The voltage drops 4 V at the first resistor, 8 V at the second. Power at the
first resistor is
2 Amp x 4 Volt = 8 Watt
power at the second resistor is
2 Amp x 8 Volt = 16 Watt
which adds up to a total of
24 Watt (= 2 Amp x 12 Volt)
8
With two resistors or loads in parallel, Sketch 3, calculate the current
for each one:
12 Volt 12 Volt
___ = 1.5Amp,and-----=
8 Ohm 4 Ohm
3 Amp
The total current is
1.5 Amp + 3 Amp = 4.5 Amp
so that the two resistors act as a single resistor of
12 Volt
___ = 2.66 Ohm
4.5 Amp
Power on the left is 12 Volt x 1.5 Amp = 18 Watt, and on the right 12
Volt x 3 Amp = 36 Watt, or a total of 18 + 36 = 54 Watt (same as 12
Volt x 4.5 total Amps.)
10
How To Make and Use a Test Light
A test light is a most versatile trouble
shooting tool which you can make your-
self. It consists of a 12 V lamp and two
test leads, as in Sketch 1. Easiest to use SO
are the lamps (light bulbs) with single
contact bayonet base, see the lamp list in
this book. The test wires are directly sol-
dered to the lamp: one to the tip at the
base, and one to the side of the brass
base. Use a lamp number 67,97,631,1155,
or 1247, two pieces of stranded number
18 or 16 wire, as flexible as possible, and
each about two to three feet long, with a
plug or alligator clip soldered to the ends.
With only a few exceptions, all wires and terminals on the boat are either
at plus 12 Volt, or at zero Volt or ground level, and so by design or because
of a problem. Also, all wiring on the boat is so relatively heavy that the extra
load of the test light will never matter. In the contrary, the load of the test
light of about % A can find poor connections which a Volt Ohm Meter
(VOM) could not.
Sketch 2 shows a bat-
tery and a circuit which we
are going to test. Note that
the circuit has a break.
This break in the wire can
be our load. It matters
!
little to the test light (TL)
whether the break is a
completely open gap in the
wire or is a light or some
other equipment which
lets some current flow.
Now see why two of the
test lights are on, and two
are off. One is lit because
its wires are touched to the
battery terminals so that there is a difference in voltage, potential, pressure,
between the two points touched. The TL across the break also lights because
the two points at each side of the break are connected by wires to the plus
and minus battery terminals. The TL at top, left, remains dark because both
its test wires touch points which are at plus twelve Volt, so there is no force
to make a current flow through the light. The same is true for the TL at
lower right: it touches two points which are both at the battery minus level,
again, there is no difference and no current flows, so the light remains
11
dark. In a real trouble shooting case, Sketch 3, you are trying to find why
:he lamp does not work. A break or poor contact in the positive wire would
teep the TL dark if it were touched as at
A. A break or poor connection
n the minus wire would keep the TL dark if touched to the points at 6.
The following example is typical
for most circuits on the boat which
consist of a positive wire with one or
more switches, a load such as a light,
motor, or instrument, and a minus
wire without any switches, con-
nected to ground. Sketch 4 shows
a battery, connected to a main switch,
panel circuit breaker (for example
Cabin Lights), toggle switch (for
12
example the switch of a cabin light), a ground bus
bar (which could also be a terminal strip to which
many ground wires are connected), a ground wire
to the engine block, and the heavy ground wire
between battery minus terminal and engine block.
The same is shown in Sketch 5 as a wiring dia-
gram, all terminals are labelled with a letter so that
trouble shooting can be systematic. To test the
switch SW with the test light at terminals F and G
hold one test wire to F and the other to G as in
Sketch 6.
Trouble Shooting the Circuit in Sketches 4 and
5 with the test light:
First step: Turn all three switches on. I f the cabin
light does not work, touch test light to H and I: TL
lights up, replace lamp or improve contacts at lamp
base. I f the TL remains dark, the problem is else-
where.
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Second step: to test all switches and positive wires between A and H,
leave all switches turned on. Connect one test light wire to ground or minus,
for example at 0, N, or M, and leave connected. Test this ground by touching
the other TL wire to A (TL lights), then to B, C, 0, E, F, G, and H, in that
order. TL normally lights up. However:
TL dark at A: completely dead battery, very unlikely.
TL dark at B: poor battery cable connections, unlikely to affect small load.
TL dark at C: poor main switch contact. Exercise the switch.
TL dark at D: faulty wire or connections at C or D.
TL dark at E: poor contact in circuit breaker, exercise it.
TL dark at F: faulty wire or connections E or F.
TL dark at G: poor contact in the switch, try to exercise switch.
TL dark at H: faulty wire or connections G or H.
Third step: clip one test wire to A, B, C, D, E, F, G, or H if they were found
to be all right, or to another source of plus 12 Volt, and leave connected.
Verify by touching the other TL wire to 0 (TL lights),then to N, M, L, K, and
I in that order. The TL will normally light up. However, you have found a
poor ground where the test light remains dark. For example, the TL lights
at M and L, but not at K: poor connection at the ground bus bar terminals.
All of the faulty connections and poor switch contacts including acci-
dentally open switches can be verified if the load (cabin light in this exam-
ple) draws at least one Ampere when it is working. I f you connect the test
13
light wires across a switch with poor or open contacts as in Sketch 6, the
TL will light up, brighter with greater Watt or Amp ratings of the load. See
Sketch 2 for the explanation.
Another trouble shooting example will follow later and describe how to
trouble shoot battery, main switch, and engine starting circuit.
A test light extension wire may often be necessary. Make by soldering
alligator clips to a length of stranded No. 16 or 18 wire. To test wiring in
the mast, this extension wire must be long enough to let you reach the
mast top.
The Volt Ohm Meter, VOM
This instrument is most useful if it has a direct current or DC range from
0 to 15 Volt, and a low Ohm range, for example one with 100 Ohm or less
at the center of the scale. Unfortunately, most VOMs have 0 - 10 V DC and
0 - 50 V DC ranges, one too small, the other too large for good resolution
of readings near 12 Volt. The most rugged meters have taut band meter
movements, almost indestructible even if dropped. Since none except the
most expensive are waterproof, you should start with a ten dollar variety
and replace it when necessary. There is one such VOM available with
convenient 0 - 15 V DC range.
Before taking a reading, the meter needle must be adjusted to zero which
is done with a small screw on the meter. Resistance (Ohm) measurements
require a battery which you can leave out if you do not need that function.
Since the battery slowly ages, prior to Ohm measurements another adjust-
ment is necessary. Turn Ohm Adjust control so that the needle points to
0 Ohm, with test wires touched to each other.
Many Volt Ohm meters are very
sensitive, a normally desirable fea- .
ture not needed for our applications
and which can sometimes cause
confusion. For example, in Sketch
1, switch A may be closed but have
very poor contact. Switch B is open.
A sensitive VOM would indicate full
12 V when connected as shown, and
imply that switch A is all right. A test
light connected to the same points
as the VOM would remain dark.
WARNING: since most meters have alternating current (AC) ranges as
well, be warned of the shock hazard of 110 VAC.
14
15
Wiring Diagrams
Why your boat probably does not have one
There may be a wiring diagram for your engine, usually in the engine
manual, or supplied by the builder. This diagram usually includes wiring of
the starter, alternator, engine instruments, and controls such as key switch
and start button switch. It usually shows one battery and sometimes men-
tions optional main switches and second batteries. Such diagram is a good
starting point for a complete wiring diagram of the boat but it will be
incomplete and may show details which were not fitted on your boat.
Why a wiring diagram is helpful
The wiring diagram shows what electrical equipment is there, and how
it is connected. It shows exactly how electricity reaches a light through
circuit breakers, switches, junctions, and wires: details which you cannot
possibly remember nor trace, since many of them are hidden from view.
But the details in the wiring diagram often allow you to pinpoint the most
likely cause of trouble, it lets you search for problems systematically, it
shows how best to connect new equipment or to make changes in the
wiring. Finally, making up a wiring diagram is a superb opportunity to
inspect those details which are visible, and to reason how the wires are
connected which are hidden inside of liners, bulkheads, wiring ducts, mast,
or uniformly covered with red engine paint.
How to make your boats wiring diagram one step at a time
First of all, it is not necessary to have one all-encompassing master wiring
diagram for the boat. Such diagrams do exist for some boats, they have
serious disadvantages though. First of all, such sheet of paper is too big to
handle on board. The detail which you may be looking for is hard to locate
and difficult to keep in focus as you compare it to actual components on
the boat. Finally, you will make changes over the years, but correcting and
changing such master wiring diagram is almost impossible.
Instead, our wiring diagram will be a number of smaller diagrams which
you can make up, one at a time as mood and opportunity arise, collect in
a ring book or file, with enough room on each page to add notes, changes,
comments, and easy enough to re-draw when necessary. Later on, we will
decide how to subdivide the master diagram. Possible sections, each one
one page, could be:
1. Batteries with main selector 3. Mast wiring.
switch, starter and solenoid, 4. Cabin lights.
battery monitoring instru-
5. Instruments and radios.
ments, battery charging equip-
ment.
6. Engine wiring.
7. Boats 11 OV AC wiring. ,
2. Ships main circuit breaker
panel.
17
Electrical Components
First step toward wiring diagrams is to identify electrical components,
then decide on a uniform method of showing them with a symbol, and
describing their wiring with uniform symbols in the diagram.
Batteries
Batteries have two terminals, meaning two connections, isolated from
each other, called plus and minus. One or more wires may be connected
to the plus and the minus terminals, but no wire connects directly from the
plus terminal to the minus terminal of the same battery. Let us draw the
boats 12 Volt batteries as a rectangular box as in Sketch I, with a small
circle and plus or minus sign as the terminals. Replaceable batteries such
as flashlight batteries, batteries in calculators, portable radios, other elec-
tronic equipment are often shown as in Sketch 2. I f no plus or minus signs
are used, the short bar is the plus or positive terminal. Batteries are often
made up from a number of cells which are stacked or connected in
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series, so that the voltage of each cell contributes to the voltage of the
battery as in the examples of Sketch 3. In the diagrams, the capacity or
size of batteries is normally not shown, but the voltage or number of cells
is sometimes indicated.
Switches
The simplest switch has two terminals which are either connected to
each other so that current can flow, or disconnected and insulated from
each other. Confusingly, the switch is called closed when the terminals
are connected and allow current flow, and open when disconnected.
This switch with two terminals is called a single pole, single throw switch.
A switch with three terminals is used as a selector switch, it can connect
one common terminal to either of two other terminals and is called a
single pole, double throw switch (abbreviated SPDT). Our normal battery
selector switch is a SPDT switch with a special feature: the contact makes
before breaking, meaning that throwing the switch from contact 1 to
contact 2, it makes contact with terminal 2 before breaking contact with
terminal 1, in the ALL or BOTH position. A similar but smaller SPDT
switch is used to select automatic or manual bilge pump operation, or to
use a voltmeter to measure battery 1 or battery 2. Single pole switches with
19
18
n
7-OCGLL
TOGGLE. vEerlc4c:
h/15 tdcc%f7-EL OF:"
C.O. PosrrroN
20
5PD7-:
--qr
.
l)?Dr :
three or more contacts are in use, as are switches which combine two
single pole switches and are called double pole, as in double pole single
throw switch.
Sketch 4 shows some of the more common switches and their symbols
for the wiring diagram. Note that some switches are shown open and
some closed, and that switch contacts may be designed to remain in
contact only while held in a position against spring tension. Such switches
are called momentary, and require the additional description normally
open or normally closed, depending on contact position during rest.
An example of a single pole, single throw, normally open, momentary switch
is the starter button switch. An example for a normally closed momentary
switch is the kill switch on many outboard motors which interrupts the
ignition.
Wires
For the wiring diagram, you will have to distinguish between four sizes
of wires as you inspect the boats electrics. The heaviest, biggest type has
a diameter of % inch or more and connects the battery terminals to the
battery main selector switch, to the starter solenoid, and engine block.
Such wires are often called battery cables although they only have a
single copper conductor made from many thin strands of wire. This heavy
wire is also used to connect electric windlasses and any other equipment
which draws large currents.
The next smaller wire size you will find as the supply wire to the electric
switch panel, and on some of the engine controls, It is about the size of a
pencil, noticeably bigger than the mass of wires which are used to connect
individual lights or components to circuit breakers or fuses. You may find
one such pencil sized wire connected to the C terminal of the battery
main switch, together with another heavy wire. One supplies plus 12 Volt
to the electric panel, the other, starting current to the engine.
Recognizing the differences in wire sizes, and using the colors of wires,
will help you trace wires. In most cases, you will only be able to see a wire
at the ends. In between, the wire may become an unidentifiable part of a
wiring bundle, or may run in a wiring duct. Notice the size of wires most
abundant behind the electric panel or at the circuit breakers or fuses. These
will be about l/e inch in diameter, and hopefully several different colors will
have been used. We will discuss in a moment how, with reason and pencil
and paper, we fit these wires correctly into the wiring diagram.
Very thin individual wires, and several in a cable, are used to connect
electronic instruments, wind instruments, log, speedometer, and so on.
Because of their size and profuse color coding, these instrument wires are
usually easy to follow. Since such instruments use very little current, their
electric supply wires are also usually thin: you may spot them at the main
electric panel where some will be connected to plus 12 Volt and to minus
or ground.
21
I f your boat is wired for shore electricity, 110 VAC, you will likely
have such wiring connections blended right into your 12 Volt wiring. Often,
similar terminal blocks and wire sizes and colors are used, and sometimes
investigating the wiring behind the main panel is hazardous indeed:
CAUTION: Disconnect the shore power cable and remove it, or place
a tape over the cable socket on the boat while you inspect any of the
wiring. Identify all of the 110 VAC circuit breakers which often have
uninsulated terminals. Look out for 110 V pilot lights, reverse polarity
lights, AC voltmeters and ammeters which may be located on thesame
panel as the 12 V units and may at the back of the panel all look alike.
All 110 V meter, light, and breaker terminals are a shock hazard, as
are the wire terminal blocks or barrier strips which are often used.
Make certain that you recognize all wires and cables used for the
shore power lights, outlets, and appliances, and label them.
Wires in the wiring diagram are usually represented by thin solid lines
regardless of the actual wire size. Only sometimes, for emphasis, are heavy
wires shown by heavier black lines. One of the important features of the
wiring diagram is simplicity, it must show at a glance how things are
connected. Therefore, the components in the diagram are oriented and
arranged to make the interconnecting wires, lines here, simple. Switches,
meters, and components, will be shown exactly as wired, but may be turned
so that up and down, left and right, may not match their real position if that
helped to make the wiring diagram easier to comprehend.
Another wiring diagram simplification is based on the fact that we switch
all equipment off at the positive wire. The wiring between positive battery
terminal and lights and appliances contains the switches, fuses, circuit
breakers, while the negative side remains permanently connected to ground
or minus. Wiring diagrams are often simplified by omitting all connections
of the minus wires and, only, showing a minus symbol at terminals. Many
of the wiring details are shown in Sketch 5. Details of wire sizes and
current carrying ability will follow in another chapter.
Lights
Cabin light wiring and wiring within the mast will almost always be
inaccessible. Still, you will be able to make a complete and accurate wiring
diagram with the method described later, as long as you know about all
lights and their functions. The procedure is made slightly more complicated
by lights which do not work. Almost all cabin lights will have their own on-
off switch, either a single pole, single throw toggle or slide switch, or a
rotary switch, sometimes at the back of a lamp socket fitting. More rarely
is a whole group of cabin lights switched by a single switch. Mast lights,
on the other hand, have their switches on the electric panel or nav. station
22
23
panel, a long distance away from the lights
and normally with wiring junctions or ter-
minal blocks or boxes (see below) between
switch and light. I f in doubt, see the details
on mast wiring in a later chapter.
Light output of a light is related to the
current which, in turn, may give you a clue
to the wire size: compass light and instru-
ment lights will draw only a fraction of an
Ampere (A) and may use very light wire,
individual running lights and smaller cabin
lights will use about one Ampere each
and will use that most common wire size
discussed in the paragraph on wires.
Spreader lights or deck lights will almost
always use greater currents and use heav-
ier than average wires which you may spot.
The light bulbs in light fixtures are called
lamps, a lamp list follows later in the
book. In the wiring diagram, lamp sizes
are usually ignored and all lamps shown
with the same symbol. I f there are two
lamps in a light fixture, two lamps should
be shown in the diagram. Especially with
lamps and lights, the minus wire is usually
not shown in the wiring diagram since it
IS obvious that there must be one. How-
ever, we will discuss ground wires in the
sections about trouble shooting, to see
how easily they are overlooked. Several
symbols are in use for filament or
incandescent lamps, pick one, then use
It consistently. See Sketch 6.
Circuit Breakers and Fuses
For the purpose of the wiring diagram, treat circuit breakers as single
pole switches, sketch them the same way but identify them with their
Ampere rating if known, and C.BFiKR. or similar abbreviation, see Sketch
7. Fuses protect from excess current but cannot be switched. Usually fuse
holders are installed with single pole switches in series, see Sketch 6. In
the wiring diagrams, you should try to maintain the order in which circuit
breakers or fuses are arranged on the electric panel since you will from
time to time be looking at the back of such panel, wiring diagram in hand
but circuit breaker labels out of sight.
24
ALTERNATOR -
ilz.oUND -~I/uUS
Other Pieces of Equipment
For the wiring diagram, we will lump all other equipment into one group
which will contain the alternator, engine starter motor and solenoid, electric
bilge and pressure water pumps, other equipment with electric motors,
radios, navigation receivers, other electronics. All of these will be con-
nected to 12 Volt, all will have at least a plus and minus terminal, and almost
all are complicated enough so that we do not want their internal wiring as
a part of the boats wiring diagram. Many of these we will treat later in the
book. Their internal diagrams are often essential to have but should be
filed on a separate page. For our wiring diagram we proceed as follows: if
the component is round, like the alternator, we represent it with a circle. I f
it is longish like a starter motor, with solenoid on its back, let us use
silhouettes which will look similar but without the clutter of details. Show
26
pumps as boxes with a letter P, for example, or show your type of bilge
pump in profile, show electronic equipment as boxes with labels and, if
possible, a note which helps you find their wiring diagram and manual. Is
a sketch necessary? Here it is, Sketch 9, with circles and boxes.
Example: How to make a wiring diagram:
Batteries, Main Switch, Starter, Solenoid
This part of the master wiring diagram will start with the battery cables
because they are easy to see and trace, and the battery main or selector
switch and engine starter motor are all wired with similarly heavy wire, or
cable.
To make your wiring sketch, start with a large piece of paper. Or use a
pad of tracing paper and start on its last page: you can then make changes
by folding a new page on top and trace any part of old drawing. Draw a
rectangle, battery symbol, for each battery on board. Mark plus and minus
terminals, Draw a main switch, or two if your boat is so fitted. Then draw
starter and solenoid, for example as in Sketch 10. Do not enter any wires
yet, and leave ample space between the components.
27
On the back of the battery main switch, terminals are labelled 1, 2,
and ALL or BOTH. I f you can see the number one terminal, begin with
the heavy wire connected to it, and trace it to a battery plus terminal. That
battery will be No. 1. Enter the wire in the diagram. Trace the heavy wire
from terminal 2 to plus post of battery No. 2. The remaining heavy wire
should then run from the third main switch terminal into the area of the
starter, on one side of the engine.
I f you cannot see the numbers on the back of the main switch, you can
identify the batteries by taking off one heavy wire from one battery plus
terminal (do not touch to ground), then turn the switch to 1 and 2 while
trying cabin lights. The main switch position will tell you which battery you
have disconnected. Mark your batteries if they do not carry numbers now.
Enter the wires in the diagram. Then locate the minus terminals of each
battery and trace the minus wires to a bolt on the engine: your boat has
negative ground. The ground connections are rarely as in Sketch i0
but more often have the battery minus posts interconnected, and only one
wire to ground at the engine. In the rare case that your boat should have
positive ground, label the battery terminals in the diagram as they are
actually wired.
You WIII likely find some smaller wires also connected to the battery main
switch. While you have the terminals identified, look for a medium sized
wire (number 10 or 12 American Wire Gauge, see section in this book)
which supplies the boats electric panel, and another similar wire to the
engine panel or ignition key switch and starter switch. Note the X in
Sketch 10. The engine panel wire is often connected to this solenoid
terminal instead of terminal C of the main switch. This solenoid terminal
is large; do not confuse with the much smaller terminal from the Start
button Enter the wires in the diagram as you locate them.
I f your boat has more than two batteries, they may either be connected
in parallel, as a bank, as batteries 1A and 1B in Sketch 12, or switched
separately with an additional main switch as in Sketch 13.
28
Any number of batteries may be connected as 1A and 16, and then are
used as one large battery. All positive terminals would be interconnected,
and all negative terminals connected to ground. I f three or more batteries
are switched (selected) separately, more than one battery main switch is
needed. Inspect your system and sketch it as you see its wiring.
On some boats, a separate engine battery is used for engine starting
only, with one or two house batteries supplying all other electricity. Such
system would not have the connection marked X in Sketch 13. The
starter would be connected to the lower main switch at ST while the
29
electric panel, with all of the boats circuits, would be connected to the C
terminal of the upper main switch. We will discuss the relative merits of
such systems in the section on batteries. At this point, try to make a drawing
as complete as possible, of what is there.
Wire Numbering
Since you will see wires connected to the main switch or to the battery
which have not become a part of this section of your wiring diagram, note
their existence. For example, with the main panel wire in Sketch 10,
note the color and size of such wire and consider numbering. Wire numbers
are discussed in the section on electrical materials. Numbers are best
placed near the ends, terminals, of each wire, and marked in the wiring
sketches. Put numbers on yet unidentified wires which you find connected
to a component. You will later come across the other end of such wire and
will then be able to tell what that wire does.
Engine Panel and Controls
This section of the master wiring diagram may already be on hand in
your engine manual. However, compare it to the actual components and
wiring which is easy enough: check whether your engine panel actually
has key switch, warning lights, meters, alarms et cetera as listed.
Sketch 14 shows two types of
key switches. The one at top has
C(Et 5wrrc~E.S :
two terminals and two positions,
ON and OFF. The other has three
OFF 8
or more terminals and three or
more positions: an OFF and ON
position, and one momentary ON
position for starting. Both switches
will have one supply terminal with
the wire coming from main switch
or terminal X in Sketch 10. Try
to trace and compare color, and
OFF= ON
number the wire at this end. The
switch with three or more posi-
or more terminals as the switch is
turned. Test by the switch func-
MOM,
tions. There will be only one momentary switch position, its terminal con-
nected to the small terminal on the starter solenoid, shown in sketches.
30
I f there is no key switch, you will either have a switch or circuit breaker
labelled Engine on the main electric panel, or there may be a fuel or oil
pressure switch on the engine which is normally open, closing with pres-
sure, and switching electricity to the engine instruments, alternator charge
light, engine alarms, and alternator regulator. Some of these details are in
the Alternator Section.
In Sketch 15 you see an accumulation of possible components and
functions which may all be switched ON from the key switch. There will
r u P. WATER 7-f
Icl
N.o
o--
2
0
3
N.C.
OIL P.
\
31
always be a momentary starting switch, separately as shown, or as part of
the key switch itself. instrument lights will have their own ON-OFF switch
in most cases. The ALT light is the idiot light as used on automobiles,
the other wire from the light will be connected to a terminal on the alternator
(details in the section on alternators). Oil pressure gauge and water tem-
perature gauge may be the mechanical or electrical variety. I f the latter, the
gauge meters have one terminal connected to plus twelve volt, and another
wire connected to a sensor or sender at the engine (details in the section
on engine alarms). One kind of engine alarm is shown here, consisting of
a bell or horn connected to two switches, both mounted on the engine: the
normally open water temperature switch closes with high temperature, the
normally closed oil pressure switch opens when pressure reaches normal
levels. Such alarm will sound when the key is turned on and will stop once
the engine runs. However, see Sketch 16 for other engine alarms. The
ALT. REG. wire will lead to the alternator regulator. However, some alter-
nators do not require this wire connection. Finally, a wire is sometimes
used to switch off shore power operated battery chargers while the engine
is running. I f you find a thin wire from this engine panel terminal leading
to the converter or battery charger, mark it as such. Label and number
any of these wires at the panel and in your drawing, note any additional
wires for later identification.
Another alarm system is shown in Sketch 16; remember that wire con-
nections are marked by dots. This alarm, used on Yanmar engines, has
three warning lights connected to three places on the engine, plus one
buzzer alarm common to all three. The ALT wire is connected to a terminal
of the alternator which has 12 Volt only when the alternator is working, the
W.T. water temperature sensor is an open switch which closes if water
~tcErC Y
----ET-
temperature rises beyond a limit, and the oil pressure sensor is a normally
closed switch which opens with normal oil pressure. Only three single wires
lead to the engine, the senders make contact to their housing which is in
electrical contact with engine block and ground. I f any one wire is con-
nected to ground, the buzzer alarm sounds but only the corresponding
warning light lights up. There are isolating diodes in the buzzer unit, shown
in the sketch. The diodes conduct only in one direction and keep the three
warning lights isolated to their own warning circuit. With key switch on,
the alternator and oil pressure lights will go on and will sound the alarm
before the engine is started.
Several other instruments may be present in your engine panel, see
Sketch 17. From the key switch, which is the same as shown in the
previous sketches, wires carry plus 12 Volt to an engine hour meter, a
voltmeter, and two kinds of tachometers. Please note that the A ammeter.
is wired differently from all other panel instruments. The ammeter measures
33
32
current, flow rate, and is wired with much heavier wire than the other
instruments. Also, its minus terminal is never at ground level and is not
connected to ground. The minus sign at the ammeter merely indicates that
this is the downstream terminal. Sometimes, this ammeter terminal is
used to supply electricity to other equipment and there may be two or more
wires connected to that terminal, as indicated in the sketch. The other
instruments in Sketch 17 will come alive when the key switch is turned
on, or when electricity is supplied to them by an alternative to a key switch,
for example by a panel switch or circuit breaker, or by a fuel or oil pressure
switch on the engine which closes when the engine has been started.
The wires to the hour meter and voltmeter may be quite light or thin since
very little current is required. The hour meter may be incorporated in a
tachometer and then will not have visible wiring. Note that the minus wiring
is not shown but has been replaced by a ground symbol in the sketches.
Also, note that the connections to the key switch are simplified by using
lines and dots in the sketch, but in reality will have one wire from the key
switch to each of the instruments. In addition, there will be instrument
lights, each with its own plus and minus wire and possibly a lights switch,
so that such a panel will appear a confusing tangle of wires when you first
inspect its back. But if you use the wiring diagram technique of first sketch-
ing the components, then adding wires as you identify them, the sketch
will eventually show you how things are working.
Two kinds of tachometers are shown in Sketch 17, both are connected
to plus 12 Volt and ground. Tachometer #I has another wire which is
connected to a terminal of the alternator. This terminal supplies alternating
current, directly from the stator windings of the alternator. The frequency
of this alternating current is proportional to the speed of the engine.
Tachometer #2 uses a transducer or sender which sends pulses of elec-
tricity. The sender may be mounted so that it senses the teeth of the flywheel
(the same teeth into which the starter motor engages), or teeth of another
gear of the engine, or the blades of the fan of the alternator, directly behind
the pulley of the alternator. Or the sender may be a unit with its own shaft,
driven by the engine.
On gas engines, the tachometer will be the #l type and the sensing wire
connected to the ignition: the tachometer uses pulses generated by the
points. In all cases, tachometers are calibrated to show actual engine RPM
for proportional pulses or alternating currents which depend on pulley size
ratio for alternators, number of teeth on flywheels, or number of cylinders
of gas engines. Most tachometers have a calibration screw at the back of
the housing, usually under a seal or cap.
As mentioned elsewhere, erratic readings of the tachometer are often
caused by a slipping alternator belt. The symptom can be amplified by
increasing the electrical load on the alternator: switch all pumps and lights
on, to see if the tachometer display decreases in spite of constant engine
speed.
To make the wiring diagram of the engine panel, start by making a sketch
with only the components and instruments which you actually have. Use
the engine manual to help you with details and possibly with color codes
of the wiring. Unfortunately, color coded wires are often uniformly coated
with engine paint. The use of wire numbering is strongly recommended.
Attach a number marker at one end of a wire, for example at a terminal of
an instrument or switch, then trace the wire and label the other end with
the same number. Enter the wire with its number in your sketch. Mistakes
will usually become obvious in the sketch: it shows the terminals of all
components. I f any terminal remains without its wire or wires, it shows you
that the sketch is not yet complete. I f the sketch shows a wire which
connects two terminals of the same component, or a wire which connects
plus 12 V to ground, you have probably made a mistake. You may leave
any difficult details for later. Often, you discover wiring details which may
belong to the engine while, for example, looking at cabin light wiring.
34
Cabin Lights
This section of the master wiring diagram will almost always be quite
easy to make, even though much of the actual wire may be out of sight, in
wiring ducts or conduits, in bulkheads, or behind liners. Include in this
diagram any 12 V outlets, cabin fans, etc. Enter in your sketch the lights,
approximately as they are located throughout the boat, light switches, chart
Itghts, bunk and reading lights, outlets, fans, and the one, two, or more
main panel circuit breakers for cabin lights. Try which lights are connected
to each breaker. Then complete the diagram which will be similar to Sketch
18. How the wires actually reach each cabin light may remain a secret
unless there are problems which make trouble shooting necessary. I f the
lights are bright, and one light does not dim when another is switched on
(see trouble shooting techniques), no wire tracing or numbering is neces-
sary except in the area at the main panel.
Mast
Since the mast wiring is usually invisible, we make the mast wiring sketch
from the components on the mast and the wires and cables visible at the
mast foot. There may be lights, instrument heads, and antennas with their
wires and cables. Wind instruments and antennas usually have their own
cables extending through the mast foot, but lights often use wire splices if
two lights are located close together or have the same function: steaming
lightand deck light in the same fitting often use a common ground for wire
for the two lamps, and two spreader lights may use both common plus and
ground wires. There should never be any splice within the mast, and alu-
minum masts should never be used as the ground.
Start a sketch with the mast lights, and
with a number for each separate wire at the
mast foot. Exclude antenna cables and the
normally thin instrument wires in cables. I f
you find six wires for three lamps on the
mast, each apparently has its own plus and
minus wire, shown in Sketch 19, rare. In
most cases, there will be wires used for more
than one light, Sketch 20 shows a steam-
ing light and deck light fitting with corre-
sponding schematic, both lamps have a
common ground wire and may be con-
nected with three separate wires or a three
conductor cable. Sketch 21 shows the wir-
/ -/.
ing diagram of two spreader lights with com-
mon plus and minus wire. To identify the
wires, use a test light or voltmeter, and switch
mast lights on individually. See the trouble
shooting section about how to use test light
or meter.
36
-
14r
-
rtr -
-.-
fm -. -
-.
ril
Sketch 22 shows how the
more recent tricolor running
lights and white anchor
lights can be operated from
two wires. Each of the two
lamps are wired in series with
a diode, a check valve which
lets current flow only in one
direction. Note that the
diodes are in different direc-
tions. I f wire A is positive,
the tricolor lamp will be on.
I f wire B is positive, the white masthead light will be on. Switching is
done with a DPDT (double pole double throw) switch which reverses polar-
ity. These lights are often installed in place of masthead lights and then
use the two existing wires.
37
Other lights on the mast may
include the red over green lights
of COLREGS RULE 25-C which
may have common plus and
minus wires, strobe light which
sometimes is combined with
tricolor and white masthead
lights in a common housing.
You should include the mast
wiring diagram in the terminal
block or plus of any wind
instruments. Note the type of
cable, and the colors of wires
with their location on the ter-
minal block or in the plus. An
example of a mast wiring dia-
gram is shown in Sketch 23.
Deck
On sailboat masts, the white
masthead light is often replaced
with a combined tricolor run-
ning light and white light, see
previous section on masts.
When sailing, the tricolor run-
ning light with its single lamp
saves electricity and makes the
boat more visible than with the
old running lights on cabin
trunk or hull. Under engine
though, with the steamer light
w
2
4
d
TRICOLOR
l&t ITE
SPRDE
on, the red and green running lights are required below the steaming light.
For this application, a switch is used to select tricolor masthead or running
lights at deck level, steamer light, and masthead light combination (with
its selector switch), as shown in Sketch 24. Two sets of running lights
can be switched on at the same time. I f the number of circuit breakers is
limited, a similar arrangement with only one breaker (possibly labelled
NAV.LTS.) is shown in Sketch 25. After the breaker, one SPDT switch
selects running lights at deck or mast. With this switch at DECK RUN.
LTS., a single pole switch can turn on the steamer light. In the MAST
position, the switch feeds the polarity-reversing DPDT switch as in the
previous sketches.
Other equipment which could be included in the DECK wiring diagram
is the compass light, other instrument lights, outlet for hand held spotlight,
and if not in a separate diagram, the knotmeter, log, depth sounder, auto-
38
pilot, windlass, deck wash pump, bilge pump. Most of these will only be
shown with their positive and negative supply wires which you should
locate and number. See Sketch 9. Only bilge pump and windlass will have
more than a plain on-off switch. Bilge pumps are usually installed with a
float switch which makes contact when bilge water rises, with a selector
switch for manual or automatic operation. This is shown in Sketch 26.
Note the joint of wires between selector switch, float switch, and pump:
this splice is vulnerable because wires
2 and 3 are often not long
enough to keep the splice out of the bilge. Locate and renumber the wires.
The positive wire often incorporates a fuse, a nuisance worth noting if your
boat otherwise has breakers.
Windlasses require much current and heavy wires which the main circuit
breaker panel cannot handle. The heavy wires usually start at the battery
main switch and engine block, and switching is by solenoid which is a relay
or electromagnetic switch very similar to the starter solenoid. This solenoid
is normally located near the windlass below deck and its coil switched on

and off with a momentary switch on deck, as shown in Sketch 27.
39
Pressure waler system pumps are equipped with a pressure switch in
series with the pump motor. The pressure switch contacts are closed until
water pressure reaches the designed level. The pressure switch is often
located on or near the pump. Some such pumps have another switch which
opens if the pump is running but the water tank empty, this switch is also
wrred in series with the pump motor, as in Sketch 28.
Main Panel
This panel will consist mostly of circuit breakers or fuses with toggle
switches. Most of these are already shown in the sketches for individual
circuits such as running lights, cabin lights, pressure water system and so
on, and the supply side of the panel which consists of a wire to the battery
main switch is shown in Sketches 10 and 12. For your sketch, include
all breakers on your panel and arrange them as on the panel, upper breaker
at top of sketch. Label the breakers, and number the wires from the indi-
vidual breakers but do not include details of individual circuits which you
already have in separate wiring sketches. Include any voltmeter, ammeter,
and their wiring if applicable, and any pilot lights. An example of a main
panel is shown in Sketch 29. The battery main switch is included for better
orientation.
40
rL _ I
A t
.
di 1 -
ir
-- -
i
- -
i - -
i
Alternator, Battery Charger
Try to find your alternator and its wiring in the section on alternators.
Keep in mind that at this point we want to sketch only the existing wiring.
Alternators always have one larger terminal stud which is the current
output terminal, connected to battery main switch terminal C or to the
starter solenoid terminal as shown in Sketch 10 at X. Battery chargers
or converters often have diode-isolated output terminals for two or three
separate batteries or battery banks and then have one wire connected to
each battery plus terminal or the corresponding terminal at the battery
main switch. Usually, one minus wire is connected to one of the minus
terminals and serves all batteries.
110 Volt Wiring
I f your boat has shore power wiring, safety requires that you survey this
wiring and include a sketch in your wiring diagram file.
SHOCK HAZARD: Before anything else, disconnect the shore power
cable at the boats socket and screw down the cover. Do not use the dock
end of your cable to disconnect since some helpful hand may plug your
cable back in. Use tape or labels if necessary. Do not expose or touch any
of the boats electrical equipment if you are not thoroughly familiar with
the hazards of 110 V. I f necessary, have a professional electrician inspect
your 110 Volt system to make certain that there is no 110 V wiring exposed
at the electric panel, and that this wiring is distinctly separate from all 12
V wiring and can not be mistaken or inadvertently touched. At the same
time, have the electrician tell you how your 110 V wiring is grounded: i.e.
to the shore cable ground wire, to boats ground, with ground fault inter-
rupter.
41
Most 110 V shore power wiring consists of a three conductor shore power
cable, a male three prong connector on the boat, a metal circuit breaker
box with one double pole main breaker and additional single pole circuit
breakers, a pilot light and reverse polarity light or buzzer alarm, three
conductor wiring to grounded outlets, water heater, battery charger, and
other appliances. Wiring is to code, black wire is hot to short slots at outlets,
white wire neutral to long slots at outlets below deck, green wire to ground
terminals, A sample wiring diagram is shown in Sketch 30 but is not
intended as a trouble shooting guide and is otherwise beyond the range of
this book.
42
Soldering
How to Solder, and Why
Many electrical wire connections are made by applying pressure on the
copper wires to make electrical contact. The twisted wires under wire nuts
in house wiring, wire wrapping connections in computers, crimped termi-
nals, wires under pan head or set screws all rely on pressure, and normally
work well. Many are favored because they are fast to make. On the boat
however, moisture and salt tend to tarnish and corrode the surface of
copper so that after some time the contacts become less perfect. Why such
contact resistance can be ignored with low wattage is explained in the
section on basic electricity. Some other connections however must be near
perfect: The corrosion process never stops and any connection may be
fine one season but fail the next.
Soldering is the best available compromise between speed and durability.
It takes a little longer to make soldered connections but their reliability is
outstanding and not affected by time.
When to Solder
On new boats or recently installed
wiring the normally crimped con-
nections are still clean and can eas-
ity be soldered. Since all of the wire
on board is Stranded, corrosive
moisture is drawn into the wires by
capillary force so that later soldering
becomes difficult, even if some
inches of the wire are first cut away.
You should solder connections
whenever there is an opportunity. The
usual crimped terminals as shown
in Sketch 1 have the ends of the
copper wire exposed which you sol-
der to the lug terminal. The plastic
insulation may come off, usually a
minor problem. If the lug must be
insulated, you could use a piece of
shrinkable tubing shown in Sketch
2.
Materials and Tools
You need rosin core solder which is a very thin tube of solder alloy filled
with rosin flux. The solder alloy should be 60% tin and 40% lead, the tin is
the costly part and unspecified solders will contain less tin, will not wet,
copper as readily, and make less perfect connections. This solder is avail-
45
able in half- and one pound spools, and in thicknesses from less than .03
inch diameter to ,125 or /a inch diameter. To use the no third hand
technique, below, the solder wire must be thick enough to stand a few
inches on its own. The %S or 518 inch diameters will do that,
An electric solder iron of about 50 Watt, or solder gun of at least 100 Watt
will be useful if you have 110 V shore power on board. Irons for 12 V are
available but guzzle battery power if they are suitably big. Instead, use these
soldering tools:
For small solder connections, or where rarely needed, clamp a brass,
bronze, copper, or iron bolt, or nail into the jaws of a self locking pair of
pliers, heat on the galley stove, tin the end the moment it is hot enough by
touching rosin core solder to the tip of the nail, then use and re-heat.
For more frequent soldering, twist a solid copper wire and clamp to the
burner of a prof,ane torch as shown in Sketch 3. With a very small flame,
you solder with the tip of the twisted wire which must extend beyond the
hot zone of the flame.
For massive solder connections, such
as lugs on battery cables, use the
flame of the propane torch directly,
touch the solder very briefly to lug or
wire to test whether it will melt, and
only then feed solder until the lug is
completely filled. Before that happens,
the excess rosin flux will overflow and
probably burn. Such connections, as
the Sketch 4, require wire and lug size
to match.
To strip insulation from the ends of
wires, use a sharp knife or single edge
razor blade, roll the wire as shown in
Sketch 5 on a flat surface while cut-
ting the insulation, to avoid injury. For
thinner wires, use wire strippers,
Sketch 6, or an automatic wire strip-
ping tool if you do major wiring, Sketch
7. Other tools such as needle nose pliers
you wilt have in your normal tool box.
No Third Hand Method
To make a solder joint, it must be heated first. Then, solder is applied
which will melt on contact. To do that without a helper, arrange to have
the end of the solder suspended near the twisted wires or other assembly
which you hold in one hand, see Sketch 8. In your other hand, hold the
solder iron or its substitute, and touch the hot tip to the wire joint. Then,
to make the solder touch the work piece, you move it, with solder iron
remaining in touch, toward the end of the solder. You will always find a
46
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SOLDEPL
SPOOL /hi
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convenient place to stand or hang the solder spool and extend the solder,
no third hand needed, in tight places where no helper will find room.
All solder connections have in common that the solder alloy must wet
the soldered metals. You can see good flow or good wetting at the outer
edges of the solder as shown in Sketch 9. Note the different angles with
good and bad wetting. At bad spots, more flux must be applied, simply by
touching more rosin core solder to it. Sometimes more heat is needed.
When soldering a wire to a terminal as in Sketch 10, the hot solder iron
must bring heat to both, best by squeezing it into the corner between the
two. Apply a small amount of solder directly to the tip of the solder iron,
this will improve the flow of heat to the two metal parts and will apply the
first small amount of flux. The final connection is shown at right, note the
angles at the solder. To connect ring or fork terminals or lugs, Sketch 11,
pinch lightly to keep in place, then solder with the iron at the wire end. You
may connect two or more wires into one lug, as needed at some crowded
terminals.
Some switches have screw terminals
as in Sketch 12. You can usually dis-
card the screw and solder the wire
directly into the hole of the terminal.
Very rirely are there switches which
will melt.
Terminals with pan head screws,
Sketch 13, require that the stranded
wire first be tinned, the strands sol-
dered together. Bend clockwise, as
48
m -
m
shown, then pinch the wire loop close
around the screw. Use lock washer if
possible.
Set screw connections, Sketch 14,
also require the wire end to be tinned.
Otherwise the strands will be mashed
and will break.
To connect one wire to another, do not
twist end to end as in Sketch 15 which
is difficult to insulate. Rather twist the
wires as in Sketch 16, with some excess
length, solder, then cut the excess off and
inspect the cut: it will show you if solder
has completely penetrated. To insulate,
use plastic molded wire nuts, available
in several color coded sizes, normally used
in house wiring. They have sharp conical
metal threads inside. They are not suit-
able to make connections without solder-
ing but make durable insulation. Turn
upward so that water will not collect in
them. I f many wires must be soldered
together, as in ground pigtails, you may
hold them together by wrapping a single
thin wire strand around them as in Sketch
17, then solder, cut off excess, and insu-
late. I f more wires have to be connected
to a terminal with pan head screw, such
as a circuit breaker, you could make a
connection as in Sketch 18, with one
extra wire with lug terminal to the pan
head screw.
Some things not to do
You may be tempted to use the more aggressive acid fluxes or paste
fluxes or acid core solder, to solder older tarnished or corroded wires. Such
flux will soak into the stranded wires and will cause serious corrosion even
though the solder joint itself may be a success. Neutralizing the flux does
not solve the problem since a salt is formed in the process which will still
corrode.
Plastic electricians tape which normally is such handy insulating mate-
rial does not work too well on board. While on land it appears to get harder
and the adhesive less sticky with age, on the boat it tends to get soft, and
the adhesive sticky as sirup, and then unravels. I f it must be used, secure
the end with a cable tie.
50
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Finishing Touches
When you have planned to run a new wire from A to 6, all that is left to
do is to connect the wire to A and B. However, there are some mechanical
details to be taken care of. Instead of letting the wire dangle freely from its
terminals, it should be fastened somehow, the terminals insulated, made
inconspicuous if it runs through the cabin area, and safe from being stepped
on or torn loose if it runs in sail lockers or engine room. I f you had to look
for it, you want to be able to find it quickly if necessary. Here are some
suggestions.
Run any new wires parallel to existing bundles of wire, pipe, tube, or
hose to which you can fasten. Number the wire at the ends near the ter-
minals, use adhesive wire numbers which are available in small books.
Stick the number strips to the wire as in Sketch 1, the adhesive ends
toward each other, instead of round-and-round. Enter in the appropriate
wiring sketch. Use cable ties to lash new wires to existing wires or other
supports. Nylon cable ties are offered in different lengths, and with eye for
screw fastening, Sketch 2. I f the available tie happens to be too short, you
can connect two to each other as in Sketch 3. Black cable ties are nec-
essary to secure wires at the mast top, the light ones do not resist sunlight
for very long.
To insulate lugs or wire connections in crowded places, a piece of spa-
ghetti, thin wall plastic tubing, can be slipped over the ends of wires
before fastening to terminals. Spaghetti, Sketch 4, comes in various diam-
eters and colors. I f you cannot find any, use clear vinyl tubing instead.
Shrinkable tubing is a kind of spaghetti which will shrink to about half
of its original diameter when heated, Sketch 5. It can be made to cling
tightly to wire and different sized terminals but will not exclude moisture. .
Heating it in confined places can be a nuisance. I f you have to run wires
51
.
along a new route and need fasteners, use cable clamps,
Sketch 6, and very short pan head screws or oval
head screws with finishing washers if dealing with thin
panels or fiberglass inner liners. A useful screw size is
number 8 stainless pan head screw of % inch length.
I f you want to conceal wires and cannot fish through
spaces behind liners or in bilges, make teak channels
asshown in Sketch 7 which you mount on the surface
with screws, along edges as in the lower sketch. To
make, start with teak molding, about 3/4 inches thick,
and make repeated cuts on a table saw.
I f several new wires must be interconnected, terminal- or barrier strips,
Sketch 9 are often used. I f reliability rates higher than neatness, soldered
connections under wire nuts as insulators are much to be preferred, see
section on soldering. I f necessary, the wires can be spliced inside a plastic
box, Sketch 9, which you mount in a suitable place. Make a hole at each
end for wires, tape a sketch into the lid of the box, discard the supplied
screws and fasten the lid with stainless number 4 oval head screws instead.
Electricians tape, Sketch 10, was mentioned earlier, with the fact that
its adhesive, on the boat, usually changes in a most unpleasant way.
For major wiring, consider installing plastic conduit, for example through
the engine space or in sail lockers or storage spaces along the fiberglass
hull. Use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe available from plumbing suppliers.
For curved runs along the hull, try to use bowed wood or plastic battens
as shown in Sketch 11, which you brace against any opposite surface, all
52
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Y
I
the way across the boat if necessary, to hold the pipe flush. When fiber-
glassing as sketched, the hull must first be stripped of any paint: paint
remover works well. Fasten with 2 to 5 layers of glass cloth and polyester
resin.
Important: with near horizontal runs of conduit pipe, make one or more
drain holes at low places, to avoid accumulating water. Similarly, you can
fasten thin, bendable wood molding to the hull, Sketch 12. Again, use
springy bows of wood or plastic to press in place, fasten with silicone
rubber or polysulfide caulk or adhesives such as epoxy. Such wooden
wiring support has the advantage over pipe that you can fasten any existing
wires with the new wires.
Plugs and sockets are used where
connections must be taken aoart
regularly. They are also used to ease
the installation of electronic instru-
ments. Problems are usually caused
by poor contact when metal sur-
faces corrode or salt crystallizes
between contacts. It helps to apply
grease to both halves of a clean plug
connection before assembly, so that
the spaces in the plug and around contacts are completely filled. Most ,
greases including petroleum jelly will serve although some wash out and
53
then must be replaced. This treat-
ment, Sketch 13, is recommended
if you must have a plug at the mast
foot above deck. An alternative to
such plug is the arrangement in
Sketch 14: it consists of a bronze
or white plastic through hull fitting
installed through the deck near the
foot of the mast, and a black rubber
or silicone lab stopper perma-
nently sealed around the end of a
single mast cable or bundle of single
wires When the mast is unstepped,
,
wire connections are freed below
deck and the stopper with wires
pushed up from below. The stopper
may be sealed into the hull fitting
lightly with silicone sealant, it should
be almost flush with the fitting. Get
stoppers from lab supply houses, ask
college or high school science
teacher.
To install an additional meter,
switch, or other component for which
there is no room on the electric panel,
I
do not try to make its cutout directly
in the bulkhead or panel but instead,
make a small new plastic panel,
Sketch 15, from l/e inch colored
Plexiglass, fit the new components,
connect the wiring, then make the
cutout on the boat: easier to make
now because less accuracy is
needed. Make relatively oversized
mounting holes near the corners and
use oval head screws with finishing
washers.
.&fASr
I f any of the standard or miniature toggle switches on the boat are
exposed to the weather or otherwise likely to get wet, you could install a
flexible silicone rubber boot shown in Sketch 16. by removing the thin
retaining nut and threading the boot on. It has its own nut molded into the
base. Standard toggle switches are mounted in holes of approximately
% inch diameter, their thread is 1% by 32. Miniature toggle switches,
mounted in approximately l/4 inch holes, have a l/4 by 40 thread. Boot seals
are made by Hexseal Division, APM Corporation, Englewood, N.J. It should
be noted that switches on pedestals may get wet from the inside, and this
boot then would not help at all.
54
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Switch On Here, Off There
I f you come back on board after dark, you may want to switch the cabin
lights on with a switch near the companionway. You can do that, have two
switches at different locations, switch the same light or groups of lights on
with one switch, off with the other switch, with both switches in full control.
The Sketch 1 shows how to do it: the two switches must be SPDT types,
and there must be two wires between the switches. The switches are sketched
with the light off. I f you switched either of the switches, the light would go
on. Then, it could be turned off again at either switch. Not earth shaking,
but sometimes very nice to have.
55
Trouble Shooting
In this section, you dont want to learn about electricity as much as you
want to fix a problem. Trouble shooting could be made scientific and
systematic, it sometimes, rarely, has to be that. But more often, it is the art
of testing first where the problem is most likely to be, and to fix it in ways
which fit the circumstances.
I f you are looking for a trouble spot, be suspicious if you appear to find
two problems. Only one of them caused the current trouble, the other may
contribute but probably existed before. It is extremely unlikely that two
unrelated things go wrong at the same time. You are therefore always
looking for one major, clearly responsible cause for your immediate trouble.
While trouble shooting, you may see things which need overhauling, but
keep in mind the difference between the two: while trouble shooting, you
want to make things work again quickly, perhaps while at sea. Later, over-
hauling is probably a good idea as you cure potential trouble spots which
had not happened yet, in a program of preventive maintenance.
The trouble shooting tests will start with those which are both simple to
carry out and most likely to pinpoint the problem. Then, as you did not find
the problem, tests must look at additional details more closely. I f at any
point it occurs to you to test any particular detail because you are suspi-
cious of it, do so and find it by the heading of its paragraph, in the sketches,
or in the index. To prevent you from overlooking a test and, instead, doing
other tests over and over, make a sketch or use a wiring diagram, and
sketch in what and where you have tested.
A test light (TL) is a great tool for this type of trouble shooting because
it is so relatively crude. A sensitive VOM (Volt Ohm Meter) may show 12 V
through a hopelessly corroded switch contact while there is no other load.
A test light draws enough current to light, to avoid some possible wrong
conclusions. I f you are using a VOM, be aware that it may be so sensitive
to show you voltage through a wet timber.
Engine Starting
I f you cannot start the engine, switch the battery main or selector switch
to ALL or BOTH even if you are connecting to a battery which is nearly
empty. As long as it still has more than about 10 Volts it will contribute
starting current. Switch the battery main switch back and forth between
the OFF and 2 position several times while no electricity is being drawn.
We call this exercising the switch: the action tends to clean the contacts
as they are wiped against each other.
Main Switch Test
Switch several cabin lights on, then move the main switch handle slightly
back and forth. Less than perfect contact is indicated by flickering of the
cabin lights. Switch from one battery through the ALL or BOTH position to
the other battery. Again, the cabin lights will flicker (slight changes in
57
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58
brightness) if the contacts are less than perfect. (A permanent difference
in brightness may be due to different charge levels of the batteries, the
cabin lights will be consistently darker on one battery). Next chance, try
the flicker test at night.
Starter Current Path: First Test
I f there is a distinct response when you push the start button or turn the
kg, the clicking sound of the starter solenoid, the groaning of the starter
motor, or the engine being turned, hold the starter button down for about
three seconds, then quickly feel all terminals shown in Sketch 1 by hand.
Determine if any of them have become warm. Touch the battery posts with
terminal hardware on both batteries, plus and minus, try the grounding bolt
where the minus terminals are connected to engine ground, the terminals
at the back of the battery main or selector switch, and the terminals of the
starter solenoid which is located directly on or near the starter motor. I f
you find any of these to be warm, clean and re-tighten the connection.
In the case of battery post terminals, see the details later in this section.
I f the only response to pressing the start button is the click of the starter
solenoid, or if there is no audible response at all, switch on any cabin light,
then press the start button again. I f the cabin lights are dim to begin with,
and become dark when you push the start button, a low battery is likely.
Switch to all batteries as recommended earlier in this section.
However, if the cabin lights remain bright when start button is pressed,
there is a poor contact in the starter current path, with too little current
flowing to detect it by hand through generated heat.
In this case, test with a test light at d in Sketch 1 while someone pushes
the start button, with power switched on at the main switch. I f the test light
remains dark, or VOM does not show 12 V, go to Solenoid Contact Prob-
/em and Sketch 3. Should the TL light up while the start button is pushed,
power reaches the starter motor plus terminal. Test between starter
motor housing and engine ground bolt shown in Sketch 1: with start
button pushed, TL should remain dark, VOM should not show any voltage
and if that is the case, problem is in the starter motor, difficult to correct
on the spot. Other trouble spots are much more likely.
Starter Current Path: More Tests
Have someone stationed at the start button or key switch and, after
making certain that the engine indeed will not start when the button is
pushed, that the cabin lights remain bright touch the test wires of the test
light (TL) as sketched at the letters in small circles in Sketch I. Then have
the start button pushed while you observe the TL:
a: TL lights, indicating that power reaches the solenoid coil and makes ,
the solenoid click. I f not, problem is not in the starter current path of this
sketch but at the engine panel, or the batteries are not turned on.
59
. , . , . , , _. . . _. . . __X------ I - I . . . . - . - VW-
I f the TL lights up but the solenoid does not click, search tar another
second small terminal on the solenoid which may be a grounding terminal
for the coil. I f it has a wire to any ground terminal, then have start button
pushed. I f TL lights up, poor ground connection is somewhere between
the two points. Correct by remaking the wire connections after first switch-
ing battery power off.
b: test directly at the two lead battery posts, not at the terminals clamped
to them, battery main switch turned on to this battery, start button pressed,
TL should get slightly dimmed (full battery) when things are normal, or
become dark (low battery). I f it remains bright, continue:
c: hold TL wires to the terminals as shown, not to the battery posts as in
b. I f results are different from b, for example bright at b, but dimmed at c
while the start button is pushed, there is a poor connection at one of the
battery post terminals. Use tests e and f in Sketch 2 to identify the trouble
spot. See lhe battery post sketch in this section and note that tightening
the bolt and 5~ inch nut may not improve contact.
.-
IA 1 .
d: if the TL becomes bright while the start button is pushed, problem is
in the starter motor, hard to correct but not likely. I f no help is available,
you could try to see the brushes if you can remove the steel band covering
the brushes. On most engines, this will be hard to do because of limited
access.
Starter Current Path: Search for Poor Contacts
Sketch 2 shows the places for the test light (TL) wires, hold them firmly
in place, then have a helper push the start button, with battery main switch
turned to the battery which you are testing.
CAUTION: protect yourself in case the engine should start unexpect-
edly. Do not ground any terminals accidently which could generate sparks
and heat.
While start button is pushed:
e: overrides the ground connection. Bright TL indicates poor COntaCt
between battery minus post and engine ground.
Keep notes of what you have tested.
f: bright TL shows poor contact at this terminal which you should refasten.
Note: Only one battery is shown in the sketches. Use the same tests for
other batteries, switch the main switch accordingly.
g: bright test light (TL) indicates poor contact at the switch. Make sure
that the switch was actually turned on, test with f to make certain poor
contact is not at the switch terminal studs, exercise the switch, see details
in this section. I f the switch is at fault and cannot be repaired, an emergency
repair is to remove the nuts and fasten one or both battery cables from
terminals 1 and 2 to terminalC,
or to each other, by using a 3/e inch
bolt.
60
_
lh
!
CAUTION: Do not touch any of these to ground: sparks and much heat,
fire hazard. I f you make this connection, do not take it apart again while
the engine is running. Keep notes of what you have tested.
h: bright TL (while starter button is pushed!) indicates poor contact at
solenoid. Test again and hold wires to k: if different from h, use test f
directly at each terminal and tighten if you have a bright TL with test f. If
you have pinned the problem to the solenoid internal contact, namely bright
TL with h and k but not with fat these terminals, proceed to Sketch 3.
Starter Solenoid Contact Problem
Sketch 3 shows the starter
solenoid with its big terminals and
with the start button. The sole-
noid connects the two heavy ter-
minals to each other when the start
button is pressed. I f your engine
will not start, starter motor not
turn, but starter solenoid clicks
when you push the button, and
cabin lights then do not dim, the
contact within the solenoid maybe
poor. That happens relatively often
and is fairly easy to correct.
BATTERY MAIN SWITCH
MUST BE OFF.
Connect a wire to the plus ter-
minal of a battery, or to the 1 or
2 terminal of the main switch,
then touch the other end of the
wire to the starter button terminal
as shown, or to the small terminal
on the starter solenoid. The bat-
tery main switch must be off so
that there will be no current flow-
ing through the solenoid, and the
starter will not turn. The wire with
plus 12 Volt must be touched
firmly, some sparks will form: pro-
tect your eyes. I f the start button
terminals are more accessible,
SKETCH@
touch the wire there, try either terminal, only the correct one will respond.
Or, if easier to reach, touch to the small solenoid terminal which will
respond with a sharp click as the electromagnet closes contact. This con-
tact usually consists of a large copper ring pulled against two bolt heads ,
which are the inner end of the big terminal studs. Since very large currents
are switched, the copper ring, develops burn marks around its edge. This
61
ring is free to rotate, and not enough current can flow if a pitted place
happens to make contact. Touch the wire ten or more times and let the
solenoid click. You are only using a few Ampere for its coil since power to
the starter is turned off at the battery main switch. Remove the wire first,
then try the starter.
I f this problem has ever happened to you, espe-
cially when you were approaching an inlet and
wanted the engine, you may be inclined to make
up a wire for this purpose. Use a clip as in Sketch
4 which is able to clamp to larger terminals, sol-
der a wire number 12 to it, tin the other exposed
end of the wire, and pack it in a plastic bag with
instructions.
5r
Battery Terminals
Battery posts are slightly conical. Inspect
yours and see if the bolts at the clamp
type terminals are tight, and if the ends
of the clamps touch, as in Sketch 5. I f
so, additional bolt tension will tend to fur-
ther deform the terminal but may not
increase pressure on the battery post. To
remedy, the terminal may have to be moved
further down on the conical battery post.
To do that, take the bolt out, then bend
the terminal, for example as in Sketch 6
with a large flat screwdriver.
DO NOT SHORT! HAZARD OF SPARKS
AND HEAT.
Reset the terminal low on the battery
post, install the bolt with lockwasher, and
tighten. Do this with both positive and
negative terminals. I f you have to tap the
terminal down in place, use a light tool,
not a massive hammer, to avoid damage
to the battery. With a piece of wood in
between, tap alternate places, Sketch 7,
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-
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1
More Complicated Starter Wiring
More than one wire connected to the heavy solenoid terminal:
Very often, plus 12 V electricity for engine related uses is taken from the
upper or outer of the two heavy solenoid terminals. This is the terminal
which is connected directly to the battery main switch C Common ter-
minal, and wires are connected to the solenoid rather than the main switch
out of convenience, or before the engine was installed on the boat.
There is always only one connection between the other heavy solenoid
terminal and the starter motor. This connection often is a flat copper strap.
It may beveryshort and sometimes invisible, underthe body of thesolenoid.
There is no need to connect test wires to it, its Ohm measurement to ground
is zero, it is at plus 8 to IO Volt while the starter is cranking.
More than one small terminal on the solenoid: The coil in the
solenoid has two ends. One of these is always connected to a small terminal
on the outside, the other is usually connected to the solenoid housing and
thus connected to engine ground without any other wiring. Sometimes,
though, the other end of the coil is also fitted with a terminal at the outside.
It is then connected with a wire to engine ground, at a bold or stud on
engine, starter motor, or ground terminal, and this connection deserves
close inspection. Solenoids with this arrangement are sometimes made for
installation separate from starter motor, and may then not get reliable
grounding by their fastenings. Sometimes, see below, the solenoid coil is
switched by a relay which looks, and is, another solenoid. To test solenoid
coils with two terminals, connect test light (TL) between each of the small
terminals and engine ground. At one of them, the TL lights when starter
button is pressed, this is the positive terminal as in all earlier sketches. At
the other, the TL remains dark when the starter button is pressed. I f it lights,
and the solenoid not respond with its click, that terminal is not properly
grounded. Trace its wiring, clean and fasten.
More than one solenoid: On larger engines and
starter motors, the solenoid current is switched with
an additional relay, rather than directly from the
start button. Such relay is shown in Sketch 6.
Sometimes, one of these is used even on small aux-
iliary sailboat engines and then may cause confu-
sion. Inspect the starter side of the engine, to see if
your starter has its solenoid, plus the additional
relay mounted in the vicinity: you will find it by trac-
ing solenoid wires.
63
Sketch 9 shows the arrangement
of starter solenoid with the extra
relay. Its wiring diagram is in Sketch
10 and shows how the start button
sends power to the relay coil, the
relay sends power to the solenoid
coil, and the solenoid sends power
to the starter motor. On sailboat aux-
iliary engines, the reason for this extra
relay is worry that the start button
wiring may be too thin and long, its
terminals vulnerable to corrosion and
high contact resistance, or the switch
contact rating marginal. All trouble
shooting steps of the earlier Sketch
1 and 2 apply here. In addition, a
poor contact in the (main, big) sole-
noid can be treated by exercising
the solenoids as in Sketch 3 as long
as the engine is no larger than about
50 horsepower. You can bring the
wire described in Sketch 3 directly
to the small solenoid terminal, or to
the corresponding relay terminal
labeled C in Sketch 9. As out-
lined, battery main switch must be
OFF, and you should guard against
sparks.
A /
Core
The contacts between B and C in the extra relay are not likely to be
pitted by high currents but may still cause trouble by contact resistance
from corrosion. To exercise these contacts, have battery main switch turned
off, then touch the wire of Sketch 3 repeatedly to terminal D of the start
button, see Sketch 9. You will easily find which terminal that is: if you
touch terminal E instead, no harm, but no action either. I f the relay does
not respond, test its ground terminal, the right small terminal in Sketch
9. A TL (test light) between it and engine ground should not light.
I f this relay fails and cannot be repaired, start the engine by momentarily
connecting terminal B to terminal C, Sketch 9, or by connecting.the
heavy terminal at cable A to the small terminal on the solenoid. In either
case, a suitable metal conductor must first be found and must not short
any of these terminals to ground. Be prepared for sparks, and protect your
eyes. To make such jumper connection at the solenoid, a heavy screwdriver
may work.
65
Electrical Leaks
While this is a trouble shooting subject, searching for leaks is something
you will not have to do under pressure of time, if at all. Leaks are often
blamed but only rarely searched for, and then hardly ever exist. They make
great excuses for low batteries but to search for one means actually believ-
ing that there is one. I f you insist, here are two tests, both to be done with
a Volt Ohm Meter (VOM), switched to measure 12 VDC. One test is slightly
more troublesome but will detect absolutely every leak, the other test is
extremely easy to carry out but assumes that there are no leaks upstream
of the battery main switch, between battery plus terminal and the main
switch terminals. A reasonable assumption.
Background: Sketch 1 shows
a battery and a simple circuit of a
switch and a lamp with its wiring.
With the switch open, touching
the VOM wires as shown will have
the meter needle show 12 V, or
whatever the battery voltage hap-
pens to be. The reason is that any
lamp filament will be conductive
enough to make a connection of
the black VOM wire to ground and
battery minus terminal, to have the
VOM show the battery voltage. In
comparison, the tests light would
require a path to ground which
would allow about % Ampere to
flow, or the TL would not light up.
VOMs usually only require about
VIOOO of one Ampere to move the
meter needle.
In practice, no switch is located
conveniently close enough to the
battery terminals, and touching the
VOM as in Sketch 2 will not work.
We have to first have an interrup-
tion in the wire, as in Sketch I,
but near the battery. That is shown
in Sketch 3: The meter will show
12 V when the switch is closed, or
when a leak provides a path which
connects the black negative meter
wire to ground and the battery
minus terminal. I f you take off the
positive battery cable from the
Q
67
terminal of the battery as in
Sketch 4, and then touch the
meter wires as shown, with meter
switched to 15 VDC or 50 VDC,
meter needle at zero tells that there
is no leak or drain from that bat-
tery greater than one thousandth
of an amp. Verify that the meter
actually works by switching a
cabin light on (meter shows bat-
tery voltage but cabin light remains
dark), or by touching the black
minus meter wire to the battery
minus terminal, directly on hand
(meter shows battery voltage).
A much simpler leak test is shown in Sketch 5. With the VOM range for
12 VDC, touch the test wires to the battery main switch terminals 1 and
C, or 2 and C. The main switch must be turned off and all other
circuits as well, since you are looking for an unintentional current drain,
not a light left on. Any leak of about %ooo A will make the meter needle show
12 v.
You can test the meter by having a cabin light and its circuit breaker
switched on while the main swilch remains off. The meter will show 12 V
but the cabin light remains dark. In this test, leaks from the 1 and 2
battery cables to ground remain undetected. For all tests, the battery must
have some minimal charge.
68
n
- -
c
With leakage within the main switch you might conceivably get a meter
reading when current from a well charged battery tries to flow into a lower
battery. This reading would decrease after the main switch had been in the
ALL position for a few minutes.
How big a leak?
Two limits are easily established: touch a test light in place of the VOM.
I f it lights up, or even barely glows, the leak is massive and would drain a
battery in a week. Did it do that? I f not, you are looking not at a leak but at
something still switched on.
I f the VOM is relatively sensitive, it might have a rating of 20,000 Ohm per
Volt and, if its needle only moves to less than full battery voltage, or only
indicates when switched to a 10 VDC or 2 VDC range, it tells you of a leak
of only a few milliamp. Anything in between should be measured with Ohm
meter: The VOM is switched to one of the Ohm ranges, the test wires
plugged into the proper sockets, their ends held to each other, and the
Ohm adjustment turned until the needle points to the zero on the Ohm
scale, usually at the far right end. (Internal battery!) Then, touch the test
wire to the separated battery cable in Sketch 4; other wire to ground, or
to battery main switch terminal C and other wire to ground, the main
switch turned off Sketch 6. Measure with test wires in both directions.
Since a leak is likely to encounter some conduction through salty wetness
and dissimilar metals, readings in two directions are likely to give different
results. Switch to the Ohm range which will give the reading nearest the
middle of the scale.
69
What to do about it:
Action will depend on the measured Ohms.
O-10 Ohm: not a leak. There is a light or instrument still switched
on.
lo-100 Ohm: still something switched on, such as a pilot light, instru-
ment light, electronic instrument,
100-l 000 Ohm: a significant leak, must be found, see section on wiring
diagrams, then follow trouble shooting procedures. Or
could still point to a low power electronic component
such as a liquid crystal display clock, not wired with a
switch, to remain on at all times.
1000-l 0,000 Ohm: measure again on a very dry day, or after spraying pen-
etrating oil or moisture repeflants on suspicious elec-
trical components (but not into electronics or on plastic
housings which may be damaged). Keep an eye out for
an explanation, makesure this reading does not change
to lower Ohms.
10,000 + Ohm: instgnificant. Measure again on a very wet day, in humid
weather, or after some rough ocean passage, and always
keep electrolytic corrosion in mind. Action only if mea-
surement decreases significantly.
Leak Detector Light
When leaks or forgotten lights are suspected to cause low batteries,
install a leak detector light, like the VOM in Sketch 5, but permanently
connected to the main switch terminals, and mounted next to the main
switch, or at any distance from it, on the main electric panel or circuit
breaker panel. Such light must become visible with only a few milliampere
of current, and must be able to withstand full 12 Volt. Such a light can be
made from a light emitting diode and series resistor Sketch 7. A red light
emitting diode (LED) with series resistor of 470 Ohm, % Watt, will tell that
some equipment was left on or that there is a leak of as little as 5 milliam-
pere. To test, the main switch is turned off. I f the light then becomes bright,
something is drawing current.
Sketch 8 shows an LED mounted in a small plastic panel for easy
installation in a 34 inch hole. The resistor is soldered to the LED and covered
with a piece of spaghetti. Horseshoe shaped large lugs can be slipped
under the terminal nuts of the main switch.
available from Spa Creek Co., Annapolls.
70
-
. .._
1
nl
lm!
IL-.*1
Electrolytic Corrosion
Most solid materials are subject to corrosion, to the gradual wearing
away of material from the surface. Whether metals or non-metals corrode
depends on their surroundings which may leave them perfectly unchanged
or cause them damage. Some materials corrode by dissolving, such as the
lollipop in a childs mouth. Other materials corrode by changing their
molecules, such as nylon sailcloth when exposed to the high energy in
ultraviolet sunlight. Most materials corrode by reacting with others in their
surroundings. They form a new material by chemical reaction. Marble stat-
ues corrode when their calcium carbonate reacts with the sulfuric acid in
acid rain. Or a silver spoon turns black from silver sulfide at its surface
when reacting with sulfur in eggs. Most important to us are the reactions
of metals with oxygen. There is oxygen in the air, and oxygen dissolved in
water: fish live by it. Many metals and alloys will not react with oxygen
alone but need water present also, and the corrosion product often incor-
porates water. To us boat owners water is always close at hand, if only as
humidity, water, dissolved in air.
Table 1
Metals arranged in the
order of increasing drive
to react with oxygen:
Platinum NOBLE
Gold
Silver
Nickel
Copper
Tin
Lead
Iron
1
Zinc LEAST
Magnesium NOBLE
The pure metals can be arranged in the order
of their urge, drive, or tendency to react, for
example with oxygen, Table i. In reality,
there are several factors which can either
accelerate or prevent corrosion of most met-
als.
Important is that we are never dealing with
pure metals, Rather, the metal parts on the
boat are made from alloys which consist of
two or more pure metals, either because they
were alloyed on purpose, or because small
percentages of one or another pure metal
were left in as impurities: too difficult or too
unimportant to remove.
Another important factor is that most metal parts do not exist in isolation,
Often, metal parts are intentionally or accidentally connected to each other:
you have likely heard of the term
dissimilar metals used in connection
with electrolytic corrosion. We will see how dissimilar metals cause cor-
rosion both on a large scale when obviously different metal parts are
interconnected, and on a microscopic scale when dissimilar regions of the
same piece react.
Dissimilarity can also be created by the surroundings: we will discuss
why one area of a piece of otherwise uniform or homogeneous metal will
behave as though it were a different metal from the rest of that pjeces
surface. The difference can be caused by the surroundings arid we will see
71
how water flow rate over the metal surface, or temperature of water and
metal, or closeness to air, dissolved oxygen, saltiness, can make one area
of a piece of metal become dissimilar from the rest.
Finally, the most troublesome contribution from the surroundings is stray
electricity: the flow of electric current through the water in which your boat
floats. To explain how and why electric current causes corrosion, and why
it is called electrolytic to begin with, requires a closer look at a corroding
metal surface.
The basic corrosion process
Do you remember atoms? Made up from electrons in orbit around a
center called nucleus? Sketch 1 shows metal at left, water at right, and
one metal atom which has just reacted and formed a metal ion. In the
process, the metal atom has
released one electron which
is also shown. The electron has
9
a negative charge and the
Ec&c-reod --?-
metal atom now has one elec-
tron less so that its positive
CA
Q
charges now have a majority
e-
0
+ Ml33L
IW
of one. This gives the metal
an overall positive charge and
4
we call it a metal ion. This
metal ion with its positive
i
lJ4 E-l-AL $ WAT-ER
charge can now attract neg-
ative ions to form an oxide,
SkE7-W-f a
hydroxide, chloride, or what-
ever its individual natural chemical inclination might be. Important to us is
the electron. It can flow through metal with ease, at the speed of light. Such
travelling electrons we call a current. And that there is a current generated
where metals are corroding is easily demonstrated. Just pick two metals
from Table 1, one near the bottom and a different one higher up the list.
Connect them as in Sketch 1 and let the current flow: you have a battery.
All primary batteries work in this way (secondary batteries are the ones
which can be recharged). In a zinc carbon flashlight battery, a cup made
from sheet zinc corrodes away to make the electric current, Sketch 2.
Instead of a noble metal, a carbon rod happens to work as an inexpensive
substitute. The amount of electricity is limited by the amount of zinc metal.
You wonder how much electricity? It happens that some metals give up
only one electron, while others give up two or three. The metal ions then
have one, two or three positive charges called valences. Zinc happens to
be two valent: zinc atoms give up two electrons and form ions with two
positive charges.
m
U
-
m
m! --
m
One ounce of zinc generates electrons equivalent to 23 Ampere hours.
In Sketch 3, zinc and copper are shown connected by a meter which
would, for example, show a current of 0.023 Ampere for 1000 hours which
!
would be 0.023 A times 1000 h = 23 Ah (Ampere hours). There is one
73
72
important requirement: the water must be electrically conductive. I f it is, it
will allow a current to flow between the two metals. This current will be of
exactly the same size as the current through the meter.
Electric Current in Water
I f we changed the experiment of Sketch 3 and placed the two pieces of
metal each into its own beaker with corrcsive salt water as in Sketch 4,
no current would flow through the meter no matter how sensitive we made
the meter. The reason is that our
electric circuit is incomplete: the
circuit is open between the two
beakers and no current can flow.
Will the metals corrode? Both are
in corrosive salt water and, yes, both
copper and zinc will corrode
according to their position in Table
1. Copper will corrode only slightly
because of its relatively noble metal
characteristic, and zinc will cor-
rode faster because it is more reac-
tive as indicated by its position in
the table. Both will corrode as
though they were completely iso-
lated from each other. The wire
connection will have no effect at
all. But the piece of zinc will cor-
rode slower than the zinc Sketch
3, and that has to do with the con-
ductivity through the water.
For all practical purposes you can assume that all water, from sea water
to brackish river water to the clearest inland lakes is electrically conductive.
That includes all drinking water, as you can easily test with an ohmmeter.
However, electric current is conducted much differently in water than in
metals. We have talked about electrical current being a stream of flowing
electrons. Metal conductors such as a copper wire consist of copper atoms
each with a cloud of orbiting electrons. To conduct an electron through
such wire, see Sketch 5,
k-iEra=f--- b.bVc70~
it is only necessary to push
room for the electron at
the left, and cause one to
-
miib
w
@m I
-_
dm
-, .7
* I
L _
overflow at the right.
Because in metals elec-
trons are so extremely
mobile, metals have such
high electrical conductiv-
ity. That is much different
in water. In order to have -.
current flow in water, an
electron must hitch a ride.
It must find a compatible
ion in the water which will
pick up the electron. As in
Sketch 6, such ion must
have a positive charge
which means that it has a
-f- SlGmf @
vacancy for an electron.
To complete the circuit, somewhere else in the water, electrons must be
unloaded from water to another metal conductor, the one on the right. I f
you compare this sketch with Sketch I, you can see that there are two
different processes possible at the interface between metal and water.
Water is conductive if it contains ions which can offer electrons a mode of
transportation. Water then is also corrosive: ions are involved in the process
in Sketch 1. Physical and chemical processes determine which route iS
taken, Since water itself forms ions, one OH- and one H+ from each HZ0
molecule, quite a number of chemical reactions can take place at the metal
surfaces, all of them taking part in conducting current through water, but
some not corrodinq the metal. All of these reactions need a driving force
tc I proceed. That fo;ce can be the natural characteristic of zinc to react and
corrode, or it can be an electric potential
applied to the wires in Sketch 6, or the
forces which drive chemical reactions to
proceed. With this in mind, we have to look
again at the corrosion of pure metals, and
of dissimilar interconnected metals.
Table 2
Corrosion rate of pure
metals in sea water,
inches per year.
Metal ifw
Platinum 0.0000
Gold 0.0000
Silver 0.000
Nickel less than 0.0003
Copper about 0.001
Tin less than 0.001
Lead less than 0.001
Iron about 0.001
Zinc about 0.001
Magnesium about 0.001
The first observation here is that metals by
themselves in sea water do not corrode very
much at all. Even the metals at the bottom
of Table 1 have relatively modest corrosion
rates as shown by the values for the corro-
sion rate in inches per year (ipy) in Table
2. This table gives approximate values only
since it considers the corrosion to occur
evenly. In reality, corrosion damage is more
often caused by pitting, by loss of metal in
small areas where small but deep holes are
generated.
75
In comparison, the corrosion rate of zinc in Sketch 2 or Sketch 3 is much
greater since zinc is connected by wire to another electrode, the piece of
copper, which accepts and disposes of the electrons which the zinc is
generating. The noble metals or graphite or the carbon rod in a flashlight
battery can do that better than zinc or other reactive, base metals. Here
is what must happen: a piece of zinc, by itself in sea water, Sketch 7,
corrodes and generates free electrons. The increasing excess of electrons
will slow and eventually stop the corrosion reaction unless there is another
reaction going on at the surface of the zinc which will use up the free
electrons. One possibrlity is sketched here: electrons could combine with
hydrogen ions, HT, to form hydrogen gas bubbles. Or they could combine
with other positive ions which, after a while, would get scarce in the neigh-
borhood of the zinc and the whole corrosion process would slow or halt.
We can easily prove that by connecting a wire to the zinc and feeding extra
electrons to the zinc, for example from a battery. Electrons, e , are negative,
and I f we connect the negative wire to the zinc and the positive wire to
another electrode to complete the circuit, Sketch 8, we would stop all
corrosron at the zinc. Never mind what happens at the other electrode: you
can figure that out in a moment.
Here we have the explanation why electrolytic corrosion is so often
related to dissimilar metals, and why the term dissimilar metals is asso-
ciated with often vague but threatening worries. On the one hand, there
are such metal couples like copper and zinc which can readily generate
electric currents. We use some of them and turn such currents to our
advantage, as in electrolytic protection with so called sacrificial anodes of
zinc on boats, or of magnesium or aluminum in other applications. On the
other hand, there are conditions which can make a limited area of a piece
of metal become dissimilar to other areas of the same metal or alloy. A
current begins to flow and electrolytic corrosion sets in.
Dissimilar Metals
Before we look at these microscopic dissimilar metal cells on a piece of
metal, let us arrange some metals and alloys by their relative behavior
toward each other. Unless two pieces of metal are exactly alike, an electro-
lytic current will develop between them if electrically connected and immersed
in an electrolyte such as sea water. As in Sketch 3, one would corrode,
become the anode, and reveal its character as the more active base metal,
while the other would be more passive, more noble, and become the cath-
ode. Note that a given piece of metal can be the anode to one metal and
the cathode to another. Only platinum and gold are difficult to surpass as
cathodes, and magnesium will always be an anode since we will not discuss
any more reactive metals. For example, if a piece of iron or steel were
connected to a piece of copper and the two placed in salt water, iron would
be the anode. I f the same piece of iron were connected to a piece of zinc,
the iron would here be the cathode, Sketch 9. Such experiments have
been made with most commercial alloys and commercial grades of pure
metals. Table 3 gives the so called galvanic series of metals and alloys in
sea water. The metals are shown in groups and are most cathodic or passive
at the top of the list and become progressively more reactive toward the
bottom. Any metal in the list will be an anode to a metal higher in the list,
and a cathode to a metal lower in the list, if connected as in Sketch 9, in
sea water. Only metals within a group, such as the group of cast iron,
76
wrought iron, and steel, are so close in activity that no difference in elec-
trical potential develops and, in this example, all corrode evenly as long as
conditions remain equal.
Most striking is that some metals are listed twice: once passive and once
active. Nickel, for example, is more noble than all bronzes when in its
passive state, but much more corrosive when it is active. Chromium behaves
similarly, and stainless steels (note that there are different types) which are
alloys of iron with mostly nickel and chromium, show the most notorious
difference between active and passive state. Type 316 stainless steel, for
example, is used to make the most corrosion resistant bolts and hardware
normally available in marine stores. This grade performs much like a noble
metal, is listed close to the top in Table 3, hardware made from it remains
brightly shiny on board, but only when passive. The same metal active
behaves just like its major ingredient iron. It rusts, and is listed far down
the list in Table 3.
There are two theories for the explanation of passive/active behavior of
these metals. We do not have to choose because both have to do with
oxygen which is adsorbed on the metal surface, or forms oxides which
form a film on the metal surface. An abundance of oxygen helps to maintain
the passivity of stainless steel. Stainless fittings at deck or rig perform
very well even when sprayed with sea water. When stainless steel is immersed
in sea water for limited lengths of time, the surface remains shiny and free
from corrosion: it remains passive. The same applies to the nickel plating
which is the visible surface of many (most ?) pieces of commercial stainless
marine hardware. But have anything cut off the supply of oxygen and
stainless steel wrll revert back to the behavior of iron: it will rust as it
becomes active. The first signs of that you can see where a part of a stainless
fitting is covered as in Sketch IO. Where the deck material, resin in a
fiberglass boat, or paint, caulk, cover the stainless, a small edge of rust will
become visible if there is any water. Some
of the stainless surface under the paint
cover will become active and will then,
whenever there is an electrolyte such
as sea water spray, become the anode
to the other, still passive areas of the
same fitting.
I f the fitting is nearer the water such
as the dinghy towing eye in Sketch 11,
there will be water electrolyte almost
all the time, and a narrow brown edge
of rust will develop and sometimes stain
the nearby gelcoat. It would be unfor-
tunate to have stainless steel fittings
permanently under water. Theoretically,
the stainless steel would remain passive
.
m .
m L
-
\-
,1
near the surface where the surface water usually contains enough dissolved
oxygen. However, in reality such fitting will get covered by fouling, oil,
floating surface dirt, or paint which cause oxygen starvation and make
stainless steel become active. At that point, we have two decidedly dissim-
ilar metals in the sea water electrolyte. The active surface will get additional
cover from loose, porous rust which makes it quite impossible to revert
back to the protected passive state. Sketch 12 shows a rudder gudgeon
fitting which you will occasionally see made from stainless steel. Rust will
first develop at the narrow gaps around screws or bolt heads, at the edges
along the hull or the bedding compound, and at the bearing surface near
the pintle, and around the barnacle which may not remain alone for very
long. At these places, the stainless steel is most likely starved of oxygen
and turned active. With electrolyte present, dissimilar metal corrosion can
then start between the active area as anode and the passive areas as
cathode. We will discuss further on how to protect such stainless fittings.
Traces of rust on stainless steel, as for example on lifeline stanchions and
other deck hardware usually
tell you that there is a film of
oil, grease, wax, grime, or air
pollution deposits which
keep the air away. Cleaning
such surfaces will normally
restore the passive charac-
ter.
c__--
79
I . . , , , , , *
Another cause for dissimilar y
metal corrosion on one single,
otherwise uniform piece of
G
metal can be caused by differ-
ences in the electrolyte. We
have seen how low oxygen --
content in the surroundings can
make stainless steel loose its
passivity. The corrosion reac-
tions of other metals can often
be accelerated or retarded by
differences in the composition
!a)LT WATlEb!z
of the electrolyte. I f the same
piece of metal is exposed to dif-
~klz7-x~ 8
ferent electrolytes at the same
time, a dissimilar metal cell may be formed: in Sketch 13, air is bubbled
over one piece of iron while the other is in more or less quiet, non-gerated
salt water. The left piece will become an anode, corrode faster, and actually
reduce the corrosion rate of the right piece. In this experiment, that may
be due both to the extra supply of oxygen and the extra agitation at the left
80
piece. Iron is unable to
form any protective pas-
sivating film and here,
more oxygen means faster
corrosion. In practice, a
similar case can be seen
at steel pilings which
become anodic near sur-
face water, Sketch 14,
and cathodic deeper
doNn. Here again we are
looking at two factors at
work at the same time:
there is the difference in
oxygen concentration and
the difference in flow rate.
The surface water is stirred
much more by waves, and
flows faster over the metal
surface.
Finally, differences in tem-
uerature also can cause dis-
t/o7
COOL
similar metal corrosion on one fyssx\\\\*\\\Y\\\\
single piece of metal. At the
.4-+++
- --
higher temperature, any pos- --3 54~~ QA7ER /
sible corrosion reaction will be
accelerated and, all other con-
ditions being the same, the
AMODE
CA4 TkogG
warmer end of, for example, a
(
pipe, will become the anode,
kEmc -r-ug~
Sketch 15. Keep in mind that
we are looking only at the
SkFT-Ctl @
behavior of a single, isolated
piece of metal. In most cases, there will be other influences, for example
from additional metals in contact, and from the flow of electric currents,
in tentional or accidental.
SkET-CM @
Dissimilar metal corrosion also coccurs at
pieces which appear to be uniform or homo-
geneous but in reality are not. You may have
heard the term stress corrosion. Uniform
pieces of metal may have been formed or
altered by cold working, bending, or other
forces, and can then develop localized places
where an arrangement of atoms in a crystal
structure was interrupted, something not
visible to the eye, and certainly not an actual
crack as Sketch 16 might falsely imply. But
think of a discontinuity of a pattern which
can then behave differently toward an elec-
trolyte and start an electrolytic corrosion cell.
Much more visible, and easier to under-
stand is the type of dissimilar metal corro-
sion which can seriously affect alloys with a
crystalline structure. Some alloys are solu-
tions of one metal in another molten metal
which, when cooled, remain solid solu-
tions. Other alloys, and many pure metals,
grow crystals as they solidify during their
manufacturer, or during sometimes elabo-
rate separate heat treatments. The crystals
are very often desireable in order to reach
some of the physical properties of the met-
als. But some metals develop electrolytic corrosion between crystals which
are oriented differently Sketch 17, or between crystals and other regions
in the metals which have different composition and then are a cases of
dissimilar metals on a small scale. As we will discuss later, brasses show
81
this corrosion and you may find a brass casting which, after some fine
sanding, might show both crystal patterns and corrosion traces.
In comparison to the relatively
complicated circumstances with
active and passive areas on the same
piece of metal, loss of passivity, oxy-
gen concentration cells, intercrys-
talline electrolysis, electrolyte tem-
perature and flow, all other cases of
dissimilar metal corrosion are sim-
ple. Have another look at the list in
Table 3. Whenever a metal on the
list is in electrical contact with
another metal and the two are in an
electrolyte (anything from rain water
- I
dh
to battery acid) the two will form an electrolytic couple and will do some
or all of the things noted in Sketch 18. We will now apply this mechanism
of dissimilar metal electrolysis to concrete cases and specific metals on
the boat. An then, of course, you want to know how to protect against
electrolysis. Easy except for one point which we should clarify:
Plus and Minus: Electric Current
As we keep talking about anodes and cathodes, electrons, and flow of
current, we have avoided the subject of the direction of currents. Before
we get deeper into the subject, let us look at an example, name things, and
try to avoid possible terrific confusion. In Sketch 19, an oldfashioned zinc
carbon flashlight battery powers a lamp. The battery generates electricity
from two members of our list in Table 3: zinc is the anode and dissolves,
freeing electrons, and the carbon rod is the cathode and stands in for more
expensive noble metals. The
carbon is the plus or positive
pole of the battery, the zinc
beaker the minus or negative
pole. The term plus implies
plenty, an excess, and conven-
tional electric current flows
from plus to minus. However,
electrons each have one neg-
ative charge, and it is electrons
travelling through our wires.
The flow of electrons in Sketch
19 is from minus to plus, elec-
tron current is in the opposite
direction of conventional cur-
rent. This distinction is very
important when we discuss
electrolytic corrosion but is
totally irrelevant and poten-
tially confusing in all other sec-
tons of this book. We therefore
want to acknoweldge the facts,
stick with conventional current
throughout the book, but note
electron flow in all electrolysis
sketches where that informa-
tion is important. In the follow-
ing section on cathodic protec-
tion and the workings of zincs,
electric currents are used and
Sketch 20 shows another
flashlight zinc carbon battery
83
connected to two metals in an electrolyte. You think that the naming of
anodes and cathodes is confusing? Sorry. But once we get to the essence
and apply it to our boats, much of the details may be put on a high shelf
again and be forgotten.
Zinc
As you can see in Table 3, zinc is one of the most active or reactive,
eager to oxidize or corrode, least noble metals on the list. Although there
are some very unsatisfactory fittings made from a zinc alloy, camouflaged
under chrome plating, the only use for zinc on board is as a corrosion
fighler. Zinc is silver white but in air coats itself with a thin layer of zinc
oxide which protects it from further oxidation and gives it the typical gray
appearance of, for example, your galvanized zinc coated anchors. Zinc
oxide is used as a white pig
Under water, a more volu-
minous white material called
zinc hydroxide forms which
does not protect the zinc
metal underneath. As zinc
metal reacts or corrodes,
each of its atoms releases
two electrons and forms a
two valent ion. One ounce
of zinc can aenerate a stream
of electronsequivalent to 23
A.mpere hours, Sketch 21.
for example in sun shielding ointment.
a4
- -
ml
-
c
I
-
m -
m
Y
n
-- -
I i
In practice, the size of the piece of zinc (surface area), average distance to
the surface of the protected propeller in the sketch, and conductivity or
corrosiveness of the water will mainly determine how much current, for
example in milliampere, will flow. That current, multiplied by the hours it
takes for one ounce to be used up, will give the actual amount of current
in Ampere hours. Since zinc corrodes in sea water no matter whether it is
connected by the wire or not, less than the theoretical 23 Ampere hours
will be measured.
Zinc Anodes
Pieces of zinc are used as so called sacrificial anodes to protect other
metals from electrolytic corrosion. The zinc must be connected to the
protected metal by an electrical conductor, or the two metals must make
direct electrical contact. When the two are under water, the two metals
make a dissimilar metal electrolysis cell in which the zinc is the anode. Zinc
corrodes and is consumed, its electrons travel through the electrical con-
ductor to the other metal and create conditions on the protected metal
which discourage corrosion reactions there. As discussed earlier, the elec-
trical circuit is being completed by the conductive lake, river, or sea water
which contains enough ions from dissolved salts to accept electrons at the
protected metal surface.
Zinc anodes are available in many rectangular block, oval, domed round,
and tear drop shapes with flat surfaces to be fastened to hull, keel, propeller,
shaft, hang or rudder, in large sizes for mounting on steel hulls, in phantasy
shapes with cast-in-place wire conductor such as the zinc guppy and
grouper which you hang over the side, and specially shaped zinc fittings
for outboard motors and outdrives. The shape of all these may have some
effect on the drag of the boat but otherwise is unimportant, only surface
area is important.
Which Metals Protected?
Zinc anodes can be used to protect any other metal which on the list in
Table 3 is more noble than zinc. Surprisingly, aluminum which is so close
to zinc on the list is protected with zinc anodes. As you know, aluminum
in air is always covered with a protective film of oxide. Under water, alu-
minum corrosion is started or greatly accelerated by some trace metals in
the aluminum. Iron, cobalt, copper, and nickel are such culprits. Copper
dissolved in the sea water, for example from antifouling pain! nearby,
causes increased aluminum corrosion. Zinc anodes, on the other hand, are
able to keep these corrosion causing impurities on the aluminum surface
inactive and thus protect the aluminum, if only indirectly. You may wonder
why magnesium is not used instead of zinc to protect aluminum. Magne-
sium is located one step further down in Table 3 and would generate a
more powerful stream of electrons than zinc. But aluminum can be dis-
solved in both acids and bases or alkali. The protective aluminum oxide
85
Table 3
Galvanic Series of Metals and Alloys in Sea Water
Cathodic Platinum
Noble Gold
Graphite
Silver
Pas: e
Type 316 Stainless Steel, passive
Type 304 Stainless steel, passive
Titanium
Type 410 Stainless Steel (13% Cr)
passive
67 Ni-33Cu alloy
76 Ni-16 Cr-7 Fe alloy, passive
Nickel, passive
Silver solder
M bronze
G Bronze
70-30 Cupronickel
Silicon bronze
Copper
Red Brass
Aluminum brass Anodic
Admiralty Brass Active
Yellow Brass
76 Ni-16 0-7 Fe alloy, active
Nickel, active
Naval Brass
Manganeze Bronze
Muntz Metal
Tin
Lead
Type 316 Stainless Steel, active
Type 304 Stainless Steel, active
Type 410 Stainless Steel, active
Cast Iron
Wrought Iron
Mild Steel
Aluminum 2024
Cadmium
Alclad
Aluminum 6053
Galvanized Steel
Zinc
Magnesium alloys
Magnesium
LaQue 8. Cox
film dissolves in acids as well as in bases or alkaline solutions, and alumi-
num is most resistant to corrosion in near neutral solutions. The protective
.:urrent generated by a zinc anode flows through the electrolyte, the sea
.vater. if the current is greater than necessary, the balance between ions is
,rpset near the aluminum and the water becomes alkaline. This destroys
the protective film of the aluminum and causes corrosion. Magnesium is
likely to generate such overprotection on places on the aluminum which
are near the sacrificial anodes, see Aluminum.
Metals further distant from zinc in Table 3 will also be more noble than
rinc. Zinc anodes will be able to protect these metals better the further up
!rom zinc they are on the list. First, they wilt be more dissimilar toward zinc
md therefore generate increasingly forceful currents with zinc, and sec-
)ndly these metals are more noble and by themselves less inclined to
:orrode. Steel, see Table 3, is being protected with zinc anodes. Steel
1ulls are normally coated with epoxy based resins, both to reduce corrosion
rnd to allow the use of copper containing antifouling paints. Large zinc
,I6
anodes with cast-in brackets are bolted to the hull and protective current
then flows between zinc and any exposed steel surface on the hull, Sketch
22.
Nearby in the list of Table 3 are the active forms of stainless steel which
are stainless surfaces which have lost their passivating film of oxides. Such
stainless steel can be protected with a zinc anode as long as the protective
current can flow. In most cases, the stainless steel will have lost its passivity,
as explained earlier, because access of oxygen had been cut off. Often, the
same cause which cut off oxygen will also prevent protective current. A
zinc anode then will be of little use.
Next on the list is a large number of copper alloys which we wilt discuss
later. All of these can be protected with zinc anodes although, as we will
see, some are resistive enough to not need the extra protection. Zincs are
then only needed to protect against stray electricity, also discussed later.
87
The more noble metals on our list of Table 3 are increasingly able to
generate hydrogen gas bubbles and dispose of the electrons which a zinc
anode will send their way. Since many of these metals and alloys by them-
selves do not need zinc anode protection in sea water, they may only
consume zinc anodes rapidly. I f you are protecting the normal crop of
propeller and through hull alloys with zincs and have one part or fitting of
a more noble metal, it will be worth while to keep it insulated if possible,
instead of connecting it to a bonding system with zinc anodes.
How Big a Zinc?
We have to make clear what we expect of the zinc. We want it to generate
a current which flows between the zinc and the protected metal surface,
While the current flows in the right direction, the corrosion reactions at the
protected metal are being discouraged because they, too, would generate
currents which we are opposing. The term current density is used to
describe how many Amps are flowing at each square foot of the protected
metal surface or, more realistically, how many milliampere. For any given
metal in a corrosive salt solution there is one current density which is just
capable of stopping corrosion. For a brass propeller in sea water the rec-
ommended current densities range from just a few to as much as 20 mil-
liampere per square foot. But that information by itself is not much help
yet. We have to look at the way electric current flows through water. I f a
piece of zinc would distribute its current evenly as in Sketch 23, things
38
t-
0
0
-
m I
- u
n , .
-
-%
would be simple. In reality, the current, the electrons, travel with the help
of charged ions as crudely shown in Sketch 24. These ions are evenly
distributed through the water but are relatively scarce so that the water is
not nearly as conductive as the metals. The ions have different sizes and
different mobility which is extremely slow compared to that of the electrons
in metal. Current therefore flows best where the distance through the water
is shortest. But since the mode
of travel there is quickly sold
out, the next best routes along
greater detours also are used,
and current in Sketch 23
would probably flow in a pat-
tern similar to that in Sketch
25. Current would be greatest
at the shortest route, much less
at the longer detours. With a $-
small piece of zinc distributing
its current over a relatively large
protected cathode area, the
current densities will greatly
vary with distance and most of
the current will flow to the
nearest area of the protected
metal. In Sketch 26, a piece
of zinc is shown. Imagine that you are looking down on a flat metal surface
to which the zinc is electrically connected, and that both metals are under
water. Along the lines in the sketch, currents are flowing which are greatest
at the shortest distance. I f the desired current density were 1.0 as on one
of the lines in the middle, a current of 7.0 would flow at the shortest path,
giving considerable overprotection and wasting zinc, while at the longer
paths only small fractions of the desired current would flow, as indicated
by the values of 0.3, 0.1, and 0.06. The values were calculated with the
sketch made to scale.
In practice this means that a zinc nut on a propeller, Sketch 27, will
mostly, if not only, protect the aft surfaces of the propeller. In addition, the
closeness of the inner surfaces of the propeller to the zinc anode will help
to consume the zinc fairly rapidly due to the large current which can flow
there. Similarly, a zinc collar on a shaft as in Sketch 28 will generate high
currents to the nearest areas on the shaft which will accelerate use of zinc.
There will be much less current to the more distant places on the shaft
where protection will be marginal.
Why a zinc anode directly on shaft or propeller may still be a good idea
will be discussed in the following part on stray electricity. For boats on
moorings, private docks known to be free from stray currents, and for
propellers and shafts made from corrosion resistant alloys, a zinc mounted
on the nonmetallic hull as in Sketch 29 would distribute current more *
89
i
I
evenly if located above the pro-
peller, one zinc on either side of
the boat, and with a wire con-
nected to the engine, or to a wiper
which touches the propeller shaft,
A similar arrangement results if
you hang zinc anodes over the
sides of the boat as in Sketch 30.
Use a length of stainless steel
welding electrode wire which you
bend through the holes of a piece
of zinc. Above the water line, sol-
der with acid flux to a copper wire
which you connect to grounded
chain plate or deck fitting, or
directly to engine or propeller
shaft. In these cases, the longest
distance to a place on the pro-
tected metals is not much differ-
ent to the shortest distance, so
that you will have more even cur-
rent distribution.
A recommended current den-
5lty of 1 mA (milliampere) per
Square foot corresponds to 0.024
Ah per day whrch would consume
one ounce of zinc in 2.6 years if
tie drsregard that some zinc IS lost
oy direct corrosion. I f we assume
that the efficiency of the zinc to
generate current is only 50%, then
L,ne ounce of zinc would be con-
sumed to protect one square foot
, f metal surface for 1.3 years. A
current density of only 1 mA is the
towest value mentioned any-
#here in the technical literature.
4 comparatively very high current
lensity of 15 mA per square foot
,s recommended to protect cor-
osron prone metals. Let us take
!hat value to estimate the upper
rmit of a practical current density
range:
10
A current density of 15 mA per square
foot corresponds to a zinc consumption of
one ounce per month, assuming 50% effi-
ciency of the zinc.
As a reasonable estimate for all common
copper based alloys in sea water, a current
density of 3 mA per square foot will give us
a safe guideline. This current density will
consume 0.072 Ampere hours per day on
one square foot of protected metal surface
area, or about 26 Ah per year. This corre-
sponds to a little over an ounce of zinc per
year.
Obviously, just before a one-ounce piece
of zinc would be completely consumed,
the remaining zinc would be very small,
with very little surface area which would generate only a small fraction of
the original current. In addition, zincs tend to loose the electrical contact
through their fastening bolts when they have worn to some extent. From
then on, they would continue to corrode but fail to send their current to
the metal which was to be protected. For a zinc which is expected to supply
electric current equivalent to one ounce of zinc, we should use at least two
ounces so that a large enough zinc remains toward the end of its expected
life. We should double it again to allow for the amount of zinc which would
corrode away if the zinc were in the water by itself, not connected to supply
92
Table 4
Approximate Surface Area in Square Feet, two and three
blade propellers.
Two blade propellers:
Diameter in inches
--___
10
12
14
16
Three blade propellers:
Diameter in inches
10
12
14 .
16
18
-__
Surface area, square feet
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.9
Surface area, square feet
2.1
2.5
2.9
3.3
3.7
.-
uy
Table 5
Surface Area of Propeller Shafts: surface area in square feet for
one foot of length.
Diameter in inches Surface area, sq. ft. per foot
% 0.23
1 0.26
1 '/a 0.29
1% 0.33
1% 0.36
1 % 0.39
current: this could be called the anode efficiency which we assume to be
about 50%. The zinc in this example should be at least of 4 ounce size if it
is expected to last for one year. I f any stray electricity is suspected around
your boat, read about it and consider that stray currents may consume the
major portion of the zincs on your boat.
Approximate surface areas for propellers are given in Table 4, and the
surface area for one foot of propeller shaft is given in Table 5.
Since you might at this point take a close look at your propeller shaft, make
certain that you have its material identified. Then compare its position on
the list of Table 3.
Brass: Dezincification
Brass is the name for alloys
of copper and zinc. Since
these two constituents are a
good distance apart on our
active-passive list of metals,
Table 3, you might expect
that, given any chance, the two
would react as a dissimilar
metal couple. Such chances
apparently exist, at grain
boundaries or between crys-
tals in the metal as mentioned
earlier. Typically, zinc is lost
from the alloy which changes
appearance from the normal
golden yellow to pink or cop-
per-red. A brass wood screw,
--
93
for example, might suffer from dezincification as shown in Sketch 33. I f
water has access, the outer material, shaded in the sketch, looses its zinc
content and does not protect deeper regions since the remaining copper
is porous, sponge like, and allows water as electrolyte to diffuse in. Although
the outer drmensions of the screw remain the same, the dezincified material
has lost most of ils strength and typically can be cut with a knife or scraper,
sometimes even with a fingernail. Only when the zinc content in brass is
less than 15% or if 1% or more of tin is added to the alloy is the rate of
dezincification reduced. Alloy names and compositions follow in the sec-
tion on copper alloys.
Copper and Alloys
Since the great majority of fittings below water on the boat are made
from copper alloys, we will make a list here and mention the main advan-
tages and disadvantages related to corrosion. We have to keep in mind that
In addition to the simple even surface corrosion which wears away mea-
surable layers of metal at the surface, there is so called pitting corrosion
which we will discuss in connection with stainless steel and which causes
pits or localized holes in otherwise uncorroded surfaces, Sketch 34. There
is impingement attack which is corrosion caused by fast flowing water
which greatly accelerates corrosion attack in local areas as, for example,
in pumps, or pipes, Sketch 35, and cavitation attack which is non-electro-
lytic, purely mechanical deterioration found on fast turning propellers. The
special problem of dezinciflcation corrosion of copper zinc alloys has been
discussed earlier, and in all of these cases, corrosion rate expressed in loss
of surface material with an inches per year rate would give a false picture.
Sometimes, no loss of surface material occurs and the outer dimensions
of a piece of metal remain constant as with dezincified brass. But the
strength of such metal may suffer greatly from these special corrosion
mechanisms including pitting and dezincification.
Copper: Plain pure copper itself is quite nicely corrosion resistant against
both hot and cold sea water and, of course, is immune to dezincification.
The rate of corrosion in sea water is 0.001 to 0.003 inches per year (ipy).
94
L
-
..-
n
.
m
-
Mm
w i.
-
I
--
ms - -
ivm I
However, it has low resistance against impingement attack and is not used
for propellers or hull fittings since, as we will see in a moment, small
additions of other metals are made to improve copper quite impressively.
Copper by itself in sea water is resistant against fouling. Enough copper
ions find their way into the sea water near the copper surface to prevent
marine growth.
Brass: The name for mainly copper zinc alloys. Up to 37% zinc can be
added to copper to obtain a wide range of brasses called alpha brass. When
more zinc is added, some interesting mechanical properties can result in
the alloy which can then be rolled, forged, extruded, hardened and so on.
All of these alloys may show only very low corrosion rates in inches per
year of material loss, however much more significant is that all suffer from
loss of strength through dezincification. The rate of dezincification can be
slowed down by the addition of small amounts of arsenic, antimony, or
phosphorus to the alloy. Through the addition of some tin, aluminum, iron,
or manganese, strong alloys can be made which are used in propellers.
Bronze: A name originally reserved for alloys of copper and tin. Now, all
kinds of copper based alloys are referred to as being bronze and there
is considerable confusion. The term has become almost meaningless by
itself, and it is necessary to state exactly which bronze is meant. Tin, as
you can see in Table 3, is considerably more noble than zinc and, unfor-
tunately also more expensive than both zinc and copper. It imparts very
desirable properties in the bronzes, and there is no parallel process to
dezincification which would remove tin from the bronze alloy. Tin content
of 5% is considered high, 10% is the maximum. There are a number of
alloys which contain small amounts of tin, and there are a number of
bronzes which contain no tin at all, listed with some of their properties
in Table 6.
These bronzes make use of alloying metals other than tin and are also
free from zinc.
Phosphor bronze appears to be the only copper-tin bronze free from zinc.
It consists of copper, 5 to 8% tin, and small amounts of phosphorus, its
corrosion rate is 0.0006 to 0.0012 inches per year, it is resistant to impinge-
ment attack and pitting, and of course immune to dezincification. Types
E only 1.25% tin; A 5%, C 8%, D 10% tin.
Silicon bronze consists of copper and about 3% silicon, its corrosion
resistance is much like that of copper.
Aluminum bronze is an alloy of copper with 4 to 7% aluminum and
sometimes small amounts of nickel, arsenic, iron, or tin. This bronze shows
sea water resistance enhanced apparently through a surface film of alu-
minum oxide which protects the metal and which forms again quickly where
damaged. (There is an alloy called aluminum brass which contains about
22% zinc and 2% aluminum and which is subject to dezincification pitting
and loss of strength from corrosion.)
95
Manganese bronze in one example consists of 40% zinc and 2% man-
ganese, is not a bronze in the original sense but rather, brass. Its corrosion
resistance is not nearly that of the tin, silicon, or aluminum based bronzes,
it suffers from dezincification and the associated loss of strength, but has
considerable resistance to impingement or water flow corrosion.
Copper nickel alloys: a wide range of compositions is in commercial
use, often called cupro nickel. Alloys with nickel content of up to 40% nickel
corrode in sea water approximately at the same rate as pure copper with
the result that such metal surfaces are resistant to fouling. Above 40%
nickel, not enough copper is dissolved and such alloys will foul. Compo-
sitions with higher nickel content show the ability of nickel and the stainless
steels to become passive. Similarly also, these alloys ark subject to pitting
corrosion where the passive layer fails, for example under fouling or where
access of oxygen containing sea water is interrupted.
Table 6
Copper and Alloys
All consist of copper, listed additional major ingredients, and sometimes other
minor ingredients. Composition ranges or typical composition examples. It means:
dezinc, prone to dezincification and associated loss of strength, pitting ten-
dency to pitting corrosion, for example where passivity is lost under fouling, flow
corrosion is the corrosion of flowing sea water which can affect an otherwise
corrosion resistant metal, ipy inches per year loss of metal corrosion rate usually
measured with non flowing sea water, this value may not be significant if dezinci-
fication or localized pitting are causes of damage. Note that some alloys have several
names.
Admiralty Brass: copper with 27 to 29% zinc, about 1% tin, dezinc, inhibited
grade better dezincification resistance, 0.002 ipy.
Alpha-Beta Brass: copper with more than 37.5% zinc, dezinc, but some good
physical properties.
Alpha Brass: copper with 21 to 22% zinc, 2% aluminum, dezinc.
Aluminum Brass: copper with 4 to 10% aluminum, 00015 ipy or less, good
performance in sea water.
Arsenic in Alpha Brasses: used to reduce dezincification.
Bronze: copper with up to 10% tin, now also used for other alloys including some
brasses.
Beta Brass: copper wtth more than 50% zinc, a phase constituent of alpha-beta
brass, not used as such by itself.
Cast Red Brass: copper with 5% tin, 5% zinc, 5% lead, see Ounce Metal.
Commercial Brass: copper with 35% zrnc, dezrnc.
Commercial Bronze: copper with 10% zinc.
Common Brass: same as Commercial Brass
Constantan: copper with 45% nickel, used as thermocouple wire to measure
temperatures. Very useful corrosion resistant wire.
96
ml
711 -
lm -.
m!l
ml
m
Copper: resistant to sea water, 0.001 to 0.003 ipy, corroded by fast flowing sea
water, ammonia, soft fresh water.
Copper Nickel Alloys: copper with 5 to 30% nickel 0.0003 to 0.002 ipy, corrosion
behavior similar to copper. Above 45% nickel behavior similar to nickel, passive.
Pitting when starved of oxygen.
Cupro-Nickel: see Copper Nickel Alloys above.
Everdur: copper with 3% silicon
G-Bronze: copper with 10% tin, 2% zinc.
German Silver: copper with 18% zinc, 18% nickel. Mostly replaced by stainless
steel. Tarnishes easily.
Government Bronze: copper with 10% tin, 2% zinc, good performance in sea
water, see Gunmetal below.
Gunmetal: copper with 10% tin, 2% zinc, also copper with 5% tin, 5% nickel, 2%
zinc.
Hardware Bronze: copper with 9% zinc, 2% lead.
High Brass: copper with 35% zinc, dezinc.
Leaded High Brass: copper with 34% zinc, 1% lead, dezinc.
Low Brass: copper with 20% zinc, dezinc.
k&Bronze: copper with 6.5% tin, 3% zinc, 1.5% lead, not to be confused with
Manganese Bronze. Good performance in sea water.
Manganese Bronze: copper with 40% zinc, 2 to 35% manganese, this is a brass,
dezinc.
Monel: copper with 66% or more of nickel. See Copper Nickel Alloys. Propeller
shafts. Some pitting under fouling.
Muntz Metal: copper with 40% zinc, dezinc.
Naval Brass: copper with 39% zinc, 1% tin, dezinc. Misleading name, not for
marine use.
Nickel Aluminum Bronze: copper with 4% aluminum, 4% nickel.
Nickel Bronze: copper with 5% tin, 5% nickel, 2% tin. See Gunmetal.
Nickel Silver: copper with 18% zinc, 18% nickel. Mostly replaced by stainless
steel. Tarnishes easily.
Olympic Bronze: copper with 2.75% silicon, 1% zinc.
Ounce Metal: copper with 5% zinc, 5% tin, 5% lead.
Phosphor Bronze: copper with 1 to 10% tin, small amounts of phosphorus, very
good all around corrosion resistance.
Propeller Bronze: probably Aluminum Bronze, or Alpha-Beta Brass inhibited,
with small amounts of tin, aluminum, iron, manganese.
Red Brass: copper with 10 to 25% zinc. Under 15% relatively resistant to dezinc,
higher zinc content: dezinc, pitting.
Silicon Bronze: copper with 3% silicon
Silver Tobin Bronze: copper with 39% zinc, 1% tin, dezinc.
Yellow Brass: copper with 35% zinc, dezinc.
#
97
Aluminum
Aluminum is highly reactive as you can see by its position in the list of
Table 3, but is protected from corrosion by a layer of oxide. This film can
be artificially increased in thickness, modified for increased strength, and
colored by. processes referred to as anodizing. The oxide film is soluble in
both acids and alkalies. This is different from many other metals and their
corrosion products which can be dissolved by acids but not alkali. Rust,
for example, is resistant to strong alkali solutions.
56-789 ---- 17
The aluminum oxide film is most stable, and aluminum most corrosion
resistant, when the water around it is approximately neutral. In chemical
terms, neutral means a pH value of 7, lower values correspond to acid
and higher values to alkaline solutions, Sketch 36. Aluminum is most
resistant at pH 6 and safe between pH 5 and 7. Sea water, on the other
hand, has a pH of about 8, meaning that aluminum is most corrosion
resistant in water which is very slightly acidic while sea water is very slightly
alkaline. This is important for the cathodic protection of aluminum hulls
where overprotection generates alkaline conditions of the aluminum sur-
face and allows the aluminum oxide film to dissolve. Protection with zinc
anodes has been discussed as relatively safe, but use of impressed current
from a power supply instead of zinc, or use of more electronegative anodes
such as magnesium, can overprotect and significantly increase the pH
value of the sea water at the hull surface.
The position of aluminum in Table 3 also indicates that most other
metals in contact with aluminum will develop dissimilar metal electrolysis
cells which, if there is an electrolyte, will have the aluminum corrode as
the anode. Where stronger fasteners are needed on aluminum spars, deck
fittings, boarding ladders, metals are used which are themselves covered
with passivating films, such as the stainless steels or nickel alloys. The
aluminum then tends to keep these fittings passive.
98
I .-
m -. -
.-
M -
il
ml
-. -
lm
Other metals such as copper, iron, cobalt, and nickel tend to cause
corrosion if contained in the aluminum alloy. Unfortunately, some of these
are added to aluminum to improve its strength. Most aluminum extrusions
such as masts, spars, moldings contain between 0.3 and 1% iron, up to 2%
copper, and some chromium or nickel which will make its corrosion resis-
tance worse than that of pure aluminum. Some casting alloys contain even
greater contents of copper while even traces of copper dissolved in the
water at an aluminum surface can start corrosion. Such copper may be
released by nearby antifouling paint.
Graphite, which is carbon and behaves like a noble metal, see Table 3,
is contained in pencil lead. Pencil marks on aluminum can cause etching
of the aluminum when wetted with salt water. Finally, mercury, used in
some thermometers, will dissolve aluminum and form a liquid amalgam
solution. Since the dissolved aluminum in turn quickly forms a fl uffy white
oxide with air, the mercury is free to dissolve more aluminum and the
process continues, so that a drop of mercury from a broken thermometer
can do appreciable damage.
With fastenings on aluminum, the anode to cathode area is important. A
stainless steel rivet in an aluminum mast will last nicely even if some
aluminum is occasionally used to protect the stainless steel. In comparison,
an aluminum rivet in stainless steel would have a very short life if any salt
spray could reach it. Threaded screws or boltsof stainless steel in aluminum
castings are similarly protected by the aluminum. However, the generated
aluminum oxide or hydroxide tends to freeze such bolts quickly. Stainless
or monel fasteners in, for example, aluminum self steering gear castings
or outboard motor lower units can become tightly imbedded in little more
than one season. In such cases, corrosion at the threaded surface can only
be prevented when the electrolyte, water, is excluded by grease.
Galvanized Steel
Steel anchors, chain, shackles, thimbles, and some other hardware are
made corrosion resistant by a cover of zinc. The zinc is applied by hot
dipping, meaning that the steel articles are immersed in molten zinc which
leaves a relatively uneven but thick coating. Some steel hardware is elec-
troplated with zinc and called galvanized, and more often also electroplated
with cadmium which has similar properties to zinc but makes a shinier,
bluish mirror finish on steel hardware. These electroplatings only keep
their good looks while in the hardware store and offer very little additional
corrosion protection.
The hot dipped zinc on anchors quickly covers itself with a thin film of
zinc oxide (hydroxide) when first under water. This thin white film gives
galvanized anchors their typical dull gray appearance and substantially
reduces the inherent corrosion of zinc in sea water. In addition, holes in
the zinc coating from wear, for example at the hinged points on anchors,
99
are still protected. This is because
small places of exposed steel,
Sketch 37, are surrounded by
large areas of zinc which become
the anode to the small steel cath-
-mu P&v-E D
ode which is being perfectly pro-
57&EL
tected. The explanation, of course,
is clear from the positions of zinc
and steel in Table 3. In contrast,
SKF=TC-cI @
steel cans and kitchen utensils
with tin coatings will rust at pin holes in the tin coating because here, the
steel will be the anode, Sketch 38. Tin is used there because it is not toxic
(tinzstannum, as in stannous fluoride in toothpastes) while zinc is mod-
estly toxic.
The rate of zinc loss from anchors and chain in sea water and all brackish
water is approximately 0.5 ounces per square foot per year which corre-
sponds to about 1 mil per year or 0.001 inches per year, or the thickness of
a thin piece of paper in two to three years. Since the ground tackle is not
immersed all the time, the hot dipped zinc will last a long time. In addition,
zinc on the chain will protect an anchor which has lost its zinc here and
there. I f you paint such anchor, less zinc from the chain will be used. Note
that the very large zinc surface of an anchor chain will make for a very large
anode if in electrical contact with your bronze hull fittings and propeller.
Also consider that a cell develops between chain near the bottom (low
oxygen, colder temperature, or greater salt content) and the chain near the
surface. And, with a look at Table 3, it is clear that no metals other than
galvanized or plain steel should be used anywhere on anchor or chain.
Stainless Steel
The alloys generally used for marine hardware are referred to as 18-8
which indicates the chromium and nickel contents. Separate designations
are used for individual stainless steel alloys for wrought or cast applica-
tions, and many of the small stainless fittings which are made from sheet
metal stampings or bent round rod probably are the type 304. Many if not
100
-
m -
md
-.
mm
- -
c44 -
I -
m
I.
ml
most of these fittings are also nickel plated so that the outer surface looks
and behaves like nickel. Stainless steel bolts, on the other hand, are clearly
identified and the top grade there is called 316. This alloy contains molyb-
denum and is considered the most corrosion resistant stainless steel for
use on the boat.
We have discussed the active and passive states of stainless steel, with
the resulting two locations on the list in Table 3. The passive stainless
steel and passive nickel have the behavior of noble metals which, however,
depend on a passivating layer of oxides which can be destroyed relatively
easily if oxygen becomes scarce at the stainless steel surface. With an
electrolyte, present, corrosion starts where the stainless steel surface is
covered and access of oxygen restricted. The kind of pitting corrosion
occurs on other metals but is most noteworthy for stainless steel. Pitting,
shown in Sketch 39, is by the dissimilar metal mechanism described
earlier. An anode develops where access is blocked, and remains the bot-
tom of such pit. Conditions favor this anode the deeper the pit. Protection
with a zinc anode usually is not effective because pitting starts under a
barnacle or other cover which renders the anode on the stainless steel
inaccessible to protective current from a zinc. For this reason, stainless
steel fittings no matter what the alloy, are far from perfect for use below
the water line and may perform very poorly.
Salt Water-Fresh Water
We have used the terms salt water and sea water often, and keep talking
about electrolytes and their electrical conductivity. But most of the electro-
lytic corrosion mechanisms are not limited to sea water but proceed in river
or lake water as well, just possibly somewhat slower. In addition, there are
causes for electrolytic corrosion in fresh water which we should not over-
look. When moving from sea to fresh water, concentration of some film
forming chemicals in the water around the boat may change from saturated
to less than saturated, so that films involving calcium, lime, may dissolve
in the fresh water, with some loss of protection. Polluted river water may
contain sulfur, acids, ammonia, and corrode copper alloys more than sea
water, as will softened fresh water high in bicarbonate. Finally, the dissolved
salts in sea water lend stability to its pH value which measures acid or
base character. Sea water is normally at pH 8.1 to 8.3 and is relatively well
buffered meaning that some acid added to it will not change the pH as
much as the same amount of acid added to fresh water. The fresh water
would change its pH more greatly, become more acidic and more corrosive.
Conductivity of Water
Water increases its conductivity for electric current as its content of ions
increases, for example, from dissolved salts. As conductivity increases,
resistivity decreases. When measuring resistance, our familiar Ohm unit is
101
used except that we have to consider the distance through the water.
Resistivity is expressed in Ohm X centimeter (Ohm cm), and conductivity,
the opposite, in l/ohm cm.
t
Table8
Pure water 20,000,OOO Ohm cm
distilled water 5,000,000
rain water 20,000 "
tap water, approx. 3,000
river water, approx. 200 "
sea water, coastal 30 (*
sea water, open sea 20 "
Sea water resistivity of 20 Ohm cm corresponds to a conductivity of 1
1 1
%Ohm cm
= 0.05 '
Ohm cm
You can verify the electrical conductivity of the water around your bar
~ with a volt ohm meter (VOM): switch to Ohm range, hold test wires into
water which you scoop up in a bucket. Since the internal battery of the
meter makes current flow between test wires, you will, after a while, begin
~ to corrode the anode and affect the accuracy of the reading (which will
gradually increase). - -
mm
- -
-I
Stray Electric Current Corrosion
We discussed the sizes and required currents of zinc anodes. You may
have thought about your boat and wondered how it ever survived with such
small zincs, and so few of them. Or you may have guessed that there must
be more to the story of the protecting zincs and, or course, there is. We
have covered the mechanism of electrolytic corrosion, sorted the various
metals and alloys into good and not so good onesand you may have
decided that all around, things are fine on your boat. In fact, you may have
one of the relatively few boats which do not use any zinc ever, yet have the
same propeller and shaft from ten years ago. That is quite possible because
the alloys under water were chosen to be corrosion resistant in the first
place, to be similar to each other, and your boat may be at a dock, mooring,
or slip free from stray electricity.
Of all the zinc consumed on fiberglass boats with bronze propellers and
hull fittings, probably more than half is eaten away by stray electricity and
most of the other half is dissolved by the sea water as is inherent in the
character of zinc, without much protection to anything. In other words, if
you routinely fit zincs at hauling time and the old ones always are badly
diminished, better keep up the routine and, next opportunity, measure stray
electricity around your boat.
The effect of stray current on a piece of metal is shown in Sketch 1.
The electric current here is generated by a battery and flows between anode
and cathode. Conventional current flow is in the direction from the anode
103 102
through the water to the cathode. Any metal object in the water would,
because of its low conductivity, collect current on one side and discharge
current on the other side. In this example, the anode would protect the
cathode but the piece of metal would corrode on the side toward the
cathode, as sketched.
I f the voltage between two electrodes in water would be, for example, 0.8
Volt, then each fraction of the distance between them would show a pro-
portional change in voltage which we could measure, Sketch 2, by dipping
test wires in the water. This is much like a long resistor which along its
length has voltages which correspond to the distances, Sketch 3. The
point here is that along the path of a current in the water there is also
voltage. I f the distance were 12 inches and the battery 12 Volt, we would
find one Voll difference at each inch, or measure the two, three, or seven
Volts in the sketch.
- -
m t
Metal in the water will pick up stray current because the resistance in
the metal is nil compared to that in the water which is bound to be mag-
nitudes greater. In the example, the longer the metal extends between
anode and cathode, the bigger a voltage it will bridge and the more readily
it will collect current. Flow will then be as in Sketch 4 where the curved
lines indicate current.
To give you an idea about the differences in conductivity, imagine the
water being the most conductive sea water.
Its specific resistance of 20 Ohm centimeter, compare Table 8, makes
a conductor of sea water with a cross section of one square foot have a
resistance of 0.6 Ohm for each foot of length, see Sketch 5. Granted, that
makes sea water quite conductive, but a copper conductor with the same
resistance can have a cross section as thin as a hair. As you can see, the
longer metal conductors are most likely to pick up stray current, especially
when they are oriented toward anode and cathode.
105
On many boats, one such long conductor is made when a hull fitting at
the forward end of the boat is connected with a bonding wire to other hull
fittings aft, to the propeller via engine ground and shaft, or to a ground
plate aft. Should there be any current in the water flowing in a fore and aft
direction, such bonding system is certain to pick up part of that current,
Sketch 6. The bridged distance may be 20 feet or more, and the resistance
in the bonding wire practically zero. Bonding wire connections between
fittings on opposite sides of a boat would bridge a shorter distance but
stray currents are perhaps more likely between boats in a marina and would
run athwartship to your boat. Usually, if a boat is fitted with a bonding
system, all metal fittings are included and such boat is then likely to collect,
spider net fashion, any current, whatever its direction.
Direct current conducted through the bonding system would, as explained
in the previous section, corrode the metal or fitting from which electrons
are extracted while the fittings at the opposite end of the boat would enjoy
protection unless the current significantly changes the water chemistry
toward greater alkalinity, see earlier details.
Alternating current in the water is usually not considered detrimental
because in lab experiments or in electroplating, no net transport of material
occurs. At metal surfaces under water, the chemical processes at anode
and cathode differ, and it is unlikely that alternating current at a metal
surface under water will flow in either direction with the same ease. It is
more likely that the metal hull fittings will have a rectifying effect by allowing
electron flow with preference in one direction. This suggests that we search
for alternating current as well, and consider it as detrimental as direct
current. With so much alternating current in use on boats, and often less
than perfect wiring, AC current leakage is likely almost anywhere in marinas
and harbors.
How to Find Stray Current
I f enough electric current is picked up by the boats bonding system, you
would be able to measure it at the bonding or grounding wires. A milliam-
106
- -
I
- -
m
a .J
ml
-%ETCH
pere meter, or the mA range on a volt ohm meter, would serve, and mea-
surements are carried out as shown in Sketch 8. Most significant will be
the fittings farthest forward and aft. Take off the bonding or grounding wire
from the fitting and contact the meter wires to fitting and the end of the
bonding wire. I f there are several fittings at the forward end of the boat,
you can improve the measurement sensitivity by first disconnecting the
bond.+vires from all those forward hull fittings, then taking the measurement
at any one of them. This way, there will not be several conductors competing
for current.
I f through hull fittings are bonded to improve their corrosion behavior,
that is bound to have little effect if a zinc is only fitted at one point, usually
near the propeller. That zinc is far too distant to generate any protective
current for a hull fitting near the forward end of the boat. As a collector of
stray current the bonding system is certainly undesirable. But bonding
107
systems probably reduce the danger should lightning strike the boat. Here,
better access from the highly conductive mast to the less conductive sea
water is offered the lightning discharge via the bonding wires to all of the
hull fittings. Where 110 VAC shore electricity is used with a ground fault
circuit interrupter, the bonding system offers a path which allows proper
tripping of the interrupter in case of a leak. After tests, you should therefore
reconnect all bonding wires until all possible effects have been considered.
Measurements of current in the bonding wires will give an approximate
value since the meter resistance has been added during the measurement.
To correlate magnitudes of current with amounts of corroded metals see
the section on zinc and the following Table 9. While zinc and the more
active metals will corrode by themselves, and will do so faster with a
superimposed current in the right direction, more noble metals such as
the copper alloys will have some other reactions compete with the corro-
sion of metal, their corrosion efficiency, black humor, is less than lOO%,
and not all current is used to oxidize or corrode metal. The losses therefore
are less than the table predicts.
Table 9
Metal corroded by direct current
A direct current of 1 mA = 0.001 A flowing between metal and water
will corrode or dissolve the following amounts in one year. The more
noble metals will corrode less than the predicted amounts while less
noble metals will have near 100% corrosion efficiency.
Metal Corrosion in grams per
1 mA year:
Nickel 19.2
Copper 20.8
Tin 19.4
Lead 33.9
Iron 18.3
Zinc 21.4
Aluminum 8.8
Magnesium 8.0
To find stray current elsewhere in the water, without using the boats
bonded hull fittings, you need a meter with very long test wires, as in
Sketch 9. Instead of measuring current, in milliampere for example, we
have to look for voltage differences at different places in the water because
current measurements would be strongly influenced by the sizes of the two
metal electrodes. The meter should therefore be a millivolt meter with a
range of 500 mV which is one half volt. The electrodes must be of the same
metal to eliminate the voltage which dissimilar metals would generate.
Measurements will be more sensitive with greater distance between the
108
electrodes, and the distance, direc-
tion, and polarity should be noted
with every voltage reading. A current
will be flowing between places in the
water which indicate a difference in
voltage. You can verify the sensitiv-
ity and polarity of the meter by con-
necting a pair of dissimilar metals to
the meter as in Sketch 10: pieces
of zinc and copper with a few square
inches of surface area each will
develop about 800 mV in modestly
conductive water, and enough power
for a meter with average sensitivity.
Polarity is shown in the sketch.
Another source of stray electric current is the ground wire which con-
nects many boats to the shore ground of the electric outlet on the dock,
Your boat may be affected even though you are not using shore power.
Sketch 11 gives a summary of conditions with boat and zinc anode, and
shows the two directions for electron flow in a ground wire: if electrons
flow from boat to shore, your zinc is being consumed by this current and,
when it is used up, other metal parts of the boat will corrode, unless the
current then stops. Sketch 12 shows how boat A with zinc is protecting
boat B which has no zinc. Even though the degree of protection for boat
B may be marginal, its contribution to the use of zinc may be very substan-
tial.
The 110 VAC shore electricity is beyond the subject of this book, but the
possible effect of the shore cable ground wire is so overwhelming that we
have to include some aspects of AC (alternating current) wiring.
WARNING: SHOCK HAZARD. Do not attempt any measurements at or
near any of the dock power outlets or the outlets on board unless you
are thoroughly familiar with all safety and wiring code aspects of AC
wiring.
Instead, use the Corrosion Indicator meter offered by Spa Creek Instru-
ments Co., 616 Third Street, Annapolis MD 21403 which is equipped with
a power cord and plug which connects safely to shore ground at dock
outlets, Sketch 13. This meter will make all the measurements discussed
in this section and includes a booklet with all necessary instructions and
many recommendations.
110
Shore Ground Wire
HOT
1
You cannot simply discon-
nect the shore ground wire to
3EKFL
avoid corrosive current. The
ground wire in Sketch 14 car-
ries enough current to trip and
hlEur rLA c
I
open the BRKR circuit
breaker or fuse if the coil of any
;
appliance should touch the
housing, see box in the sketch,
to create a short. Without the
ground wire, the housing would
become hot with 110 V and 5 KErc+r
0
) 4
be a very serious shock hazard,
the circuit breaker would not trip and the short would become a fire hazard.
On some boats, the ground wires of on-board 110 V AC outlets and appli-
ances are connected to boats ground, Sketch 15, and no ground wire
from the dock connected to boats ground. This eliminates the ground wire
corrosion current but may easily create leakage currents from electric
equipment on board. Worse, in case of a short as in the sketch, the extra
current, dotted line, has to flow through water which in most cases will not
allow high enough currents to trip the circuit breaker. While the shock ,
hazard is solved, both fire hazard and corrosion problem remain.
111
Only when a ground fault circuit interrupter is used as in Sketch 16 can
small leakage currents into boats ground trip the circuit breaker. Such
electronrc devices are available in the shape of main panel circuit breakers,
or combined with outlets to fit into wall outlet boxes. Ground fault inter-
rupters sense the current both into and out of the appliance, Sketch 16,
and trip the circuit breaker if a leak causes the current in one wire to be
different from the other. Critical size of the leak is usually 15 milliampere
which is considered the limit of tolerance for human touch shock hazard.
Since the ground fault interrupters use electronic circuitry, your safety
depends on proper performance, and frequent testing is recommended:
GFCls have a test button for that purpose.
112
A method which allows the
boats wiring to remain as in
Sketch 14 but eliminates cor-
rosive current in the ground
wire is outlined in US Patents
3,769,926 and 3,636,409. Since
the corrosion causing currents
are usually in the millivolt G~~JI
ranges while currents from
shorts, dotted line in Sketch
14, will be caused by much
-++T-=-
higher voltages up to 110 V line
BLOCCC~ < I*2 v
voltage, silicon diodes in the
ground wire, Sketch 17, will
5kE7Chj @
block low voltages and corro-
sive current but will become conductive enough in case of a short to cause
a circuit breaker to trip. Threshold voltage for a silicon diode is about 0.6
V, diodes must be in both directions for AC use, and current ratings must
equal or exceed circuit breaker tripping current. Again, safety depends on
the reliable performance of the components.
Test the Zincs with Boat in the Water
You can use the meters of Sketch 9 or Sketch 13 to test whether the
zincs on your boat are intact and working, whether the boats at the dock
near yours have their zincs properly fitted or help consume yours, whether
a bonded through hull fitting forward is too far away to get protection from
a zinc aft, or you can simply walk up and down the docks of your marina
and test all the boats, or most, by just touching a test wire to a stay or
pulpit.
The job is easiest with the corrosion indicator meter which has a scale
as in Sketch 18 and a polarity reversing switch. With other millivolt meters,
you have to watch the needle closely to see whether it wants to pull below
the zero mark. You then have to change polarity: flip the switch, or exchange
the test wires.
As a basic measurement, and to determine the direction of current through
the meter, attach a piece of copper to one wire, a piece of zinc to the other,
and hold in water so that only the copper and zinc electrodes are immersed,
not the alligator clips or other metal attachments, Sketch 13, Sketch 9,
and Sketch IO. The meter will show a reading of 8, for 800 millivolt, in
modestly conductive water.
To test whether a boat has zincs attached and working, all you have to
do is touch a stay or pulpit as in Sketch 19 since usually mast and rigging
is grounded and in direct contact with the bonded hull fittings and its zinc.
You hold the copper electrode as shown, and touch the wire from the zinc
to the boat instead. Now, instead of the zinc electrode, you will see the,
boats zinc give a similar scale reading since that zinc impresses its stream
113
I
Reverse
Switch
#II CACREEK CO.
.
of electrons to all bonded fittings on the boat and the grounded rigging.
Where there are no grounded fittings on deck (which you find easily by
touch with the test wire in Sketch 19), the wire must be touched to a
bonded hull fitting, the engine, or other metal part which is accessible
below deck and is connected and protected by the zinc on the boat.
Low readings as in Sketch 19 mean that the boat is at the level of the
copper electrode and that there is no zinc on the boat, or the zinc is too
small or too far away. In this case, you can verify that there is no zinc by
using a zinc reference electrode on the meter. We have often used big
galvanized nails for that purpose.
The meter will give no reading if:
you have zinc on both test wires, a
zinc reference versus a boat with zinc,
or copper reference versus a boat of
copper fittings but no zmc. In all these
cases, the meter will give low read-
ings, near or at zero.
The bronze fitting in Sketch 20
will give a low reading, near zero
with the boats zinc intact and con-
nected as shown. With a piece of
copper as the meter electrode, the
meter would show a reading near 8
and again show you that the boats
114
-.
A
-
ldm I L
SkE?--C-H @
zinc is present and working. The same applies if you used the zinc electrode
as in Sketch 19.
I f the distance between boats zinc and bronze fitting in Sketch 20 were
greater than shown here, the meter readings would increase with zinc
attached to the meter wire, and decrease with copper on the meter wire:
with less protection from the boats zinc, the bronze fitting will be nearer
the level of copper and increasingly different from the level of zinc. Com-
pare this with the examples in the section on dissimilar metal electrolysis.
Before you measure between two boats as in Sketch 21, make sure that
the two are not electrically interconnected, for example by the ground wires
in dock power cords. Hold the meter wires to grounded shrouds or, if
necessary, to boats ground such as engine or propeller shaft or hull fittings
bonding system. Meter readings will be similarly low if both boats have
zincs working, or both have lost their zincs.
115
You can tell which is the case with a test as in Sketch 19. I f the reading
taken between the boats is high, note polarity or compare with the zinc-
and-copper test which boat is zinc and which boat is copper. I f the
two boats are electrically connected as by a shore power cord, the copper
boat which has no zincs helps to consume the zinc of the zinc boat which
apparently has working zincs which may then be insufficient and short
lived.
Action?
I f your propeller is in good shape after one or more seasons without zinc,
then apparently no zinc is needed and you should keep an eye on any
change of the boats surroundings, dock or mooring, and the on-board
electrical equipment, An occasional test for stray curents would be a good
idea. I f you routinely replace zincs on the hull during haulout, and the old
zincs are normally quite corroded, you should probably run a zinc test as
in Sketch 19 or 20 during the second half of the zincs expected life, to
make certain that it did not lose electrical contact and become ineffective.
Stray current could easily help to consume a zinc much earlier than
expected and stray current tests would give you peace of mind if nothing
else. Boats in busy marinas will usually have the greatest problems, and
stray current and electrical leaks which may change from day to day are
likely. In all cases, new electrical equipment, changes in wiring or use of
electricity should always be viewed as a possible
new risk for electrolysis. With shore power on
the boat, treatment of the ground wire deserves
special attention, and inadvertent connections
from electric water heaters through water lines
to engine ground, from reverse polarity buzzers
from neutral wire to boats ground, from battery
chargers to battery minus and boats ground,
from grounded housings of electrical appli-
ances through conductive tubing of fastenings
to boats ground may all need inspection and
help from a qualified electrician.
I f you have measured an electrical current or
the voltage or potential which would cause a
current, you can usually take immediate steps
to halt electrolytic corrosion. Any specific metal
hull fitting can be protected with a piece of zinc
fastened to a length of stainless steel wire and
suspended over the side as in Sketch 22. The
stainless wire, for example 516 inch stainless
welding electrode wire, is soldered with plumb-
ing solder and acid flux (because electric rosin
core solder will not wet stainless steel) to a
stranded copper wire, for example number 14
116
AWG with vinyl insulation, with the solder joint above water, and the copper
wire electrically connected to that hull fitting. That may be as easy as
clipping it to the nearest shroud or chain plate on deck as long as they are
grounded (test with VOM Ohm meter).
With stray electric current, the damage is done to the zinc first, wherever
it is located, and then to the fitting in the bonding system, or the end of the
metal conductorcorrodesand must be protected which becomes the minus
end with conventional current flow, Sketch 1 and Sketch 23. This again
can be done with a zinc anode over the side near that fitting.
Alternately, in view of the possibly large amount of zinc consumed by
such current, you can make a collector from pieces of steel rod, bar, pipe,
or scrap which you position to collect stray current on one side of the boat
and conduct to the other side. I f things were as easy as in Sketch 23, all
we had to do was short the battery with a wire directly. I f your dock has
steel pilings, you could ground more collecting rods to them. Otherwise,
an arrangement as in Sketch 24 might be best, rods or whatever metal is
available suspended and interconnected with wire. Direct and alternating
current could be collected except current between the bottom and the boat I
hull.
117
Lightning
Thunderstorms present us with
extremes of voltage and current.
Since on the boat we are unwill-
ingly exposed to them, let us take
a closer look and try to reduce the
risks.
Books on meteorology can tell
you how and when thunderstorm
clouds will form, and how the
energy in such cloud is used to
generate separate poles of positive
and negative electric charges as
shown in Sketch 1. At any given
time, an estimated 1000 to 2000
thunderstorms are in action, each
lasts for about 15 to 30 minutes but
in that time may.grow to a height
of six miles, over ten miles in the
tropics.
Rapid upward flow of air at speeas in excess of 100 knots is driven by
differences in temperature and humidity, and is opposed by masses of
precipitation, thousands of tons of water per thunderstorm cloud. Charges
are separated when falling drops and ice crystals collect negative ions with
preference. Positive and negative charge centers are formed with potentials
in excess of ten million Volt. During its short life, a cloud may develop
several such centers which lead to lightning strokes within the cloud.
I f air were completely nonconductive, there possibly might be no light-
ning between cloud and ground. But the air contains ions which form from
different molecules and have positive or negative charges. Such ions make
air electrically conductive. Its resistance is high, about 4 x 10130hm meters,
but so are the voltages, and a thunderstorm is estimated to conduct a
current of about one Ampere upward to the ionosphere which is kept at a
high positive charge by thunderstorms.
Currents between thunderstorm cloud and ground or sea are also flowing
when there is no lightning. Such current is carried by ions which are always
present in any weather. With increasing field strength which is the voltage
difference over a given distance, expressed for example in Volt per meter
(V/m), more current is forced to flow which in turn creates new ions called
corona ions. A more conductive path through the air is created which allows
short bursts of very high current: lightning.
High Voltage
You may encounter relatively high electrostatic voltages quite regularly:
in winter, walking across nylon carpeting, sparks from several thousand
119
Volt may jump from your hand to the next grounded door handle. Such
charges can be demonstrated with two threads and a nail as in Sketch 2.
Hold the nail by its plastic insulator and have someone else walk across
such carpet, or rub any piece of plastic with a dry cloth, then touch to the
tip of the nail. The threads will push away from each other because same
charges, all plus or minus, repel each other and the loose ends of the two
threads. Opposite charges, on the other hand, attract, and neutralize each
other if allowed to travel in a conductor. The charges on two surfaces of a
condenser, Sketch 3, hold each other in place unless the charge is so
high, or the distance so low, that a spark jumps across.
In the thundercloud, Sketch 4, positive charges are at top, negative
charges near the bottom except in the area of intense rain where the rain
+rrt+t++-+
++
Sk&rCt( @
120
has created a downward flow of air. On the
surface, the high potential at the bottom of the
cloud accumulates charges of opposite sign
as shown in the sketch, by attraction as in
Sketch 3. With more than one positive and
negative charge center in the cloud, and after
lightning discharges between them within the
cloud, both high negative and positive charges
may face us under such cloud. The voltages of
either polarity may reach 10,000 Volt per meter:
this is the voltage between two points one meter
or three feet above each other, a measure of
field strength.
Lightning
Under such conditions, lightning strokes
between cloud and ground or sea are likely.
From the relatively low currents which flow via
the ever present ions in the air (3 x 10 .13Ampere
per square foot), preferred paths are generated
by discharges which proceed in steps, carry
enough electricity to generate a more conduc-
tive path by greatly increasing the concentra-
tion of ions. These so-called leaders are nor-
mally not visible but may be heard. Though
slow in comparison to subsequent strokes,
leaders cover the distance between cloud and
ground in a fraction of a second. Along this
conductive, ionized path, several lightning
strokes may follow in very rapid succession
and in both directions, carrying either polarity.
These main discharges are confined to an
increasingly narrow path which, in spite of
appearance, may only be a few inches wide.
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II II II I I
And what appears to be a single stroke may actually be ten or more separate
discharges, Currents may exceed 20,000 Ampere for very short fractions of
a second. You know about the bright flashes and the sounds which take
their time to reach you, since they may come from miles away, from the far
end of the lightning stroke.
What To Do
First of all, try to get away. Reduce the likelihood of lightning striking
your boat. At sea, you can make out individual clouds over distances of five
to ten miles, while their life is limited to only about half an hour. Even if
they drift at 30 knots which is probably rare, you can see some to windward
which will have spent most of their power by the time they reach you, and
you may be able to dodge some younger ones at least so that the center
does not pass directly over your boat.
On inland waters, rivers, creeks, high shore lines will tend to attract
lightning strikes, as will towers, bridges, large vessels, and boats with masts
higher than yours. I f you anchor in a creek near higher shore or trees as in
Sketch 5, the extra height will make it easier for lightning to strike there
by several hundred thousand Volts, not much considering the total voltage
involved, but enough to change the probabilities. You will of course think
about other aspects of safety and good seamanship, including the possi- I
bility of a tree being split and falling over.
121
:
60 FT:
200 kV
All trees and most solid objects will be better conductors than the air
and ~111 therefore be more likely struck than level ground, as will a person
standing upright on level ground. Once hit, a tree, mast, or tower must
distribute the electric current into ground which on land may make high
currents flow horizontally at the surface when that is rain soaked and most
conductive. In the water, this current will be greatest near the boat, Sketch
6, and in both cases extremely hazardous to a person flat on the ground
or In the water.
On board the boat, make a
survey of the major metal
objects which are more than
about a foot long, wide, or deep.
Your mast and rigging will nor-
mally be grounded and may be
tied to bonded through hull fit-
tings: fine, more about that in
a moment. But there are usu-
ally a number of large metal
conductors on board which
are not purposely connected to
_
anything but which deserve
attention.
122
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Ia 1
_1
With a simple experiment you can demonstrate how a noncharged piece
of material can become highly charged by being near another charge. I f
you rub a piece of plastic with a dry cloth, its end usually becomes charged
with static electricity: very high voltage but no current. The charged end
can attract or repel small bits of paper, dust, powders, and when you hold
it near another piece of material 8 in Sketch 7, that piece develops the
opposite charge on the nearby end, and the same charge at its far end as
shown. In this case, piece A with plus charges attracts minus charges to
the near of piece B so that there will be an excess of plus charges at the
far end of B. Thus in turn will affect another nearby piece C. I f the
original charge or voltage of A was high enough, we can cause a spark
between 6 and C without A touching B and without any spark
between A and 6.
Now look around the boat, especially below deck, for conductive equiv-
alents of A, 8, and C. There are two reasons for this exercise: First, we want
to know where in the boat there might be likely places for secondary sparks
in the event of a lightning strike to the mast, or where there might be a
buildup of voltage only, at places you should not touch while waiting out
a thunderstorm below deck.
SkE_T-w(7)
Then, some of these metal parts such as genoa tracks, metal cap rail
moldings, copper tubing below the floor boards, could be incorporated
into the already existing bonding system and grounded rigging to become
something resembling a Faraday cage, Sketch 8, which in its most effec-
tive form is a sphere or round tube of metal which, when struck by lightning,
conducts the charged voltage evenly around the surface. Since all surfaces
are then charged alike, plus or minus whichever might be the case, there
will be no field at the inside, and sparks cannot strike toward the inside
since such charges repel each other.
Metal parts below deck might include genoa and toe rail tracks, other
sheet travellers and tracks, spinnaker and reaching struts, whisker pole,
pulpits, metal rub rails, life lines, boom gallows, jib boom, ground tackle,
longer metal window frames, curtain tracks, heating stove and stove pipe,
dodger frame, binnacle, pedestal, steering cables and mechanism, anchor
windlass and supply cable, head and metal pipes, shower, sink, drain pipes,
water system tubing, metal tanks and lines, autopilot motors, pumps, hydraulic
lines, centerboard cable and winch, galley stove and fuel lines, pots and
123
pans locker, refrigeration machine and tubing, spare anchor, tool boxes,
water heater and tubing, engine room equipment and accessories.
Effort Versus Risk
Decide on a priority based on the weather in your area and the use of
your boat and its risk of exposure to thunderstorms. Your actions may then
range from doing nothing, to having a few cables with clips as in Sketch
10 on hand for temporary interconnections when needed, to permanent
connections between the best suited long metal parts on the boat.
Permanent connections can be made with battery cables or welding
cables, copper tubing, or strips of sheet copper. Tubing makes a better
conductor for this purpose than solid or stranded wire of the same area of
copper cross section, Sketch II, and copper sheet has the advantage of
needing very little space when installed flat against the hull or deck.
The goal is to interconnect existing metal tracks, molding, tubing, at
forward and aft ends and in between if practical, to create as complete a
grid of conductors around a safe space, and to at least approach the
protection afforded occupants in airplanes and cars by their metal enclo-
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sure. Large openings in the grid can sometimes be covered with a flat strip
must be a substantial conductor between the aluminum mast foot and the
propeller. Such conductor will usually run below the cabin sole and in
practice will connect mast foot or mast support pipe with engine block,
Sketch 12. Such conductor is essential to avoid discharges jumping in
unpredictable fashion through the cabin between the big lightning rod; the
mast, and the biggest conductor in the water: the propeller. A heavy battery
cable, large copper tube or sheet metal strip should easily find room under
the floor. Similar connections are made to the through hull fittings which
are all part of the grid in Sketch 9. Because of the substantial offset
between mast foot and engine, additional grounding of the mast is highly
desirable, by lengths of chain which can be stored very compactly in canvas
bags and suspended over the side with a few feet in the water and one end
hooked over a cleat on the mast or wrapped around fore stay, shrouds, and
back stay. The better you provide such paths into the water, the less likely
will lightning have to search for complicated, hazardous, and destructive
paths to or from ground, and the better your peace of mind during a storm.
Since the resistance of water including sea water is magnitudes greater
than the mast and other metal conductors, there is bound to be a bottleneck
in this path where current is first distributed into the nearest layers of water,
compare Sketch 6.
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124
n
of sheet copper or a temporary cable with clips.
Ground
An adequate path to ground is absolutely necessary and is not related to
the conductor grid of Sketch 9 or the Faraday cage of Sketch 8. There
Electric Wiring
The electric wiring of the
boat can become a part of
the grid in Sketch 9 even
though 12 Volt or 110 V wires
cannot be directly grounded.
But during a lightning strike,
these wires will assume the
same momentary high volt-
age if there is a spark gap
wide enough to prevent flow
of the boats working elec-
tricrty but small enough to
be easily jumped by the vastly
higher voltages associated
with lightning. Where 12 or 110 V wires cross copper bonding strips or grid
connectors, attach a short solid copper wire of 10 or 12 gauge size and
wrap it around the wire and its insulation as in Sketch 13. The insulation
will then make the spark gap. Fittings are commercially available which
accept antenna cables with PL-259 plugs, connect to radios and to ground
via spark gap. Inside, Sketch 14, antenna A connects to radio at R, and
to ground only with high voltage. A capacitor may be part of the R leg.
The 60 Cone
A cone of protection is often mentioned which covers areas under a
grounded lightning rod such as an aluminum mast. On most boats, mast
126
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n
and rigging will easily cover people on deck under such imaginary cone
whether measured from the horizontal or vertical. It is likely that mast and
rigging will collect and ground any lightning before it can enter such cone.
However, what about induced voltages as in Sketch 7? A helmsman, or
anyone on deck Sketch 15, should not rely on protection from mast and
rigging and should avoid contact with metal objects especially if they are
not solidly grounded as discussed.
Damage to Electrical Equipment
Direct lightning strikes into the mast top will usually cause damage to
electrical and electronic equipment even though the mast was perfectly
grounded. Induced voltages will occur in all wires and other metal com-
ponents on board, their magnitude will mainly depend on the length of wire
and its orientation in the electrical field. Disconnecting antennas from
receivers will eliminate one source of a voltage peak. For more complete
protection, all wires probably must be disconnected, so that the unit only
extends its one foot width or depth in any momentary electrostatic field.
127
Meters
The two most important electrical
meters are ammeter and voltmeter, one
measures current or rate of flow, the
other potential or pressure. The two
are designed similarly, usually have a
coil which moves a needle, but have
two very significant differences: volt-
meters must have high internal resis-
tance or a coil of very thin wire with
many turns, Sketch I, while amme-
ters must have low internal resistance,
made with heavy conductors. There is
a simple reason. To measure voltage,
the voltmeter must be connected
between plus and minus terminals of
the battery or the circuit as shown in
Sketch 2, and any current through the
voltmeter is a drain on the battery.
Voltmeters on the boat will have
resistances ranging from a few hundred
Ohm of relatively crude meters, to many
thousand Ohm for better ones. All of
them are designed to move their indi-
cating needle with a minimum of cur-
rent.
Ammeters on the other hand are
installed directly in the current carry-
ing wire, see Sketch 2: the current to
SkE-t-CH @
-
the lamp must flow through the ammeter which will respond with a needle
indication. In order to offer least resistance to the current, ammeters are
designed to have the lowest possible resistance, to use just enough power
in their coils to be able to move the indicating needles. Ammeters with a
range to 10 A typically will have an internal resistance of a few thousandth
of an Ohm, larger ranges will have even less resistance while ammeters
with 1 A range or milliampere meters will have resistances near one Ohm.
I f you connected a voltmeter in the place of the ammeter, in series with
the load, very little current could flow and the lamp in Sketch 2 would
remain dark. I f you connected an ammeter in the place of the voltmeter,
parallel to the load, massive current would flow through the ammeter,
overheat it or blow a fuse.
129
Second Ammeter
To connect a second ammeter,
choose any place in the wire to or from
the load: current will be the same at all
places except for the slight current
through voltmeters. The new meter must
have approximately the same range as
the maximum current expected to flow.
It may have a different Ampere range
than the existing ammeter if that range
is too high and that meter too insensi-
tive to low currents. In practice, pro-
ceed as shown in Sketch 3. Ammeters
have terminals with plus and minus
notation: minus is the downstream
terminal which will be at the same pos-
itive 12 Volt as the other terminal.
Installing an ammeter in reverse will do
no harm except that the needle will pull
against the zero stop and give no read-
ing.
(-9
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To measure relatively hiyher currents where the meter must be located
some distance from the heavy wiring, a shunt type ammeter is used. The
shunt, Sketch 4, is a carefully built resistor with a stable low Ohm value.
When current flows, there will be a slight voltage drop at the resistor,
compare examples in the Basic Electricity section. The two terminals of
~ the shunt will have slightly different voltages, the difference is measured
by the meter, a millivolt meter with its scale calibrated in Ampere, matched
to the shunt, For example, if the shunt had a resistance of 1 Ohm, a current
of 1 Ampere would cause a 1 Volt difference at the shunt which the meter
would then measure.
Ammeter Improvements
Many Ampere meters (ammeters) have a range which covers a maximum
current which only rarely occurs. They are then bound to be insensitive to
low currents which you may wish to measure much more often. Ammeters
on electric main panels often have 50 A ranges and are near useless when
trying to measure current to an anchor light or cabin light. Such measure-
ments can be improved if a second ammeter with lower range is installed,
Sketch 5, and one or the other chosen with a SPST switch (single pole-
single throw, see switches). To protect the new meter from higher currents
when the switch IS in the wrong position, connect a diode with, for example,
25 A rating parallel to the meter as in Sketch 6.
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Another way to connect a low range ammeter or milliampere meter is
shown in Sketch 7 which uses a normally closed momentary switch. The
old ammeter is always connected unless you want to check whether the
anchor light is still on, or make sure all cabin lights have been switched
off. To do that, you would push the button and get a reading on the low
range meter.
All sketches show the connections in the style of wiring diagrams. Any
connections of lines (wires) by dots (joints) would normally be made directly
at the terminals of the switches and meters.
I f you have an ammeter with relatively high range and want to be able
only to check that no current flows when the meter needle is near zero,
use the circuit in Sketch 8. Instead of an additional meter, you install a
light emitting diode in a small hole next to the meter, connect it with a 470
Ohm, % Watt resistor as shown, and install the momentary push switch.
The LED has its minus lead marked with a small flat area, observe its
polarity, see details in the Lamp List. The LED will light if there is any
current flowing.
131
5KE-rCH @
Voltmeters
Most voltmeters used on 12 Volt systems have scales similar to that in
Sketch 9, with a range of O-15 V. Voltages under 10 V are of no interest to
us at all: if the battery is under 10 V, it is dead and we need not measure
how dead. On the other hand, the voltage range between 11.5 and 14.0 is
highly important, here are the measurements which tell us how the batteries
are charged, how the alternator or battery charger is working, and how
much electricity is left in the batteries. This range, unfortunately, is tiny on
good meters with fine needles and scale markings, and obscure on most
other meters. The expanded scale voltmeters on engine panels usually
range from 8 to 16 V and use a spring to hold the needle back at low
voltages. With their colored ranges, they pretend to give accurate infor-
mation. Usually you can do better by watching the brightness of a cabin
light.
Expanded Scale Voltmeter
You can expand the voltage range to a scale as in the lower part of
Sketch 9 by blocking a constant 10 Volt with electronic components, and
measuring the excess above 10 Volt with a voltmeter with O-5 V range. That
meter would point to 1 V at 1 lV, 2 V at 12 V and so on. To make such meter,
use Ihe Darts in Sketch
IO. The voltmeter is con-
netted in series with one
zener diode which
becomes conductive at its
voltage rating V,, for
example 10 V. Additional
silicon diodes in the for-
VZ 0,6v 0.6V 5/
ward direction as shown
can be used to further increase the voltage blocked from the meter. Each
silicon diode, for example type 1 N4001, adds approximately 0.6 Volt. In this
132
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way, meters with O-3 V DC to O-5 V DC range can be converted into meters
which give the important voltage range from about 11.5 to 13.5 or somewhat
wider with great resolution.
You could mark the voltage of your fully charged batteries on the meter,
mark the voltage when batteries are full while the alternator is still charging,
and decide on a low voltage for the empty point of the batteries.
Battery Charge Meter
Since the battery voltage
gives an indication of the state
of charge of each battery, a fur-
ther improvement is a meter
with a percent scale, to give
;*4: -?&e-q3
direct readings of electricity in
ANY
the batteries in % of full charge.
VQLT-HE-fE I2
Such meter must be calibrated
BATL i o--/rl 2
to take the nonlinear discharge
curves of lead acid batteries into
account*. This and all other
voltmeters are best installed
with selector switches which
connect the meter to individual
batteries. The switches can be
SKcrCH @
small since very little current is
switched. For two batteries, a SPDT switch with center-off position will
work. Normally open momentary push button switches or rotary switches
can be used for greater numbers of batteries, Sketch 11.
To verify a single voltage, for example the
half way mark when draining a battery, the
fully charged voltage when using a manual
alternator control, or to test the presence of
other voltages as in batteries of portable
equipment, connect a light emitting diode
in series with a zener diode as in Sketch
12. Red and green LEDs use slightly differ-
ent voltages, the following examples are for
a green LED. A red LED will have all voltages
lower by 0.2 V.
Available from Spa Creek instruments Co.. 616 Third St., Annapolis, MD 21403
133
With a zener diode IN52378 of 8.2 V, the LED will light up above 10.4 V,
with lN5239B of 9.1 V above 11.3 V, with lN5240B of IO V at 12.7 V, with
1 N4242B of 12 V at 13.2 V and so on. All zener diodes are rated 400mW,
and both zener diode and LED must be connected with proper polarity.
Disadvantage of the circuit in Sketch
12 IS that voltages much higher than
the turn-on voltage may cause excess
current and eventually burn out the LED.
A better circuit is that in Sketch 13
which uses a small NPN transistor to
2.2 k
turn on the LED. The 470 Ohm resistor
B
2-d
limits LED current for use on 10 to 16
2LL-L
V The other two resistors may be any-
2.2. K
where from 1 5 K to 5 k Ohm, their size I
and Ihe zener voltage rating determine
the voltage above whrch the LED will
be on.
Sk.E-l--C-H @
I f a pilot or warning light is needed which goes on when voltage falls
below a certain value, use the circuit in Sketch 14. At high voltages, the
zener diode is conducting and the lower transistor will be on, connecting
the base of the other transistor to ground so that it is off. When voltage
falls, the zener diode slops conducting and the first transistor is turned off.
Now, current through a 2.2 k resistor turns on the transistor on the right
which allows current through the LED: it becomes bright.
Low Battery Alarm
To switch on greater loads or more power, for example a buzzer or bell,
a transistor with greater wattage rating is needed, for example to make a
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m
low battery alarm as in Sketch 15. The circuit consists of the same zener
diode and voltage divider, coupled to a small transistor such as the 2N2222
shown, or any of the many other small signal NPN types available. The
other transistor must be able to handle the current of the buzzer or bell or
horn which might be a few Ampere, the transistor then needs a rating of
about 30 to 50 Watts. Since its base current may also have to be greater, .
the unspecified resistor in the sketch will be lower than before, between
1.5 k and 2.2 k Ohm. The buzzer will sound an alarm if, for example, the
house battery is being deep cycled or discharged by the cabin lights while
nobody pays any attention.*
Low Battery Cutoff
One step further in this direction is a low battery cutoff
in the form of a circuit breaker with a low voltage sens-
ing trip mechanism, Sketch 16. This relatively drastic
measure to prevent deep cycled batteries is more
intended for charter boats where there is little time for
instructions on battery management and less motiva-
tion to extend the life of the batteries. A pilot LED light
is connected across the circuit breaker contacts as in
Sketch 6 which lights up to tell that the battery is now
empty and the cutoff has been triggered.
An integrated circuit, lntersil ICM7201, Sketch 17, is
offered as low battery voltage indicator. In addition to
the LED light, it requires three external parts and offers
some advantage over the other low voltage circuits
described here. Other integrated circuits are available
for interesting and very useful metering applications:
The next step above analog meters with scale and mechanical pointers
are the bar graph meters which consist of a chain of LED lights. One
integrated circuit of interest to serious experimenters is type LM3914 called
bar graph driver. It is made as type NSM3914 on a small printed circuit
board with ten small LEDs, Sketch 16, and with a few external parts can
be made to display battery voltage. Its LEDs are very small, a version
NSM39146 with yellow LEDs is somewhat more visible.
A battery charge meter with full
sized red and green LEDs and cal-
ibrated directly in percent of bat-
tery charge is also being made,
Sketch 19, next page.
6
0
17
Available from Spa Creek Instruments Co., 616 Third St., Annapolis, MD 21403
135
Digital Meters
Their great advantage is high res-
olution together with wide range.
Other meters offer one or the other,
never both. Digital meters can display
differences of %oVolt (or %ooVolt, not
necessary) and cover a range much
wider than the needed O-15 Volt. There
are several makes of so called digital
panel meters on the market, as well
as kits with parts and printed circuit
board. The displays include the pop-
ular LED or light emitting diode dis-
plays which are usually red, fluores-
cent displays with blue-green digits
as in some marine wind and speed
instruments, and liquid crystal dis-
plays which appear to be gaining
ground.
Digital panel meters are most often
made for a 5 VDC supply voltage. Most
of these meters have tabs on the edge
of a printed circuit board, intended for edge connectors. For our applica-
ttons, solder a type 7805 integrated circuit voltage regulator directly to the
tab and to the boats 12 V system. Noise from the alternator must be filtered,
It will otherwise cause random numbers. You may connect the meters
input terminal to normally open push button switches or a rotary switch to
measure the voltage of all batteries. Sketch 20 shows a digital panel meter
(DPM) with 39~ digits: The left digit can only be 1 or nothing. There are
very few digital panel meters available with fewer than 3% digits. Since
application details vary between makes, all other installation details should
be taken from the manufacturers instructions
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Engine Instruments and Alarms
There are mechanical oil pressure and temperature gauges: they are
becoming rare. You can recognize them by the absence of electrical ter-
minals at the back of the meter (except for electrical illumination), and by
a stiff, wire-like tube connecting the gauge to a place on the engine.
Sketch 1 shows four types of sensors
which are mounted directly on the engine,
or on components near the engine. Note
that A has two electrical terminals while
the others have only one. All have pipe thread
connections at base: normally l/e NPT for oil
pressure switches A and 6, and oil pressure
gauge sensor or sender D. And l/4 NPT or
bigger for temperature sensors as the one
at C.
A: Oil pressure switch, is either the N.O. or
normally open type (which closes con-
tacts only with applied pressure), or the
N.C., normally closed type (which opens
contacts with applied pressure). Trouble
shooting, measure with VOM low ohm
range: with wires taken off, both termi-
nals have high ohm (100 K or better) to
ground, regardless whether N.O. or N.C.
type.
B: Has only one terminal at top. The switch
housing is the other terminal. This switch
also may be N.O. or N.C. type, but most
frequent is the N.C. type which opens
contact when pressure is applied.
Pressure ratings: switches are used in
lube oil and fuel system, and the pres-
sure, in PSI, at which the switch reacts,
may range from 2 to 6 PSI for fuel pres-
sure switches, to 10 to over 50 PSI for oil
pressure switches.
Trouble shooting for type B: with VOM at
low ohm setting, no intermediate ohm read-
ings between terminal and ground: meter to
read either less than one ohm (difficult to
distinguish on some meters) or more than
10 K (10 kilo Ohm = 10,OOOOhm). Readings
of 100 to 1000 Ohm probably indicate a faulty .
switch.
c:
D:
Temperature sensor: a variable resistor or thermistor reacts to change
in temperature by changing resistance. Shape may vary. Wire connects
directly to temperature gauge, see wiring example. Trouble shooting:
with wire off and engine cool, VOM meter will show 100 to 5000 Ohm,
but never less than 50, or more than 10K Ohm.
Pressure sensor: often with relatively large body, with plastic or rubber
boot. Single contact, wtth wire directly to oil pressure gauge. Internal
variable resistor reacts to change in pressure. Trouble shooting, in
operation, should have about 12 V between terminal and ground. With
wire off, engine off, should have neither zero nor infinite Ohms, but
some value between 50 and 10K Ohm. See example about further test-
ing.
Oil Pressure Alarms: I f your
system has an engine key
switch, or a switch on the
main panel for ENGINE, then
this switch will very likely
activate the engine oil pres-
sure alarm. It will probably
also switch power to the
engine instruments and to
the alternator (field and reg-
ulator). I f you do not have such a switch, and can start the engine as long
as the battery main switch is on for starting power, then a type A pressure
switch, with two terminals, probably in the fuel system, powers the alarm.
Or you may have both, as in Sketch 3:
Switch (1) is closed with the key. Switch (2) closes with the first few turns
of the engine and connects to switch (3) which is in the oil system and still
closed, so that the bell rings. Then, as oil pressure builds up, switch (3) is
opened and disconnects the bell. Lack of fuel pressure would stop the
engine, lack of oil pressure would ring the alarm. To test, turn key on,
measure 12 V at one terminal of switch (2) but not on the other. Bridge the
terminals to make the bell ring. I f it does not, bring a wire with 12V to + Bell
to make it ring (Bell is ok, switch (3) is not).
138
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The alarm circuit in Sketch 4 is slightly different: switch (1) could be a
type A fuel pressure switch or a key switch. With the engine running, power
reaches + BELL, the bell rings until oil pressure builds up and opens the
N.C. oil pressure switch (2) which interrupts the bell ground wire. To test
this circuit, the VOM meter, on low range Ohm, will show high Ohm to
ground at both sides of the bell. With engine off, but switch (1) closed by
key or by bridging the switch terminals, bell should ring. I f it does not, but
+ 12V, measured against engine ground, show at both + and - terminals
of the bell: switch (2) is faulty. Bridge its terminal to ground, to ring the bell
and to prove the point.
Electric Oil Pressure Gauge: The most common arrangement is shown
in Sketch 5. Power is switched to the + side of the gauge by instruments
switch. A wire connects from the other gauge terminal to the sensor at the
engine. With oil pressure, the sensor will vary its internal resistance and
allow current to flow to ground. The meter, responding to current, will point
to the corresponding PSI values on its scale. In troubleshooting, you want
to find out first whether gauge or sender are at fault.
lest the gauge: With VOM or trouble shooting light (shown Sketch
6) make sure that you have -t 12 V at A at the gauge, otherwise fault is
elsewhere upstream in the wiring. At B, the other terminal, you should also
have 12 V since the meter is basically a milliampere meter, with low internal
resistance. I f you touch the trouble shooting light to B, the meter needle
should change reading: probably it will show full scale, indicating the
current which flows through the test light to ground: touch only very briefly,
and dont connect point B to ground directly since that will ruin the gauge.
Also, the test light probably will not light up between point B and ground.
But if the meter needle moves, the gauge should be all right.
The sensor: disconnect the wire, with instrument power off, and mea-
sure Ohms between sensor (sender) terminal and ground, VOM meter at
low Ohm range. The reading should be greater than about 100 Ohm, but.
not infinitely high, to indicate a functioning sensor. I f practical, leave the
139
VOM securely connected and measure resistance, in Ohm, while starting
the engine. A distinct decrease in Ohm, measured with wire off, between
sensor terminal and ground, indicates that sensor is all right.
Electric Temperature Gauge: Wiring schematic as in Sketch 5,
except the sensor looks like C, page 137, with bigger threaded base than
the oil pressure sensor D. Sensor C will be mounted somewhere on the
engine cylinder head or upper (hot) part of the block, where water cooling
passages are nearby inside. With test light or Volt-Ohm Meter (VOM) you
can search for trouble as with the oil pressure gauge. With the test light,
Sketch 6, enough current will flow from point B through the light to ground
to make the gauge change its reading, although not enough current to
actually make the test light shine. When you use the VOM meter, set to read
DC Volt, you should measure 12V between point B and ground. But since
the VOM has high internal resistance, much higher than the test light, not
enough current flows through the VOM to make the gauge register any
change.
To test the temperature gauge sensor, disconnect the wire from it (do
not let it touch ground) and measure, with the VOM set to low range Ohm,
from sensor terminal to engine ground or sensor body. You can do this
first with engme cold, and again, with engine hot but shut down. Working
sensor should show significant difference in Ohm, hot versus cold.
Water Temperature and Oil Pressure Alarm: To warn you about
high water temperature, a normally open (N.O.) water temperature switch
closes contacts when temperature gets too high. The oil pressure alarm
switch is a normally closed (N.C.) switch which is opened by the oil pressure
but closes contacts when oil pressure drops. In Sketch 7, two such switches
are shown, connected at right to a 12V bell (plus 12V coming from the
switches, a connection to GROUND is shown at the right side of the bell:
compare wiring diagram symbols, elsewhere in this text).
Since the alarm has to be switched off when the engine is off (otherwise
the bell would ring since oil pressure is down), but has to be switched on
reliably every time the engine is on, the safest two methods are key- or fuel
pressure switches, as shown. With gas engines, the ignition key or ignition
switch is a good source of power for the alarm. Some diesel engines also
140
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have an ignition key which has to be switched on for instruments and
alternator. This, too, would be a reliable source of 12V power for the alarm.
Some diesel engines only require the battery main switch to be on (for
starter motor electricity) which may remain on after the engine has been
stopped. Here, a pressure switch in the fuel system, with N.O. contacts,
sketch A, is used: Fuel pressure closes the contacts and supplies power to
the alarm circuit, and the bell may ring until oil pressure has built up to
open the oil pressure alarm switch.
To identify your alarm system, you may see the fuel- and oil pressure
switches in the engine wiring diagram, or you may be able to distinguish
by the performance: power from fuel pressure switch will make the alarm
bell ring just when the engine is first being turned over. Complication: if
your engine has an electric fuel pump, fuel pressure would build up before
the starter turns the engine over.
To make an engine alarm, first search for (or ask engine man for location
of) oil pressure connections or the oil pressure gauge sender (looks like D
on page 137), and a plug on the cylinder head which can be replaced by a
temperature switch. Oil pressure connections are most often l/e inch pipe
thread (l/a NPT), you may need a short nipple, a T fitting, and the new oil
pressure switch, to connect to the engine where the oil pressure sender
was, see Sketch 6. Then use a bell, a beeper or other sound or light device,
or both.
Also see the bilge alarm, which can be added to the engine alarm.
-. -
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mmmmmmmmm
Low Ohm Meter
You have probably noticed that the usual
volt ohm meter (VOM) can not measure low
resistances even on its lowest Ohm range:
values under ten Ohm all look alike. It is
useful though to be able to measure low
resistances such as the alternator field coil,
regulator resistances, terminal connec-
tions, switch contact resistance, wire con-
tinuity et cetera. The circuit in Sketch 1 is
a low ohm meter which you can make from
a DC voltmeter and some small parts.
You can choose the scale range which will
have its values distributed as in Sketch 2
which has a mid scale value of 3 Ohm. Some
examples for meters with different internal
resistances and for several mid scale values
are given further down.
Most voltmeters have an internal resis-
tance of 50 or 100 Ohm, one sold by an
electronics chain store is identified as 85
Ohm.* You can measure the meter resis-
tance with a VOM. Then decide on the desired
scale and select the shunt resistor R which
in most cases will have to be made up from
two parallel standard resistors. The switch
is essential because the meter uses consid-
erable battery power while it is on. One of
the 100 Ohm resistors is variable as zero
adjustment.
Table 1 gives some examples for meters
with 50, 85, or 100 Ohm, mid scale values of
3, 6, and 10 Ohm, and the necessary values
for R which you make up from the stan-
dard resistors shown there, all % Watt.
Radio Shack Panel Meter No. 270-1754
1.5V
SkETw (j)
143
-
Table 1
Values for Shunt Resistor in Low Ohm Meter
Meter internal Mid Scale
resistance, Ohm Value, Ohm
50 3
50 6
50 10
85 3
85 6
85 10
100 3
100 6
100 10
Shunt
Resistor,
Ohm
3.19
6.8
12.5
3.11
6.46
11.33
3.09
6.38
11.11
Make from:
Ohm
3.9 and 18
6.8 (standard)
18and39
4.7 and 10
6.8 and 120
18 and 33
6.8 and 5.6
6.8 and 100
18and27
Calibrating resistance of 3 Ohm:
connect in parallel as in Sketch 3
3.9&
one standard resistor each of 3.9,18,
and 47 Ohm. Other calibrations: use
measured lengths of wire and cal-
culate its resistance from these val-
ues:
SKETCH @
Iron: steel
Size, AWG 16 18 20 22
Ohm foot per 0.0233 0.0370 0.0589 0.0936
Brass
Size, AWG
Ohm foot per
18 20 22 24 26
0.0259 0.0412 0.0655 0.104 0.166
Copper
Size, AWG
Ohm ft. per
18 20 22 24 26
0.0064 0.0101 0.0161 0.0257 0.0408
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Battery Capacity Meter, Ampere Hour Meter
Our only knowledge of battery capacity normally is the manufacturers
specification in Ampere hours (Ah) for the new battery, or Cold Cranking
Amps which can be converted to Ah, see section on batteries. But battery
capacity measurements give different results if carried out at different rates
and to different voltage end points, and the battery capacity decreases with
age of the battery. It is therefore desireable to measure the Ampere hours
which a battery can supply, and to repeat the same measurement after a
season or more to determine how battery capacity has been lost, to predict
the probable life of a battery.
Battery capacity meters are routinely used
by battery manufacturers but have not been
available in simple versions for use on board.
The capacity meter in Sketch 1 is connected
to a fully charged battery, is then switched on,
consuming current from the battery and mea-
suring time with an hour meter. The internal
circuit is shown in Sketch 2: it holds the con-
tact of a relay closed until the battery voltage
has fallen to a predetermined value, the end
point. At that time, the relay opens, current
flow stops as does the hour meter. The battery
capacity is the hour meter reading multiplied
by the current in Ampere, to give Ampere hours
(Ah).
You could make a similar measurement with a resistor, by watching
voltmeter and time, and switching the test off at the voltage end point. This
usually is impractical, a waste of manpower, and the end point unreliable.
The meter will perform the test automatically, and the reading can be taken
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the next day or weekend whenever convenient. The meter is designed not
to deep cycle or deep discharge the battery during the test.
The circuit senses-the battery voltage with a
zener diode. At the end point it switches off
the transistor so that the relay contacts open.
The transistor is a Darlington NPN power tran-
sistor. In its place, many other NPN power tran-
sistors with a small signal NPN transistor in
Darlington circuit will work as well, Sketch 3.
The power resistors R should draw ten,
twenty, or thirty Ampere and must have a suf-
ficient wattage rating to avoid excess heat. For
example, a 3 Ohm power resistor would draw
about 4 A and generate 48 Watts of heat, it
should have a 50 W minimum rating. Five of
them in parallel would draw 20 A.
The 8.7 V zener diode will result in an end point voltage of 10.5 V, a zener
diode of 9.2 V will increase the endpoint to 11.8 V. With high test currents
(20 A or more), the end point may be chosen lower because the battery
voltage will recover once the meter has switched off. With low test currents,
the end point voltage should be higher (11.8 V) to avoid deep cycling and
the associated damage to the battery.
Once you have assembled the meter, it will perform the same test with
constant end point and rate, and will give you comparable results of battery
capacity and change of capacity over the years. All you have to remember
is to take hour meter reading before and after each test, and to keep a
record.
Refinements can be made by installing a switch between two groups of
power resistors to have a high and low test current range, or a start push
switch parallel to the transistor, to first close the relay. The transistor should
be protected against reverse voltage peaks by a diode parallel to the tran-
sistor and with its anode at the minus terminal. Copper battery clips are
handy to connect the test wires to the battery posts.
Before each test, the battery must be fully charged, for example by battery
charger which is left connected over night, or until all cells are gently
fizzing with gas bubbles.
Battery Capacity Meter from Spa Creek Instruments Co., 616 Third St., Annapolis, MD 21403
146
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Alternators
A very simple alternator is shown in
Sketch 1. I f you held a voltmeter to the
ends of the coil of wire and pulled the
permanent magnet away, the meter nee-
dle would move. I f you brought the mag-
net back, the needle would move again,
but in the opposite direction. To make a
working alternator out of it, we could fas-
ten the magnet to a shaft and rotate it, or
rotate the coil. Both methods are used in
practice, and the only important detail is
that the magnet poles at the ends of the
coil must change. With any change, for
example from North to South at the upper
N
end in the sketch, a pulse of electricity is generated during the
ey
change. The design can be improved by bigger and stronger
Q
magnets and coils. More turns of wire will generate higher
voltages, thicker wire greater current. The gap between the
=0
rotating part called the rotor, and the stationary part called
the stator can be made very small and the parts rounded as in
a
Sketch 2, and the speed made as high as practical so that
S
there will be many changes of poles at the coil and many pulses
of voltage and current. Coils are wound on soft iron which is
0
3
able to collect the magnets field. Usually thin sheets of iron
are used, to reduce currents in the iron which would generate
heat.
147
Another improvement is used in bicycle dyna-
mos which have a permanent magnet with four
poles instead of two, so four impulses are gen-
erated with each turn of the coil. A disadvantage
is that moving contacts, wipers, or brushes are
needed to make contact with the wires of the
rotating coil. In larger alternators, this is avoided
by rotating the magnet, and keeping the coil sta-
tionary which can then be made to consist of
many individual coils as in Sketch 3. And the
rotor in the alternator on your engine probably
has at least eight, probably ten, twelve, or four-
teen magnet poles: half of them North poles, the
other half South poles. Sketch 4.
A complication arises from the need to reduce
the alternator output when batteries are fully
charged, no more electricity needed, but the
engine still running. Instead of permanent mag-
nets, our alternators use an electromagnet. Rotors are made from two soft
iron pieces with star like shapes which form the North and South poles of
the rotor. A coil between the two makes them more or less magnetic when
direct current flows through this field coil, Sketch 5. To get the field
current to the coil, most alternators use two carbon brushes and two slip
rings, made from copper and connected with the ends of the field coil wire.
Another complication has to do with the alternating current which alter-
nators normally generate. Since we need direct current to charge batteries,
the alternating pulses from the coils must be rectified. Silicon rectifying
diodes are used, mounted in the alternator housing, and only the plus and
148
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minus terminals of the rectified current are brought to the outside. Most
alternators have the minus pole connected to the aluminum housing, and
have an insulated terminal as plus pole.
The stator is made from laminated layers of sheet iron, riveted together
and partly visible like an equatoror between the aluminum housing halves
of the alternator.
The space for the stator windings is limited: the coils must be close to
the rotors North and South poles, must have enough turns of wire to
generate high enough voltge, and heavy enough wire to allow high current.
Alternators therefore use several coils in series, each with only a few turns,
but the total great enough for the needed voltage. Then there is enough
space for more wire, on the iron pole pieces as in Sketch 6. There are
three groups of coils, each acting like one separate coil, the turns always
made around three pole pieces. Each group is offset from the next by one
pole piece and the output pulses will come one after another, as North and
South poles pass by.
With three groups of generating coils at the stator, the alternator is
generating three separate phases which must be rectified separately. I f
you took each group off and layed it out flat, the pattern would be as in
Sketch 7, each offset from the next by one pole piece, and within a group,
each coil three pieces from the next. Note that the wire turns change
direction: as one individual coil faces a North pole, the next will face a
South pole, the generated pulses have opposite polarity. To have all indi-
vidual coils in a group push in the same direction at the same time, turns
must change left, right, left as shown. In some alternators this problem is
solved by skipping pole pieces as in Sketch 6 and winding more turns, all.
in the same direction.
149
SKETC
150
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You can usually see the windings of the
stator, made with magnet wire of copper
with lacquer insulation. The individual coils
in Sketch 7 have about seven turns of wire
each.
To rectify the pulses of each of the coils
with a bridge rectifier, Sketch 9, would
require a total of twelve diodes. Instead, the
three stator coils are interconnected as in
Sketch 10, one arrangement being called
Y or wye, the other Delta for obvious
reasons. Each of three terminals are con-
nected to positive and negative terminal by
silicon diodes. As you can see, three diodes
have their anodes connected to the minus
terminal and three their cathode to the plus
terminal. The two kinds of diodes used in
alternators are shown in Sketch 11: the
one on the left is called cathode base, the
other anode base, and there are three of
each, press fitted into an aluminum bar which
is part of the positive output terminal, and
directly into the alternator housing which
then serves as negative terminal.
In order to make the rotor magnetic, some
field current must flow through the field coil
which is part of the rotor. Field coils nor-
mally have resistances ranging from two to
five Ohm, and full 12 Volt would make more
field current flow than is necessary. To reg-
ulate alternator output current, a so-called
voltage regulator is used which, in spite of
its name, regulates output current, a func-
tion of voltage and resistance. Before we
look at different makes and models of alter- S L( EJ- C-Y
nators, we should distinguish between cer-
(i-i>
tain groups:
There are alternators which have a regulator built into, or fastened directly
on to the alternator itself, while other alternators have a remote regulator,
connected by wires, Sketch 12. The voltage regulator is connected to the
alternator field coil: it supplies the field current. The arrangement of voltage
regulator and field coil can be in two different ways, Sketch 13, with the
regulator either between plus 12 Volt and field coil, or between field coil
and ground. Whether the voltage regulator is mechanical, with one or more
relays, or transistorized or solid state is of minor importance. internal
regulators are the solid state type. Some alternators are designated Marine
151
Alternators and have the slip ring and brushes of the outside of the rear
bearing, within a metal housing, and are thus less likely to ignite gasoline
fumes. On boats with gas engines or other fire risks, such alternators should
be retained or replaced with similar designs. Table 1 shows some of the
Table 1
Groups of Alternators with different Voltage
Regulators and Field Coil Arrangements, and Methods
of Regulator Supply.
Internal
Regulator
Regulator supplled from
12 Volt System lhrough a
Swllch
Sketch 15
152
Regulator supplied from
Set of Auxlllary Diodes
Sketch 16
Directly, Separated by
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combinations and serves as a reference to help describe any given alter-
nator.
Most of the early alternators were of type A, still the most popular on
automobiles, least expensive, easiest to repair, easiest to connect to a
manual regulator. Type B and D with internal regulators are quite common
on marine engines, probably because of ease of installation by the engine
manufacturer. Many Motorola alternators are type B although there are
also many Motorola type A and few type D alternators, and Delcotron and
most Hitachi alternators are examples of type D.
Main function of the voltage regulators is to adjust the field current in
response to the voltage of battery and electric system. All regulators must
have a plus and ground terminal as in Sketch 14, and a field terminal F:
this either supplies positive field current or sinks negative field coil
terminal to ground, the two alternatives in Sketch 13. Voltage regulators
typically reduce field current when a particular voltage is reached, usually
near 14 Volt. Directly after starting the engine, the battery voltage will be
relatively low and the voltage regulator therefore will supply greater field
current to the alternator which in turn will generate higher output current.
As this current is charged to the batteries, their voltage rises rapidly: current
can only flow into a battery if a voltage greater than that of the battery is
applied. You will therefore see that ammeter readings will be high right
after starting the engine, but will drop considerably soon afterwards. This
creates a problem where batteries must be charged within limited lengths
of engine running time. Solutions are offered in this section.
The voltage regulator performs another function with elegance: while
engine and alternator are running, any change in current being consumed
causes an immediate response by the regulator which changes alternator
output current accordingly. In a car, for example, you may switch the
headlights on, draw an extra ten or more Ampere without any strain on the
battery: the voltage regulator responds to the slight change in voltage, and
the alternator is made to take on the extra load and generate extra current.
On the boat, this of course only applies while the engine is running.
The voltage which the regulator is designed to maintain, usually slightly
above 14 Volt, can be adjusted. How that can be done with mechanical and
solid state regulators will follow. Since the setting will affect battery charg-
ing and may overcharge during long engine runs, the setting should not
be increased to accelerate battery charging: there are betterways to accom-
plish that. The regulator setting should cause the alternator output current,
the ammeter reading, to fall to near zero when batteries are fully charged
during long engine running, where batteries barely begin to develop gas
bubbles. Compare details in the section on batteries.
Voltage regulators may have more than the terminals shown in Sketch
14. There may be an additional terminal connected to 12 Volt for the power
supplied as field current, or a terminal for an idiot light or alternator pilot
light or charging indicator light.
153
All alternators fall into one of three groups depending on the method of
electric supply to the regulator and field as indicated in Table I. One group
takes the electricity from a key switch, oil or fuel pressure switch or other
switch in the 12 Volt system, Sketch 15. The switch is necessary to switch
off alternator field current when the engine is not running, to prevent waste
of electricity.
Alternators with a set of auxiliary diodes as in Sketch 16 use extra
rectifiers, connected to the same points 1, 2, and 3 of the stator coils
as the main rectifying diodes. When engine and alternator have been stopped,
no more power is generated and the auxiliary terminal will no longer supply
current to the reaulator. Therefore, no switch is needed.
-
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number of pulses per second is
directly proportional to the speed
of the alternator, electronic ta-
chometers can convert this fre-
quency to engine RPM. Once cal-
ibrated, the pulley ratio and the
much faster alternator RPM is
taken into account. I f you see your
tachometer needle show unusual
changes in speed, a slipping
alternator belt likely is the cause.
A mechanical voltage regulator
schematic is shown in Sketch 18. _
It consists of a single pole-dou- o
ble throw (see section on switches)
relay and a fixed resistor R of a
few Ohm, high wattage. The relay normally makes contact at A and is
held there by spring tension. With increasing voltage, the coil becomes
more magnetic and pulls, to make contact at 8. While at A, full positive
voltage is applied to field terminal F. When at B, the field terminal is
grounded, alternator output falls, relay coil releases, opens contact B,
and field CUrrent is applied again. This sequence repeats itself rapidly, and
in practice the relay contact vibrates between A and B. Since only part
of the field Current flows through the contacts (some is supplied through
the resistor), such regulators will operate for many thousand operating
hours, are rugged, easily diagnosed and repaired. Contacts can be cleaned
with number 600 silicon carbide wet sand paper, pulled between contacts
with lignt pressure on contacts. Voltage setting is adjusted by spring ten-
sion: higher spring tension tends to keep contact A closed longer which
increases voltage setting. Function may be tested by gentle force on the
contact arm while the alternator is running. The ammeter will respond with
large changes in output current. Fusible wires are often used to make
connections within the regulator. I f one of these has melted, you will see
the leftovers. In an emergency, replace it with a strand of copper wire of
similar thickness. Cause of wire melting may be large battery capacity at
low charge, connected to alternator running at high speed and producing
unusually high charging current.
The arrangement in Sketch 17 also does not need a switch. Here, power
for the regulator is taken from the main positive rectifying diodes, at a Point
x which is separated from the main plus output terminal by another
diode called isolating diode. Although the main plus terminal Will be at 12
Volt even when the engine is not running, power will not reach point X
because the isolating diode will not conduct in that direction. Alternators
with internal regulators often use auxiliary diodes as in Sketch 16 (Delco,
Bosch, Hitachi) or isolating diodes as in Sketch 17 (Motorola).
Many alternators have a terminal which supplies alternating current
impulses to a tachometer. The terminal is usually identified as AC tap and
connected to one of the stator coil terminals. Since the AC frequency or
m
Sketch 19 shows a solid state regulator of a Delco type D (Table 1)
alternator, the type with regulator between field coil and ground. Terminal
2 senses voltage and the zener diode D, becomes conductive at the
critical voltage setting, makes the base of the NPN transistor Q, more
positive so that this transistor begins to conduct: it allows all current from
terminal 1 through resistor R, to flow to ground. This keeps base current
from power transistor QP which becomes nonconductive: it stops field
current. As the alternator output drops and voltage at terminal 2 decreases,
*
base current to transistor Q, stops, this transistor ceases to conduct, and
1
current through resistor R, again reaches the base of power transistor QP
and makes it conductive: field current flows again. Regulators like this are
molded of plastic and mounted in the rear alternator housing. Terminals
m
1 and 2 are metal tabs which extend through the alternator housing.
I f less than full voltage reaches terminal 2, the regulator will react with
156
m
increased field current flow and higher output current as the normal func-
tion of the regulator is defeated. Internal regulators in other type D alter-
nators use very similar circuits.
A solid state voltage regulator for type A and B alternators (Table 1) is
shown in schematic Sketch 20. Field current flows from the plus terminal
through resistor R,, PNP type power transistor C& to terminal F, alternator
field coil to ground. When voltage increases, the zener diode becomes
conductive the base of transistor Q, becomes more negative and the tran-
sistor is turned on: it conducts between positive terminal and the base of
power transistor CL which is thus turned off and interrupts field current. As
with all regulators, the subsequent slight voltage drop at the plus terminal
causes field current to be turned on again and the process repeats itself in
rapid succession.
Solid state voltage regulators sometimes
incorporate a variable resistor in parallel to, or
in place of resistors R, or R2 in Sketch 19 and $ F -
20 which allow an adjustment of the voltage
setting. Also, a thermistor is incorporated in the
circuit which compensates for changes in the
operating temperature. (A thermistor is a resis-
47
tor which changes its resistance with tempera-
ture.) All solid state regulators must be pro-
7+zG. CrFzcorr
tected with a diode as in Sketch 21 which pro-
tects the transistors from inductive reverse volt-
5 1< ETC/-j @
age when field current is switched off. Also see
the comments on page 178.
How Well Is Your Alternator Doing?
We have seen how the voltage regulators control the output current of
the alternator by sensing voltage. In order to charge a battery, the alternator
must apply greater voltage than that of the battery. Only then will there be
current from the alternator into the battery. Even if your boat has a fi fty,
sixty, or even eighty amp alternator, its voltage regulator will prevent even
modestly high charging rates except during the first few minutes after
starting the engine, Even though alternator and regulator respond beauti-
fully to any current drawn while the alternator is running, charging the
batteries now, for currents to be drawn later is a problem.
Sketch 22 shows a plot of ammeter readings taken for an hour after
starting the engine. I f your boat has an ammeter, even the hard-to-read 60-
0-60 A type where the needle is five amps wide and never at zero, watch it
immediately after starting, during the first few minutes, then take a look
every ten minutes or so, and plot the readings on quadrilled paper.
The daily current consumption on your boat, away from the dock, may
be as little as 20 Ampere hours, or as high as 80 Ampere hours. Regardless
of the size or capacity of your batteries, these daily Ampere hours (Ah) will
157
have to be regenerated and recharged to the batteries The area under the
curve in your sketch equals Ampere hours: in Sketch 22, the rectangle
represents 20 Ah: 30 Ampere times */a hours = 20 Ah.
The example in the sketch was a 55 Amp alternator, engine at 1400 RPM,
charging two batteries of 110 Ah capacity each, both more than half empty.
So you should not be too surprised to find that during the first hour, you
are charging only a fraction of the daily Ah demand, and during subsequent
hours, alternator output current will have fallen so low that you almost
never catch up.
Unfortunately, the problem is common on almost all sailboats where the
auxiliary engine runs only limited hours each day. Unfortunately also that
some owners not diagnose the problem, or try to combat it with battery
charging from shore power, larger batteries, bigger alternators, or longer
engine running time under way, all bound to be rather ineffective, expen-
sive, a nuisance, or all of these.
Fortunately, the problem can be solved relatively easily by temporarily
overriding the control of the voltage regulator. During the early experiments
with manual alternator controls about ten years ago, some skeptics argued
that we would ruin alternators and cook batteries, or probably both.
Some simple precautions can protect the alternators, and batteries are
rather being ruined by repeated deep discharging, probably most common
electrical problem on boats. Maximum continuous output current of alter-
nators is 43 of their Ampere rating at best. Such current, for example 40 A
from a 60 A alternator, charged into batteries of a few hundred Ampere
hours of capacity, will still be a modest charging rate for each battery. We
have to keep in mind that alternators as well as regulators are automotive
158
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equipment, no matter what the labels say. And what would overcharge a
small car battery is only an average rate to the bigger battery capacity on
board.
Alternator Controls
As you can easily test on your boat, battery charging with the alternator
and voltage regulator can be frustratingly slow, leave the batteries at a low
state of charge most of the time, and reduce battery capacity and life.
through frequent deep discharging. The basic method to improve battery
charging with the alternator is to temporarily increase the alternator output
current, by increasing the alternator field current.
In all cases, a resistor parallel to the voltage regulator is necessary. For
alternators of type A and B in Table I, that will mean a resistor between a
source of plus 12 Volt and the field terminal F on the alternator. For alter-
nators of the types C and D in Table 1, the resistor will be between the
negative field coil terminal or the negative brush and ground, compare
Sketch 13. The resistance of most alternator field coils is in the range
from 2.5 to about 4 Ohm, usually about 3 Ohm, and field current ranges
from less than 0.5 A to about 2 A. The simplest manual alternator controls
consist of two, three, or four fixed power resistors and two, three, or four
SPST switches, to select ranges of charge current in steps. Or a rotary
switch with three, four or more positions may be used instead of toggle
switches. Such controls, shown in Sketch 23, have the advantage of being
very compact so that they can be incorporated in existing electric panels.
Resistor ranges must be selected so that about two third of the Ampere
rating of the alternator can be reached at low cruising speed of the engine.
Power resistors with adequate wattage ratings must be used to avoid exces-
sive heat. The examples in Sketch 23 show all necessary values, rotary
switches may be the shorting (make before break) or non-shorting type,
the controls may be switched at any time, switched on and off without harm
while the engine is running, and regulators do not have to be disconnected
or switched while such control is being used. An ammeter should be within
view, and currents in excess of */3 of alternator rating avoided, as well as
high charge currents into nearly fully charged batteries. See details in the
section on batteries.
Sketch 23 shows a control in two steps, with two resistors and two
switches. One switch turns on and off, a second switch bypasses one
resistor in the HIGH mode. Arrangement of switches on panel is shown
in lower part of the sketch, as are Ohm and Watt ratings.
Sketch 24: alternator control with three steps, arrange switches in a
vertical row, switch on LOW first, then MEDIUM, then HIGH for the three
ranges.
159
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Sketch 25: here resistors are
used in parallel, note higher
resistance values. More resis-
tors and switches may be added
for additional steps.
Sketch 26: uses a rotary
switch with six or more posi-
tions or poles. Farthest coun-
terclockwise pole is left open:
OFF position.
Sketch 27: uses a rotary
switch with eight or more poles,
one pole left open as OFF posi-
tion. Resistors near low range
end may have lower wattage
ratings as shown since less
current flows there.
Sketches 23 to 27 show PLUS and F terminals for use on type A and
B alternators, Table 1. To use with type C or D alternators, connect between
field coil minus terminal and ground, in parallel to the voltage regulator.
A Manual Alternator Control with Rheostat
This is the design published in the first edition of The 12 Volt Doctors
Practical Handbook, now in use on large numbers of boats with auxiliary
engines. The prototype is now well over ten years old and working well.
The installation instruc-
tions have become sim-
pler since it was unnec-
essary to switch between
voltage regulator and
manual alternator control
as originally recom-
mended. Since the var-
ious alternator controls
feed some additional field
current to the alternator,
the alternator output volt-
age always increases at
least somewhat, so that
the already hesitant volt-
age regulator senses what
it interprets as a full bat-
tery and turns itself off. The
alternator controls are
simply connected in par-
allel to the voltage regu-
lators.
SKEJ-CU @
A rheostat or variable power resistor is needed as shown in Sketch 28,
connected in series with an ON-OFF switch which can be omitted if the
rheostat has an OFF position. I f you connect a pilot light, you will be able
to monitor the alternator field at all times. With the switch off, the pilot light
will still be connected to the field terminal and, with alternators type A and
6 in Table 1, will light as long as the voltage regulator is in action. The
rheostat setting does not affect brightness of the LED (light emitting diode)
pilot light because rheostat resistance is insignificantly small compared to
the series resistor of about 500 Ohm in series with the LED.
For alternators of type C and D, Table 1, the pilot light of the manual
alternator control (MAC) must be wired differently, details are in Sketch
29. Here, the pilot light will be on while the alternator and voltage regulator
are in operation. It will go off when the manual alternator control isswitches
on.
The optional resistor of one to two
Ohm prevents extremely high field
current and allows rheostat wattage
ratings to be lower. In all cases, an
ammeter should be in view close by,
to show the alternator response to
changes in rheostat settings and to
avoid currents which would over-
heat the alternator. A 0 - 50 A amme-
ter will cover the output range of all
alternators up to 80 Ampere. A man-
LED
ual alternator control (MAC) panel
470-n
with ammeter, rheostat, LED pilot
31
light, switch, and wires is available.
&!A!
I f you think that any alternator con-
trol may inadvertently be left on dur-
SKEI-Ctl (g 0
rng long engine runs, add a time
switch, Sketch 30. The switch of the timer then takes the place of the
LOW or the ON-OFF switch of the control. Spring operated timers with
one hour range are well suited for the purpose.
(See page 233 for description of the new improved MAC).
AvaIlable from Spa Creek Instruments Co., 616 Third St., Annapolis, MD 21403
162
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All controls should be labelled or ammeters marked with the approximate
maximum continuous alternator current. You can determine this upper
limit by operating the alternator for about one hour with gradually increased
output current while at the same time feeling the alternator housing tem-
perature. Alternators will get hot to the touch. Too hot is the alternator
which you can touch no longer than about five seconds. Include instruc-
tions on the label to readjust the control when the engine speed is being
changed. Higher engine speed will increase the alternator output current
with any given magnitude of field current.
With mechanical voltage regulators, a diode must be installed between
voltage regulator and alternator. Use a type 1 N5400 and connect in the wire
between regulator F terminal and alternator F terminal, cathode toward the
alternator.
Changing Alternators, Adding Alternators
Your engine may be fitted with a small
alternator (35 Amp) with high replacement
value. I f it is a type B or D, Table 1 which
mjght need internal connection of a field
wire for a M.A.C., you should instead deter-
mine if one of the type A alternators might
physically fit in the same space, and if so, if
it can be fastened so that pulleys will line
up. Bracket adapters are made by some
alternator manufacturers, one such mounting kit by Prestolite is shown
in Sketch 31. It allows fore-and-aft shifts of the alternator to align pulleys.
Several suitable type A alternators for external regulators are available
as automotive replacement parts and, if rebuilt, are quite inexpensive.
You may decide to add a voltage regulator, or operate from a manual
alternator control only.
Sometimes it may be desirable to have a second alternator driven by the
engine. Rarely will there be mounting space on the engine, but such alter-
nator can be fastened to bulkheads, engine bed, or other solid surround-
ings You might, for example, use a GM - Delco 63 Amp alternator for
external regulator, and mount it with two NICRO number NF-23 fittings and
a 3/s inch bolt as in Sketch 32. Or use two stainless steel tangs or dinghy
chain plate fittings with fiberglass as in Sketch 33. Since the drive belt is
bound to be relatively long, there are no problems with engines on elastic
mounts.
163
Alternator Makes and Models
When we asked a wholesaler of alternator parts to name the twenty most
popular alternators, he laughed and said he might name the top two hundred,
and then some. Apparently it is hopeless to make a complete listing here.
The following sketches show some alternators which we have run into. All
show the type description of Table I, and the field F terminal necessary
for a M.A.C. connection. B + or t is the output terminal, AUX is the auxiliary
terminal which supplies power to the regulator, GND is ground or minus.
R, BK, GN, Y are wire colors red, black, green, and yellow. All alternators
are shown the same size although there are differences, and there are many
more not sketched here.
164
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Tiny Alternator: Bicycle Dynamo
This compact little machine Sketch 1 is a great object for experiments,
It consists of a permanent magnet with two or four poles, and a rotor with
coil: the other way around from larger alternators. It generates alternating
current when the knurled friction wheel is held against the bicycle tire, The
wheel is driven at high speed because of its small diameter. But even if you
twisted it between your fingers you could make a bicycle headlight begin
to glow.
High shaft speeds are more easily reached with water driven propellers
towed behind the boat than with wind propellers, but either are worth an
experiment. A water propeller can be made from a round disc of sheet
aluminum as in Sketch 2. Diameter about 4 to 6 inches, a hole in the
center for a long shaft of at least 12 inches, with an eye for the tow line.
Cut slots and bend the resulting blades very slightly, to only have minimal
pitch which will help to reach high RPM when towed at only a few knots.
Sheet metal thickness of 12 gauge will do for smaller propellers, 10 gauge
or more for greater diameters or faster speeds through the water. Sketch
1 shows the bearing. Before assembling the towing bracket, make sure
that the bearing has enough lubrication. Attach a bale with hose clamps
/
169
mmmmmmm-=
ub .
and connect one wire to the housing under one of the hose clamps. Connect
the other wire to the terminal. Use braided line and be prepared for the
propeller to jump out of the water: a longer shaft or a lead weight around
-Ir
,
the line may help there. Alternating current from the dynamo must be
rectified if it is to be used for battery charging. Use a single lN4001 diode,
or four of them in bridge rectifier arrangement.
w
m
170
Alternator with Permanent Magnet
As nice and powerful as alternators are in the engine room, they are of
little use as wind driven generators unless some changes are made first.
But since that is possible, you may want to try an alternator in such appli-
cation.
Alternators need field current, to
make the rotor magnetic. Rotors with
permanent magnet could not be reg-
ulated. To make a permanent mag-
net rotor, and avoid the need for field
current, the alternator must be taken
apart and the rotor removed. Use any
alternator which allows you to take
off its pulley. The examole is for a
Delco or GM alternator. Four thin
screws hold the two aluminum
housing shells together which have
SkETCtl 0
the stator with windings clamped in
between, Sketch 1. Cut the stator wires to separate stator from back
housing. The rotor must be taken to someone with a press, to separate the
star shaped pole pieces from the shaft. Hammer blows are quite ineffective
and will only ruin the shaft. Between
the two star shaped pole pieces is the
field coil, all three press fitted on the
knurled shaft. Discard the coil and
replace it with three or four ring mag-
nets as used in loudspeakers. Such
ceramic magnets have their North and
South poles at the round faces. Stack
them so that they cling together, and
locate them inside one of the star
shaped pole pieces, then try the other
half before permanent assembly. The
hole in the pole pieces must be enlarged
to fit the shaft more easily: since they
are made of soft iron, drill or round file
will do that. Now measure where the
rotor must be located to be directly in
or under the stator again, then assem-
ble rotor parts and ring magnets on the
shaft, use silicone rubber or other resin
adhesives, and see that the star shaped
poles are evenly spaced as they were.
originally, Sketch 2.
171
Remove all wire from the stator: it had too few turns of wire to generate
enough voltage at lower shaft speeds. Rewind with thinner magnet wire so
that you will have enough space for additional turns. Leave the small fiber
insulators on the stator poles. They avoid shorts between wire and stator
core.
gt;j;$yJg;g~
and many other alternators.
Make your windings, with
magnet wire of 22 gauge
AWG, for example, around
three stator poles at a time,
Sketch 4, and make as many turns as space allows. To avoid the crowding
between adjacent coils, you may make turns around only two stator poles,
Sketch 5, but must still space the coils to be three pole pieces apart. Note
that turning direction must alternate, right turn for one coil, left turn for
the next. That is because there will be a rotor North pole at one coil while
a South pole is at the next, but all coils must generate their voltage pulse
in the same direction. Instead of the three separate coil windings in the
original alternator, where each coil only had six or seven turns, we can
make one coil, consisting of 14 individual coils, all in series. You could
number the 42 stator pole pieces, then make a wiring sketch around the
numbers. Secure the two ends of the new stator winding, slip pieces of
plastic spaghetti insulation over them, then reassemble the stator, rotor,
and housings. Fish the wires out through any of the smaller holes at the
back and seal them in, or fasten with a cable tie against strain.
Spin the rotor and hold the wire ends together: the shorted winding
should create increased rotor friction through the shorted current. The
output from the new windings is alternating current, seven full cycles per
turn. To make direct current out of it, use four silicon diodes, type lN4001
172
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m
or 1 N.5400 (bigger) and connect as a bridge rectifier, Sketch 6. Or make
the circuit in Sketch 7 which increases voltage at the direct current ter-
minals by directing pulses from capacitors. Try capacitors with ratings
between 10 and 50 MF, and 25 Volt.
---=Dmmmm
Charging Diodes
A diode is a semiconductor which is highly conductive in one direction
and not conductive in the other. It acts like a check valve, allows current
flow in one direction, for example into a battery, but not back out of the
battery. Charging diodes are also called isolating diodes, splitters, and
other names. They are installed with the purpose of charging all batteries
at all times when the alternator is running, regardless of the position of the
battery main switch. You ordinarily switch to ALL before you start the
engine, so that all batteries are being charged when the alternator runs,
then switch back to a selected single battery after the engine has been
stopped. All that is simpler with charging diodes. You may switch between
batteries even while the engine is running, even to OFF without harm to
the alternator. The diodes charge the greatest current to the lowest battery
and, once charged, do not let any current flow back out. Current can only
be used through the main switch, when you select any particular battery.
The batteries remain isolated instead of becoming one big battery when
the battery main switch is in the ALL position.
To make charging diodes for your boat, you need silicon diodes as in
Sketch 1, available in two different arrangements: either base being cath-
ode (left) or base being anode (right). Either is useful but you must install
them correctly. To test a diode, connect a 12 Volt lamp in series with the
diode and to a battery as in Sketch 2. Note the diode symbol: it points
from plus to minus, from anode to cathode, in this direction the lamp will
light up brightly. In the opposite direc-
tion, only extremely small leakage cur-
rent may flow: the lamp remains dark.
You may test diodes with a VOM (volt
ohm meter) by comparing with a diode
of known polarity. Diode ratings should
be about 50 Ampere and 50 PIV: the
diode capable of conducting 50 A in
P
the forward direction, and blocking up to 50 Peak Invert Volts in the reverse
direction without breaking down. Diodes in that range are made with a
case called DO-5, as in Sketch 1, with 55 x 28 threaded mounting studs,
which is l/4 inch fine thread or 54 inch SAE thread.
We need a conductive path from the alternator through a diode to each
battery, Sketch 3: we need one charging diode per battery regardless of
the battery size. In the case of two batteries with battery main switch,
Sketch 4, the charging diodes can be conveniently connected to the main
switch terminals: the alternator output terminal is always connected to the
C or common terminal which is shown here with wires to ST starter and
P ships electrical panel. The battery terminals are already connected to
the switch terminals with heavv wires, so all that remains is one diode from
C to terminal 1 and another from C to terminal
2 as in Sketch 5.
In order to become conductive in the forward direc-
tion, the diodes need a slight push, much like a check
valve in which a spring holds the mechanism shut.
About 0.6 Volt are necessary for all silicon diodes
regardless of size. Since high charging currents will
develop some heat at the diode, it should be mounted
on a heat sink as in Sketch 6, or a piece of aluminum
L as in Sketch 7. The amount of heat in Watt is
easy to calculate: Watt is Volt times Ampere, in this
case the threshold Volts of 0.6 V and the current flow
176
in Ampere. I f 20 Ampere are flowing through one
diode, 0.6 x 20 = 12 Watt of heat are generated,
easy to dissipate with a heat sink of about 2 x 4
inches or an L section of about 8 inches.
I f you are using cathode base diodes, mount
each on its own heat sink as in Sketch 8 and
connect as shown there. I f the diodes are the
anode base variety, you may mount both (or
all) on a common heat sink which you make slightly
larger, then connect as in Sketch 9. Use number
IO AWG stranded wire and solder to the tip of the
diodes, with a large and hot solder iron so that
the soldering takes place quickly.
Do that BEFORE you mount the
diodes on the heat sinks. Use a wire
with ring terminal lug and a lock
washer to fasten to the diode bases.
Use ring terminals with %6 inch hole
or larger, to fit the terminals of the
battery main switch. Mount the
diodes to the bulkhead next to the
main switch, and be aware that the
aluminum itself is at plus 12 Volt,
just like the main switch terminals.
Do not short them to ground which
would generate sparks and heat.
Trouble Shooting
The only problem you might have
is a diode connected in reverse. No
harm, but the corresponding bat-
tery would not be charged. Instead,
177
current could flow from that battery even though the main switch was off.
After installing the diodes, test by switching the battery main or selector
switch off, then test cabin lights or other lights: if they still work, a diode is
reversed.
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_1
Other Sources of Charging Current
Most automatic battery chargers or converters are equipped with usually
three diodes, to charge three separate batteries which are kept isolated.
To charge a fourth isolated battery, another charging diode as that in
Sketch 6 can be added but must be connected parallel to the existing
diodes, usually outside because the housing will not offer enough space.
I f two alternators are used to charge batteries, their plus output terminals
may be interconnected since their internal rectifying diodes prevent reverse
current. However, two voltage regulators, those used with alternators and
in automatic battery chargers, tend to interfere with each other: one will
see the voltage increase generated by the other and turn its units off, as
normally only happens when batteries reach full charge.
Voltage Regulators
The threshold step of about 0.6 Volt at diodes causes the voltage at the
alternator during charging to be about 0.6 Volt higher than the voltage
directly at the battery terminals. I f you are not using a manual alternator
control, make certain that the voltage regulator positive wire is connected
to the normally lowest battery on board, or the voltage regulator adjusted
to a 0.6 V higher voltage setting. I f instead it takes its voltage reading at the
alternator output terminal, it will cause battery charging to remain incom-
plete and to be extremely slow. Only with a manual alternator control you
can afford to ignore this problem.
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How much Current?
1 A (Ampere, Amp) = 1000 mA (milliamp)
Component Current, A .I
Voltmeter
Ammeter-none
Oil pressure gauge
Water temperature gauge
Tachometer
Sea water thermometer gauge
Engine hour meter
Rudder angle indicator
Sonalert beeper
Knotmeter
Log with knotmeter
Wind speed indicator
Wind direction indicator
Depth sounder
Depth recorder
AM-FM broadcast receiver
VHF receiver
Loran receiver
CB receiver
Omega receiver
SSB receiver
Small electric bell
Bell, 6 inch and larger
Oil pressure alarm, on
Engine temperature alarm, on
Horn
Strobe light
Tape deck
Stereo
Bilge blower
Cabin fan
Instrument lights, engine
Ignition, 4-cylinder gas engine
Electric fuel pump
Lights: see lamp list
Anchor light
Spreader lights
Running lights, tri-color
Running lights, red, green, stern
Cabin light, small
Cabin light, 40 Watt lamp
Water pressure system pump
Bilge pump
VHF transmitter
SSB transmitter
Autopilot, Averaged
Spotlight 100 Watt
Anchor windlass
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I 178
179
Noise and Filters
Although we are dealing with direct current, some alternating current is
usually blended in which sometimes creates problems. This noise can
have a distinct frequency or consist of random peaks of voltage superim-
posed on the 12 Volt direct current. Alternators generate pulses of direct
current, 21 of them per revolution with a rotor of seven North and South
poles, or 700 Hz (Hertz, cycles per second) with the engine at 1000 RPM
and a 2:l pulley ratio. Other frequencies are generated by resonance, and
random noise is primarily generated by sparks at switch contacts, electric
motor brushes, and ignition points. Spark generated noise unfortunately
contains a fraction which is radiated in the form of electromagnetic waves,
and collected again in all wires which then act as antennas. Noise is ampli-
fied with other desirable signals in electronic equipment,
Fortunately, direct current can be
filtered to remove essentially all noise.
More difficult is the battle against
v
radiated noise from sparks, especially
f2-
those not on your boat. Filters are
J4
made from coils and capacitors and
mot DC. -AND
3
make use of the fact that alternating
NOI.5 E
current faces inductive resistance
in inductive coils while direct current
L
TIYE
does not, and alternating current can
flow through capacitors while direct
SC(E.TC-i-i 0
current can not. Filters therefore are
arranged as in Sketch 1: direct current flows through the coil while alter-
nating current is held back and instead flows through the capacitors to
ground. This scheme works increasingly better with higher frequencies.
Inductive coils become more resistive and capacitors more conductive to
the alternating current.
In practice, the normal pulses of the alternator output current are com-
pletely absorbed by the batteries which act like giant capacitors. Noise of
higher frequency can be shorted to ground by a capacitor connected directly
to the alternator housing as in Sketch 2. Noise from the brushes in the
+ 0
P
Sk&7C l-4
29
-73- @le ,
t
alternator will be of two kinds: radiated noise
which cannot reach the outside of the alter-
nator because it is being collected by the
grounded metal housing, a shield, and noise
transmitted by wire. This may be shorted to
ground with a similar capacitor connected to
auxiliary and field terminals, see the section
on alternators. In all cases, the bracket of such
capacitors makes the minus connection to
ground via the fastening screw.
181
To put an inductive coil into the alternator output
wire is highly impractical because the high direct
current would require a heavy wire which would
make an enormous coil with only limited inductive
resistance. It is easier to install such inductive coil
in the supply wire of any electronic equipment. A
coil as in Sketch 3 can be made from magnet wire
(solid copper wire with lacquer insulation) and
wound on a nail. For currents of a few Ampere, five
to ten feet of number 18 AWG wire would not pres-
ent a significant resistance to the DC current. Its
inductive resistance also would be low and mostly
block high frequency noise. A coil as in Sketch 4
is made from much thinner wire and has more
direct current resistance. Since there are many
more turns, its inductive resistance is much
higher. Such coil IS suitable for small elec-
tronic instruments which only draw fractions
of an Ampere. A choke, Sketch 5, is built like
a transformer but has only one coil or winding.
Chokes are rated in Ampere to Show how much
DC current can flow, and in k*H (micro Henry),
units of inductivity. A choke would block audi-
ble frequency noise from a stereo system.
Instead of a choke, a transformer may often do
a slmllar job if it has a windinq which allows sufficient current. Short other
windings and be cautious
direct current pulses.
transformers can generate high voltages from
182
Capacitors are used to conduct alternating
current noise to ground. For very high fre-
quencies, only small capacitance is needed and
capacitors as in Sketch 6 are used. Their
capacity ranges from a few pF to several
hundred pF (pica Farad, 100,000 pF = 1 pF,
micro Farad). For larger capacitance, electro-
lytic capacitors, Sketch 7 are used. Theses
are made in sizes to many thousand pF. Note
the polarity signs: electrolytic capacitors must
be connected with plus wire to plus voltage,
otherwise they will fail and may explode.
To make a filter, start with an electrolytic
capacitor, Sketch 7, connected between plus
terminal and ground or minus, at the unit (radio,
depth sounder, receivers, stereo), then test the
results. Capacitor size may range from 50 to
several hundred PF (micro Farad), rated for 25
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Volt, better 50 Volt. Observe polarity. I f necessary, add an inductor as shown
in Sketch 8: it must be made from heavy enough wire or have an Ampere
rating to about match the current needed by the unit. You may test its DC
resistance with a VOM (Volt Ohm Meter). As a rough guideline, the coil
should have no more than 10 Ohm if the unit draws 100 mA, 2 Ohm if the
unit draws about 0.5 A, 1 Ohm if the unit draws about 1 A, 0.5 Ohm for 2 A
et cetera. For accurate Ohm measurements you will need the low ohm
meter described elsewhere in the book.
Before you start searching for a choke, make a wire-on-nail coil as in
Sketch 3 from a few feet of magnet wire and try it. Add a mica or disc
capacitor parallel to the electrolytic capacitor for better shorting of high
frequencies. A size in the range from 30 to 300 pF should do. Voltage
ratings are always high enough for this kind of capacitor, and polarity does
not matter.
A more elaborate filter may need a coil in the minus wire as well, installed
at the same location as the inductive coil in the positive wire. Then connect
one electrolytic and one mica capacitor across the battery side of both
coils and the unit side of both coils, similar to Sketch 8.
Wires can be guarded against radiated noise by shielding, and shielded
wires: may contain one or more individual wires within a shield which may
be braided copper or aluminum foil. Shielded antenna cable is an example,
Sketch 9. Metal housings of electronic instruments, battery chargers,
generators and alternators also act as shields. To conduct clean direct
current or the downlead from an antenna or the signal from a transducer,
the shield, which is the antenna to pick up noise before it can reach the
inner wires, must be complete, tightly braided, and connected to ground
as shown in Sketch 10. It usually is connected to the housings and, on
longer runs, may be grounded again at places along the way. Read about
ground loops in books on electronics or consult your local electronics
expert if you have problems which you cannot solve.
183
Power for the Calculator: Voltage Regulator ICs.
Any equipment which uses internal bat-
teries may instead be powered directly from
the boats 12 Volt system. There are a num-
ber of inexpensive and highly reliable elec-
tronic voltage
regulators, avail-
able as small integrated circuits, not at all like the
voltage regulator in the car which comes to mind.
An integrated circuit (IC) voltage regulator is shown
in Sketch 1. Although there are many different
types, regulating positive or negative voltage, and
made in many different packages, we will con-
centrate on this one, its package is called a TO-220,
and it has three terminals: unregulated plus input,
regulated plus output, and ground.
This regulator IC is available for output voltages
of 5, 6, 8, 9, and 12 Volt and if that does not happen
to match the voltage which your calculator or radio
needs, we will see how to manipulate it. Even then,
+64=4
the new circuit will cost little more than one set of - N
calculator batteries.
First, find out what the actual operating voltage
is: count the number of individual AA, C, or D cells
which are usually connected in series, each supply-
ing 1.5 Volt to the total. Or there may be a single 9
V battery. The operating voltage may also be listed
on the label or inside the battery compartment. Some
examples are shown in Sketch 2: note that the
battery size (AA, C, or D) does not affect the oper-
ating voltage.
Next, find a way to connect the calculator (or other
piece of equipment) to outside power. Many calcu-
lators and radios have a socket for that purpose,
intended for a power supply on 110 V AC. I f there is
a socket, get a plug, or wire with plug, from your
local electronics store. Most sockets are for ultra-
miniature, miniature, or standard phone plugs, shown
in Sketch 3. I f there is no socket, you could solder
a small washer to the ends of two wires and wedge
them to the plus and minus terminals in the battery
compartment. To apply pressure, cut strips from
stiff foam, slightly longer than the batteries, see
Sk~~ccc @
185
tsv
Sketch 4. Or you might solder directly
to the metal contacts in the battery com-
partment if you do not intend to return to
using internal batteries.
The ends of the two wires are con-
nected to regulated positive terminal and
to ground, Sketch 5. You could mount
the regulator IC in a small plastic box or,
in some cases, directly in the battery com-
partment. The unregulated 12 V input does
not have to be switched off since only
minute amounts of current are flowing
when the calculator or radio are turned
off by their built-in switches.
For regulated output of 4.5 V connect
a silicon diode such as lN4001 at the out-
put terminal as in Sketch 6. The diode will cause the usual threshold of
0.6 V. The cathode of the diode is marked with a band. An additional diode
In series would drop the output to about to 3.8 V, three diodes in series
between regulator and calculator to about 3 V to replace two internal
batteries.
To increase the regulated output voltage of the integrated circuit regu-
lator, a diode in the ground con-
nection as in Sketch 7 will lift the
0-i
output by 0.6 V, two such diodes
in series to about 6 V to replace
7805
four internal batteries. Additional
Increases or decreases of the
nominal regulator voltage are
possible in steps of about 0.6 V
with sillcon diodes, or in steps of
0.2 V with germanium diodes.
186
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m
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ils -
c
Voltage regulator ICs are made for several fixed output voltages, the TO-
220 case shown in the sketches above, in metal case called TO-3 shown in
Sketch 8.
There are also regulator ICs with variable or adjustable output voltage.
All of them have in common the tolerance for high input voltages up to 30
V DC from which an output voltage is made which is constant regardless
of current. A minimum current of a few mA must flow to allow the regulating
circuit to work, all are protected against excess current or heat. For elec-
tronics with internal batteries, currents of much less than one Ampere will
usually suffice, but regulators are also useful to charge batteries in
rechargeable equipment such as cordless hand tools, photo strobe lights,
portable tape recorders, hand held transmitters or the like which might
require higher currents.
The following Table gives some
type numbers with current ratings and
case or package.
As you can see, the output voltage
is always somehow included in the
type numbers.
The integrated regulator circuit must
be protected from reverse voltage. I f
a filter capacitor is used as in Sketch
9, a diode D must be connected as
sketched, to discharge the capacitor
when the input voltage drops, or is
switched off while no current is drawn
at the output.
187
Table:
Integrated Circuit Voltage Regulators
with Positive Output
Letters Mean: CT: TO-220, K: TO-3 package
Fixed Output Voltage: Type Number Current
5V 7805, LM7805T, MC7805,
+ 0.2 LM309K, LM340K-5 1.5 A
LM323K-5 3A
6V MC7806 1.5 A
+ 0.3
8V LM7808T, LM7808CK 1.5 A
2 0.4
12 V MC781 2CT, LM340K-12 15.A
2 0.6
Adjustable Output Voltage:
LM317K, T 1.5 A
LM350K 3A
Input voltage must be about 2 Volt higher than regulated output This regulator therefore of
Imuted use with 12 Volt systems
An example with the adjustable regulator type LM317 is shown in Sketch
10. Note that the input and output terminals of the TO-220 case are different
from the fixed voltage types. Input may be as high as 30 V and must always
be a few Volt above the output voltage. Minimum output current must be
4 mA. Output voltage depends on values for R:
Resistance R Output Voltage
Ohm Volt
1800 3
3300 4.5
4700 6
7500 9
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Note that the metal tab is electrically connected to the output terminal.
Greater current can be drawn if the LM317K type in TO-3 metal housing
is used, mounted on a heat sink. Sketch 11 shows the TO-3 case viewed
from the bottom. Note that the two pins are located slightly off center, to
be identified. Output voltage is selected by the value of resistor RI:
resistance R
Ohm
330
470
510
560
620
820
1200
1800
output, Volt
3.1 v
3.9
4.1
4.4
4.8
6
8
11.5
189
Current Regulator
Instead of regulating voltage, the regulator ICs can also be used to
regulate current. In the example of Sketch 12, the type LM317K, viewed
from the bottom has the adjustment terminal connected to a variable resis-
tor of 100 Ohm which is not (!) connected to ground. changes in current
affect the adjustment terminal which limits current. This circuit is useful
where constant charging current to nickel cadmium (NiCad) batteries is
needed. Adjust the resistor to the desired current, shown by the ammeter.
Current will remain constant in spite of changing battery voltage as long
as the input voltage is a few Volts above output voltage.
A adjusted to: Current limited to:
1 Ohm 1A
2 0.5 A
10 0.1 A
100 0.01 A
-~-___
Lamp Dimmer
Finally, several regulators can be controlled in parallel, shown in the
example in Sketch 13 which uses them as lamp dimmers. The resistors
are selected to change the lamp voltage from two Volt below input to 8.5
V when the variable resistor is at its low resistance. A switch between input
and output would be needed for full brightness, and a protective diode
might be a good idea.
- I
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lm
i
Safety Standards for Small Craft
Under this title, the American Boat and Yacht Council, P.O. Box 806,
Amityville, N.Y. 11701, publishes a binder with very extensive technical
information and recommended practices which probably most, if not all,
builders follow. Among the Divisions which deal with hulls, machinery,
equipment, and engineering standards is an Electrical Division which you
should consult with questions concerning bonding and grounding of both
direct current and alternating current systems on board, safety and elec-
tricity, corrosion and electrolysis, and lightning protection.
Pages E-9-13 and E-9-14 (4-7-75) contain tables which show required
wire sizes (in AWG number code) for 6 Volt, 12 Volt, 24 Volt, and 32 Volt,
for currents from 5 to 25 Ampere in 5 A increments, and for lengths of the
conductor from Source to Most Distant Fixture up to 85 feet. The tables
are based on voltage losses of 3% and 10%.
190
191
-.
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.-
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I@
Electric Power from the Sun
Silicon solar cells are used to convert light energy from the sun directly
into electric power. The basic solar cell is a thin silicon semiconductor
wafer which produces a voltage of .45 V in ideal direct sunlight. The output
current is proportional to the cell surface area, typically about .16 A or 160
milliampere per square inch. The basic cells are available in round and
rectangular shapes, and as sections of round cells.
In order to charge electricity into a 12 V battery, a solar cell panel will
have to produce a voltage higher than that of the 12 V battery, in order to
make electricity flow into the battery. A fully charged 12 V battery has 13.8
Volt, and solar cell panels intended to charge such a battery will have to
develop 14 V or better. To do that, it is necessary to connect several
individual solar cells in series: the first one will generate .45 V, the next one
will bring that from .45 to .90 Volt, then to 1.35 V, and so on, each cell
adding its voltage to the series. It takes a minimum of 32 cells in series, in
practice usually 36, to make a panel for charging of 12 V batteries, The
nominal output is 14 V, in practice it may range from 12 to 18 V for a 36-
cell panel.
How about output current? When connected in series, each of the cells
in the panel adds its voltage to the total, to reach the output voltage of the
panel, for example 14 Volt. But the current which flows through each cell
is the same, and is the current which one individual cell can generate, so
that panels of 36 3-cells will have a current output of about 1 A. Panels
made from round cell fractions, such as half rounds, quarter round sec-
tions, or l/6 sections will produce %, l/4, or l/6 of the current of the corre-
sponding full round cell.
Efficiency: Radiated sun energy in full brightness is equivalent to about
100 mW (milli Watt = %OOO Watt) per square centimeter. Actual electric
output under ideal conditions is cell voltage X current: Volt X Amp equals
Watt, Silicon solar cells range from 10% to about 15% in conversion effi-
ciency, A practical aspect with solar cell panels on board is the mounting
position. Unless the panel were continuously tilted to follow the sun and
keep the panel perpendicular to the incoming light, rated output will only
be achieved with sun directly overhead for horizontal mounting. At other
angles, sunlight reaching the front surface of the panel will be reduced to:
Angle: 90 80 70 60 50 40 30
% of ideal: 100% 98% 94% 87% 77% 65% 50%
As a material for the top surface, glass is often used in solar panels. It
has the advantage of retaining its transparency even with intense ultraviolet
light which would cause degradation and yellowing in most plastics.
Unavoidable is the loss of efficiency from light which is reflected by the
glass, with the incoming light other than perpendicular.
193
Panels made with other clear cover materials apparently tend to suffer
from gradual loss of light transmittance.
Solar Panels: Installation
Many solar cell panels are supplied with a length of cable. Best is to lead
this cable below decks and make the first connection in a reasonably
protected, dry place. Soldering is highly recommended. Wire size will depend
on current load: most single panels will have 2 A or less output, and any
light wire will do.
I f you are going to charge more than one battery, connect diodes of same
type and rating, as shown in Sketch 1, between positive panel lead and
battery main switch lerminals of batteries 1, 2, etc.
I
1
OzI A
BAV-~ I
-imJ. 2-
Do not install a voltmeter permanently in the circuit since its value is not
justified by its electricity loss. However, a small Ampere meter, sensitive
enough to show fractions of one A, can be useful, does not cause loss, and
can be installed as in Sketch 1.
Where more than one solar electric panel is being installed, connect two
or more 14 Volt panels in parallel. Total current will be the sum of each
panels output current.
Should you have access to 6 Volt panels, you may connect three in series
to serve your 12 Volt system. And you may connect two such banks of three
in parallel.
Output: Generated power in Ah (Ampere hours) will be average current
in A (for example 1.6 A) times number of hours with current output (for
example 6h) or 1.6A x 6 h = 9.6 Ah. Voltage regulators: with normal panel
ratings of less than 3 A, and typical battery capacities of 100 Ah or more,
no regulating will be needed.
Solar Electric Panels: How to compare the specs
Capacity of a panel will be given for full sunlight, and will be in WATT. I f
Ampere rating is given, you can multiply it by 14 Volt, to get absolute
maximum Watt rating. 1000 mA (milli Ampere) = 1 A, and 1000 mW (milli
Watt) = 1 W.
194
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am .
ml II -
m
In practice, Volt and Ampere values depend on the load. The panels
maximum Amp rating occurs when the panel is short circuited and Volts
= 0, and maximum Volts are measured when no current flows.
Example: a panel is charging into a relatively low battery at 12.0 V, at a
current of .65 A. Panel output here is 12.0 Volt x .65 A = 7.8 Watt. As the
battery is charged, its voltage climbs to 13.5 V and current now is down to
.58 A of charging current, but wattage is still .58 A x 13.5 V = 7.8 W.
What can you expect? Make two estimates, in two different ways:
First, calculate the amount of electricity which the panel will generate
under the very best conditions. Take the panels Amp rating and multiply
by 7, (for seven hours of full output current: more than you can realistically
hope for). The result: Ampere hours generated, per day, maximum.
Now divide this value by the Ampere rating for the equipment which you
want to operate. Ampere hours generated, divided by Ampere rating of the
equipment, gives hours of operation. I f these hours of operation are too
few, discard the idea.
Example: A solar panel with 2 Ampere rating will generate 2 x 7 = 14 Ah
maximum per day. A cabin light (2 A rating) will operate 14/2 = 7 hours, an
anchor light (1 Ampere) will operate 14/l = 14 hours, both may be practical,
see the second estimate. An electric motor (6 Ampere, such as refrigeration)
will operate 14/6 = 2.3 hours: impractical, here you can safely discard the
idea, without the second estimate.
Second estimate: calculate the very least which the panel will generate.
Multiply the panels Amp rating by 3: you will almost always be able to
collect the equivalent of 3 hours of full sunlight. Then, again, divide the
generated Ampere hours by the Ampere rating of the equipment which you
want to operate with the generated power, again based on one day.
Example: A panel has 1 A rating, will therefore generate a minimum of 1
x 3 = 3 Ampere hours per day. You plan to operate the bilge pump with
the solar electricity: the bilge pump draws 6 A when running or has a 6 A
rating. 3 Ah of generated power 16 A bilge pump rating = 12 hour. Your
bilge pump may run three times per day, each time for less than 5 minutes,
which would be a total of .25 hours: this application would be quite sound.
Even with the minimal output estimate, there is reserve power which would
remain in the batteries.
195
Bilge Pump Supply Circuit
Automatic bilge pumps must remain switched on when boats are left
unattended. For that purpose, the main switch is left in the 1 or 2
position or, for added power, in the ALL position which parallels or inter-
connects the batteries. This also leaves power connected to the main
electric panel.
Instead, the bilge pump can be powered through the circuit in Sketch
1 which consists of one diode for each available battery, connected between
battery plus terminal and float switch so that the pump may draw from the
best charged battery first, from all other batteries if there should be unusual
demand for extra power. The diodes do not allow one battery to discharge
into another but keep the batteries perfectly isolated. The battery main
switch may or should be turned off. Diode ratings should be 10 to 12 A
each, with 25 V reverse rating, anode base type, mounted on a commmon
heat sink.
The same circuit can also be used to supply power to receivers and other
electronic equipment while autopilots or other high power equipment may
cause power surges at any given battery. The circuit avoids drops in voltage
for example to a Loran set, by drawing from the highest charged battery
on board automatically.
Available from Spa Creek Instruments Co., 616 Third St., Annapolis, Mo 21403
196
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Alarms: How About Your Bilge?
Small amounts of water can be taken care of by the electric bilge pump.
The pump probably draws between 3 and 6 Ampere and might run 10
minutes per day. A normal battery with 80 Ah of available power would last
80 days (6 Ah every 6 days, or 80 x 6 / 6 = 80). But when layed up or
unattended in a marina, a larger leak, from a broken hose for example,
would draw electricity for the pump at a much higher rate. For an outside
observer, the leak would remain invisible if the pump kept up with it, until
battery power would run out. A useful bilge alarm should warn about the
impending trouble ahead of time. Here is one possibility for a bilge alarm:
Present bilge pump arrangement: most boats have a pump with float
switch, and a MANUAL-AUTOMATIC selector switch. On MANUAL, the float
switch is bypassed and the pump runs continuously. On AUTOMATIC, the
pump only runs when bilge water rises and closes the float switch contacts.
In Sketch 1, a wire is connected to the existing switch on the MANUAL
side, at point A. When the switch is in its AUTOMATIC position, as it would
be on boats tied in a marina, this point A will have + 12 Volt whenever the
float switch closes, to make the pump run.
We connect from A to the heater element of a thermal delay switch with
N.O. contact, which in turn connects to a normal 12 V relay with N.O.
contact. The relay is wired to stay on even after the delay switch or bilge
float switch opens again, to keep the bell ringing, or the strobe light flash-
ing. Hopefully, someone will react to that.
The time delay relay is selected to have a delay time much longer than
the normal single running cycle of the bilge pump when it operates by float
switch.
Suitable delay relays are Amperite No. 12N0060 (1 minute), 12N0120 (2
minutes), and 12N0180 (3 minute delay time before contacts close).
PlJrcl P
Batteries
There are two groups of batteries: primary batteries such as the zinc
carbon or alkaline flashlight batteries, and secondary batteries which are
rechargeable and include the lead-acid and nickel-cadmium types. Almost
all rechargeable batteries on boats are lead-acid batteries and we will
concentrate on these. Nickel batteries are used in some portable equipment
but never as the boats main batteries, as explained in a paragraph on these
batteries.
Lead Acid Batteries
Their main function is to store electrical energy, ordinarily expressed in
Watt hours or kWh (kilowatt hours). As a simplification, we normally mea-
sure electricity on board in Ampere hours. This is practical because we are
always dealing with approximately 12 Volt. We measure battery capacity in
Ah: a battery with 100 Ah theoretically can supply 1 A for 100 hours, or 100
A for one hour, or any numbers which multiply to 100 Ah. In doing so, we
ignore the fact that more Watts have to be charged into a battery than will
come out: it may take 100 Ah to charge and, if we are very careful, we may
get 100 Ah back out. But to charge, we have to apply at least 14 V, while
current from the battery will be supplied at perhaps 12.5 V or less. Charged
wattage would be 100 Ah x 14 V = 1400 Watt hours (AX V = W), but in
return we get only about 100 Ah x 12 V = 1200 Wh = 1.2 kWh. In addition,
some current is always lost when gas bubbles are formed: the current is
used to decompose water into oxygen and hydrogen gas, as discussed in
greater detail later. We could talk about a batterys power efficiency and
compare wattages. Instead we usually only look at current efficiencies:
current in, compared to current out.
Why are batteries such frustrating subject on the boat? Probably because
no other piece of equipment on board is so short lived, its life expectancy
so difficult to predict, its degree of usefulness, the capacity, as difficult to
measure and compare. Batteries are shrouded in a cloud of descriptive
language big on qualitative terms but almost completely missing quanti-
tative information. We buy batteries with the manufacturers stated capacity
which, after a few years, diminishes to nothing when the battery has spent
its useful life. Is the loss of capacity gradual, or does it come suddenly near
the end? Most of us will never know. But knowing what goes on in the
battery, how to treat it to extend its life, what not to do to avoid harm, will
help at least a little, and may counteract the trend to make us believe that
batteries could ever be maintenance free.
How it works
To store electricity, the battery uses chemistry. The simplest lead-acid
battery could consist of two sheets of lead in sulfuric acid. With a charging
current, one plate would form a film of lead peroxide. The other plate would
199
mm 1 r~m~lr,, Ill, I I Vlb,,, , m,,,t,m? ,,I 1 , , ,, ,.,
.~. ~
generate hydrogen bubbles. The charged battery could then give back an
electric current while chemical reactions take place at the plates.
The chemicals on the plates, lead oxide, lead sulfate, and lead metal all
are insoluble in the electrolyte which is dilute sulfuric acid so that the
charged electricity is stored with relatively little loss from internal discharge.
But things get complicated because more battery capacity is needed,
and the plates must be made to both carry more chemistry and have more
surface area. Batteries are made from positive and negative plates which
are alternately stacked, close to each other, and loaded with active mate-
rial which is placed in spaces of a lead grid. Negative plates are made with
sponge lead so that there is an enormous surface area of lead metal in
contact with the electrolyte. Positive plates consist of a lead metal grid
filled with lead peroxide, the active material. To work, each grain of lead
oxide must be in electrical contact with the metal grid which catties the
current, and must also in contact with the electrolyte which carries current
and supplies the chemical, sulfate ion or sulfuric acid, needed to supply
electric current. To increase battery capacity, positive plates could be made
thicker to contain more active material but then the inner regions in a plate
would have poor access to the electrolyte. The plate could be made more
porous so that the acid could reach in, as into a sponge. But then small
parts are likely to break off and loose electrical contact with the grid. And
the plates would not allow high current as needed for starting. To allow
high current, plates are made thin, and more of them are stacked together,
porous separaters keeping them from touching each other, close enough
for shortest distance through the electrolyte, and with enough surface area
to allow high surges of current. But thin plates are more likely to warp,
since the lead oxide is converted to lead sulfate every time the battery is
discharged, and back to lead oxide when it is recharged. The changes
create mechanical stress. A compromise is needed between all properties:
high storage capacity, tolerance for high current, tolerance for deep dis-
charges, and long life, all in the smallest space.
Table 1 shows how sulfate ions from the electrolyte are used both at
posittve and negative plates when current is drawn from the battery. Note
lhat lead sulfate is formed in the process, and decomposed again by charg-
ing current.
When the plates are charged, the voltage between them is about 2 V no
matter what their size. To make a 12 V battery, six so-called cells are
connected in series, each adding about 2 Volt to the total. The current
through each cell is the same, and the capacity of each cell is the same as
the capacity (Ah) of the whole 12 Volt battery.
Performance
As you know, the voltage of the battery during charge and discharge is
not constant, mainly because the active material, especially at positive
plates, is not all working under the same conditions. Sketch 1 shows a
200
. .
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Table 1: Lead-Acid Battery
Charged:
+ Plates Electrolyte - Plates
Lead oxide (lead Acid Lead metal
F
.-
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z
5:
I
Use electrons Give off electrons
.-
n
Form lead sulfate Form lead sulfate
Discharged: Lead sulfate waier Lead sulfate
F
6
give off acid give off acid
ii
I
give off electrons
7lr
use electrons
6
form lead oxide form lead sponge
Charged: lead oxide acid lead metal
201
small part of a positive plate with one granule of active material marked X.
The electrolyte is shown, as is the surface of the next negative plate. Non-
conductiveseparators keep the plates from touching each other, not shown
here. The active granule must have electrical contact with the nearest
branch of the metal grid and with the electrolyte, to complete the electric
circuit for charge or discharge current. Acid must be able to reach it when
current is drawn, and acid must be able to reach the bulk of the electrolyte
again when the granule is recharged and sulfate ions released. All of these
processes which take place at each increment of the active material deter-
mine the performance characteristics of the battery. More active material
may mean that there are fewer pores for electrolyte access, or that some
of the material is greater distances away from the nearest branch of the
metal grid.
In all batteries, there will be some
active material with excellent
access to the electrolyte, some
with excellent electrical contact
with the grid of its plate, and much
with intermediate positions, the
dots in Sketch 2. When the first
current is drawn from the charged
battery, the best placed material
with most direct electrolyte con-
tact will be used to supply current
at the highest voltage. As more
current is drawn, the most acces-
sible active material will become depleated and, with modest to high cur-
rents, the electrolyte in and near the positive plate will become locally
depleted of sulfate ions, used up by the active material. With continued
current, the battery voltage will fall. But if the current is interrupted, elec-
trolyte will have time to diffuse into lhe deeper regions of the plate and
make sulfate Ions available there again. At the same time, some of the inner
active material will regenerate the depleated outer material for a more even
distribution. All of this has the effect that the battery voltage will recover,
and the battery be able to supply another surge of higher current after the
recovery period.
The curves in Sketch 3 show the response of a fully charged battery to
smaller and greater discharge currents. A battery will have a faster drop in
voltage with higher current. With the load of 1 A, all active material will be
used evenly and slowly and, when the battery voltage takes its more sudden
drop near the end, the battery will be completely exhausted and will not
recover at all. With greater loads though, voltage will fall faster but, when
the load is disconnected, the battery will recover: its voltage will increase,
not to the original value, but the closer to it the greater the discharge
current. I f you measure current and hours until the load was switched off,
202
SKEl-a-l @
the resulting Ah will be highest for the smallest load current, and much
lower for greater currents. This is important when you compare batteries:
the capacity measurement is only meaningful if it includes the current load,
length in hours, and the end point in Volt where the load was disconnected.
The batteries on board the boat will normally be starting batteries, designed
to supply the high current needed to start the engine. Its plates are com-
paratively thin, with much surface area, relatively vulnerable to the stress
of deep discharging. Other batteries are made with plates more resistant
to physical stress but will not be able to supply high starting currents.
Although such batteries for deep discharging can be chosen in large enough
sizes, or two or more of them used in parallel to supply engine starting
current, this takes some of the flexibility away from two-battery systems
where each battery can start the engine by itself.
Starting Power
How many Ampere hours does it take to start your engine? Very few:
assume that the starter motor is rated somewhere between 4 and 8 HP and
draws, for example, 400 Ampere. Most engines will start after a few seconds
of cranking. I f it started after 3.6 seconds, the starter will have drawn 400
A times 0.001 hours (3.6 seconds = one thousandth of an hour) = 0.4 Ah.
That is less than half the Ah of what an anchor light draws in an hour.
How Batteries Fail
As you can see in Table I, lead sulfate is formed on the plates when
current is drawn. With charging current, this is converted back to lead
oxide (peroxide) or sponge lead respectively. But if the lead sulfate is
203
allowed to remain, it has the
tendency to turn from very
fine material into a dense
form and to grow larger
crystals. The inside of these
then become inaccessible to
recharge and some of the
lead sulfate is not converted
back upon recharging. The
result is a loss of storage
capacity. In addition, the
internal resistance of the
2!3 3r 36 battery which is in the mil-
I I , liohm range increases and
SKE-f-c-u (g
T/NE,
then insufficient starting
MokJrtts
current flows. A battery may
lose its ability to start the
engine due to increased
internal resistance and may still make a useful lighting battery, or storage
capacity may have been lost at the same time. To test for internal resistance
changes, start the engine with each fully charged battery by itself. To test
battery capacity, use the battery capacity meter or Ah meter described in
the section on meters. Ampere hour values measured for the same battery
over a period of years can be plotted as in Sketch 4 as long as tests are
with the same load current and end point voltage.
Deep Cycling
This term is often used to help sell batteries with rope handles. It means
the same as deep discharging, the process where much or most of a
batterys stored charge is drained. The term as such is quite meaningless
without the current used in deep cycling, and the voltage end point at which
discharge current was stopped.
As we have seen, the battery voltage decreases slightly as the charge of
the battery is being used up. In addition, the voltage drops while a current
is drawn from the battery: more so with higher currents. In fact, the voltage
at the terminals of a starter battery, fully charged, may fall below 10 V while
the starter draws its enormous current. Since very few Ampere hours are
used for starting, the battery will still be nearly fully charged after this
starting current. Under different circumstances, with low currents, a battery
with 10 V would be quite empty. This may show you that the kind of deep
cycling is important, and we will see that one example of deep cycling may
mean absolutely nothing to the battery, while in another it may be certain
ruin.
204
- .-
mm -
WI
- -
4 - -
I
First Example: Golf cart batteries are being deep cycled. Assume that
a golf cart is being driven until it absolutely does not want to move any
more. The 12 V battery may then offer no more than 7 V and is switched
off. The golf cart motor easily draws 30 A, more when it is being stalled. At
such high current, the battery voltage will tend to drop quite considerably
and when the load is disconnected at 7 V, will be able to recover its voltage
by a substantial amount. Golf cart batteries are supposedly built with thick
and stable plates which can endure deep cycling. Such plates will have
much active material deeper within the plates and will be able to use that
portion to recover appreciably. I f we now took this battery and connected
a small light to it, for example an anchor light, the battery may be able to
keep that light bright for hours if not days. I f we measured voltage, the
battery would eventually fall below 10 V a second time and then would be
completely exhausted. In other words, the high golf cart motor load made
the battery voltage fall relatively rapidly, reach its end point voltage soon,
and be switched off after only a fraction of its capacity had been discharged.
Second Example: The same battery, or any
EXAMPLES :
battery, fully charged, is connected to a small
light. The light remains bright for a long time
because it needs only a small current. The bat-
tery voltage falls more slowly but finally falls
toward 10 V and the light dims. The voltage
falls further, more rapidly now, and reaches 7
V very soon. At this point, the battery has been
as deeply discharged as is possible. This case,
which is common on board with anchor and
cabin lights, deep cycles a battery more com-
pletely and severely than any golf cart motor,
electric trolling motor, or other use often cited
with deep cycle batteries.
Zoo A$
Battery Capacity
Several tests are used to measure storage
capacity. All involve a discharge current and
measure time as well as voltage end point.
Ampere hours: Ah. The basic unit of battery
capacity is not significant without magnitude
of the discharge current and the end point volt-
age. A battery with 100 Ah theoretically can
supply 100 A for 1 h, or 50 A for 2 h, or 1 A for
100 h. Ampere hours are calculated by multi-
plying current in A by duration in h.
205
Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) or Cold Cranking Power (CCP) is used to
gauge starting batteries. It is the maximum current in A which the battery
can supply for 30 seconds to an end point at 7.2 Volt, the test carried out
at 0F. A battery with 500 CCA is reportedly able to supply 500 A for 30
seconds with the battery voltage not falling below 7.2 V during the test.
Such battery has 500 A x 0.5 minutes = 250 Ampere minutes or 250/60 =
4.2 Ah capacity for this extremely high curient test.
Reserve Capacity: A capacity test carried out at 25 A and measures
the minutes until the battery voltage reaches an end point at 10.5 V. This
test is carried out at 80F. A battery with 150 minutes of reserve capacity
has 25 A x 150 minutes = 3750 Ampere minutes, divided by 60 = 62.5 Ah.
This is a very realistic test for batteries to be used with electrical equipment
on board.
Hour Rate: 20 hour rate: Ampere hour capacity is measured at a current
which drains the batterys nominal capacity in a 20 hour period. The test
could be carried out with 10 hour, 3 hour, or any other rate. Load current
is capacity in Ah divided by hour rate. Example: battery capacity is 60 Ah
(20 h). Test current was 60/20 = 3 A. Also used to specify charge rate.
Wherever battery capacity is listed, you can convert to Ampere hours but
should be aware of the vastly differing results caused by the conditions of
the test. As discussed earlier, high currents will exhaust the more available
charged plate material more quickly and cause battery voltage to fall fast,
with the voltage end point reached quickly: the resulting Ah value will be
low.
To convert: CCA or CCP into Ah, divide by 120. End point 7.2 V. Note
that different current loads are applied to different batteries.
Reserve Capacity, minutes: into Ah, divide by 2.4. End point 0.5 Volt.
Example: deep cycle batteries with nominal capacity of:
Capacity at
discharge current of:
80Ah
105 Ah
5A 67.5 Ah
79 Ah
15A 52.5 Ah
63 Ah
25 A 45 Ah
60 Ah
-
-.
I
a 7
ml
-
m
-
-
-..
Ic
-.
I
lm -
m
._
mm -
.-
L
Battery Case Sizes
Inches approximately:
Length x Width x Height
No. 24 10.5 x 7 x 9
27 12 x 7 x 9
3 19 x 4 x 9
4 21 x 9
x 10
8 21 x 11 x 10
Weight of batteries is sometimes given dry (without electrolyte) and wet
(ready to use, actual weight). To calculate whether a larger battery or several
smaller sizes in parallel are of advantage, compare battery data. The ratio
of CCA divided by battery weight usually is between 10 and 12 for starter
batteries. The ratio of Reserve Capacity ratings in minutes divided by battery
weight is about 2. To compare different battery sizes made by the same
manufacturer, (where test methods are bound to be uniform) calculate
ratios for comparison. Think of your back before buying large batteries.
I- PtV
13
12
II
IO
Battery Voltage
We have seen how the battery voltage is affected by current drawn from
the battery. In addition, the stand-by voltage of the battery is dependent on
the state of charge of the battery. Directly after charging, the full battery
will show close to 14 V which will drop quickly as the charge from the most
accessible plate material is used. After the first 15% of the batterys capacity
has been used, the voltage falls proportionally to the remaining percent of
charge, until below 20%, a more rapid voltage drop occurs, see Sketch 5.
Battery voltage therefore can be directly interpreted as the percent of
207
remaining battery charge. Many expanded scale voltmeters are available
with such scale markings, and a meter with O-100% scale is made by Spa
Creek Instruments Co.
The Electrolyte
As you can see in Table 1, both positive and negative plates react with
the sulfate ions in the electrolyte when current is drawn. The electrolyte
consists of dilute sulfuric acid. The acid concentration can be measured
with a hydrometer which indicates the density in grams per cubic centi-
meter. Fully charged batteries use electrolyte densities between 1.25 and
1.30 grams/cc (or g/milliliter). As current is drawn, sulfuric acid which is
much denser than water is used and the density of the remaining electrolyte
decreases and eventually may fall to 1.000 which is the density of plain
water.
The acid in the electrolyte has another function: it makes the electrical
conductivity. Because higheracid content means greaterconductivity, here
is another reason why high currents can be drawn better from highly
charged batteries: they are more conductive, have lower internal resis-
tance. I f a battery is completely discharged (by accident), it may first run
out of charged active material on the plates, or it may first run out of sulfate
ions in the electrolyte which would leave plain water. Because of the much
lower conductivity of water, such battery will then resist recharging current.
I f you are accustomed to using a hydrometer regularly, note that on
recharging, the sulfate ions released at the plates generate locally more
concentrated sulfuric acid with higher density which will tend to sink and
collect at the bottom of each cell. This has the effect that during the first
half of the recharging, or sometimes longer, you may see no change in
hydrometer readings. Dont let that lead you to any false conclusions about
the batterys health but wait instead until gas bubbles begin to form. That
happens with low charging currents only after about 70% has been recharged.
The gas bubbles will stir the electrolyte and cause a sudden increase in
hydrometer readings.
While electrolyte density is a linear function of charge, the upper and
lower limits of readings will depend on the ratio of the storage capacity of
the plates to the volume of electrolyte. Batteries with larger extra spaces
below or around the plates will show slightly higher densities when the
battery is discharged, compared to batteries which have the cells more
completely filled with closely packed plates.
Distilled Water
The kind of water used to fill up battery cells is sold in drug stores and
groceries right next to mineral water: dont confuse the similar packages.
Distilled water is needed because it is lowest in unwanted minerals. It is
also sold for steam irons, and if you cannot find any at all, collect the
clean condensate which drips out of window air conditioners.
208
-
I - -
cc4 -
mm
mm
-
mm
I
I- - -.
lm
- -._
-
IIC
Battery Maintenance
The usual tasks of inspecting battery cells for electrolyte level, and occa-
sionally measuring the electrolyte density with a hydrometer are so widely
familiar that no further comments are needed. Beware of the wrong con-
clusions from low hydrometer readings, described under the Electrolyte
heading.
It appears more important to point out how to test the starting batteries:
even though you may normally start the engine with all batteries in parallel,
if for no other reason than to subsequently charge all with the alternator,
occasionally start the engine with each battery by itself. This will give you
an early warning when a battery begins to develop increased internal resis-
tance, not detectable with two batteries in parallel.
And again, you should be aware of the plate chemistry: whenever the
batteries are less than fully charged, there will be lead sulfate on the plates.
With time, this material will become more dense and less likely to be
reconverted with charging current, thus reducing the battery capacity.
More of this material is formed with deeper discharging which can then
cause stress especially at the positive plates.
Manufacturers of industrial batteries, used for example on electric fork
lift trucks, recommend so-called equalizing charges, described as the appli-
cation of charging current after the battery has reached full charge and
has started liberal gassing. At least one manufacturer of marine batteries
has also recommended this practice. The idea is to convert all active mate-
rial including that which during less complete charging has resisted con-
version. For a 100 Ah battery, an equalizing charge would consist of 2 to 5
Aof charging current applied for several hours after the battery had reached
full charge. Distilled water may have to be added to the cells.
The most important measure, with the greatest effect on the batterys
performance and life, is preventing deep discharging or deep cycling. Even
if you are using so-called deep cycle batteries, these will suffer from deep
cycling, though hopefully not as much as other batteries or you would have
spent the premium in vain. On the other hand, preventing deep discharges
will extend battery life which has the same end effect as greater battery
standby capacity because you are reducing capacity loss.
There are many ways which help you there: you may make it a practice
to measure battery charge frequently, for example with an expanded scale
voltmeter or battery charge meter. To alert you and your crew when nobody
is watching, there are low battery warning lights which begin to blink before
batteries are deep cycled. There also is an audible alarm which needs no
panel space or installation other than wire connections. It begins to sound
its alarm when the battery then in use approaches deep cycling. The alarm
switches itself off when the battery is switched off: this is because the
battery recovers at least slightly. Then there is a battery cutoff, made like a
circuit breaker which trips in response to the battery voltage when the
battery nears exhaustion. A more drastic measure, but useful for non- .
essential equipment on board.
209
Finally, the capacity of the batteries, new and through the seasons, can
be measured with a battery capacity meter or amp hour meter, described
in a separate section in this book.
Maintenance free batteries
Only so if the electrolyte above the plates happens to last. Otherwise,
adding water is more difficult, as is hydrometer testing the electrolyte. A
distinct problem is the flush top: if by leak or spray, salt water should reach
the battery top, there is no coaming or edge around the slightly recessed
cell caps and water would run in. Salt water will ruin the battery. Mainte-
nance free batteries have, and need openings to vent any gas, and on board
should be treated like all other batteries.
Battery Charging
We have to distinguish between two kinds of battery charging equipment:
with and without regulators. The automatic battery chargers, also called
converters which draw their power from 110 VAC shore electricity have
built in voltage regulators, as do the alternators which charge batteries
-
m
charge, even though that may take several days, and must be low enough
to switch charging current completely off after the batteries have been fully
charged. An easy indication of too high a setting is a continuous charging
current where no current is drained from the batteries, and the continuous
appearance of even small bubbles in the cells.
With alternators, the same limits apply even though a high voltage reg-
ulator setting may only become apparent after extended motoring. The
regulator setting should never be increased to accelerate battery charging
because of problems during subsequent long engine running times. Rather,
the alternator controls described elsewhere in this book should be used
and applied to temporarily override the alternator regulators, to accelerate
battery charging from low states of charge to approximately 70% of charge.
Higher charge currents are easily tolerated where battery capacity is high.
Charging diodes provide a method to distribute charging current, both
from alternators and battery chargers of all kinds, and battery charge meters
allow to estimate the charging current and time needed. For example, if
measurements before starting the recharge indicate that two batteries are
at 50% and 40%, each of 100 Ah, then an estimated 50 Ah and 60 Ah must
be generated to fully recharge. This total of 110 Ah would be generated
with a current of 36 A in about 3 hours.
Battery chargers without regulators usually have an output voltage sub-
while the engine is running.
1
Battery chargers without regulators include most smaller portable charg-
lm
stantially higher than 14 V when their battery cables are disconnected.
ers and trickle chargers. Even though their charging current dimin-
Their design current is charged into the near empty battery, limited Only by
ishes during charging, this is only due to the increasing voltage of the
their capacity. Charging current decreases as the battery reaches full charge
but continues at a lesser rate while decomposing water in the battery. Such
battery which counteracts the chargers.
Voltage regulators both on shore power converters and alternators are
chargers must be disconnected from the battery in time. The so-called
designed to maintain or limit the charging voltage, usually to values between
trickle chargers do not avoid this problem but, due to their low Capacity,
r
.^^ . ^..
decompose water at a lower rate when left connected. Continuous charge
13.8 and 14.2 V. AS the battery then approaches more complete recharge,
its voltage increases as shown in Sketch 5. The charging current which
is caused by the difference between battery voltage and regulator voltage
then diminishes as does the difference. The battery charging process with
voltage regulators proceeds rapidly at first, with high charging currents
while the battery is low, but charging currents are reduced, and approach
zero as the battery voltage approaches voltage regulator setting.
High currents into the relatively empty batteries are fine: at that point,
the more accessible plate material is converted and all charging current is
efficiently used. As the battery voltage climbs and the battery reaches
recharge levels better than about 70%, some of the charging current is
used to decompose water at the outer surfaces of the plates, rather than
reach and charge the less accessible material in the pores of the plates.
While the gas bubbles indicate a less efficient use of charging current, this
state is often preferable to incomplete recharging whenn the source of
charging current, the alternator, is not continuously available. With auto-
matic battery chargers or converters, the regulator setting which is always
adjustable must be high enough to have the batteries reach near complete
210
c4
.
*I
rr
currents into fully charged batteries are not desirable. Rather, see the
various applications of zener diodes and voltage regulator integrated cir-
cuits in this book which offer help.
To give you an idea how battery water consumption and electric current
are related, consider that 20 Ah flowing through the battery without charg-
ing the plates will decompose about 1 ounce of water. Since the same
current will flow through each of the six cells in a 12 V battery, that means
6 ounces of water must be replaced after 20Ampere hours of overcharging.
Batteries also produce some gas when high current is drawn from the
battery.
Adding a Battery
I f you make an estimate of the average amount of current needed each.
day for all 12 V equipment on board, you may find that one attractive method
211
to avoid deep discharging of a single house battery, or using a substantial
There are two reasons which prevent their exclusive use on the boat:
portion of the available stored power, is adding another battery. In addition
they must be recharged more slowly than lead acid batteries and therefore
to the extra supply of current, added battery capacity also means that you
mm L
are a Poor match to alternators, and they are more expensive by a factor
can charge higher currents with the alternator when YOU use a manual
of 3 to 13 compared to lead acid batteries. On their positive side is an
alternator control. The charging current will be distributed into more bat-
teries, more battery capacity, and the higher charging current will be absorbed
by the batteries with greater efficiency while the batteries are at a more
ml
outstanding durability. Their application is justified only under very unusual
conditions.
complete state of charge. This simply because less current will go to any
one battery.
You may add a battery by installing it with another battery main switch,
charging diode, switch position or push switch at the voltmeter or battery
charge meter, or you may connect another battery in parallel to an existing
one: this you do by connecting the plus terminals together, and the minus
terminals together, with the heavy battery cable lnaterial described else-
where in the book. You are creating a single battery with greater capacity.
Even if you connect a new battery to an older one, there are no serious
problems. I f you connect a fully charged battery parallel to a lesser charged
one, current will flow from one to the other but this current is not being
lost, it is merely redistributed and will be available from the new bank
when current is drawn. Since batteries hardly ever fail by becoming shorted
or conductive between plus and minus poles, the older battery will not
drain the full battery beyond some current to recharge itself. Only when
the battery bank is fully charged the new battery may be able to reach a
higher voltage: as it is still charging, the older battery is gassing instead.
Then no further charging of the bank is possible.
m
Nickel Cadmium Batteries
Small nickel cadmium rechargeable cells are available for use in flash-
lights and other portable equipment and are used in cordless electric drills.
ml
Their energy density is high: lots of power from a smal! package. But they
are expensive. I f you have any in use, and want to recharge them on board
where no 110 V is available, build a current limiting charger with the details
under Power for the Calculator. The recharge rate is often expressed in
hours: such batteries must be recharged slowly, over a 10 to 14 hour period,
charge current then is the Ah capacity divided by 10 or 14 hours. Capacity
is also expressed in mAh (1000 milli Ampere hours = 1 Ah). Nickel cadmium
batteries can supply high currents but must be recharged slowly, especially
when more than half full. They can tolerate small trickle charge currents
even after they are fully charged.
Large nickel cadmium batteries are also made as wet cell packages
comparable to our common 12 V lead acid batteries. Each nickel cadmium
cell supplies 1.2 V so that 10 cells are needed in series to supply 12 V. One
important difference is that potassium hydroxide solution is used as the
electrolyte, a strong alkali which reacts violently with acids, such as lead -..-
acid battery electrolyte.
ml
212
The Lamp List
The tables and sketches include most of the lamps (light bulbs) found
on board, exclusive of those for 110 VAC. Incandescent lamps produce
light with a glowing tungsten filament within the gas filled glass bulb. This
filament has a limited life, and there is a relationship between average life,
voltage, current, and light output. This relationship can be used to advan-
tage where several lamps are available for a given light fixture. For a
masthead light, long life is important since it is difficult to replace the lamp.
For a cabin or reading light, high light output is more important than life
of the lamp since it can be readily replaced.
Listed in the tables are the design Volts, design Watt, light output in
candlepower (C.P.), design Ampere, and the average rated life in hours.
Note that the average life expectancy ranges from fewer than a hundred,
to many thousand hours, determined by the manufacturers under lab con-
ditions, with alternating current. When operated with direct current, the
same lamp can be expected to last only one half to one tenth of the hours
listed in the tables, I f a lamp is operated at a higher than design voltage,
its light output increases but its life is reduced: operating a lamp at avoltage
only 5% above its design voltage will increase the light output by about
20% but reduce the lamps life to only 50% of its rated life. On the other
hand, operating a lamp at a voltage 5% below its design voltage will reduce
light output by only 20% but will double the lamps life.
Of course, you cannot change the voltage of your 12 Volt system, but
you can often select lamps with higher or lower design voltage for a given
application.
To test a lamp, use the VOM which will indicate near zero Ohm with all
lamps: the tungsten filament cold resistance is only a fraction of the lamps
working resistance when bright.
Lamp Bases
216
Midg Scr: Midget Screw Base
MFI: Miniature Flange
MScr: Miniature Screw
MBay: Miniature Bayonet
SC Bay: Single Contact Bayonet
DC Bay. Double Contacl Bayonet
Caps: End Caps
Loops. Wire Loops
Wedge: Wedge Base
Bi-pin: Fluorescent tube bi-pins
pinless: Fluorescent tube, pinless ends
Candelabra Screw Base
I
Lamp List
Lamp Sketch
No. No:
Base Volt A Brightness Life,
hours
1232
1178
\, ?!: 1
1144
\
1196
, I.
..) 2
94
1004 +
1076
904-2
i Y*
904-5
. 2088
eir .- 1171 1152
---37
m 1019 1143 631
1161
m ._ 1195 1293
1295
93e
1141<
1003
105
89
67
1155
1777
1073
1156
1095
199
795
796
1383
1940
53
8 DCBay
8 DCBay
13 DCBay
13 DCBay
16 DCBay
3 DCBay
8 DCBay
8 DCBay
16 DCBay
16 DCBay
30 DCBay
30 DCBay
27 DCBay
3 DCBay
16 DCBay
8 SCBay
8 SCBay
11 SCBay
13 SCBay
16 SCBay
13 SCBay
13 SCBay
16 SCBay
16 SCBay
16 SCBay
3 SCBay
3 SCBay
8 SCBay
8 SCBay
8 SCBay
16 SCBay
16 SCBay
16 SCBay
16 SCBay
16 SCBay
27 SCBay
27 SCBay
-
SCBay
30 SCBay
5 MBay
13.5
13.5
12.5
12.5
12.8
12.8
13.0
13.5
12.8
12.8
12.0
12.0
14.0
12.8
12.8
13.5
14.0
12.8
12.5
12.8
12.5
12.5
12.5
12.8
12.8
12.8
12.8
13.0
13.5
13.5
12.8
12.8
12.8
14.0
12.8
12.8
12.8
13.0
14.0
14.4
.59
.69
1.98
3.0
1.04
.94
.58
.59
1.44
1.8
2.1
0.83
3.6
1.35
1.34
.69
.63
4.75
1.98
1.35
3.0
3.0
3.0
1.04
1.44
.94
1.0
.58
.59
.59
1.25
1.80
2.10
51
2.25
3.9
2.7
1.54
3.57
.12
4 5000
4 5000
32 400
50 300
15 700
15 200
6 750
4 5000
21 1000
32 200
- -
-
95
21
21
4
6
100
32
22
50
50
50
15
21
15
12
6
4
4
26
32
32
4
32
100
60
75
1
-
150
500
500
5000
1000
100
400
500
300
300
300
700
1000
200
500
750
5000
5000
400
200
200
5000
1200
200
320
300
300
1000
. .
MI
Approximate appearance, note different bases. See page 220 and 221.
217
Lamp Sketch
No. No.
Base Volt A Brtghtness Life,
hours
1445
57
1895
293
1488
1815
1826
1816
756
1891
1889
1893
1813
1892
12RB
363
431
1826
3509
3511
3504
3501
658
,; 161
: 158
.Y
,\194
i68
1990
1991
1992
1994
2080
2091
163
1446
1449
52
428
1474
1487
8362
386
5
10
10
10
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
26
5
5
19
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
25
28
28
28
28
28
28
4
4
4
4
4
18
18
-
-
MBay 14.4
MBay 14.0
MBay 14.0
MBay 14.0
MBay 14.0
MBay 14.0
MBay 18.0
MBay 13.0
MBay 14.0
MBay 14.0
MBay 14.0
MBay 14.0
MBay 14.4
MBay 14.4
MBay 12.0
MBay 14.0
MBay 14.0
MBay 18.0
Wedge 120
Wedge 12.0
Wedge 12.0
Wedge 12.0
Wedge 14.0
Wedge 14.0
Wedge 14.0
Wedge 14.0
Wedge 14.0
Wedge 12.0
Wedge 14.0
Wedge 14.0
Wedge 14.0
Wedge 12.0
Wedge 14.0
MScr 14.0
MScr 12.0
MScr 14.0
MScr 14.4
MScr 12.5
MScr 14.0
MScr 14.0
MidgScr 14.0
MidgGrv 14.0
,135
.24
.27
.33
.15
.20
.15
.33
.08
.24
.27
.33
.lO
.12
.17
.2
.25
.I5
.17
.25
.42
.08
.19
.24
.27
.35
1.6
2.9
2.5
3.6
1.0
4.6
.07
.2
.2
.I
.25
.17
.2
.08
.08
.7
2
2
2
1.5
1.4
1.8
3
.3
2
2
2
.8
.7
-
2
2.7
1.8
.8
1
1.1
2.6
.3
1
2
2
3
20
40
64
95
24
115
.07
1.7
.7
.75
2.3
1.7
1.4
.3
.3
Approximate appearance, note different bases. See page 220 and 221.
218 219
2000
500
2000
7500
200
3000
250
1000
15000
500
2500
7500
1000
1000
12000
250
250
250
4000
2500
4000
1000
15000
4000
500
2500
1500
200
200
200
200
30
150
3000
250
250
1000
250
250
3000
50000
50000
-
lil -
.-
_I
Lamp Sketch
NO. No.
Base Volt A Brlghtness Life,
hours
7382 - MidgPin 14.0 .08 .3
211-2 23 Caps 12.8 .97 12
212-2 23 Caps 13.5 .74 6
214-2 23 Caps 13.5 .52 4
561 24 Loops 12.8 .97 12
562 24 Loops 13.5 .74 6
563 24 Loops 13.5 .52 4
564 24 Loops 14.0 .44 2
566 24 Loops 14.0 .36 1
2081 29 Pins 12.0 1.0 20
2082 29 Pins 1.2.0 1 .o 20
2089 28 Pins 14.0 4.2 95
802 29 Pins 12.8 4.7 118
801 29 Pins 12.8 2.7 61
797 29 Pins 12.8 3.9 105
805 29 Pins 12.8 5.1 138
806 29 Pins 12.8 1.6 30
808 29 Pins 12.8 1.6 32
50000
1000
5000
2000
5000
2000
2000
2000
150
150
150
200
320
200
150
800
700
Footnote on page 217
LED: Light Emitting Diode
T-l size fits /8 inch hole
T-13/4 size fits Ye4 inch hole
Colors: Red, amber, yellow, green.
Maximum forward current 20 to 35 mA
Maximum reverse voltage 3 to 4 V
Polarity: cathode, minus, marked by flat, see sketches.
To operate on 12 to 14 V DC, use series resistor of 470 to 560 Olm, % W.
-. --
m L
-
1411 c
-
lm . -
-
m .
-
m -
-.
m .
-
\
a-r
To make any of the small circuits in the book which involve small diodes,
transistors, or the regulator integrated circuits, a printed circuit board is
highly desirable because it saves time, space, and wiring headaches. Printed
circuit (PC) boards are much easier to make than you might think, and the
effort is worthwhile even for one simple project. For example, Sketch 1
shows a voltage regulator circuit with input, output, and ground terminal
and two components: the integrated circuit 7805 and a diode. To make
a PC board for it, label all terminals of all components with a letter, as in
Sketch 2.
Then use a resist pen or a waterproof black felt pen with reasonably
fine point and mark the terminals and interconnections on a small piece of
blank circuit board. For the example, a piece less than V4 inch long and
wide will do. Then use ferric chloride solution, a brown, mildly corrosive
and acidic etchant available from electronics stores. Pour some into a
small plastic dish and drop the board in so that it floats at the surface,
copper foil side down. The solution will dissolve all unmarked copper. Do
not leave in longer than necessary, wash, dry, sand, and drill holes for the
component leads, Sketch 3. Mount components on the side opposite the
copper foil, solder, and cut off excess wires. Solder the plus and minus
wires directly to the copper foil, no holes necessary. After testing, you can
coat the foil side and components with varnish or oil paint, to make the
circuit completely waterproof.
IM OUI-
Pm
78 05
@
_.
223
m
14
-
ICI .
-
R
R
R
-
II
-
R
m
R
R
m
m
mm
. ..d-
I
,,
Wind Electricity
Sometimes your boat may be out of commission, out of reach of shore
electricity, but with the batteries on board. Power to keep the batteries
charged could come from a wind driver generator. Some very small units
have been on the market for permanent installation, for example on the
mizzen mast. Output of these smaller generators with propellers under 2
feet in diameter is barely able to maintain batteries but too low to recharge
or generate power for other purposes.
Larger generators are available with propellers of four to six feet diameter
which can be rigged below a stay and a point on deck. The generator will
start to charge current when its output voltage exceeds that of the battery,
at about 5 knots. At wind speeds of 10 knots, about 5 A can be expected
so that an occasional breeze could keep the batteries charged, and steady
winds would generate substantial power.
While small diameter propellers can reach relatively high speeds, greater
power from the propeller demands greater diameters which lead to low
RPM ranges, though at high torque. Both direct driven and geared wind
generators are offered, and most use permanent magnet direct current
motors as the generator. An isolating diode is needed in the generator
wiring to block reverse current which would cause the battery to power the
motor and drive the propeller in a calm. Voltage regulators are offered for
the larger wind generators.
225
I f you want to experiment with wind generators and make a propeller,
start by selecting the pitch, the distance in inches which the propeller would
cut with one turn through gelatine pudding. In, for example, 5 knots of
wind, air travels about 6000 inches per minute, and a propeller with a pitch
of 6000 inches would theoretically make one turn per minute. To get 100
RPM we reduce the pitch to 60 inches. And because there is slip, the
propeller moving through very fluid air instead of threading through gela-
tine, we should pick a pitch of 30 inct,es. To make a blade, Sketch 1, use
blocks with the angles from a graph as Sketch 2, to scale, with the
circumferences (2 x T x Radius) for a few places along its length. On the
other axis is the pitch in inches, to scale. As you interconnect, you get the
angle for the propeller at that distance from the center. Since the tip travels
226
ax., /A(
126
R= zd
2s
R= 9
- -
Mm
-
m
- -
R
at greater speed, at its greater circle, it sails more close hauled in its
apparent wind, compared to places nearer the axis where the sections of
the propeller sail more on a reach, as shown in Sketch 1. You could
twist a piece of thin plastic and then apply a few layers of glass cloth and
resin.
As a generator, use a permanent magnet (PM) motor designed to operate
on greater than 24 V, and with a horsepower rating of %O HP or more.
Greater voltage will have it reach 12 V at lower speed, and higher power
rating means greater current output. A diode must be used in the wire
between plus output and plus of the battery, with cathode toward the
battery. Use a type 1 N5400, good for up to 3 A.
Or make a generator from a permanent magnet AC synchronous motor,
used in many business machines and built like a permanent magnet alter-
nator, only with many more rotor poles. Such motors are designed for 110
V AC and 72 RPM. They have no brushes, output will be AC and must be
rectified with diodes. Output currents will be modest but 12 V can be
reached with very low propeller speeds. Such motors have eight stator coils
in two groups. Use the two groups, or separate into four groups and rectify
each separately.
227
Index
Acid, 208
Acid base scale, 98
AC tap, 154
Active material, 200
Added alternator, 163
Added battery, 211
Agitation, 80
Alarm, 31, 134. 137, 197
Alkali, 86, 212
Alloy, 81,86,94, 96
Alternating current, 181
Alternator, 41, 147, 151.
163
Alternator bracket, 163
Alternator control, 159,
211
Alternator light, 32
Aluminum, 98
Aluminum bronze, 95
American Boat and
Yacht Council, 191
Ammeter, 4,33, 129, 179
Ampere, 2, 4, 7, 9
Ampere, 157,199,205
Ampere hour meter, 145,
210
Ampere hours, starting,
203
Ampere hour test, 204
Anchor windlass, 179
Anchor light, 179
Angle, propeller, 226
Anode, 77,175,219
Area, 99
Antenna, 183
Audible alarm, 209
Automatic charger, 210
Autopilot, 179
Auxiliary diodes, 154
Bank, battery, 212
Barrier strip, 52
Base, lamp, 216
Basic electricity, 1
Battery, 3, 11, 13, 19, 29
Battery capacity, 199,
205
Battery capacity meter,
145,210
Battery case size, 207
Battery charge meter,
133
Battery charger, 41
Battery charging, 157,
190,207,210,225
Battery condition, 207
Battery isolation, 175,
196
Battery main switch, 40,
57,212
Battery performance, 202
Battery rating, 206
Battery selector switch,
175
Battery size, 145, 176
Battery terminals, 62
Battery tester, 208
Battery voltage, 153, 207
Battery warning light,
209
Bell, 138, 139
Belt tension, 34
Bilge pump, 39, 41
Bilge pump alarm, 197
Bilge pump supply, 196
Blower, 179
Bonding, 106, 115, 123,
125
Boot, 54
Brand, alternators, 165
Brass, 95
Break, 11
Bridge rectifier, 173
Bronze, 95
Brush, 148
Bubbles, 211
Buzzer, 32
Cabin lights, 35, 179
Cable, 27
Cable ties, 50
Cable way, 52
Calculate, 9
Calculator Dower. 185
Calibrating: 34, 144
Candelabra base, 216
Candlepower, 215
Capacitor, 181
Capacity, 203
Cathode, 77, 175, 219
Caustic, 212
Cell. 19. 185. 200
Change alternator, 163
Charging current, 158,
176,178, 210
Charging diodes, 175
Charging rate, 157
Chemistry, 199
Choke, 182
Circuit, 12
Circuit board, 223
Ciyguit breaker, 12, 24,
Close hauled, 227
Coil, 148, 150, 181
Cold cranking amps, 206
Color coding, 35
Comparison, battery, 203
Compass light, 38
Components, 18
Compromise, 200,215
Concealing, wires, 52
Concentration cell, 80
Conductivity, 74, 102,
208
Conductivity, water, 101
Conductor. 74. 122
Connection, 45
Constant current, 190
Constant current
charger, 212
Contact, 57,60
Contact resistance, 45
Convention, 83
Converter, 210
Copper alloys, 94
Copper foil, 223
Corrosion, 71
Corrosion efficiency, 108
Corrosion indicator, 110
Couples, 77
Cranking, 61
Crimping, 45
Crystals, 81
Cupro nickel, 96
Current, 1,2,4, 7, 9,34,
130
Current consumption,
179
Current, definition, 83
Current density, 88
Current distribution, 89,
176
Current efficiency, 199
Current regulator, 190
Current search, 109
Current surge, 203
Daily demand, 158
Deep cycling, 204
Deep discharge, 212
Density, 208
Design, propeller, 226
229
Design voltage, 215
Dezincification, 93
Dtgrtal meter, 136
Diode, 32, 132, 151, 170,
172, 227
Diode rating, 176
Dtode test, 175
Direct current, 181
Discharging, 204
Dissrmrlar metals, 77
Distilled water, 208
Drstrtbute charge
current, 211
Drain, 179
Drain hole, 53
Double contact bayonet,
216
Dual range ammeter, 131
Durability, 213
Dynamo, 169
Efficiency, 193, 199
Electrrc bell, 179
Electricians tape, 50, 52
Electrolysis, 71
Electrolyte, 201, 208
Electrolytrc capacitor,
182
Electron, 72, 84, 201
Electronics, 186
Electrostatic charge, 123
Emergency starting, 61
End point, 203, 206
Energy storage, 199
Engine alarm, 32, 140
Engine instruments, 179
Engine panel, 28, 30
Engine running time, 211
Engine starting, 57
Equalizing charge, 209
Exercrze contacts, 61, 65
Expanded scale meter,
209
Expanded scale, 132
Failing battery, 203
Fan, 179
Farad, 182
Faraday cage, 123
Fastening, 51, 52
Field coil, 148. 151
Field current, 155, 171
Filter, 181
Finishing touches, 51
Fishing wires, 52
230
Flange base, 216
Flicker test, 58
Float switch, 41, 197
Flow rate, 2. 4, 9, 34, 129
Flux, 46
Frequency, 181
Fuse, 24,41
Galvanized steel, 99
Gas bubbles, 199
Gas engine, 34
Gassing, 211
Gauge, 137,139
Generator, 147
Golf cart battery, 205
Grain boundary, 82
Grams per milliliter, 208
Graphite, 99
Grease, 53
Ground, 12, 124
Ground connection, 22,
49
Ground fault Interrupter,
112
Ground loop, 183
Ground wire, 109
Heat shrink tubing, 51
Heat test, 59
Helper, 46
Henry, 182
Hertz, 181
High charge rate, 159
Horn, 179
Hour discharge rate, 206
Hull fittings, 107
Hydrogen, 88,200
Hydrogen ion cont. 98,
101
Hydrometer, 208
Idiot light, 32
Ignition, 179
Impedance, 181
Impingement, 94
Induction, 181
Inner liner, 52
Instruments, 179
Integrated circuit, 135,
185
Interference, 181
Internal batteries, 185
Internal discharge, 200
Internal resistance, 204,
209
Ions, 72, 119
Isolating diode, 154, 175
Joint, 48, 52
Key switch, 30, 33, 138
Kilowatt, 5
Kilowatt hour, 199
Lamp, 5, 11, 24
Lamp dimmer, 190
Lamp list, 215
Lead acid battery, 199
Leak detector, 70
Leaks, 67
LED, 69, 131, 133,219
Life, 215
Light bulb, 215
Light emitting diode, 69,
131,133,219
Lightning, 119
Lights, 22
Load, 11
Load current, 205
Loran supply, 196
Loss, 44
Low battery alarm, 134
Low battery cutoff, 135
Low Ohm meter, 143
Lug, 45
Magnet, 147
Magnet wire, 151, 181
Main panel, 40
Main switch, 27, 57, 68,
175
Maintenance, 209
Manual alternator
control 158, 211
Mast, 36
Mast foot, 125
Mast foot wiring, 54
Masthead light, 37
Metals, 71
Meters, 129
Microfarad. 182
Midget lamp, 216
Mineral water, 208
Minus, 22, 24, 34
Miniature lamp, 216
Motoring, 211
Navigation instruments,
179
Negative ground, 28
Nickel cadmium battery,
190,199,212
Noble metal, 71
Noise, 181
Numbering, 30, 51
Ohm, 5,7,9
Oil oressure alarm. 31
Oil pressure switch, 137,
140
output, 194
Overprotection, 98
Oxygen, 71,78,80
Panel, 24. 54
Panel, solar, 194
Parallel batteries, 212
Parallel resistors, 10
Passive, 78, 100
Peak invert volt, 176
Performance alternator,
157
Permanent magnet, 148,
169,171
Permanent magnet
motor, 225
Petroleum jelly, 53
Phase, 149
Phone plug, 185
Phosphor bronze, 95
Photoelectric cell, 193
Picofarad, 182
Pigtail, 49
Pilot light, 40, 134
Pitch, 226
Pitting, 94
Plate, battery, 199
Plug and socket, 53
Plumbing equivalent, 1
Plus, 83
Polarity, 113, 182, 219
Polarity, definition, 83
Poles, 147
Poor connection, 11, 13
Portable equipment, 185
Positive plate, 200
Potential, 1, 11
Power supply, 185
Power surge, 196
Pressure, 1, 4, 138
Pressure water system,
40
Prevent deep cycling,
209,212
Primary battery, 199
Printed circuit board, 223
Priorities, 124
Problems, 57
Propane torch, 46
Prooeller. 92. 225
Protection, 85
Pounds per square inch,
1
Pulse, 148, 151
Pump, 26,179
PVC pipe, 52
Radiated noise, 183
Range, 130
Reaction, 71
Receivers, 179
Rechargeable battery,
190
Recharge level, 210
Recharge rate, 213
Recovery, 202
Rectifier, 151, 154,170,
173,227
Regulated voltage, 185
Reoulator. 151, 152, 153.
l-55,216
Reserve capacity, 206
Resistance, 2, 7, 9, 129
Resistor, 129
Resist pen, 223
Reverse polarity light, 42
Rheostat, 161
Rosin core solder, 45
Rotor, 147,151,171
Running lights, 38
Rust, 79
Sacrificial anode, 85
Safety standards, 191
Salt water, 101
Secondary battery, 199
Selected voltage, 188
Sender, pressure, 137,
140
Sensitivity, 130
Sensor, 137, 140
Series, 185
Shield, 181
Shock hazard, 15, 22, 41,
110
Shore electricity, 22
Shore ground wire, 111
Shrinkable tubing, 51
Shunt, 130
Silicon bronze, 95
Silicon diode, 32, 133,
151,175,227
Single contact bayonet,
216
Sinking, 197
Slip ring, 148
Solar power, 193
Soldering, 45
Solenoid switch, 42, 63
Solid state regulator,
155,157,185
Sound, 121
Spaghetti, 51
Sparks, 60, 61, 181
Splice, 52
Splitter diode, 175
Spotlight, 179
Spreader lights, 24, 37,
179
Stainless steel, 78, 100
Start switch, 30, 59
Starter, 27,58
Starter solenoid, 26, 59
Starting power, 203
Starting problem, 61
Static charge, 120
Stator, 147, 149, 172
Stereo, 179
Storage capacity, 199,
204
Stray current, 103
Stray current trap, 117
Stress corrosion, 81
Strobe light, 38
Sulfate, 200
Sulfuric acid, 199
Sunlight, 193
Surge, 196
Switch, 12, 19, 28, 30
Symbols, 18
Synchronous motor, 227
Tachometer, 33, 154, 179
Tape, 50
Tape deck, 179
Temperature, 33
Temperature switch, 137,
140
Terminal, 18, 34, 49
Terminal strip, 52
Test, 57, 67
Test, battery, 204
Test light, 11, 57, 60
Thermistor, 157
Third hand, 46
231
Thunderstorm, 124
Time delay, 197
Timer, 162
Tin, 45
Toggle switch, 20
Tools, 46
Transformer, 182
Transmitter, 179
Trickle charge, 211
Tricolor light, 37
Trouble shooting, 11, 57,
138,177
Tubing, 51
Tungsten filament, 215
Types, alternator, 152,
165
Units, electrical, 8
Variable resistor, 161
Volt, 7. 11
Voltage, battery 202
Voltage curve, 207
Voltage doubler, 173
Voltage gradient, 104
Voltage recovery, 202
Voltage regulator, 151,
155, 185, 210
Voltmeter, 4, 5, 15, 33,
129, 132, 143, 179
VOM, 11, 15, 57, 59, 67,
102,143
232
Water, 74
Water, consumption, 211
Water power, 169
Water temp. alarm, 31
Watt, 5, 9, 194
Watt hour, 6, 199
Wedge base, 216
Weight, battery, 207
Windings, 172
Wind electricity, 225
Wind generator, 223
Wind instruments, 179
Windlass, 39, 179
Wire number 44, 51
Wire nut, 49
Wires, 21
Wiring diagram, 17, 27
Wiring headache, 223
Zener diode, 132, 146,
211
Zinc, 73, 84, 87, 91, 99,
107,114,116
Zinc test, 110, 113
- - -
SAVE $5.00 DOLLARSi
CUSTOMERDISCOUNT
CERTIFICATE
This certificate is worth five dollars towards
the purchase of any product in our cata-
logue. Please return this certificate with
your purchase.
Spa Creek Instruments
616 3rd Street
Annapolis, Maryland 21403
SPA CREEK INSTRUMENTS
Introduces the new and improved AutoMAC.
ADMIT IT: Your batteries are nearer empty than full most of the time,
you run your engine more than you want to away from the dock, and
your alternator is maddeningly slow. At anchor, you worry about the
batteries and conserve electricity. ALL THAT is unnecessary: YOU
NEED AN AutoMAC to teach your alternator efficient, safe, fast battery
charging. The bigger your batteries, the better it will get them fully
charged in little engine running time. AutoMAC lets you choose alter-
nator output current with a hand knob, but if you make a mistake, or
the batteries are full, or the current too high, or you forget to switch
it off, it switches off. Automatically. And if you leave it alone entirely,
it will reset the next day when you start the engine. Only one wire to
connect to the alternator which remains fully functional when the
AutoMAC is off. THINK ABOUT IT.
AutoMAC, 616 Third Street, Annapolis, MD 21403
To Order: Send $143.50
233
ORDER FORM
Please rush a copy of your Parts Catalog to:
Your Name _
Address
City State Zip
SEND TO:
SPA CREEK CO.
616 Third St., Annapolis, MD 21403 0 (301) 267-6565
ORDER FORM
Please ship AutoMAC(s) @ $143.50 each to:
Your Name
Address
City State Zip
0 Check for $ is enclosed q UPS/COD
(Maryland residents include 5% sales tax)
SEND TO:
SPA CREEK CO.
616 Third St., Annapolis, MD 21403 l (301) 267-6565