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Old 05-31-2014, 03:18 PM   #2
caltexflanc
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City: North Carolina for now
Join Date: Aug 2011
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No, haven't switched out, it get very expensive, but have given it a bunch of thought, since as you will see I became master of many voltages (or should I say, they of me!) The Hatt is a 32 volt boat; I left all the baseline stuff that way (starters, alternators, DC freshwater pump, bilge pumps, DC lights, to name some majors), used 12 volt converters for stuff like electronics. The came to me also with a 24v thruster powered by two 8ds, a 12v started generator. When I added the inverter and its bank, went with 24v for a variety of reasons. But the basic thing is, I never felt it made sense to change anything for the sake of change. I promised myself the next boat would ideally all be 24 volt, but changing stuff out for the sake of doing it makes no economic or use-of-time-sense.

Some people advocate an approach similar to what you are proposing, I like the idea of a DC generator. Since you are in the study and theoretical mode. Let me give you a couple more sources: first, despite an awfully formatted web site, very dense with information and quite knowledgeable:

ZRD Electric Designer OEM - Your Source for DC Generator, Alt, ...

But first, get yourself a copy of Nigel Calder's "Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual". You'll need it when you get a boat and in the meantime it will educate you about all this stuff and more in easy to read and very thorough fashion.

Good reading!
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