Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 04-01-2016, 09:35 PM   #1
Guru
 
angus99's Avatar
 
City: Signal Mtn., TN
Vessel Name: Stella Maris
Vessel Model: Defever 44
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,741
Isoboost transformer: how useful?

Does anybody use one of these? They supposedly have all the benefits of an isolation transformer while boosting low shore power voltage from, say, being on the end of a long dock with a lot of other boats competing for power.

My questions: how often do cruisers in the real world see low voltage and how big a problem is it?
angus99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-02-2016, 02:02 AM   #2
Moderator Emeritus
 
Bay Pelican's Avatar
 
City: Chicago, IL
Vessel Name: Bay Pelican
Vessel Model: Krogen 42
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,993
When we were in the United States we ran across low power at a number of marinas. Especially at the end slips reserved for visiting boats. It has been years so I don't remember the percentage. The Isoboost helped in those situations.

My reason for installing the unit was to use it as a means of converting European 220 voltage to North American 220 voltage. The European 50 hertz passes through however.

Probably would not have bought one without a specific marina problem in the United States if I hadn't planned on traveling outside of the North American electrical zone.
__________________
Marty
Bay Pelican is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-02-2016, 06:24 AM   #3
Guru
 
caltexflanc's Avatar
 
City: North Carolina for now
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,348
I had them on my Hatteras courtesy of the PO. They were a terrific thing to have while cruising the length of the east coast, western FL and adjacent waterways and islands. Lots of 208v docks out there, as well as the fact that we were often assigned , or chose, a spot at the very end of the dock. It was nice to never have to think about it. If you don't have a 240v system on board, they're not needed.

You can accomplish voltage boost with switched taps off isolation transformers, but have to remember to switch off the boost when departing; the next dock my have full power.
__________________
George

"There's the Right Way, the Wrong Way, and what some guy says he's gotten away with"
caltexflanc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-02-2016, 06:43 AM   #4
Guru
 
angus99's Avatar
 
City: Signal Mtn., TN
Vessel Name: Stella Maris
Vessel Model: Defever 44
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,741
Quote:
Originally Posted by caltexflanc View Post
You can accomplish voltage boost with switched taps off isolation transformers, but have to remember to switch off the boost when departing; the next dock my have full power.
Thank you both. George, can you elaborate on this? Actually a switch or does it involve physically changing connections?
angus99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-02-2016, 09:56 AM   #5
FF
Guru
 
FF's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
It is a nice EZ way to bring power to a Euro boat in the USA.
FF is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-02-2016, 02:17 PM   #6
Guru
 
Capt.Bill11's Avatar
 
City: Sarasota/Ft. Lauderdale
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 5,438
Quote:
Originally Posted by angus99 View Post
Thank you both. George, can you elaborate on this? Actually a switch or does it involve physically changing connections?
It normally involves a switch and a volt meter that reads incoming voltage so you can see whether you need to buck or boost.
Capt.Bill11 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-02-2016, 02:20 PM   #7
Guru
 
Capt.Bill11's Avatar
 
City: Sarasota/Ft. Lauderdale
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 5,438
Like this, only more vertical. Damn iPhone!
Attached Thumbnails
image.jpg  
Capt.Bill11 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-02-2016, 02:26 PM   #8
Guru
 
caltexflanc's Avatar
 
City: North Carolina for now
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,348
If you do a search through the Hatteras Owner's Forum there are several guys how have done a DIY version of what Bill pictured. The transformer has to be capable of being tapped.
There's no free lunch; whether auto or manual, the watts available stay about the same, so you have less amp capacity than if you were getting the right volts straight from the dock.
__________________
George

"There's the Right Way, the Wrong Way, and what some guy says he's gotten away with"
caltexflanc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-06-2016, 10:37 PM   #9
Guru
 
angus99's Avatar
 
City: Signal Mtn., TN
Vessel Name: Stella Maris
Vessel Model: Defever 44
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,741
This is all really helpful. Even with Active Captain's Defender discount, a 50-amp, 12kVa Charles IsoBoost would dent the budget, given all the other stuff I'm doing.

I'm still unclear about what equipment is at risk from occasional low voltage other than perhaps A/C gear. Trying to think what other 110-V motors I have on board. Other than motors, what's going to suffer that I can't run from the inverter?
angus99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2016, 05:32 AM   #10
Guru
 
caltexflanc's Avatar
 
City: North Carolina for now
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,348
What appliances do you have?
__________________
George

"There's the Right Way, the Wrong Way, and what some guy says he's gotten away with"
caltexflanc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2016, 01:58 PM   #11
Guru
 
angus99's Avatar
 
City: Signal Mtn., TN
Vessel Name: Stella Maris
Vessel Model: Defever 44
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,741
Quote:
Originally Posted by caltexflanc View Post
What appliances do you have?
2 AC/DC fridges (which, you're right, include motors), electric stove/oven, microwave, TV and 3 A/C units No washer drier and no ice maker at the moment.
angus99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2016, 02:25 PM   #12
Guru
 
caltexflanc's Avatar
 
City: North Carolina for now
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,348
Well, I think it would be really nice to have one. My suggestion is that you go cruising for awhile and see what your real use for one might be. Do you have an isolation transformer now?
__________________
George

"There's the Right Way, the Wrong Way, and what some guy says he's gotten away with"
caltexflanc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2016, 03:34 PM   #13
Moderator Emeritus
 
Bay Pelican's Avatar
 
City: Chicago, IL
Vessel Name: Bay Pelican
Vessel Model: Krogen 42
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,993
Quote:
Originally Posted by caltexflanc View Post
Well, I think it would be really nice to have one. My suggestion is that you go cruising for awhile and see what your real use for one might be. Do you have an isolation transformer now?
Excellent suggestion. Several decisions I made before really cruising would not be made again.
__________________
Marty
Bay Pelican is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2016, 04:40 PM   #14
Guru
 
caltexflanc's Avatar
 
City: North Carolina for now
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,348
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bay Pelican View Post
Excellent suggestion. Several decisions I made before really cruising would not be made again.
I was lucky when I was an eager beaver newbie to big boat ownership. I was all filled with stuff that various internet experts and boaters I knew, and myself, for that matter, were must haves. The owner of the yard/marina I was at when, and after I bought the boat gave me that very sage advice for about half the things I had on my "List of Improvements". Of course, I was a customer for life from then on.

I also liked another thing he told me when I asked of the "do-ability" of one of my longer term customizations (what scheme it was I don't even remember today):

"George, yes, we can do all that and more. The only limitations are your imagination and your check book".
__________________
George

"There's the Right Way, the Wrong Way, and what some guy says he's gotten away with"
caltexflanc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2016, 06:54 PM   #15
Guru
 
angus99's Avatar
 
City: Signal Mtn., TN
Vessel Name: Stella Maris
Vessel Model: Defever 44
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,741
Quote:
Originally Posted by caltexflanc View Post
Do you have an isolation transformer now?
No, but I may have a deal on a nice one. My reason for starting this thread was to see if the considerably additional money it would take for an IsoBoost is worth it. The dock I'll be on this summer typically gets 208 volts and I'm told A/C use in the summer can run it lower. Trying to get a feel for how big a problem that would be and whether it would jeopardize appliances or equipment.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bay Pelican View Post
Excellent suggestion. Several decisions I made before really cruising would not be made again.
Good advice from both of you. I'm actually deferring a lot of things and working on basics--new house and start banks, alternators, smart regulators, over current protection and wiring up to code. (My wife wants everything to work. ). For me, additional galvanic and stray current protection are also basic. From what I'm hearing, I'm leaning toward the plain isolation transformer for now.
angus99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2016, 08:29 PM   #16
Guru
 
Capt.Bill11's Avatar
 
City: Sarasota/Ft. Lauderdale
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 5,438
Quote:
Originally Posted by angus99 View Post
No, but I may have a deal on a nice one. My reason for starting this thread was to see if the considerably additional money it would take for an IsoBoost is worth it. The dock I'll be on this summer typically gets 208 volts and I'm told A/C use in the summer can run it lower. Trying to get a feel for how big a problem that would be and whether it would jeopardize appliances or equipment .
If that is the case it could be a good investment.

Or you could but a boost transformer on the dock.
Capt.Bill11 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2016, 09:18 PM   #17
Guru
 
angus99's Avatar
 
City: Signal Mtn., TN
Vessel Name: Stella Maris
Vessel Model: Defever 44
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,741
Quote:
Originally Posted by Capt.Bill11 View Post
If that is the case it could be a good investment.

Or you could but a boost transformer on the dock.
That's a thought; thanks, Capt. I can buy the isolation transformer that I know I want now and see if the need for a boost Xformer materializes. If my math is right, it will actually be cheaper to buy the units separately given the deal I'm looking at on the isolation unit.

I'm still not clear on what the risks are to motors or other AC gear if the voltage is too low. Do they simply shut down or does it damage them?
angus99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-07-2016, 10:51 PM   #18
Senior Member
 
HenryD's Avatar
 
City: North Port, FL
Vessel Name: Seven Tenths (sold)
Vessel Model: Mirage / Great Harbour 47
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 477
I have a Charles Iso-Boost and it has helped in at least two marinas in the Baltimore area where the voltage at the end of the t-head was down below what the 240 A/C units would tolerate. A sister boat to ours could not run their A/C units last summer and we could.

The newer Iso-Boost help with the newer shore power GFCI protection. I had to have a soft-start added to ours this winter to make it work.
HenryD is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-08-2016, 05:45 AM   #19
Guru
 
caltexflanc's Avatar
 
City: North Carolina for now
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 6,348
If you are going to be spending a lot of time on a 208v dock with AC running, I'd advise doing something. Some sort of voltage booster will pay for itself over time in longer equipment life and usability of the boat. Find out if the isotransformer you getting a deal on can be tapped for switched boost. The manufacturer can tell you this and likely give instructions how. Or spring for the boost add on from Charles or Ward's (would be worth giving the latter a call and getting their advice).
__________________
George

"There's the Right Way, the Wrong Way, and what some guy says he's gotten away with"
caltexflanc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-08-2016, 05:59 AM   #20
Guru
 
angus99's Avatar
 
City: Signal Mtn., TN
Vessel Name: Stella Maris
Vessel Model: Defever 44
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,741
Quote:
Originally Posted by caltexflanc View Post
If you are going to be spending a lot of time on a 208v dock with AC running, I'd advise doing something. Some sort of voltage booster will pay for itself over time in longer equipment life and usability of the boat. Find out if the isotransformer you getting a deal on can be tapped for switched boost. The manufacturer can tell you this and likely give instructions how. Or spring for the boost add on from Charles or Ward's (would be worth giving the latter a call and getting their advice).
Excellent. Much appreciated, George.
angus99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Trawler Port Captains
Port Captains are TF volunteers who can serve as local guides or assist with local arrangements and information. Search below to locate Port Captains near your destination. To learn more about this program read here: TF Port Captain Program





All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:19 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2006 - 2012