djones44
Senior Member
I have two Balmar alternators on my boat that I suspect are greatly underutilized, to the point where I'm wondering if I can remove them, if they give me any issues down the road.
I have Twin Detroit 8.2l diesels, with a new Xantrex battery charger looking after four 8D batteries and a starter battery for the 8Kw Onan generator. I will always need the generator, running often when cruising, because I have only a Princess electric stove to cook on. There is no propane on the boat outside of BBQ canisters.
Being situated on Saltspring Island, I'm already on my cruising grounds, and the new Xantrex keeps the equally new 8D's topped up to the last electron at all times. And the boat has 30A shorepower to 6 110v outlets throughout the vessel. I'm doing 75% day cruises and in summer the obligatory few weeks in the Northern Gulf Islands and Desolation Sound. No plans for Alaska or north of Port Hardy.
I'm interested in the Ryan project and hoping that I can replace the tachometer feeds from the alternators by some other means, or just manage by syncing the engines by ear as I usually do. I'm not about to remove them pre-emptively, but I can see not replacing one or both if they fail or demand BOAT units. I'd prefer to double down on maintaining the Onan instead and I like the idea of simplifying my diesel landscape.
What do you think - are they the mindless overkill I suspect they are, and vestigial to older days, or...?
I have Twin Detroit 8.2l diesels, with a new Xantrex battery charger looking after four 8D batteries and a starter battery for the 8Kw Onan generator. I will always need the generator, running often when cruising, because I have only a Princess electric stove to cook on. There is no propane on the boat outside of BBQ canisters.
Being situated on Saltspring Island, I'm already on my cruising grounds, and the new Xantrex keeps the equally new 8D's topped up to the last electron at all times. And the boat has 30A shorepower to 6 110v outlets throughout the vessel. I'm doing 75% day cruises and in summer the obligatory few weeks in the Northern Gulf Islands and Desolation Sound. No plans for Alaska or north of Port Hardy.
I'm interested in the Ryan project and hoping that I can replace the tachometer feeds from the alternators by some other means, or just manage by syncing the engines by ear as I usually do. I'm not about to remove them pre-emptively, but I can see not replacing one or both if they fail or demand BOAT units. I'd prefer to double down on maintaining the Onan instead and I like the idea of simplifying my diesel landscape.
What do you think - are they the mindless overkill I suspect they are, and vestigial to older days, or...?
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