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I was hoping to put off the panel replacement until next year but since I've torn out the headliner and am running all new 14 ga wiring to new overhead lights, it appears this is the time. I'm hoping someone has designed and bought/built a panel for the storage space over the nav table that incorporates DC, AC and all the gauges I need such as battery condition, charge coming in, amp hours going out, etc.
I've used Blue Seas in the past but on a much smaller scale and I'd like it if someone had already bought one that will fit that space perfectly.
Thanks
Rick
SV Orion
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I'm thinking of replacing/moving ours too. The Blue Sea 18 switch panel with gauges seems to be a good fit according to the approximate dimensions, with a little room to spare for another instrument or smaller secondary panel. Although they make combination panels with AC/DC integrated I'm going to keep ours separate to avoid any "crossing of streams." Ebay has some pretty good deals right now.
"The only thing that works on an old sailboat....is the owner!"
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I went Blue Sea, I like the products.
The panel i used, didn't cover the hole from the original, so I made a teak frame for it to live in. I also incorporated a hinge and latch as to make access easier.
I placed the battery condition meters elsewhere. ( along with inverter control, and the solar controls)
S/V The Last Farewell,
Currently laying Panchos Marina
Marathon, Florida
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I prefer digital meters myself. The analog ones I have on the boat are so out of whack these days I don't trust the readings at all.
The panel you linked doesn't have a built-in battery control selector so you'll need to add that. This is one I'm eyeing pretty hard:
https://www.bluesea.com/products/8690/Dual_Battery_Bank_Management_Panel
and then combining it with this...
https://www.bluesea.com/products/8264/Traditional_Metal_DC_Panel_-_24_Positions
The original configuration for the DE38 (at least mine) has a few things I disagree with, and from what I understand isn't to ABYC standards. There's two things I don't like. Firstly, the original configuration had a two position battery switch and if I'm not mistaken, both runt he house lights as well as the engine. Sure you can run only one bank at a time, but I always understood that you should separate your electrical system separate from your house bank and isolate the two systems. Having house+engine in one can leave you without the ability to start the engine in the boat if needs be. The first product lets you easily rig up two separate banks and combine them for emergencies. Secondly, the stock setup seems to have the bilge pump wired into the main panel. That's great, but when you leave the boat you have to either leave your main switched on or leave your bilge pump off. I believe that current ABYC standards mandate that your bilge pumps should be wired on a separate circuit directly from the battery banks so you can shut the main off but still leave the bilge pumps on automatic mode. The first product lets you solve both problems in one fell swoop.
I guess, lastly, because of that if you leave your boat on anybody can just walk up to the boat and drive away. I know security on sailboats is pretty minimal, but I feel like you should be able to leave the boat, turn off the main (so somebody has to at least break in the companion way), and not have to worry about your boat sinking if you're leaving it unattended.
It's also late a night and I've had a few beers....correct me if I'm wrong but I may be talking out of my ass.
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Maybe there were different factory panels... The factory DC panel on valkyr DE38 is an integrated 1/2/all/off switch so you can combine or isolate the battery banks.
I combined the banks into one large bank on valkyr so only use the 1/off functions of the switch.. Long term would like to put a second large bank in between the fuel tank and aft water tank in the keel.
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oh... comment on the bilge pump setup..
Valkyr is setup like that with the bilge pump wired through the main panel. I put a second panel in the galley to control the fridge with it's own master on off switch. I put the forward sump/bilge pump on that panel as well as the fridge. I plan on moving the bilge pumps off of the main panel to that panel at some point in the future. It is a much shorter wiring run from the batteries and I can turn the main panel all the way off yet leave the secondary panel on for the pumps.
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Why combine house and engine bank? That seems like a good way to be stuck without an engine.
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It's almost 500 amp hours and charged by a 500 watt solar array and a 60 amp charge controller. It can run the boat for days without being recharged and typically is 100% recharged by late morning on the solar if we are living on the boat with fridge and all the other stuff running. I have a couple engine start batteries if I start to do much traveling that I will put in as an engine bank. What I want is another 500 amp hour house bank so that I can really up my electric consumption with a few toys 🙂 lol..
As far as getting stuck without being able to start the engine. It is a risk but part of the design of the house bank is that with the flick of a switch I can isolate any of the house batteries from the bank. So if one goes bad, I don't have to rewire.. just isolate the one battery. I have found that the large bank and a rock solid design of the system has given us pretty much 0 issues now in over 5 years of use. I over built all wiring, buss bars, and connected equipment... all ends are heat sealed and connections treated with dielectric grease. Even the buss bars are coated in dielectric grease.. I have not had the first hint of corrosion in any of the new battery system components or connections. No voltage drop either. Something to be said for major overkill. It cost a lot more in materials than normal and a lot of my time. I didn't trust anyone else to do it for me to that standard.
Interesting note is that my alternator is only intermittently working. I have a brand new 90 amp one that I can bolt in as a replacement but haven't gotten around to putting it in as with the large battery bank and solar array it just hasn't been needed. I can start and run the boat for days without any charging system. But with the solar system as large as it is I can charge a 50% discharged bank as well as run all house systems in less than a full day of charging.. 🙂 admittedly on a nice sunny day.
However that all being said. I do agree with you in principle and if we leave the dock for a long voyage or cruising then I will have a second bank done to the same standards as the first. 🙂 after all I am a big fan of overkill!
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