PORTABLE JUMP START

[PAUL T.]

Hi All......... I am about to purchase one of those jump start battery packs. The one I was looking at is rated at 450 amps immediate and 300 amps continuous. Is this enough to start our venerable 23 horse engines? Thanx in advance.............PAUL

[Ted Pounds]

Paul,

If it'll jump start a car it will jump start our boats.  However there are a couple of things to consider.  If you hook it up in parallel to a really dead battery bank the battery bank will suck a lot of juice out of the jump start pack; and maybe not leave enough to start the engine.  If you hook it up directly to the engine then you must connect the battery bank BEFORE disconnecting the jump start pack.  Otherwise you'll have no load on the alternator for a brief time, which will fry the bridge diodes.  

If you have a way to charge it while keeping it isolated then a dedicated starting battery is a better way to go in my opinion.

[Ron Hill]

Paul : Your money might be better spent on installing a starting battery, as Ted suggested.  There have been a number of posts on starting battery installations.  
Then you'll have it on board and also be able to keep it, as well as the house batteries charged.  A thought.  

[PAUL T.]

Thank you for the comeback Ted and Ron. I do intend to install a separate starting battery. the jump start is only for the interim. I also carry a Honda 2000 generator when on multi day cruises........PAUL

[Ron Hill]

Paul : I wouldn't waste my money on a starting battery with that Honda 2000.  Spend your $$ on upgrading your house bank!!
I installed my starting battery before I got my Honda 1000.  If your M25XP wouldn't turn over all you'd have to do is crank up your Honda!!  

[Stu Jackson]

Belt

Suspenders

and a drawstring

(shouldn't ever NOT get that engine going)

[sail4dale]

I contemplated a starter battery installation and about that time a visit to Costco presented me with the decision.  For about $50 I got a suitcase that has juice enough for several starts of my engine ( I tried it), a trouble light, a recharger connection for AC or 12V DC, a 400 watt inverter, air compressor and a trouble light.  The case is sealed with a  gasket and lo and behold on the first cruise with it, my house batteries went dead and this little gem worked perfectly.  

I also have inflated tires at home with it and take it with me on my RV.

I am convinced it is the way to go.

[Stu Jackson]

sail4dale

That's great and I'm glad it worked, but it seems like needing to bring a separate box with a battery to start your car.  You have a multipurpose piece of equipment that has to be moved from place to place, as compared to one IN PLACE that works.  If it works for you, it's a great alternative, but I sure like having that start battery right there. Period.  I don't have to remember to bring anything with me.  Just a thought.

Also, I published a Top Ten List in the February 2005 Mainsheet, that started with:  "#1) Do an Energy Budget so you’ll know what to expect from your electrical system."

So what did you do to deplete your house bank?

I continued with "3)#increase the house bank capacity to at least four times daily energy budget use (i.e., 100 AH per day = 400 AH
house bank) also, unless you’re always plugged in at night."

Glad everything else works for you and you enjoy your boat and contribute here.  Keep up the good participation.  Thanks,  

[sail4dale]

Stu
Most of cruising season I keep the starter pack on the boat and will top off the charge occasionally while running on engine.  

The house batteries were not in great shape when I got the boat and I stupidly misjudged the current being used before I ran the engine.  One cell on each of the 4D went dead.  Now I have 4 6V batteries and it gives me more amperage plus I can lift a battery if I have to change anything.  I still want to get a meter for the system .... on my wish list.   that and a folding prop

[Mike Smith]

Ted -

That is exactly what happened to me a couple of weeks ago.  I had 4 dead (down to 10V) 6V batteries, 2 in series and then paralleled. Hooked up the jump start to them and watched them drain all the amps out!

Mike

[Paul Bosquet]

Am considering a Honda generator to feed my Statpower 45+. Will the Honda 1000 watts be sufficient or do I need the 2000 watts. I prefer the smaller unit only for its size and ease of storage. For those owning a MK!, where do you store your generator 2 kw when not in use. I don't see a problem with the 1KW
Thank you
Paul

[Ray & Sandy Erps]

This was discussed on the C-42 website recently.  Apparently, there can be some problems with the Honda Generators running a battery charger.  One guy was able to remedy the situation by installing some sort of an electronic device in the circut between the generator and the charger.  At any rate, it might be worth checking out, as there is at least one guy on that website, that's been there-done that already.

[DEMERY]

Paul,

I have the Honda EU2000i and have no problems running the 75amp charger in my Heart 1500 Inverter. A 1000 watt should run the 45amp charger with no problems (assuming your not running large additional loads). One reason to consider the 2000 watt, is it will run your hot water heater (no need to run the auxiliary at all). I store my EU2000i in the cockpit when sailing and on the foredeck at anchor. If you have any additional questions please post them.

Thanks, Dave

[Ron Hill]

Paul : I have a Honda EU1000 and have no problem with "feeding" my Statpower 20.  Have a friend that also has a 1000 and also has no problem powering his Statpower 40.  

[Ray & Sandy Erps]

This is what "ragtime" wrote on the C-42 website.  I think he indicates that his Honda is a 1999 model and that the new models may be different.  Based on his experience, might be worth asking the dealer if there are any known problems.

"I successfully used my 1000watt Honda to charge the batteries with my Heart Inverter/Charger. We used it extensively on an ICW/Bahamas trip in 1999/2000. The 1000watt generator might be different from the later 2000watt models so your experience might be different.

Initially, the generator would not drive the charger. It would just shut down like there was no input AC. I contacted the Heart people and they had a tech notice addressing the problem which they sent me. The issue is that the charger has a Power Factor which causes it to look electrically like a motor. All you need to do is to put a motor starting capacitor across the output of the generator. I don't recall all of the details but I believe I used a 50mfd capacitor.

I built a little plastic box with a plug on a pigtail to plug into the Honda, and a 110v female socket on a pigtail to connect to the AC dockwire input to the boat. I made it a separate little device so I could use the generator without the capacitor in the circuit, if necessary. The capacitor is simply inside the watertight box across the AC line.

It worked perfectly. With the capacitor in the circuit the 1000W Honda would charge the house batteries at 40 to 50 amps.

One thing to note is that the Heart Interface was very sensitive to the frequency of the AC input. The 1000W Honda has a guage and adjusting screw to set the AC frequency to exactly 60 cycles. When the frequency is only slightly off the charging current would fall to about 20 amps.

Also, on calm days at anchor, we typically put the generator in the dinghy and ran it there. This eliminated all the noise, vibration, and exhaust fumes. The Hondas a pretty quiet anyhow, but almost undetectable when running in the dinghy."