SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

PSC34 power generation/storage solution?

4K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  shanedennis 
#1 ·
I have recently purchased a PSC34 and plan to sail off for some extended cruising and blue water adventure next year. The current power generation/storage solution is set up for local cruising only. I want to be as self sufficient as possible but given the space considerations this is going to require some creativity and careful planning. I am interested in what others have done both from the generation/storage, but also the reduction in power consumption side of things. Appreciate any input those with more experience (just about everyone) can provide. --thor
 
#2 ·
We have the same question.

We also have a PSC 34 and are planning an extended cruise. We also want to be as independent as possible. The plan is to have only two batteries (starting/deep cycle) and to radically minimize electrical demand by minimizing electronics.

But we would also like to add a solar panel for power genration to top up our batteries. Does anyone have any experience adding a solar panel to a PSC 34? If so, where did you buy it and where did you put it? Pictures would be wonderful.
 
#3 ·
We lived on a 34 for a few years and found you can reduce power needs with a smaller fridge (we use a SeaFrost BD), lots of small fans, and LED's inside and out. But you'll still need a fair bit of power unless you like rough living.
We like our power balance of a 440 Ah battery bank powered by a 150Ah Hehr Powerline alternator, two 85W Kyocera solar panels and an Aero6gen wind generator. I don't think we've ever had to run the engine for electrical power but we do tend to hang out in sunny, windy places.
Hope this helps,
Sam
s/v Grace PSC34
 
#7 ·
We replaced all of our lights with LEDs last year. For the interior take a look at the Alpenglow overheads and reading lights. We had tried numerous other bulb replacement LEDs but were never happy with the brightness or color. We put both types on Indigo and are really happy with Alpenglow's customer service and product quality.
For the exterior we used a Lopolight for the bow nav light and Bebi Electronic LEDs for the stern and anchor lights. All are exceptionally bright and would recommend them.
 
#8 ·
We tried several LED providers and settled on the SensiBulb from Sailor's Solutions. In addition to good lighting, their post-sale service is quite good. We converted all the lights to G4 halogen and simply used LED plug-ins. This applies to both overhead and reading lights. About half can be switched from white to red lighting for offshore work.
For batteries we use 4 Lifeline 6v AGM's mounted in the battery compartment provided, I believe, by the factory. I added a Group 27 starting battery just outboard of the house bank battery.
Both I and the previous owner added a number of DC outlets. There are a couple in the Vberth, 4 in the bookshelves, a couple at the nav station and a couple in the cockpit cubbies. They are a mix of cigarette lighter-style and the two prong Perko receptacles. The two prong plugs can be a pain but we haven't found another plug type that seems any better.
The solar panels and wind gen are on a custom-made SS arch (kind of). It blends into the bimini and doesn't look like a normal arch. Aesthetics are important on these boats.
Hope this helps,
Sam
s/v Grace PSC34
 
#9 ·
Sam (and others),

Regarding: "The solar panels and wind gen are on a custom-made SS arch (kind of). It blends into the bimini and doesn't look like a normal arch. Aesthetics are important on these boats."

Can you post a photo of your SS arch? I'm planning to install a bimini and wind generator but I'm worried about what works on our small canoe sterns.

I'm also curious if anyone has used the "Superwind" (SW350) wind generator? Its specs look good, it is said to be very quiet (10 db). Can anyone vouch for its performance?

Bob Steneck
PSC 34 Alaria
Christmas Cove, Maine
 
#12 ·
We're happy you like the site! I got the LED's at superbrightleds.com, but since then West Marine has begun stocking a much larger selection at similar prices, so we have started to use them. We were even able to find the screw in lamps for the four reading lights over the settees at WM. I'm sure there are other sources but I haven't stumbled on them yet.

Dave
 
#14 ·
Followup, based on your collective help (and a little research that confirmed your advice) we ordered the following to reduce power consumption:

1. Replacement LED brass dome lights from marineengine.com. They have both red and white switches $325.23
2. 2 x 10-LED SMD Power Cluster Back Pin X-Beam bulb replacements for my halogen reading lamps from marinebeam.com $37.50
3. Four replacement brass-looking Victory Xenon reading light fixtures to replace the older bulb reading light fitures $212.14. These also have the G-4 halogen bulbs, I will replace these after I see how the marinebeam LEDs work.

Looking into a solar panel to supplement and charge our house battery now. Trying to see if we can surive with a starter, deep cycle and a deep cycle spare. Fingers crossed.
 
#16 ·
If you plan to have a deep cycle spare, you might want to read Nigel Calder on batteries - he contends it's better to combine all of your batteries (except the starter) into one house bank. It's easier on the batteries and simpler to operate. We used a Blue Sea Add-A-Battery switch to parallel the house and starter batteries when a charging source is present or when the combine function is selected.
By the way, the Calder reference is the Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual - highly recommended if you work on your own boat.
 
#17 ·
Hi there, we have two group 31 FDC's paralleled, with an echo charge connected to a Group 27 start battery. These are stored in a battery box in the port cockpit locker. Charging is via a Kyocera 130, mounted on the old radar platform above the bimini, and controlled by a Genasun MPPT controller. The platform is a little under-built for the big panel, but works well enough for now.

We also have a Powerline 70A alternator, connected to a Balmar AR5 charge controller, installed by PO.

Our electrical use is very modest, with some interior LED's, no refrigerator, etc. Sailing all night is my biggest problem, as 5" chartplotter, AIS, VHF, autopilot, and running lights use a lot of power. Just changing the running lights would make a big difference, haven't come across an affordable, quality unit yet, and we're on a very tight budget.

Good luck with fitting out your boats-
 
#18 · (Edited)
We installed the lights mentioned in the previous post. Following are our experiences:
1. Replacement LED brass dome lights from marineengine.com: These look very nice and give off a nice bright light. My kids love the red option, my wife likes the quality of the white light. The wiring in these lights was not as robust as the wiring in the original fixtures... made in China...
2. SMD Power Cluster Back Pin X-Beam bulb replacements for my halogen reading lamps from marinebeam.com: These give off light similar to old fashioned light bulbs. A little more yellow than the dome lights, a little warmer. They plugged into the halogen lamp fitting with no problem. High quality product.
3. Four replacement brass-looking Victory Xenon reading light fixtures: nice looking, quality seems better than original lamps. My only gripe was that I only found out after ordering that they we not in stock so they took longer to arrive.

We have also purchased a Solarland 85W solar panel and a Morningstar solar controller from emarine.com to help keep our batteries topped up. I plan to fabricate an adjustable stern rail mount for it.

Have not got around to checking out Calder's book regarding the spare marine battery. I have the book, need to dig it out and read that section. Thanks for the advice, Sam.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top