Battery life - Full time cruising - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

Yesterday, 09:12	? #1
Registered User Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Somewhere in the west indies Boat: Gib sea 43 Posts: 635	Battery life - Full time cruising So how long have your batteries lasted? Please only reply if you are full time cruising, Looking to gain information on real life everyday use, not dockside live aboards or weekend use. Please reply with make/model and lifespan. ' + '?' + google_ads[i].line2 + '?' + google_ads[i].line3 + '?' + '' + google_ads[i].visible_url + ' '; } } '' } if (google_ads[0].bidtype == "CPC") { /* insert this snippet for each ad call */ google_adnum = google_adnum + google_ads.length; } document.write(s); return; } google_ad_client = 'ca-pub-7757781251671730'; google_ad_channel = '1963435248'; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '6'; google_ad_type = 'text'; google_feedback = 'on'; // -->
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Yesterday, 09:16	? #2
Registered User Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Somewhere in the west indies Boat: Gib sea 43 Posts: 635	Re: Battery life - Full time cruising My first lot were Elecsol AGMS and lasted about 6 months full time use, not very good. ' + '?' + google_ads[i].line2 + '?' + google_ads[i].line3 + '?' + '' + google_ads[i].visible_url + ' '; } } '' } if (google_ads[0].bidtype == "CPC") { /* insert this snippet for each ad call */ google_adnum = google_adnum + google_ads.length; } document.write(s); return; } google_ad_client = 'ca-pub-7757781251671730'; google_ad_channel = '4899262343'; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '6'; google_ad_type = 'text'; google_feedback = 'on'; google_skip = google_adnum; /* to skip for multiple units, insert this snippet for each ad call */ // -->
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Yesterday, 09:32	? #4
Registered User Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oakland, California Posts: 465	Re: Battery life - Full time cruising A very important component of battery life is the care the skipper takes. That makes answers to this question somewhat moot. Recharging, checking water levels, etc. is very important to battery life. Some skippers have solar, some generators, some only engines. It's really a hard question to answer the way you put it. With good maintenance, well over 3 years should be the norm, easily. __________________ Stu Jackson Catalina 34 #224 (1986) San Francisco Bay, SR/FK, M25, Rocna 10 (22#) (NZ model)
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Yesterday, 09:34	? #5
Senior Cruiser Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: On the Great Loop Boat: Grand Banks 42 Posts: 2,148	Re: Battery life - Full time cruising Gel batteries lasted 5 to 7 years. __________________
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Yesterday, 09:41	? #6
Registered User Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Key West FL - Burlington VT Boat: O'day 32 CC Ketch Posts: 482	Re: Battery life - Full time cruising I bought 6 marine deep cycles (85 ah) from costco for $480, 510 ah total and this is my house bank. Solar and windgen, never run the diesel for charging, well maybe 10 times in the last 3 1/2 years. I wasnt sure what to expect from them but they've been great. I checked the fluid in them for the first time a couple months ago and added a pint total. When they do die I wanna add more ah's, so I'll look to see what better value is available. I have reefer, auto pilot, LCD/DVD tv, stero, LED nav lights. __________________
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Yesterday, 09:41	? #7
Registered User Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Titusville Boat: Catalina 27 Posts: 93	A good lead acid battery will give you about 5 years of service under good conditions. I have seen some last 7 or 8 and some only 2 but 5 is the rule of thumb. Where I work we have started using SAFT batteries instead of lead acid an they are projected to last over 10. One issue is the newer batteries pull a crap ton of amps when recharging compared to lead acid. If your charge rsystem is not up to the extra load many headache may result. __________________ Gary S/V Knot a Clew
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Yesterday, 09:44	? #8
Registered User Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Key West FL - Burlington VT Boat: O'day 32 CC Ketch Posts: 482	Re: Battery life - Full time cruising How many ah's were those AMGs and what did they cost? __________________
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Yesterday, 10:43	? #11
Registered User Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Ontario, Canada Boat: Finnsailer 38 Posts: 125	Re: Battery life - Full time cruising Had a pair of Trojan L-16's on my last boat that were used hard for 3-1/2 years (often more than 50% discharged) cruising anchoring most of the time. After that they still had enough life for liveaboard and weekend cruising for another 3 years. They never died catastrophically, but the capacity was very low at the end. __________________
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Yesterday, 11:22	? #12
Sea Monster Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: between the devil and the deep blue sea Boat: a sailing boat Posts: 8,084	Re: Battery life - Full time cruising Varta starter 10 years. Hella deep cycle 3+ years, Tudor Leisure 3+ years. I bet the Hellas had some potential but I killed them with solar charging. b. __________________
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Yesterday, 11:41	? #13
Registered User Join Date: May 2008 Location: British Columbia Boat: Hughes 38 Posts: 654	Re: Battery life - Full time cruising With lead acid,full time cruising how often are batteries equalized?I do mine every 3 or 4 months.Not sure if that is too much or not.With regular charging,I try to get into float more than once a week. __________________
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Yesterday, 11:41	? #14
Registered User Join Date: May 2011 Location: Toronto Boat: Sandpiper 565 Posts: 216	Re: Battery life - Full time cruising Quote: I bet the Hellas had some potential but I killed them with solar charging. How so? No solar charge controller and thus frequent overcharging? __________________
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Yesterday, 12:04	? #15
Sea Monster Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: between the devil and the deep blue sea Boat: a sailing boat Posts: 8,084	Re: Battery life - Full time cruising ' + '?' + google_ads[i].line2 + '?' + google_ads[i].line3 + '?' + '' + google_ads[i].visible_url + ' '; } } '' } if (google_ads[0].bidtype == "CPC") { /* insert this snippet for each ad call */ google_adnum = google_adnum + google_ads.length; } document.write(s); return; } google_ad_client = 'ca-pub-7757781251671730'; google_ad_channel = '2339395729'; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '6'; google_ad_type = 'text'; google_feedback = 'on'; google_skip = google_adnum; /* to skip for multiple units, insert this snippet for each ad call */ // --> __________________
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Source: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f14/battery-life-full-time-cruising-97883.html

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Time to rinse! AI assistant helps clean your teeth

FOR most of us, brushing our teeth is just a tedious part of the daily grind. But for people with dementia or learning difficulties, such tasks can be difficult. They could soon gain more independence thanks to an AI designed by Christian Peters at Bielefeld University in Germany and his colleagues.

Peters has already come up with a system that guides people when washing their hands. Brushing teeth is more complicated because it involves many steps - such as putting toothpaste on the brush, filling a glass with water or rinsing the mouth.

The TEBRA system uses a video camera to monitor someone brushing their teeth and checks that each step happens at the right time. It prompts them via a screen on the washstand if they forget a step or if they get stuck. The idea is not to dictate a routine, but to adapt to that of the user, says Peters.

TEBRA is being tested at a care home in Bielefeld for people with learning disabilities. Caregivers there reported that the system was less distracting for some people than a human carer. The work will be presented at the International Conference on Health Informatics in Barcelona, Spain, next week. Peters also plans to adapt his system to tasks such as shaving.

This article appeared in print under the headline "Time to rinse! An AI to help you clean your teeth"

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February ? a month of OD-ing? on learning | musings on intersticia

This month is shaping up to be one of those months when I have too much on, but, the truth is I love it!? Especially when it?s to do with learning.

A couple of weeks ago I started a MOOC (massive open online course) on ?E-Learning and Digital Cultures? delivered through Coursera by the University of Edinburgh.

The course is taught in two ?Blocks?, the first focusing on ?Utopias and Dystopias?, broken up into ?Looking to the past? and ?Looking to the future?; and the second focuses on ?Being Human? broken up into ?Reasserting the human? and ?Redefining the human?.

As one would expect with any course delivered online the resource base is enormously comprehensive and rich and there are readings, online forums (Google+, Facebook and Twitter), ?hang-outs? (where everyone gets on-line but being 4 am for me I passed on this one!), a competition, and the creation of a ?digital artifact?.

Thus far the material supplied has been an overview of the discussions which have been happening for the past four or five years, together with some quite insightful videos and TED talks (this one by Steve Fuller is well worth watching).? It captures the state of play for ?E-Learning? and there are some references to the work of digital anthropologists and digital sociologists, but not necessarily the most up-to-date articles.

What I am finding as I seem to do with all online courses, is three things:

1. an overwhelming amount of information to sift through, made worse by the social media aspect which has the odd useful snippet and link, but is largely just adding to the noise in my opinion, although it does reflect the broad base of the group;
2. the predominant focus on the visual and ?text? without really incorporating the other main senses.? Yes, there is auditory in videos, but the more ?stuff? there is the more reading there is to do, one way or another; and
3. a lack of ?going back to basics?, of reference to the fundamentals of learning science based on deep psychology, anthropology and sociology, tempered with a heap of common-sense.

I think this is one of the great challenges with online learning programmes, and this year I hope to expand my own skills and understanding about this area by focusing on the concept of ?Learning Science and Technology?.? This course begins in March so we shall see.

Personally I have always struggled with the predominance of the visual, and thus online courses, as an environment within which to study.? My own learning preferences are auditory and kinaesthetic, and, as I discovered through my studies of NLP? and Coaching Psychology, too much visual overwhelms me, as it does the majority of the population.

As a corollary to this I am undertaking two additional learning activities, which I hope will allow me to play much more to my strengths.? The first is a week-long ?Creative Writing Masterclass? at the Centre for Continuing Education, University of Sydney, being delivered by Mark Tredinnick.? The second is the annual two day ANZSOG ?Master Class?, being facilitated by John Alford, and which follows on from that which I was lucky enough to attend last year.

Understanding the link between emerging technologies and human learning is something I am passionate about, but also something that I think will have a profound impact on society as the symbiotic relationship between the digital and the analogue continues to evolve.

Hopefully what I learn will be worth sharing!

Source: http://intersticia.com/blog/?p=1047

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Wind power is now cheaper than coal in some countries

When many countries are choosing their next generation of power stations, they will be tempted to pick wind turbines. Thanks to better design, building wind farms can now be cheaper than building new coal or gas power stations.

Figures from Bloomberg New Energy Finance show that this is already the case in Australia. Any wind farms built now would generate electricity for between A$80 (about US$80) and A$113 per megawatt-hour, whereas new coal plants would cost A$176/MWh.

In Australia, coal's high cost is partly due to the nation's carbon tax, but new coal power stations would still cost A$126/MWh even in the absence of the tax.

Better designs

Wind is the latest renewable energy source to become competitive, after the price of solar energy fell 75 per cent between 2008 and 2011. That was driven by economies of scale, as Chinese manufacturers learned how to make large quantities of panels quickly and cheaply.

Wind is a different story. "For wind it's more about the technology," says Guy Turner of Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Better designs, including longer blades and taller turbines have all boosted efficiency.

The design of wind farms has also improved. Wind becomes turbulent in the lee of turbines, which makes those behind them less efficient, says Turner. So companies now use fluid dynamics modelling to arrange their turbines. A recent analysis found that staggering them created higher wind speeds and less turbulence, compared with straight rows (Boundary-Layer Meteorology, doi.org/kgd).

International differences

The costs of installing wind and coal vary between countries. Building coal-fired power stations remains relatively cheap in China. But, every time the Brazilian government has asked power companies to bid for contracts over the past five years, new wind farms have come out cheaper than new fossil-fuelled power stations.

And according to the Global Wind Energy Council in Brussels, Belgium, the amount of wind capacity installed worldwide rose 19 per cent last year.

Wind is seen as a safer long-term investment, says Turner. "Investors are nervous about building a new coal plant." While renewable sources are increasingly favoured by governments, fossil fuels face an uncertain future as countries try to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Existing coal-fired power plants remain cheap to run, in part because coal itself is cheap. But building new plants is a risky bet, says Turner. "If you had to build a new generation, that's where wind comes out cheaper."

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Northeast returns to everyday routines after snow

A plow clears a path outside Poquonock Elementary School in Windsor, Conn., Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013. A howling storm across the Northeast left much of the New York-to-Boston corridor covered with more than three feet of snow on Friday into Saturday morning. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

A plow clears a path outside Poquonock Elementary School in Windsor, Conn., Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013. A howling storm across the Northeast left much of the New York-to-Boston corridor covered with more than three feet of snow on Friday into Saturday morning. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

A man uses a snowblower around a statue of Nathan Hale outside the Wadsworth Atheneum after a winter storm in Hartford, Conn., Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013. A howling storm across the Northeast left much of the New York-to-Boston corridor covered with more than three feet of snow on Friday into Saturday morning. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Courtney Bazininet hands a shovel to her friend, Alice Fernald, after getting her car temporarily stuck in a snow bank, Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, in Portland, Maine. Residents are digging out after a blizzard dumped a record 31.9 inches of snow on the city. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Snow begins to melt on cars parked at a dealership after a winter storm in Hartford, Conn., Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013. A howling storm across the Northeast left much of the New York-to-Boston corridor covered with more than three feet of snow on Friday into Saturday morning. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

School buses are covered in snow after a winter storm in Hartford, Conn., Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013. A howling storm across the Northeast left much of the New York-to-Boston corridor covered with more than three feet of snow on Friday into Saturday morning. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) ? As electricity returns and highways reopen, some Northeast residents are getting back to their weekday routines following the massive snowstorm that had millions digging out from New York to Maine.

But the routine for other New Englanders will be disrupted by school and workplace closings. For some there's also a new worry: the danger of roof collapses as rain and warmer weather melts snow.

The storm that slammed into the region with up to 3 feet of snow was blamed for at least 15 deaths in the Northeast and Canada, and brought some of the highest accumulations ever recorded. Still, coastal areas were largely spared catastrophic damage despite being lashed by strong waves and hurricane-force wind gusts at the height of the storm.

Hundreds of people, their homes without heat or electricity, were forced to take refuge in emergency shelters set up in schools or other places. But by early Monday, outages had dropped to 149,970 ? more than 126,000 of them in Massachusetts.

"For all the complaining everyone does, people really came through," said Rich Dinsmore, 65, of Newport, R.I., who was staying at a Red Cross shelter set up in a middle school in Middletown after the power went out in his home on Friday.

Dinsmore, who has emphysema, was first brought by ambulance to a hospital after the medical equipment he relies on failed when the power went out and he had difficulty breathing.

"The police, the fire department, the state, the Red Cross, the volunteers, it really worked well," said the retired radio broadcaster and Army veteran.

Driving bans were lifted and flights resumed at major airports in the region that had closed during the storm, though many flights were still canceled Sunday. Public transit schedules were being restored.

The Boston-area public transportation system, which shut down on Friday afternoon, resumed full service on Monday ? but told commuters to expect delays. The Metro-North Railroad resumed most train service on its New York and Connecticut routes while the Long Island Rail Road said commuters could expect a nearly normal schedule.

"A lot of progress has been made," said Salvatore Arena, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates Metro-North.

Some public schools canceled classes on Monday, including in Boston, Providence and on Long Island, while local governments in some areas told non-essential workers to take the day off.

On eastern Long Island, the harrowing images from New York's slice of the massive snowstorm ? people stranded overnight, cars abandoned on long stretches of drift-covered highways ? were slowly erased Sunday as hundreds of snowplows and heavy equipment descended to try to help clear the way for Monday's commute.

Long Island was slammed with as much as 30 inches of snow, which shut down roads, including the Long Island Expressway. A 27-mile stretch of the road was closed Sunday and but the roadway reopened Monday in time for the morning commute.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said more than a third of all the state's snow-removal equipment was sent to the area, including more than 400 plow trucks and more than 100 snowblowers, loaders and backhoes.

"The massive amount of snow left behind effectively shut down the entire region," Cuomo said.

On Sunrise Highway, which runs parallel to the Long Island Expressway, Dennis Lawrence, of Bellport, N.Y., had already spent 90 minutes digging out the car he had abandoned and had at least another 30-60 minutes to go on Sunday. He left it there Friday after getting stuck on his way home from his job in New York City.

"The car was all over the place, it just slid over and wouldn't move," the 54-year-old elevator mechanic said. "I finally decided today to come and get it."

Utility crews, some brought in from as far away as Georgia, Oklahoma and Quebec, raced to restore power. By early Monday, less than 150,000 customers still had no electricity ? down from 650,000 in eight states at the height of the storm. In hardest-hit Massachusetts, officials said some of the outages might linger until Tuesday.

Boston recorded 24.9 inches of snow, making it the fifth-largest storm in the city since records were kept. The city was appealing to the state and private contractors for more front-end loaders and other heavy equipment to clear snow piles that were clogging residential streets.

The National Weather Service was forecasting rain and warmer temperatures in the region on Monday ? which could begin melting some snow but also add considerable weight to snow already piled on roofs, posing the danger of collapse. Of greatest concern were flat or gently-sloped roofs and officials said people should try to clear them ? but only if they could do so safely.

"We don't recommend that people, unless they're young and experienced, go up on roofs," said Peter Judge, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

In Middlefield, Conn., two cows were killed when the roof of a barn gave way under the weight of heavy snow ? one of two such incidents in the state that prompted agriculture officials to issue an advisory to farmers.

Officials also continued to warn of carbon monoxide dangers in the wake of the storm.

In Boston, two people died Saturday after being overcome by carbon monoxide while sitting in running cars, including a teenager who went into the family car to stay warm while his father shoveled snow. The boy's name was not made public. In a third incident, two children were hospitalized but expected to recover. In Webster, a 60-year-old off-duty member of the Worcester Fire Department died Saturday after suffering a heart attack while clearing snow at his home.

A fire department spokesman said in each case, the tailpipes of the cars were clogged by snow.

In Maine, the Penobscot County Sheriff's office said it recovered the body of a 75-year-old man who died after the pickup he was driving struck a tree and plunged into the Penobscot River during the storm. Investigators said Gerald Crommett apparently became disoriented while driving in the blinding snow.

Christopher Mahood, 23, of Germantown, N.Y., died after his tractor went off his driveway while he was plowing snow Friday night and rolled down a 15-foot embankment.

In Massachusetts, eight teams were formed to assess damage from flooding along the state's coastline, with the hardest hit-areas including historic Plymouth and portions of Cape Cod.

"Considering the severity of the storm, the amount of snow and the wind, we've come through this pretty well," Gov. Deval Patrick told CBS's Face The Nation after meeting with local officials in Plymouth.

The U.S. Postal Service said that mail delivery that was suspended in the six New England states, as well as parts of New York and New Jersey, because of the snowstorm would resume Monday, where it is safe to do so.

__

Eltman reported from Patchogue, N.Y., and Salsberg reported from Wayland, Mass. Associated Press writers Stephen Singer in Manchester, Conn., and David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-11-Northeast%20Snow/id-f065d96a74bf463a817f1e46073b5860

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Fisher-Price Loving Family Home for the Holidays Dollhouse: as low ...

by Corrie @ "Cents"able Momma on December 14, 2012
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you live near a Meijer, you can get the Fisher-Price Loving Family Home for the Holidays dollhouse for only $84.99 when you use coupon code ship2store to get an extra 15% off and pick up your order at your local Meijer store.

If you don?t live near a Meijer store, you will pay $99.99 and get FREE shipping. In comparison, Amazon has this dollhouse priced at $99.63, but you would need to pay about $35 for shipping.

About the dollhouse:

• Holiday dollhouse with family
• Fully furnished with 6 all-season room sets
• Reversible decor for year-round play (holiday on one side, every day on the other)
• Twinkling lights, merry music, and special sounds for the holidays.
• Sizzling stove-top and whistling kettle sounds from the kitchen.
• Removable holiday accessories let girls decorate their house for the holidays ? inside and out.
• For ages 3 years and up
• Requires 5 AAA and 2 AA batteries for sounds and lights features (not included).
• Assembly required
• Includes mom, dad, little sister, baby figurines, fully furnished dollhouse, 6 room sets, light-up wreath, fireplace, tree, hardcover book, removable holiday decorations, storage box

Source: http://www.centsablemomma.com/2012/12/fisher-price-loving-family-home-for-the-holidays-dollhouse-as-low-as-84-99.html

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