As part of a non-boating-related product, my company is designing what
amounts to an automatic 500w DC self-starting gasoline battery charger.
The charger is designed to be portable, unobtrusive and easy to
maintain. If the battery has sufficient charge, it can self-start, but
it can also be hand-started easily when necessary. It is designed to
automatically start and stop as necessary to keep a battery charged.

Having read postings here about cruisers running with reduced radar and
lighting at night in order to conserve battery power, it occured to me
that we could repackage the charger for marine use. It would be roughly
shoe-box sized and effectively silent unless you were sitting next to it
on a calm day. It seems like this would be useful for boats with no
genset and modest electrical loads (i.e. lights & electronics). When
connected to the battery it would automatically start up and and shut
down as necessary to maintain the charge. It could also be designed to
cooperate with external charge controllers.

It seems like it would be a useful product, but I found nothing like it
when I googled for obvious keywords. Does such a product already exist?
Would there be any interest in such a charger? I know I have been in
situations where it would have been useful.

--
Chuck Cox - SynchroSystems
, , synchro.com
my email is politician-proof, just remove the PORK.

Cool.

But, it needs to be diesel before it will get any more attention than
that from many of us. I would want diesel even if it was twice as
big as a shoebox and heavier. There are some small diesel engines
around. I asked the question not long ago and there is a thread
farther down somewhere.

--

Roger Long

Roger Long wrote:
Cool.

But, it needs to be diesel before it will get any more attention than
that from many of us. I would want diesel even if it was twice as
big as a shoebox and heavier. There are some small diesel engines
around. I asked the question not long ago and there is a thread
farther down somewhere.

Diesel is no problem, but probably a little louder. We can use pretty
much any common internal combustion configuration if there is enough
demand.

--
Chuck Cox - SynchroSystems
, , www.synchro.com
my email is politician-proof, just remove the PORK.

"Chuck Cox" wrote in message
news
As part of a non-boating-related product, my company is designing what
amounts to an automatic 500w DC self-starting gasoline battery charger.
The charger is designed to be portable, unobtrusive and easy to
maintain. If the battery has sufficient charge, it can self-start, but
it can also be hand-started easily when necessary. It is designed to
automatically start and stop as necessary to keep a battery charged.

Having read postings here about cruisers running with reduced radar and
lighting at night in order to conserve battery power, it occured to me
that we could repackage the charger for marine use. It would be roughly
shoe-box sized and effectively silent unless you were sitting next to it
on a calm day. It seems like this would be useful for boats with no
genset and modest electrical loads (i.e. lights & electronics). When
connected to the battery it would automatically start up and and shut
down as necessary to maintain the charge. It could also be designed to
cooperate with external charge controllers.

It seems like it would be a useful product, but I found nothing like it
when I googled for obvious keywords. Does such a product already exist?
Would there be any interest in such a charger? I know I have been in
situations where it would have been useful.

--
Chuck Cox - SynchroSystems
, , synchro.com
my email is politician-proof, just remove the PORK.

Take this device, even in prototype form, to any international boat show and
you will be swamped with orders!

Jim Carter
"The Boat"
Bayfield

I suggest concentrating on diesel. The gas version ABSOLUTELY must
have no self starting feature for boating applications unless you have
a line on amazing liability insurance. Starting a gas engine, or any
other flame producing device, on a boat that carries gas must always
be done after careful determination that there have been no leaks. It
wouldn't be much different in any other enclosed space and that's
where something like this is apt to end up.

A small diesel could burn K2 which is nearly as available as gas now.

--

Roger Long



"Chuck Cox" wrote in message
...
Roger Long wrote:
Cool.

But, it needs to be diesel before it will get any more attention
than that from many of us. I would want diesel even if it was
twice as big as a shoebox and heavier. There are some small diesel
engines around. I asked the question not long ago and there is a
thread farther down somewhere.

Diesel is no problem, but probably a little louder. We can use
pretty much any common internal combustion configuration if there is
enough demand.

--
Chuck Cox - SynchroSystems
, , www.synchro.com
my email is politician-proof, just remove the PORK.

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
I suggest concentrating on diesel. The gas version ABSOLUTELY must
have no self starting feature for boating applications unless you have
a line on amazing liability insurance. Starting a gas engine, or any
other flame producing device, on a boat that carries gas must always
be done after careful determination that there have been no leaks. It
wouldn't be much different in any other enclosed space and that's
where something like this is apt to end up.

A small diesel could burn K2 which is nearly as available as gas now.

--

Roger Long

Of course, you are correct Roger. Diesel would be a "must have" for this
device to be marketable.

Jim Carter
"The Boat"
Bayfield

Roger Long wrote:
I suggest concentrating on diesel. The gas version ABSOLUTELY must
have no self starting feature for boating applications unless you have
a line on amazing liability insurance. Starting a gas engine, or any
other flame producing device, on a boat that carries gas must always
be done after careful determination that there have been no leaks. It
wouldn't be much different in any other enclosed space and that's
where something like this is apt to end up.

A small diesel could burn K2 which is nearly as available as gas now.


I agree about the safety issues with gasoline and we would definitely
prefer to use diesel. Regardless of the fuel source, any automatic
charger would have to be deployed on deck, away from vents and fuel,
never in an enclosed space. I was assuming (perhaps foolishly) that
there would be a bigger market among outboard users than inboard users
and therefore more demand for gasoline than diesel. I would be
delighted if there were a market for a diesel version, it should be a
safer and more reliable, if louder, system.

We could probably make one that runs on used cooking oil.

--
Chuck Cox - SynchroSystems
, , synchro.com
my email is politician-proof, just remove the PORK.

"Roger Long" wrote in news:ahKjf.51455$DL6.20372
@twister.nyroc.rr.com:

I suggest concentrating on diesel. The gas version ABSOLUTELY must
have no self starting feature for boating applications unless you have
a line on amazing liability insurance. Starting a gas engine, or any
other flame producing device, on a boat that carries gas must always
be done after careful determination that there have been no leaks. It
wouldn't be much different in any other enclosed space and that's
where something like this is apt to end up.

A small diesel could burn K2 which is nearly as available as gas now.

I would disagree that a diesel version is an absolute requirement. This
clearly has to be used above deck as there's no ventilation of exhaust
fumes. Also, any boat that has diesel most likely has gasoline for dinghy
motors, etc. I would also submit that most non-cruising boats don't carry
spare cans of diesel, whereas they most likely have cans of gasoline. A
gasoline version would be more universal between the diesel and gasoline
powered vessels.

-- Geoff

Obviously a need for both versions. Cost would be a big factor for me,
Gordon


"Geoff Schultz" wrote in message
6...
"Roger Long" wrote in news:ahKjf.51455$DL6.20372
@twister.nyroc.rr.com:

I suggest concentrating on diesel. The gas version ABSOLUTELY must
have no self starting feature for boating applications unless you have
a line on amazing liability insurance. Starting a gas engine, or any
other flame producing device, on a boat that carries gas must always
be done after careful determination that there have been no leaks. It
wouldn't be much different in any other enclosed space and that's
where something like this is apt to end up.

A small diesel could burn K2 which is nearly as available as gas now.

I would disagree that a diesel version is an absolute requirement. This
clearly has to be used above deck as there's no ventilation of exhaust
fumes. Also, any boat that has diesel most likely has gasoline for dinghy
motors, etc. I would also submit that most non-cruising boats don't carry
spare cans of diesel, whereas they most likely have cans of gasoline. A
gasoline version would be more universal between the diesel and gasoline
powered vessels.

-- Geoff

Geoff Schultz wrote:

I would disagree that a diesel version is an absolute requirement. This
clearly has to be used above deck as there's no ventilation of exhaust
fumes. Also, any boat that has diesel most likely has gasoline for dinghy
motors, etc. I would also submit that most non-cruising boats don't carry
spare cans of diesel, whereas they most likely have cans of gasoline. A
gasoline version would be more universal between the diesel and gasoline
powered vessels.

This is sounding like a baby version of the Honda EU1000. Actually,
one of the problems I've heard of with that is that it can't put its
entire output into a charger, so I'd like to see a unit that doesn't
have that problem.