Seeker Knowledge
Project
Electrical System
Active / evolving
Seeker’s electrical system from wiring and distribution to batteries, charging, solar power, inverters, monitoring, troubleshooting, and upgrades.
Featured video
Wiring the Boat - Part 1
Published 2020-09-22
Start here for the Electrical System story.
Starts at 00:00
Videos
Videos follow the project timeline. When Part 1 of a series is reached, the complete series stays together before the timeline resumes.
Components & concepts
Principles demonstrated
Evidence sources
Sources are ordered by their role and reliability, not by volume.
Journey
- Journey links will be added as the history is reviewed.
Sources and discussion
Primary evidence appears first. Community discussion follows. Outside forums are commentary and may include speculation or inaccuracies.
Primary evidence
Videos
Videos, transcripts, website material, and Doug-authored project posts.
112 additional references are indexed for search.
Primary evidence
Transcripts
Videos, transcripts, website material, and Doug-authored project posts.
Seeker LIVE - May 20, 2017 - Grommets, Hatch Covers, Welder-Generator
normal generator. But it's really heavy,
SV Seeker Live - Nov 25, 2017 - NiFe Batteries, Furring Strips
batteries we've been doing a lot of work
SV Seeker Live - Nov 25, 2017 - NiFe Batteries, Furring Strips
batteries are really freaking me out,
SV Seeker Live - Nov 25, 2017 - NiFe Batteries, Furring Strips
voltage in your batteries, it messes up
SV Seeker Live - Nov 25, 2017 - NiFe Batteries, Furring Strips
like 60 years old batteries but this
SV Seeker Live - Nov 25, 2017 - NiFe Batteries, Furring Strips
the Edison batteries are the ones from
SV Seeker Live - Nov 25, 2017 - NiFe Batteries, Furring Strips
these batteries let me stick that back
SV Seeker Live - Nov 25, 2017 - NiFe Batteries, Furring Strips
these batteries they had a lot of crap
SV Seeker Live - Nov 25, 2017 - NiFe Batteries, Furring Strips
this in the bottom of these batteries.
SV Seeker Live - Nov 25, 2017 - NiFe Batteries, Furring Strips
batteries. No, because. Because they
SV Seeker Live - Nov 25, 2017 - NiFe Batteries, Furring Strips
batteries is they're almost
SV Seeker Live - Dec 2, 2017 - more NiFe Batteries and Furring Strips
batteries. We ran into a guy that works
SV Seeker Live - Dec 2, 2017 - more NiFe Batteries and Furring Strips
these batteries and reconditions them
SV Seeker Live - Dec 2, 2017 - more NiFe Batteries and Furring Strips
these batteries backwards and forth.
SV Seeker Live - Dec 2, 2017 - more NiFe Batteries and Furring Strips
batteries to one to recondition them,
SV Seeker Live - Jan 27,2018 - Tender, Mastheads, NiFe Batteries
batteries. And I'm trying to get off of
SV Seeker Live - Jan 27,2018 - Tender, Mastheads, NiFe Batteries
phone is just looking at the batteries
SV Seeker Live - Jan 27,2018 - Tender, Mastheads, NiFe Batteries
batteries and much obliged to Matthew
SV Seeker Live - Jan 27,2018 - Tender, Mastheads, NiFe Batteries
batteries the so what we've done is
SV Seeker Live - Jan 27,2018 - Tender, Mastheads, NiFe Batteries
batteries before. And when you spin
SV Seeker Live - Jan 27,2018 - Tender, Mastheads, NiFe Batteries
batteries, okay? You saw that 'cause
SV Seeker Live - Jan 27,2018 - Tender, Mastheads, NiFe Batteries
lithium hydroxide, and these batteries
SV Seeker Live - Jan 27,2018 - Tender, Mastheads, NiFe Batteries
certain about what kind of batteries
SV Seeker Live - Jan 27,2018 - Tender, Mastheads, NiFe Batteries
the batteries and will you move them
SV Seeker Live - Jan 27,2018 - Tender, Mastheads, NiFe Batteries
these batteries do a shot for vibration?
157 additional references are indexed for search.
Community discussion
Facebook discussion
Questions and discussion from the Seeker community. Useful context, but not automatically verified engineering evidence.
Facebook comment
...r, when airliners have a catastrophic electrical failure they can deploy a small wind generator to extract energy from the wind speed (pictured). Maybe your device could have a small generator like that? It would add to the drag but you would get electrical en...
Facebook reply
...y and headlight for a dive light. I have taken much inspiration from that. I used AGM batteries in a flooded submarine and hooked them up underwater with alligator clips to a trolling motor. They make a beautiful blue spark when you do that, and then work grea...
Facebook comment
This summer added a Vectron 300 amp Smart shunt to my system after changing to Litium batteries in or little Airstream.
Facebook comment
Convert to diesel electric, generator driving electric motor via vfd
Commentary
Sailing Anarchy
Public commentary and opinion. It may include speculation, errors, or incomplete information and should not be treated as verified technical evidence.
Sailing Anarchy post #10198 page 510
...rent DC wires for the auto pilot motors running somewhere under the floor, as well as batteries and other stuff. I've lost track of what's in the cargo hole and the engine room. I think the DC motors are in the engine room. He formerly had the welding setup in...
Sailing Anarchy post #10267 page 514
...are just a bunch of mama's boys! Buying a ready made propeller, off the shelf engine,batteries, following real "plans"... I could go on illustrating how fearful they are of doing some real learnin',including but not limited to what amounts to just restoring a...
Sailing Anarchy post #10285 page 515
...are just a bunch of mama's boys! Buying a ready made propeller, off the shelf engine,batteries, following real "plans"... I could go on illustrating how fearful they are of doing some real learnin',including but not limited to what amounts to just restoring a...
Sailing Anarchy post #11121 page 557
What was the problem with those nickel-iron-batteries? Weight? I see nothing wrong with using nickel-iron-batteries on a boat. They last basically forever, but they have only about 1/3 of the energy storage capacity of a lead acid battery of the same weight. A...
Sailing Anarchy post #11142 page 558
...Do you? They will probably remain niche. What was the problem with those nickel-iron-batteries? Weight? I see nothing wrong with using nickel-iron-batteries on a boat. They last basically forever, but they have only about 1/3 of the energy storage capacity of...
Sailing Anarchy post #11304 page 566
...ferent paint. Easy engine access for maintenance and repairs on a 74' object. Missing generator which sat above engine with exhaust port plugged with what appears to be plastic. Angle iron left in place to enhance engine access. Rant about the parts counter wo...
Sailing Anarchy post #11306 page 566
...lugged" exhaust will lead to exhaust from the main engine filling that space. Missing generator which sat above engine with exhaust port plugged with what appears to be plastic.
Sailing Anarchy post #11434 page 572
It appears the vmac was moved and temporarily set where the generator used to be while they are swapping out the new improved torque converter part. The square tip of the white exhaust plug appears to the right of the VMAC, and it does look like a PVC plug. He...
Sailing Anarchy post #11517 page 576
...l photo of our little neck of the Bayou. When I got out of bed and fired up my little generator to charge my phone and make a pot of coffee I could see bright lights shining past the big aluminum 95' head fishing boat you see that was not 50' from my kitchen w...
Sailing Anarchy post #11518 page 576
...ife would head inland with the kids, and I'd stay to look after things. Afterwards no generator, just camp lights, coolers, and screens in the windows. An old waterman neighbor and I would share dinners of canned sardines and wine. Looking back on it now makes...
Sailing Anarchy post #11631 page 582
...anchor rhode. Very useful for changing the aim of your cannons when bombarding shore batteries from anchor. For riding out storms, great for increasing windage and strain on your anchor. Why is he trying to invent new anchoring techniques to try out in a FREA...
Sailing Anarchy post #11640 page 582
...anchor rhode. Very useful for changing the aim of your cannons when bombarding shore batteries from anchor.
Sailing Anarchy post #11839 page 592
...Would feel a bit freaky though to be that far from surface with something running on batteries and that can be pulled away from you by current, boats, errant seagulls… Would love to have scuba gear and compressor onboard. Worse yet, while offering Scuba lesso...
Sailing Anarchy post #12083 page 605
It’s interesting that he has a boat without an ac/heat pump and generator aboard. Where or how do they bathe? Carol looks a little shiny and greasy in the last pic.
Sailing Anarchy post #12084 page 605
I think he uses the Vmac as generator from time to time. It’s interesting that he has a boat without an ac/heat pump and generator aboard. Where or how do they bathe? Carol looks a little shiny and greasy in the last pic.
Sailing Anarchy post #12085 page 605
...personal discomfort. It’s interesting that he has a boat without an ac/heat pump and generator aboard. Where or how do they bathe? Carol looks a little shiny and greasy in the last pic.
Sailing Anarchy post #12119 page 606
...eeker was going to be. How they were going to go to islands so remote that he had the generator be detachable from seeker so he could bring his own power to shore. The watermaker (that's never made a drop of water) and how his diesel tanks could power him acro...
Sailing Anarchy post #12185 page 610
...hanks! Just like Dugg to trot about with his Garmin almost always on, except when the batteries are low or he does not want to let on about his maneuverings. Shows what an idiot he is.
Sailing Anarchy post #12186 page 610
...hanks! Just like Dugg to trot about with his Garmin almost always on, except when the batteries are low or he does not want to let on about his maneuverings. Shows what an idiot he is.
Sailing Anarchy post #12286 page 615
...A lot to cram into a three second clip on the freebie account I have with that video generator. How about a IP7 rated keyboard? I bet Doug has one... Oh my. I did not see that coming. You owe me a new PC keyboard, and the digital piano keyboard sitting direct...
Sailing Anarchy post #12666 page 634
...convert Seeker to be a Serial Hybrid/Diesel Electric. Mate the school bus engine to a generator. Replace the rudder with a rudder/azipod combo. Shove a bow thruster in. Automate the whole thing, and gain the ability to do basic station keeping for survey work,...
Sailing Anarchy post #12667 page 634
...convert Seeker to be a Serial Hybrid/Diesel Electric. Mate the school bus engine to a generator. Replace the rudder with a rudder/azipod combo. Shove a bow thruster in. Automate the whole thing, and gain the ability to do basic station keeping for survey work,...
Sailing Anarchy post #13991 page 700
...it! If he can just use his engine to do nothing but drive a hydraulic pump and charge batteries then he doesn't need that transfer case anymore! Hydraulic prop drive all the way! He will have finally solved the problem. Or even better, rotate it 90 degrees and...
Sailing Anarchy post #13992 page 700
...it! If he can just use his engine to do nothing but drive a hydraulic pump and charge batteries then he doesn't need that transfer case anymore! Hydraulic prop drive all the way! He will have finally solved the problem.
Sailing Anarchy post #13993 page 700
...it! If he can just use his engine to do nothing but drive a hydraulic pump and charge batteries then he doesn't need that transfer case anymore! Hydraulic prop drive all the way! He will have finally solved the problem.
69 additional references are indexed for search.