Magma Barbeque - Running it from boat gas not small cyls?

[CaptainBob]

I found a used Magma Barbeque in a chandlers for £85 a few months ago and it's been absolutely flippin fantastic! While aboard, I've literally used it every other day.

Only problem is I'm really seriously getting through the little propane/butane cylinders it takes.

I've seen that for £50 I can get a controller for it which means I can plumb it into our boat's gas system. But I'm willing to put in a lot of effort to avoid spending £50 on something I don't really need!

So I worked out a way to connect the boat's gas system directly in to where the small cylinders plug in to their controller, and fired it up.

It works - but the flame is so low, even on max, that it blows out all the time and isn't really enough for cooking on. Presume this is because the little cylinders are higher pressure? Or because they're butane/propane mix and the boat is pure one or the other (I forget which and am not aboard at the moment).

Am I going to need to bight the bullet and get the £50 controller?

TY!

 

[vyv_cox]

Camping Gaz 206 cylinders contain a mixture of butane and propane, to give good performance at temperatures down to -10C. They are high pressure cylinders, although I can't find out the actual pressure, and are designed to be directly coupled to appliances like the Magma and various stoves and lanterns. Connecting your 28 mbar ship's supply won't give sufficient pressure to drive your Magma. Years ago I made the same mistake with a high pressure stove, using a bottle Camping Gaz regulator, also resulting in a tiny flame that was useless. In that case the remedy was to use a high-pressure hose direct from the bottle to the stove. I guess you could connect a larger bottle directly to the Magma, assuming you could obtain the correct HP hose?

 

[CaptainBob]

There's this gizmo:

http://www.calormarineshop.co.uk/acatalog/Marine_and_Boat_Shop_Magma_Barbecue_Spares_26.html

I guess it must have a larger outlet hole so the lower pressure gas comes out quicker than it does through the teeny little hole in the small cylinder one.

Thank you - I think you've answered my question - I didn't realise the small cylinders ran at a higher pressure than the boat's bigger ones. I guess I'll have to stump up the cash.

 

[vyv_cox]

They certainly know how to charge. £50 for a venturi tube!

I replaced my charcoal Magma as it was too inconvenient for regular use on board. Bought one of these at a camping shop for £29. It's now completed its third season of frequent use all summer and still going strong.

 

[CaptainBob]

My tummy just growled, breakfast beckons shortly I think

Magma know how to charge. They really do! The one I have, new, would have been something like £250 with what it came with. The blue drawstring cover bag retails at £50 as well! Crazy

Can't work out if yours is gas or charcoal - or both simultaneously?

 

[Robin]

We switched from a Magma charcoal to the gas version too and I bought a propane connection kit from West Marine in the USA which was a different plug-in regulator, like the one for the cannisters but with a hose connection and 10ft of hose. The cylinder fitting was a USA one which I cut off and replaced with one to run on a Calor cylinder, originally a red propane one but now just use the blue butane one with a different connector. West list a control valve for $31.99 without the high pressure hose which is easily found over here, but you would need the USA threaded end to go onto the valve, probably West could supply that too. West do a hose 'kit' which is for plumbing in permanently and this is expensive.

Our boat is now for sale and both the original charcoal and the gas Magmas will sell separately probably, shame you already bought one!

 

[CaptainBob]

Thanks for that Robin. So your Magma worked well on the boats larger cylinders then after conversion?

 

[Robin]

Thanks for that Robin. So your Magma worked well on the boats larger cylinders then after conversion?

Yes it works fine on either propane (red Calor) or butane (blue Calor or Gaz).

I just looked in the 2009 West catalogue and the valve and connection kit that I had which was to the high pressure direct off the cylinder isn't listed anymore. The one which is listed now is for fitting in permanently AFTER the on board regulator and seems it might be a simple control valve whereas what I had was both control valve and regulator. Look up West on line, the part is Magma A110-220 or West 236943 on page 542.

 

[Roberto]

Our boat is now for sale

are you crazy ? :smile:


cheers Robin

 

[CaptainBob]

Yes it works fine on either propane (red Calor) or butane (blue Calor or Gaz).

I just looked in the 2009 West catalogue and the valve and connection kit that I had which was to the high pressure direct off the cylinder isn't listed anymore. The one which is listed now is for fitting in permanently AFTER the on board regulator and seems it might be a simple control valve whereas what I had was both control valve and regulator. Look up West on line, the part is Magma A110-220 or West 236943 on page 542.

Thank you

 

[Robin]

are you crazy ? :smile:


cheers Robin

Completely crazy! She is only for sale as we are emigrating next year to the USA and going to live on a boat - but it will be a displacement trawler yacht.

 

[vyv_cox]

Can't work out if yours is gas or charcoal - or both simultaneously?

It's gas, running off the spare Camping Gaz cylinder via a normal regulator. The very simple gas burner heats lava lumps, which is why it looks something like a charcoal barbie. The good thing is that the food tastes like it came from a charcoal one, but turn off the gas and it can be packed away as soon as you finish eating. We find it a really good means of open air cooking, without the risk of sausages falling overboard when a mobo passes by.