Power requirements

Wunja

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I've been trying to work out my power requirements which currently come to 35 Ah per day.

The main culprits are Chart plotter, AIS and radio which I'm currently assuming will be running 24 hours a day.

For those who use these devices, how many hours a day are they turned on in practice?
 

Independence

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You'll probably get quite a few differences in opinions.

Rightly or wrongly.....I had my AIS switched on 24/7 along with my GPS (not a chart plotter). My VHF was only switched on near land.

I did switch my masthead light on each and every night and was using an ordinary bulb as opposed to LED. I've now fitted LED because everyone says how many amps they save you but I've recently noticed some comments regarding their reliability!!
 

CPD

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Hi Vince, the only bit of kiit I ran 24/7 was the NASA AIS (so no charet plotter) and had LED's all round. My biggest draw turned out to be the tiller pilot. I had a single 110AH battery that I recharged at about 50AH capacity remaining which on average, was about every other day, so approx 30AH/day. Thinking about it though, small Garmin GPS and smal PDA "chartplotter" on as well 24/7. I envied the no engine/no electrics men - the real jesters as I thought of them, and still do.
 

Babylon

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I don't understand this.

The essentials are a (good LED) tricolour at night, and turning on a (handheld?) GPS only for a few minutes around noon every day to get your position once out in the ocean (more frequently when close to land if you don't trust your trad navigation). Assuming you carry paper charts, I don't see where a chartplotter comes in at all?

The next level up for safety is AIS (NASA's receiver has a very minimal draw as I understand it), but why would you have this on all the time outside of main shipping areas?

What use is having the VHF on all the time once well beyond land or other vessels?

SSB radio on only for short periods to receive forecasts, etc.

Satellite phone (if you must have one) on only for sending or receiving texts once a day.
 
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