Dear all, I’m going to install a new ICOM hf, should be a 7100 with pactor available in Italy. I will install a 7 mt antenna starboard, close to the EMEK marine solar panel arch. My question is: did you install the tuner inside the stern lazarette or just inside the cabin? I’am wondering about the different humidity between the places.
Thanks for your time

Stefano Biffi
N'EVEREST SM185
now in Italy
(Dry dock Bocca di Magra river)

 

Steve,

 

I learned a lesson here with the speakers. I found some great sounding 4” DC Gold speakers with good bass but the speaker magnets were so powerful they threw off the compass and I sold them on eBay. I shopped for a long time and finally found a really great replacement pair with magnetic shielding that did not impact the compass. The best part is they sound awesome with a good range and are not too expensive. They will almost fit in the existing cutout from the original speakers. You will need to file the hole just a little bit bigger and drill more screw holes. You will need to fill the old holes with something like MagicEzy. MagicEzy - Cream is a really good color match. Other than that, the fit is pretty close even though they are round.

 

Here is a link:https://www.fusionentertainment.com/marine/products/speakers/ms-fr4021

 

I have had these for about 4 years and highly recommend them.

 

 

With best regards,

 

Mark

 

Skipper

Sailing Vessel - Cream Puff - SM2K - #275

Currently cruising - Santa Marta, Colombia

www.creampuff.us

 

From: amelyachtowners@... [mailto:amelyachtowners@...]
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2018 5:59 PM
To: amelyachtowners@...
Subject: [Amel Yacht Owners] Cockpit Speakers 4"

 

 

Anyone have good luck replacing their cockpit speakers with a high-quality replacement? Any issue good or bad?

Thanks, 

Steve Bode

SV Intention

Amel SM #117, 1994

 

 

Hi Nick,
That’s great information. I’ve always hated trying to get that smoke back inside the box!

There are some isolated DCDC converters available which would produce 30A each, so like your system, two would be needed. I don’t much care for the faililure mode you describe. As you say it’s the high voltage that would have blown up the caps (probably electrolytic or tants), and probably some IC’s would not take kindly to overvoltsge, so the fuse would do nothing.
If the same thing happened with a 24V bank being connected via failed DCDC Convertor, to a 12V battery, the first thing that would happen is high current flow, and the fuse would do its job.
The other thing I don’t like about running two DCDC converters go directly power the Icom is the possibility for conducted emission harmonics to interfere with the RF signal. The converters will run switching in the hundreds of kHz, so it doesn’t take many harmonics to start interfering with the MF band.

Your story has lent weight to the the 12V battery based solution.

I could of course install a dedicated battery, and echo charger, but the engine battery is right there begging to be used. I’d change my engine battery to a deep cycle type, but other than that it’s a simple and elegant solution.

Hmm, where’s the gotcha?

Dean
SY Stella
A54-154

 

Hi,
I am planning a new installation involving an Icom M801E HF Radio (which I already have). The unit needs to be powered from 12V and the specifications call for up to 60A. (This is double the power consumption of the M802 radio used by many North American cruisers. I have a support ticket lodged with Icom to confirm that there is not a mistake in the specs!).

I wonder if there’s anyone in the forum who has installed the 12V version of the M801, who could share their power supply installation details..

Options would appear to be:

1: High power (60A) DC-DC converter(s) running from the 24V bank. (Isolated type is preferred, which means two units in parallel are required, although I’m not convinced this is absolutely necessary).

2: Tap 12V power from upper or lower half of house bank, connect house bank mid-points and install a battery balancer. A bit ugly really.

3: Install isolated low power (10-20A) DC-DC Converter between house bank and engine battery and power SSB from engine battery. DC-DC Converter replenishes battery in slow time and alternators provide bulk and eq charge. I like this option from a low-noise perspective. Nothing else is connected to this battery, and if conducted emissions are a problem from the DCDC converter, just switch it off. And in the event of an unforeseen/unlikely complete discharge event, there are another 12 batteries available to start the motor/genset.

4: Others?

Many thanks
Dean
SY Stella
A54#154