LITHIUM BATTERY INSTALL, CHARGING SYSTEM AND MORE. 1 YR IN AND HERE ARE OUR THOUGHTS

[@en8581]

Great video- thanks! Probably already asked/answered but since you have a generator why did you not get the Victron Quartro (which has input for shore power and generator) vs the Victron Multiplus you installed? Thanks!

[@philipjames1133]

Great Video Brent very informative l am taking delivery of a new Saona 47 in March next year in La Rochelle this will come standard with AGM batteries do you think l should consider the Lithium system and get it done before delivery?

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hi Philip - and congrats on your new Saona 47 - exciting times for you :) Philip, we actually looked at the Saona 47 at the Cannes Boat Show and they refused to instal the lithium style batteries. The more pressure one puts on the various factories to set the boats up correctly, the better the boats will be, so please do try. I can certainly recommend the lithium set up as discussed in the video and is certainly something we would want with a new purchase. The issue FP had was the battery location. When I discussed this with them they mentioned the batteries were located in the engine room which is not a good location for batteries, nor for charging systems as you heard Jack mention in the video. So where batteries and chargers are located in engine rooms the wiring and locations should be changed for a better, well ventilated area. FP technical representative on the show agreed with me that with their current set up they would not recommend Lithium style batteries due to the location of their batteries. They went on further to say they instal the systems here because on charter it means the technicians can work on everything in one compartment without disturbing the guests etc. etc. , so this may be something you need to assess for your own needs. I would ask them to credit me the cost of the AGM's and allocate the funds toward the LiFePO4 style batteries and also get them to locate them in a well ventilated or cooler environment (in the salon under the seats, under a bed etc. and make sure to have proper grills for ventilation. I hope this helps and look forward to seeing you guys 'splash' - you are in for a GREAT TIME !!!

[@philipjames1133]

Thanks for you're reply Brent the factory is definitely behind not supplying Lithiums but l think this will change when l do put them in you have shown exactly what is required to do it. Keep the informative videos coming they are a valuable resource when preparing to take delivery safe travels.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Philip - just for your interest - Leopard advised me they will now be making Lithium available on their new cats. Some manufacturers are listening :)

[@Dreams.catamaran]

Awesome Brent, lots of detail that the average person can understand. Really appreciate the effort you put into your technical clips. Thank you

[@CatamaranImpi]

Always a pleasure for us Alan - I can't say I enjoyed this one particularly but tried my best to share as much as possible after being asked by many to do so. We know how tough decisions become when its time to replace batteries and hopefully this will help folks to go for it or decide not to. Cheers my friend ... Brent

[@justwayne4785]

That was extremely interesting, thanks for taking the time to make this video, and thanks to Jack.

[@davebrady8430]

Very interesting. You struck gold in finding Jack. Always good to hear other peoples thoughts on key equipment - a big investment - such as batteries. This is aside from travel experiences from each country which whets the wanderlust whistle. You're not under any obligations to make and share videos, nor what to include in the content. It is so good to see the videos as and when they are posted. There shouldn't be any demands on you. It's like seeing friends again when you do post to KZbin - always a pleasure. Best wishes from Ireland.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Very nice Dave - thanks for encouraging us here. We sometimes feel we have a lucky break living the way we always dreamed of living so it feels important for us to share as much a possible. Fortunately the folks who mostly engage with us are great hearted in spirit and we know that any encouragement to put out more videos comes from a good natured space, so we take it in that light. Nice to hear from a mate in Ireland ... my roots hail from that great country ... 'green blood in our veins' my father always used to say. Cheers for now ... Brent

[@davebrady8430]

Brent, Thanks for the reply. Great thinking process. Namaste. I saved up, gave up work to travel the world for two and a half years without the need to work. Good people like you and Ana inspired and widened my knowledge along the way. What to see and do was part curiosity and part recommendation. Sharing experiences/advice is in the heart of the good traveller to inspire and widen ones knowledge to make an informed decision. You and Ana are humble people, despite the privilige to be able to do what you are doing. Highly commendable souls. Visited vast parts of your home country over a couple of months and loved it !. The memories of the two days in your part of the world, Stellenbosch, are shall we say, a bit hazy... from the vineyard tour and afters... Your fathers words brought a smile. Go well.

[@davebrady8430]

Brent, know from your videos you love your rugby. Thought you may be interested in this. Thanks for giving us CJ Stander :-) www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/munster-rugby/i-said-to-cj-he-must-stay-in-ireland-if-he-canhe-can-come-back-to-bury-me-stander-family-grateful-for-opportunity-36791702.html

[@CatamaranImpi]

Awesome read Dave. If I were CJ I would stay in Ireland to be sure. My brother has been looking at Ireland especially given we have Irish roots :)

[@davebrady8430]

Glad you liked it ! Your brother likes what he knows and knows what he likes... Number 2 in the world right now makes Ireland even more attractive to look at. CJ plays for my home province as well as Ireland ( double bonus ), that province being Munster - "Irish by birth, Munster by the Grace of God" is the saying from that part of the world. CJ admits it's costing him money now putting up new shelves for all of the Man of the Match awards he's won !. Caught a Stormers v Sharks at Newlands game when in Cape Town in '09, great fun !. Saw the 20/20 final too with Gibbs and Smith playing. Fond sporting memories from a great town.

[@bartdude]

Another awesome video Brent! I could have watched another hour of you turning on and off the generator, shore power and solar to see the differences in the way the charging system handles the inputs of external power coming into this system. thanks!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Phew - thanks B - appreciate that!

[@firstlast1047]

Just viewed. Excellent just "plain" English explaning the merits, cost, and installation of lithium batteries. This is the first vblog I have ever book marked.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thats a huge compliment - thank you ! We genuinely are just trying to share as we learn, so hopefully I can do a follow up after 2 years of being on lithium and so on. Cheers for now Brent

[@kenshaw4375]

Can certainly understand your preoccupation/concern for your friends and loved ones still in SA. They are all in my daily prayers. Love all your videos and will enjoy them (without complaint) whenever you are able to upload them.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you Ken. We hope South Africa can find the vision Nelson Mandela had for it but without being political it is hard. We do know that most people are so good hearted there - digging deep into their hearts to try and make it work - very complex and difficult - I try to remain understanding but it is unacceptable when so many people are dying. Why do people find it so hard to unite? Anyway - we have remained positive through some very tough times and we will continue in this vain because I think - sometimes in life it's a matter of 'what angle we look at things from' and that defines how much we as people will enjoy living life or not, but right now South Africa needs a miracle. I hope we can part of that miracle but I do want my family to be safe. I will try and keep the vids flowing - thanks again ... Brent

[@Al.W7263]

Great video loaded with info. The remote adjustment capabilities are fantastic. Jack exuded knowledge and didn't once pause before giving his answer. Thank you.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you - we learned a lot from Jack and so grateful for him willing to share knowledge. The man is incredibly busy so we kinda 'jam packed' the questions as much and as quickly as possible - he did warn me that due to being rushed he may not have covered all angles as much as he would have liked to.

[@Al.W7263]

Catamaran Impi fair enough but he was so good that any other info should be compensated.

[@aponoypi]

Its really sad whats happening in South Africa. Been following and prayers for South Africa. This video is very informative

[@dougmarder]

Brent & Ana, thank you for sharing this! What is your plan for the AGM bank now? You have separate starter batteries and your new LiFePO house bank, so is the only purpose of the AGMs to sit there as a redundancy should the LiFePO bank die? Did you discuss this with Outback Jack? It seems like unnecessary weight, space utilization, maintenance, complexity, etc. Are you still a little gun-shy about committing to LiFePO?

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hello Doug and thanks for engaging. We disposed of the AGM's appropriately when we changed over. So we have regular start lead acid batteries to start each engine and at the generator so link to all those as back up. There would be too much weight to keep AGM's as redundancy but we have considered putting in a small pack of Carbon Foam Firefly Oasis batteries as 'redundancy' they are light and have similar characteristics to lithium charge and discharge - they are not lithium but many refer to them as 'poor mans lithium'. Personally I think they too are a great technology. When we evaluated all this it came down to the fact that eventually when these LiFePO4's are done ALL we need to do is replace the individual cells and nothing else. Cells are cheap and can purchased online and I personally think they are going to just keep getting cheaper. Already in the years I have looked at going this route it has become way cheaper over time. However, when it comes to redundancy I have this in the additional Lithium pack so as mentioned if there is an issue in the battery or in the BCU within the lithium system, that one will shut down automatically. We set up alarms for 30% reserve capacity and it works well, yet interestingly enough at 30% capacity we still see PLENTY Voltage so it is possible to take them down to 10% reserve (i.e.90% discharge) but we like a comfort zone due to heavy loads. So - the problem would have to be external before needing to switch across to Start Batteries for redundancy outside of Lithium, however it would not take much for me to identify the external issue and turn off charging devices one at a time. To really need it there would have to be a short somewhere that I can't find and in that instance I would need to switch across. Of course the technical issue would still be there but lead acid / AGM will keep running to its own detriment but at least one still has power on the boat. Yes - we discussed this with Jack - he is of the opinion that it is sufficient to JUST switch across to the start batteries whilst finding an anchorage to discover the issue. Jacks system is incredibly smart and does the switch over automatically so an alarm would sound to tell you the lithium pack is off and there would be a seamless transition to Start Batteries or other as set up. It's very smart and whilst it looks complex, actually its very straight forward. No - we are not 'gun shy' when it comes to LiFePO4 - it has totally revolutionised our lifestyle on Impi - I should have done it years ago when my cousin Kent at Just Catamarans recommended I do. Instead I opted for Lifeline AGM's because of costs, but those really drilled a hole in my pocket and to be honest - the LiFePO4's have been virtually self maintaining. When I wrote to Lifeline about the issues they said I was not equalising the batteries enough and needed to do it once a month. Others recommended they should never be equalised but ultimately one follows the instructions as per the factory emails. We were very careful in the way we managed them but it was a nightmare to be honest. One year on lithium - we literally operate like a home - the alarm goes at 30% - we turn on chargers to push 400A and in less than 2 hours they are full and we can live in peace and quiet. For us - it's a no brainer - I was ever so sorry to be reading all the stuff on forums. I will say though - be careful of DIY with these batteries unless you are an expert. The system around the batteries is what will, save you the money and make it safe and to that end I seriously recommend getting everything EXTERNAL to the cells i.e. to the future be able to simply replace individual cells and carry everything across. That's where you are going to be so happy for the initial investment.

[@bryanb4347]

What a great episode. I really appreciate the wonderful edits that was a lot of work. Learned so much. TY

[@CatamaranImpi]

Bryan B - really pleased we could share this Bryan and thank you for the reply as it helps us gauge what is of value or not in terms of sharing. It was a lot of work and time to get this one out but we also know how difficult it can be trying to get a handle on this stuff. We literally put years and years of learning into a 1 hr video and there was so much more I wanted to share, but 1 hr is quite a length already :) Thanks again Cheers for now Brent

[@seatravel8536]

Hands down The best questions, answers and explanation of the systems and integration!!! Well done my friend. Have you found any downside at all of the installation you currently Have? Shows how important PROPER installation is at the outset. Again, fantastic video!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks Sea Travel - We have not yet had any issues with the system so can't speak of downsides at this stage of the game, however we are only one year in and I intend to put out another in year 2. Perhaps that will be more relevant to how well these systems have performed. What we did do is to change some of the complex stuff we initially fitted to make the system more basic. I think I was over compensating after reading a lot of stuff on forums, but realised it need not be that complex. I think if one has the correct cabling in place, great programmable chargers, a good BCu / BMS then from there - the simpler the better :) Cheers and thanks for the comment

[@archstanton9206]

Outstanding video. Planned to watch in pieces wound up watching the whole video. Well done. Makes it clear the future is bright for Lithium power. Your system is amazing. Think of you often as we watch the news from South Africa. All the best to you and your family.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you Arch - we realise it is not a high powered tech vid but hoping that by sharing some of what we have come to understand folks can be better informed to ask the right questions when getting quotes and ideas to switch over to lithium. If we managed to help achieve that for people - then for me it is 'mission accomplished ' :) Thanks for the caring thoughts - truly appreciate that

[@californiakayaker]

I've been studying the so called "fire danger" with lithiums for a while and have narrowed it down quite a bit. Lithiums that are discharged to very low levels build up strings of lithoum inside. That reminds me of the similar nickel shorts that were very common in Nicads, but, some differences. The Nicad shorts were very hard bound and did not cause fires.The battery just presented a short to the charger. But, the lithium shorts are not hard bound and show up (make connection) with mechanical or heat stress at a later date after the battery has been completely recharged, thus causing a fire. This is why I will not use USED batteries in my projects, one needs to know if they have been overly discharged. Considerable research was done a few months ago. Not sure I set up a library for it.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Sorry for the delay in response here. I had to wait for a moment to hook up with Jack at Outback Marine to discuss with him. He says he has not had this as an issue and it really depends on the source and context and BMS systems make sure batteries cannot discharge to low levels. He suggests NEVER to use USED batteries so confirms your statement. Here is his email response to me: Hi Brent, It is hard to comment on the statements about the fire danger unless he tells us what the source of the information is that says that. It is commonly accepted that you shouldn't use used batteries of any type as you don't know what condition they are in. A battery monitor will tell you the minimum voltage the bank has been subjected to.

[@californiakayaker]

Found the piece on the problem. Sorry I didn't include it, as it was easy to find again and this time I put it in favs/bookmarks . www.electronicproducts.com/Power_Products/Batteries_and_Fuel_Cells/What_are_dendrites_and_why_do_they_cause_fires_in_lithium_batteries.aspx

[@californiakayaker]

And, as a little comment on your "bms" comment, I must say that BMS's don't really protect, most of them, by keeping batteries from discharging. The main thing they do by definition is "Balance" batteries. Well, I guess not by definition (if you consider the Wikipedia article on BMS;s a definition article ? MOST of them do not "protect" like a "protection circuit". More on that if you want it.

[@californiakayaker]

I think if I do an electric drive system, it will be a dual system. A dual drive transmission would be a dream, good luck finding something like that. Ideally you would only use them when docking. I've heard some sailors who almost NEVER do anything without a sail involved that electric would be just fine. But, some sailors want to go places regardless of the wind, or feel naked without an engine on in a port, and That's where the Dual drive or some other contraption would be cool. A small 30ft boat or under can benefit a lot from some sort of dual drive. For instance, using an outboard like a bow thruster. An outboard on the front and back, with some way to control its direction and thrust remotely, WOW, that would be amazing. Now, by outboards of course I mean ELECTRIC Outboards. They exist for trolling folks already, although very small. I take that back, WOW, here it is ! kzbin.info/www/bejne/lXa5Y6SnZ5J_mc0

[@CatamaranImpi]

californiakayaker N6GRG the battery management systems on board Impi is more complex. The EV Power Battery Management System consists of two parts: The Battery Control Unit (BCU) - one per battery pack of 400Ah, it monitors the battery voltage and the cell module loop and takes action to prevent charging and discharging if there is a fault. The Cell Modules - one per cell act as stand alone shunt balances and link together to provide cell voltage monitoring. To read the whole post follow the link catamaranimpi.com/home/technical-2/1-year-on-lithium-iron-phosphate-batteries-on-impi-a-revolution-in-lifestyle/

[@leonleong3744]

Fantastic video man!... I'm Leong the one we meet in puteri harbour Malaysia, how u doing there? Hope u keep safe and all the best.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hey Leon - sorry I took so long to reply to you! I'm so happy you got to see the video my friend! We sailed from Malaysia to West Sumatra, all the way to Kei Islands and over the top of Australia down the east coast to Cairns - it was a hectic trip but we are safe :)

[@iliohaleProductions]

Fantastic video and very timely for us as we need to replace our gel batteries on our 450. What issues did you have on your Lifeline AGMs?

[@CatamaranImpi]

WOW - this was a comment that slipped through the cracks until KZbin redesigned the format. I'm not sure if you still require a reply but basically the AGM's had a lot of issues. The first is weight, the second is charge curve. The factory said their AGM's need to be fully charged for the full float duration (tail end) regularly - it takes oddles of hours to top these things off because they trickle charge basically whereas the lithiums take good charge all the way to full. Lifeline AGM's (factory wrote to us) require equalization at least monthly if they are used regularly. Not doing this was a reason the factory felt we did not get life out of the batteries. This is name but a few issues - LiFePO4 has had none of these requirements or issues - we nearly on year 4 using these batteries and seldom bother looking at them :)

[@hamishmatheson6660]

Hello Brent and Ana, Congratulations on another terrific video. So much sage advice you impart. Can I please ask, if money was not an issue and with the knowledge you have now, what in your view, would be the very best lithium battery brand that has all the necessary bells and whistles (ie like Outback Marine’s battery packs)? I appreciate you are less in favour of the likes of Relion battery enclosed lithium batteries for good reason. But how do the other lithium batteries brands stack up against each other? Best wishes Hamish

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hi Hamish, thanks for the great comment. Lets start here, by saying that if money WAS an issue and we were living in a part of the world like the USA where Carbon Foam Fireflies were a 'cheap option', and my boat was not set up with the gear to cost effectively switch over to lithium - then that would have been something I seriously would have considered. Where money is NOT an issue, I would say that to be sure I would have gone the route with Outback Marine and would probably have gone further in asking Jack to build in Lithium to Lithium redundancy - he already has a seamless switch over to start / other batteries. Jack can provide this option but it would be more expensive - hence cost not being an issue. From what I have gathered in discussions between the suppliers I trust, there are many good lithium cells that stack up well when comparing one to the other, Calb, Winston and many more and where the real trick comes in is the BCU (Battery Control Unit) / BMS (Battery Management System), the cables (especially paying attention to how the crimp on fittings are crimped (ours are all hydraulic tool crimped) etc. etc. One wants to pay attention to having everything well set up outside of the battery packs. For example, we knew we would be charging and discharging on the HEAVY side, so we opted to fit commercial Gigavac Self Latching relays (as you saw Jack has similar in his system as standard) which by passed the internal relays supplied by EV Power. We did this even though EV Power said the internal relays were sufficient. I don't think there is enough information out there to accurately reflect how one brand stacks up against the next. We are all working the batteries at different rates, some of us live on them daily, others leave them in the boat at the marina etc. etc. For this reason, and because cells are 'relatively cheap' on their own, I like to have a scenario where all the gear is external on the packs. This means I get to replace ONLY cells to the future and all the other gear simply fits onto the new cells. I think this will limit ones risk of investment if a cell/s failed prematurely. I hope this helps Brent

[@hamishmatheson6660]

Catamaran Impi Brent...you are an absolute legend. Thank you so much for replying, more particularly for the in-depth and knowledgeable nature of it. With every best wish. Cheers Hamish

[@CatamaranImpi]

Always a pleasure for us Hamish. We have seen the pain in people who loose their lifestyle on the sea because they ran out of money and sometimes due to a lack of knowledge, sometimes professional people who retired to their boats without the technical skills and being burned by locals on the islands who think they have more than they do in reality. We want to do whatever we can to share what we learn so people can hang onto their dream for longer by being better informed. Batteries and electrical stuff is not something that 'grabs' my fancy so this is more an act of 'care for the sailing community which we are part of' - very important and a big ticket item when it comes to living on board, so as 'unexciting' electrical systems are for us, I do think it important to share on and pleased when it seems to be helping folks. Cheers for now .. Brent

[@RS-fu8vx]

Hi Brent. Excellent video! Will keep for future reference as well. Thanks for all your efforts.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Always a pleasure R.S. - Pleased you enjoyed it

[@deaneb5958]

Great video, you produce the best training videos for the cruising world without question. Seriously, the best!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Awe thanks Deane B - not sure we are training but hopefully we are able to provide some information that helps us ask the right questions when we consider lithium as an option. We really struggled looking at forums and information on the internet - everyone has a different opinion but in the end we decided to find the best people we could and have them advise us. We also asked if we could share that information on as it could save sailing families a lot of money - and you can see, they went further than permitting us to share it on, they actually participated :) Cheers for now and thanks for the kind comment

[@user-nt8xv1ns7w]

An apple a day, keeps the doldrums Away. This information helps! No worries for the long movie, sometimes quality needs quantity. Plus you got lithium charged camera batteries so film away... It is 3:25 am, so I shall follow your advice and pause here, get some zzzzs, recharge, and plug in tomorrow. All the power to You all.

[@CatamaranImpi]

GOOD ONE ANDREW ! Pleased you did not say '... keeps the doctor away' because of my diabetes! It's a fruit the doctor told me not to eat unfortunately, so Ana has freedom of the apple stash :D Hope your zzzz recharges the old batteries .... cheers for now ... Brent

[@allynonderdonk7577]

We have found Carbon foam batteries to be the best for us. 1 Carbon foam battery has the same capacity as 2 similarly sized AGM batteries. They can be discharged down to 20% capacity, 50% is optimal, which is far below the 80% of standard lead-acid AGM. They will pretty much always charge back up to full capacity for many years, and the best thing is they are 25% to 33% the cost of lithium, with just a slightly lower life expectancy. Something like 90%. They can also take a beating with charging as long as it doesn't really go above 14.4 volts. So if you keep in mind the capacity, if you have 4 lead acid batteries, you will only need 2 carbon foam batteries. So the price is pretty much almost exactly the same as just buying lead acid batteries. An even better deal than lithium in my mind by like 5 fold.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thats really cool Allyn - we seriously looked at this option too and I will say it is a great option and definitely better than AGM. Nigel Calder also puts his name behind these batteries and knowing Nigel, they would have to be exceptional before he did. He actually had them on his boat for the testing. Its a great alternative, but not so sure about the 5 fold. Ultimately we decided to opt for LiFePO4 after looking at Lead Crystal and Carbon Foam and we pushed the initial investment to reap the rewards down the line, but to be sure it was a VERY CLOSE CALL for us between Carbon Foam and LiFePO4. Thanks for sharing that ... would love to keep in touch with cruisers running heavy loads on Carbon Foam for down the line comparisons. We are already doing this with another boat however they are not living on them everyday like we are, so please let us know if you do. We are all about saving money and having options ... Carbon Foam is exciting!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Allyn - just to clarify for other cruisers here - Carbon Foam would have been something we opted for, had they not worked out very expensive landed in Australia where we were cruising at the time of the instal. In the US or other countries I can imagine them being a very viable buy and would suggest folks look into this

[@peterjohnstaples]

Well done, I could sit for another hour Brent, Thank you much appreciated and yes you have the guy with you (Jack)

[@CatamaranImpi]

Ahh - pleased you enjoyed that Peter :). Jack is great - really appreciate a professional willing to share! Cheers mate

[@deeannec2000]

One of my favorite Knopfler's...... and a lot of information!!

[@CatamaranImpi]

LOL - yes, love that song :)

[@jeremyfernfrond]

Hey this is a great informative video on Lithium and general battery management systems. Thanks so much for taking the time to make this and share it with us all. Anyone looking into Lithium should check this out.

[@CatamaranImpi]

A pleasure for us Jeremy - I really hoped to share information that is meaningful. This is 'stuff' I struggled to grasp myself so really tried hard to put it in a format others can understand. Cheers and thanks for the comment Brent

[@graeme-sailingskeptic]

Brent, mate awesome info and thanks so much for showing us more of you fantastic boat!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks Graeme - pleased you enjoyed that one !

[@svfatbottomgirl1344]

Thankyou for this most informative video I am about to build a system for our boat and your information is most valuable.

[@CatamaranImpi]

A pleasure for us and we know what it’s like to get all this sorted ! We hope you guys have huge success and for sure going this route makes for such pleasurable living in the oceans. Cheers from the Impians :)

[@roberttorres809]

Wow, as always; great stuff.. thanks and note to self: Jack Peters....

[@CatamaranImpi]

Cheers Robert ! Jack is great. He always tells me he is 'run off his feet' and probably for good reason ... the lad is in huge demand :)

[@johankotze42]

Quite informative. Thank you.

[@paulgoss6786]

pretty good....might be getting a boat about sept!! cya!!!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Look forward to seeing your boat Paul :)

[@paulgoss6786]

it wont be much, but I will be on the water!! thanks

[@paulgoss6786]

im glad you support pets!!! i had 13 dogs when i was younger, thanks to Michelle who worked at seattle animal... it was so special!

[@PSMarinecoatings]

A very good explanation about Lithium batteries, now I know what to do. Many Thanxs.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Great Arnold - for me it goes about us all as sailors / boat owners being better equipped to ask the right questions and understand what we are in for when going with this technology. I found my mind got so baffled tying to research it on the internet that I almost did not want to 'venture there'. In the end, one can keep it simple and have a great system. Cheers for now Brent

[@mickmccrohon]

great vid and I see the costs are in the info above. Thanks.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks Mick - yes - I tried to put in as many of the costs under the description as possible. Of course these are the costs at the time of me doing the install and bear in mind that we had a lot of the other gear in place, wiring was good to go without replacing etc. etc. - so as Jack said, 'It could not have gone better for us'. I am hoping through sharing he video that sailors can get a feel for the right questions to ask when a technical person looks at doing the instal for them. That way they are not caught by surprise. In Pittwater, I spoke to a sailor who was being fleeced by one of the bigger suppliers. He was really miserable and it was costing him a fortune. The problem is that he did not know what questions to ask and the supplier did not provide him with the information, so one thing added ontop of another. Perhaps this video will change that for many sailors - I hope so :)

[@mickmccrohon]

Two things... 1) I work in Arundel just near OUTBACK MARINE and 2) I live on my 11 meter cat and an interested in changing over to LiFePO4 so your vid was perfect. I would like to change my yanmar diesel for a 25Kwatt electric motor as well. Time will tell which I manage to do.

[@CatamaranImpi]

I would love to see a vid on your Yanmar to Electric motor changeover. I am sure if you chatted to Jack he could give you some good info. He is a quiet guy so you need to ask the questions :)

[@mickmccrohon]

The ironic part is I'm here on contract helping develop electric motors for air craft! The stars are aligning on this one.

[@CatamaranImpi]

WOW !!! Agreed - I think Jack could be a valuable contact for you and possibly the other way around too. I really enjoy finding people with a great deal of integrity - he is one of those people. All the best with your project ...

[@keithwiggins6891]

This was a fantastic explanation video, lots of detail!

[@jimmcdonald9244]

Brilliant work Brent. You and your family are most welcome here in Australia any time. Glad to hear you're enjoying Tassie. They don't call it the Apple Isle for nothing! Cheers mate.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thank you Jim - and thanks for making us feel welcome in your amazing country! Tassie is just AWESOME - it truly is a special place to sail into. And yes, the apples are the best we have tasted anywhere :)

[@DoubleUThings]

Brent, I didn't have time to watch the whole video. Will do that if we ever go to sea :-) But I just wanted to say I love the clear way you guys are explaining things.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks so much - it means a lot to us to know we were able to share something we found difficult to understand clearly with others who may now be in the 'same boat' so to speak. Cheers my friend

[@DoubleUThings]

Experiences from people who have dealt with something, often provides better, more realistic info then info from the guys who sell it :-)

[@bobshaw4063]

Hi Brent & Ana , Belated " Happy Easter " to both of you . I was intrigued when I saw the gold globe in the salon near where ya's were sitting . What is it for ? Is it new ? I've never noticed it before . Please tell me about it when you get a chance > I'd appreciate it very much . Please say Hello to Ana for me .

[@CatamaranImpi]

Happy Easter Bob :) The Globe is just a globe of the earth. I wish I could tell you it is so much more than that :) For Ana and me it's sometimes nice to sit and spin it around and reflect on all the places we have seen :) Ana says a huge 'Hi' ... Cheers for now Brent

[@donzie13]

Where have you been? We have been waiting for you!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Sorry DDM - we struggle for time sometimes as we are very active in sailing and visiting people etc. Our channel is more about 'we share when we can' so we do try but sometimes difficult and then to add to it we had some issues to tend to in South Africa - so - a very busy time for us but will try my best to keep em coming :).

[@Nick75au1]

Great Video, from a marine electrician.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks Nick - so appreciate to hear this from someone knowledgable in the trade - that makes it extra special for us. Cheers my friend

[@bill4nier]

Well, that was system overload! It blew memory capacity and circuit breakers!! 😉 Fortunately, your video has been tagged for additional future viewing. 😍 You talked briefly about initial demand when you turn a piece of equipment on i.e. a dive compressor. Have you heard of a device called "Soft Start"? It lowers that initial spike in power. Buy the way could you provide a link to Outback Marine and OVERKILL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS? Many thanks this was super! I'll be sending this video link to other cruisers.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hello Bill - lol - loved the opening comment :D Yes , thanks for the heads up - we have heard of soft starters and yet I have never fitted one on Impi due to the fact that we have so many devices (air compressor, air conditioners etc.) that would require them. I am holding thumbs whilst saying this but so far our system has handled it well as is - about 6 years in now. I have been told soft starters could provide additional life but would like to hear more about that from the experts - do you have info on that? Outback Marine link is here www.outbackmarine.com.au Jack Peters email address (I hope he doesn't kill me for this) - [e-mail] Overkill Electric services - Sam Brown Sam is a small operation - does EVERYTHING himself - he comes out by road, by boat or wherever needed and is in huge demand so never advertising but worth persisting if in your area PITTWATER - also has a workshop right on the water. [e-mail] With Sam I would suggest putting REF: CATAMARAN IMPI in the subject line - he will get back sooner. I will put the links to Jack and Sam in the description of the video as well. Thanks for sharing with other cruisers - appreciate that :)

[@CatamaranImpi]

Bill - I put the links up in the description - thanks

[@xulitoca]

Very interesting video and lots of details, thank you!

[@CatamaranImpi]

A pleasure for us - thanks for commenting and hopefully helps ask the right questions when considering an instal

[@MultiCareka]

Why dont the CCGX show you solar panels, like it does on mine. ? i have used the CCGX since spring 2014, and it is getting updated from Victon online, as they are doing it better al the time (just like our Tesla is getting updated , Very nice film. i will take a film of mine and send to you. so you can se what mine is showing.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hi there Geir - we have been stalling on the solar side of things as we are looking at the latest panels with Jack. We have the Victron MPPT controller but still wired tot he Bluesky MPPT until the switch over to new panels so our solar display inputs sit on a separate display. I look very much forward to seeing your movie and very keen to learn more from you about the Tesla set up you have. Cheers my friend Brent

[@t147han]

A lot of hype with lithium.If you have very deep pockets yes go for them.But do not believe the sales hype.After 5 years expect to replace them.And make sure you have a lot of alternator belts as spares.And check those sensors before every time you use the alternator,Also running lithium flat ,can destroy them.A lot of big money outches with lithium.If you have enough space for your required agm needs.Forget about the extra weight,So much less hastle with agm.and there are no gasses in agm.and also can be stored side on.

[@CatamaranImpi]

t147han catamaranimpi.com/home/technical-2/

[@CatamaranImpi]

catamaranimpi.com/home/technical-2/1-year-on-lithium-iron-phosphate-batteries-on-impi-a-revolution-in-lifestyle/

[@t147han]

Already watched this.Some false ,by a dealer and fitter.They had the same hype with AGM.Were is what you stated by another.There is not one,so you send this@@CatamaranImpi

[@t147han]

@@CatamaranImpi Saw it already.Some false statements,

[@CatamaranImpi]

t147han name the false statements mate

[@michaelsamuel4159]

Thanks Brent, I feel like I know a little bit about lithiums, or at least to have a starting point to work with. By the way, I watched it all in one sitting. Oh, and I saw the beautiful Ana's reflection in the background as a bonus. Cheers bud!

[@javionadrien1167]

Instablaster

[@pnwesty7174]

That was super tech heavy, but really interesting. I know a little more about electrical systems on boats - or at least ideally. Still confusing at parts - I'm the type that needs to spend some time, and ask a lot of questions. Electrons are a strange magic I have a hard time with. Thanks for the great video - very informative! Cheers.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hey Shawn - all good mate and thanks for commenting. Could you perhaps tell us where things are still confusing for you? I am sailing for Southport right now and should arrive there in the next 18 hours or so so will take those questions to Jack and get clarification for everyone wanting more info. All the best wishes Brent

[@pnwesty7174]

Hi Brent - It's nothing specific, but that these complex systems are all new to me. Most of my confusion is more of a lack of understanding how all this stuff works - like the battery unit monitors and how they decide to shut down a bank, the steps in losing both house banks, and the manual switch over to the engine banks so you can bring the house banks back online, the part about multiple alternators (I didn't know that was even a thing :-). I generally get the overall system - your video was very well done - but since it's so new to me, some of the details are a little hard for me. I don't feel like I really understand a technical system until I spend time with it. I am a science guy, so I like to feel I understand each part and it's relationship with the other parts to really "get it". Sorry for the long reply. Cheers!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Shawn - Did you read Ana's blog? catamaranimpi.com/home/technical-2/1-year-on-lithium-iron-phosphate-batteries-on-impi-a-revolution-in-lifestyle/ It's important for me to make this easier for folks because we too have toiled with this for a long time, and some 'experts' can really make it confusing for ordinary folks like us. I may be able to give 'some pointers' in your comments. The BMS (Battery Monitoring Units) on the LiFePO4 batteries the BMS is hooked up to read / sense the voltage on the battery bank. So it basically is programmed to disconnect the battery via a solenoid (self latching relay) if there is a voltage readout that exceeds the upper limit or lower limit. So if one were to over discharge the battery the voltage would drop too far (maybe too much load dropping the voltage or just allowing it to 'run flat') and on the other hand if there is a high spike in voltage - for example one of the charging devices has a fault and overcharges, the battery BMS will shut off the bank by recognising the over voltage parameter and it does this simply by opening the solenoid / relay cutting off the feed to and from the batteries. Kinda like an 'automated turn off switch' for want of a better description. (so the cable to the battery runs to two posts on the solonoid and it latches to keep the feed - but when it receives a signal from the BMS it triggers the latch to let go and hence a 'break in the feed'. Now with these Lithiums we can press a button on the BMS to force it back on line - but if the issue (over voltage or under voltage remains - it will turn it off again). This probably means one has an error somewhere, so to get around this and maintain 12v on the boat, we bypass the LiFEPO4 batteries by turning on a separate 'switch' that diverts all the feed away from the Lithium batteries (leaving them in isolation) now to the 'start / generator etc - other batteries). This means we now have voltage on the boat but recognising that no matter the battery there will eventually be damage done because regular style batteries do not have a BMS shutting them down. The idea is to have enough time to get to an anchorage or safe place to identify where the problem is. Perhaps a short on the boat somewhere or an overcharging alternator etc. Regarding Multiple Alternators: When one purchases the boat, there is generally one alternator on the the engine and it is designed mostly to charge the engine start batteries. However, the boat manufacturers have a 'splitter device' fitted that allows the charge to go not only to the engine start batteries but ALSO to the house bank batteries. The issue is that these alternators have internal regulators and are not programable generally for heavy charging like LiFEPO4 batteries and really they are not even the BEST for AGM's and so on. Now, when we fit additional alternators to the engine, we fit EXTERNAL regulators that are programable for different change curves, depending on the TYPE of battery used. So - with LiFEPO4 we program the external regulators to charge at a specific charge 'curve' to the Lithiums, whereas the original alternators are still ALSO feeding to the LiFEPO4 batteries but not on a programable charge curve. So these alternators work too hard for Lithium type batteries. For this reason we instal a switch to disconnect the feed side of the original alternators to the house bank batteries and dedicate them to the engine start batteries. They now can also be a 'back up' to the added alternators if there is a failure, simply by switching the 'splitter function' ON again to feed the house banks. The thing with Lithium batteries is that they can take a BIG charge until almost full - and this is what can kill small alternators. So on external alternators we fit TEMP SENSE wires that monitor the casing temperature and send a signal to the external regulator to throttle back the charge rate until the casing temperature cools down. That's why it is important to have a big case alternator with good cooling fins and the cooler one can keep the operating environment, the better the alternators will perform. I hope this helps a little :) If you in a place where Impi is come and have a beer - I will show you physically on the boat :)

[@mikeferguson2828]

Great video Brent. I have been looking forward to it. I have met 2 boats personally passing here with lithium installs are both have been happy with no issues reported. I must add both boats were fitted in Australasia so they must be doing something right that the Americans are still battling with 🤐

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks Mike. Good to hear the folks are seeing the results in switching to Lithium. I can't comment on what's happening elsewhere as we had ours installed in Australia but yes, the right people here are really good at it. I find in Australiaa that the professionals are always happy to share information - I do not find people keeping it to themselves and I admire that because it means overall the customer is better informed and gets better feedback . Cheers for now ... Brent

[@douglasmontgomery6315]

Great video Brent, lot's of info, thanks for sharing.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks Douglas - nice to engage with you here and on FB. Thanks for always engaging with us :)

[@billallen4039]

Fantastic content once again Ana and Brent - I think we should start a Sailing version of the OSCARS Where You Tubers vote for their favourite YT video posts that benefit the target audience ... Best Electrical content - Best Sailing content - Best underwater filming - Best Sailing Food - You get the idea.... "First nomination goes to Brent and Ana for Best Electrical testing video post" Onwards and Upwards to us all in 2018 and beyond...:)

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hey Bill - nice to chat with you again :) Thanks for the compliment and nomination - not sure I could keep it up though - it takes me heaps of time to get a video out like this. What was nice is that my daughter got to see some of what we do here - she was keen to see how I edit and make video here as she is a school teacher now and would like to share ideas with the kids. Not sure I would like to be 'under the whip' in any competitive stuff on You Tube - lol - we kinda do it micro style (the boutique channel) and share stuff from a relaxed space. Still watching you and Heather and keen to see the big splash when the time is right for you both. As you say ... 'Onwards and Upwards to us all in 2018 and beyond' ... cheers my friend ... Brent

[@billallen4039]

Thank you for your prompt response Brent... Heather and I just booked our tickets for 3 months down under in November 2018 till mid Feb 2019, checking out Australia and New Zealand - Mediterranean Cruise lined up in June and a month driving round ...'somewhere' in a Porsche Boxster in September (UK or Europe?) .... So another uneventful year...;)

[@billallen4039]

As for your daughter and her love of teaching, she will have something to keep her in SA and it may well be that she is passionate about helping others, especially children .. Video is a great method of communicating and telling a story for the World to see.... In November 2017 a team of volunteers from our business travelled to South Africa to set up a creche and a drop in centre for vulnerable children. it is on FB as Purple Aid

[@CatamaranImpi]

She was top of her class in university - apparently too white to get a job in SA - other kids in her class not white got posts right away. We are not complaining, we are not negative and we are not stupid ... when talent is not wanted, time to move where it is !!! Onwards and upwards - be that river ... flow over and around obstacles but keep flowing :)

[@CatamaranImpi]

Just read the comment about your travel plans - so awesome Bill!!! If possible please do visit Tasmania - amazing, amazing, amazing place It sounds like you and Heather have a fun packed travel plan :)

[@rossduncan5046]

Excellent - thank you for this very informative piece.

[@CatamaranImpi]

A pleasure for us Ross

[@svrogueangel4625]

Excellent! Thank you for sharing!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks for commenting Rick - always pleased if we can share something that adds value. We don't proclaim to have everything right, but we like to add content that helps people to think things through.

[@AdventuresofSprout]

Some great info Brent. Thanks for your contributions to the knowledge base. :) P.S. We like Jack too.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Awesome hearing from you guys again !!! We often wonder where you are :) We know you guys to have serious electrical knowledge so very nice comment coming from you ! Jack and Sam have both been very good to us - uncomplicated people who silently get on with the job. We also love their open spirit to share stuff with us, knowing we will share that knowledge forward ... especially on how to catch flatheads :D

[@unclemuir]

Don't worry about the videos. You must enjoy your holidays.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Cheers Uncle Muir - happy holidays :)

[@Greggspies]

Aw yawr! Love SA accent, your daughter reaction to Tasmania

[@CatamaranImpi]

We are pleased you could understand us :). And yes, Jenna LOVES Tasmania - she would move there in a heartbeat . Cheers

[@paulgoss6786]

just now, your video!!!

[@davidmacsweeney1902]

I am from Noumea and we live on our boat for the past 11 years at anchor and we follow you from time to time on KZbin. Your movies was interesting on the lithium battery, but after watching, I am sticking to what I have, good Optima AGM batteries. When we need to use heavy loads of electricity I use my generator since it is made for it. But I don't use an inverter whatsoever as this will kill any battery. I just can't understand if you have solar panels and a super generator why would you use the inverter for heavy load usage. The costs of your lithium set up outweighs the cost of fuel for the generator and you waste lots of money. Keep it simple as living aboard is already complex. If you are ever in a remote area and your system shuts down, then what? You can always find a good battery anywhere in the world. Just some advise. Take it as you wish. Like to meet you the next time you are in Noumea. From David and Peggy Baie de L'orphelinat. A bientot!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hi David - you live in a great country my friend! I understand folks who keep things simple this way, but for us we decided to make our boat as comfortable as our home. We use a lot of electricity and enjoy it this way and we sail to many countries with varying temperatures so sometimes we run air conditioners and heaters and we don't want the noise of the generator through the night. Mostly Ana does not like it when the generator is operating and I must say its nice to have 2 or 3 days quiet (depending on loads) and plenty electricity before turning on the generator again. And then because we have great charging systems and the LiFePO4's maintain higher voltage for longer we can charge the LiFePo4's super quickly for another 2 or 3 days of silence. New Caledonia has a great average climate so possibly no need for air conditioning / warm air (climate control) comforts and if you are happy with what you have then of course no need to change the system. I agree with keeping things simple on board - and then again, it is not complicated when one has the time to learn and research systems on board. From the beginning on Impi, we have made it our business to research and understand maintaining / repairing EVERYTHING that has been installed on the boat and it becomes easy for me to keep Impi ship shape as a result. I never feel that living onboard is complex - I find it luxurious and maintenance is a hobby because we stay ahead of the game by doing preventative maintenance. We look forward to meeting you and Peggy in New Caledonia hopefully later this year - we think we will return soon - who knows - New Caledonia may well become our new home :) Cheers for now Brent

[@davidmacsweeney1902]

Hi Brent and Ana don't get us wrong we are all for comfort and we do run our air con and heater here (Peggy is always cold as soon as we are in the mid 20's and I am always hot with all of the bricolage aboard) This is our home all year round so we put everything in for the maximum amount of comfort, we are very different than a catamaran. We have a trawler and run a 5Kw Northern lights but it is in the engine room where we don't hear it. So seeing where your generator is placed I can understand the amount of noise you hear when it is running and not pleasant when you are trying to read a book or watch the fishies all around. Looking forward to seeing you later this year. A bientot..

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thats great guys - wow - you have a trawler you live on - awesome. I look forward to seeing you in New Caledonia. As I write to you Ana is on the line with Guy Kane the flying vet who looked after Moose. They are chatting about other funding for animal welfare programs so New Caledonia very much on our minds :) Cheers for now

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thats great guys - wow - you have a trawler you live on - awesome. I look forward to seeing you in New Caledonia. As I write to you Ana is on the line with Guy Kane the flying vet who looked after Moose. They are chatting about other funding for animal welfare programs so New Caledonia very much on our minds :) Cheers for now

[@tlowe2502]

Thanks guys, very informative. Safe travels. ⛵👍💕💞🐾

[@CatamaranImpi]

So nice to hear from you again and hoping the family is doing well in 2018 :) A pleasure for us as always ... Brent

[@billroberts9182]

Wow. Thx!

[@CatamaranImpi]

Hope it helps us to ask the professionals the right questions and hopefully better informed to make the right decisions. Thanks

[@gingerbread1032]

Lithium ion is already as outdated as lead acid types. You just do know it yet. But you will real $oon. Don't switch don't build yet because the best is soon to hit the open market.

[@necatserifoglu7533]

Give a detail please, there is not any info like this.

[@gingerbread1032]

NECAT SERIFOGLU . Necat. A factory 9000 watt electric start generator comes equiped with a 420 cc 13 hp 4stk engine that delivers 26 Nm of tourque @ 3000rpm. And provides, 120/240v with Max 75 amp current draw via 5 - 120v 15A recepticals or 2- 240 v 30A recepticles. ---------------------------------- If you Couple the engine to the gen with a free wheel clutch, " AND" Couple a 115 v 13 amp 1550 watt 2.5hp motor delevering 26Nm @ 13 amp constant load to the back of the gen. ---------------------------------- You can start the gen with the engine, and the the motor will instantanly take over driveing the gen so the start engine can be turned off. ---------------------------------- This set up will run 24/7 with no outside forces being applied. It delevers 120v @ 60A to use any way you wish up to a max 30 amp single line draw. This will quietly power a drive motor for any small EV, no battery no vehicle engine needed.

[@laurentfroggy6631]

Very good as usual Brent and Ana. Very informative too. Glad your son has a new job too... When are you guys leaving and sailing again? thanks and best from HKG

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks Laurent - yes Terry is doing well in selling yachts now and is transitioning between technical work on boats to selling them - so doing a bit of both. We are sailing - we sailing all the time unless we fly back to South Africa, which last time was for 2 weeks . Cheers my friend ... hope to see you in HKG sometime :)

[@svphoenixandme776]

¡Excelente!

[@gingerbread1032]

A self powered personal generating plants will become AVALIBLE to the public very soon. It will unhook you from the energy tycoons, free you to travel any we're any time aslong as you wish to drive your car, This small compact simple wireless energy generater is what Tesla wanted everyone to have for them self.

[@flyingdutchman6984]

If you only listen to salesmen and fanboys lithium is the next best thing to sliced bread. 😀😀😀

[@Greggspies]

Does this mean you can buy a waffle maker?

[@russellesimonetta9071]

Don,t even think about Tesla batteries!!! Disaster on a boat! Lipo is best! I think two 24V packs in parallel.

[@alistairmorrish8613]

wait til you learn about titanium batteries...

[@CatamaranImpi]

Please - Tell Me More - I'm always looking for new tech ... I read this article which didn't quite excite me about titanium but would love to know what you do about this. sciencing.com/lithium-vs-titanium-batteries-5554527.html Cheers mate - Happy 2020

[@alistairmorrish8613]

@@CatamaranImpi kzbin.info/www/bejne/pmLbmp-aiNFnfs0

[@CatamaranImpi]

@@alistairmorrish8613 Thanks for the ‘heads up’ - It’s certainly something to keep an eye out for but it will not be effective for our type lifestyle it’s no contender against LiFePo4. I would be very happy come the day it is though :) @8:15 he states that for everyday solar power use - there is no way. The discharge inefficiency is ‘crazy high’ - 15% loss @8:27 he states that LiFePo4 is way more efficient I do like his comment @8:38 - Titanate charges really fast. It’s like a 10C max - 5C recommended whilst LiFePo4 are generally 1C and ours are actually .5C @10:27 he refers to the capacity of these as a ‘joke’ and @11:14 he admits he should have studied more about the discharge inefficiencies. Thanks for sharing it - as full time sailors we are always looking for extra power. Cheers mate

[@CatamaranImpi]

I just read some comments - here is the one posted by him personally after doing more testing: After messing with these cells some more, I don't like them. They are heavy, expensive, inefficient, hard to wire, and the charge cycle/ temperature benefits aren't really necessary for my applications. There are some interesting applications for these cells, but I found them to be a pain in the butt. And yes these are probably cheap/grade b cells considering their price. Not a big surprise if they are, but I don't care to research it more due to the downsides of this chemistry. That discharge inefficiency loss is just horrible. I'm sticking to LiFePO4. Seems like the car audio crowd likes these cells for their charge and discharge rates. Makes sense. Anywho, they are very interesting cells. But I have no motivation to do further testing. Going to focus on LiFePO4. Currently my favorite chemistry. Superb properties for solar power systems.

[@alistairmorrish8613]

@@CatamaranImpi I read those comments too, It will take time to iron out the problem characteristics of these cells, the promise of 20 000 cycles is unbelievable!! Our battery technology is doing a Moore's law equivalent - I hear good things coming from Aluminium too? BTW Ex-SAfer too - In Ireland on a barge...with Lifepo...

[@nothanks9205]

I think you could use a bit more self/situational awareness. You tell your wife to quit enjoying an apple because it may be annoying while you sit and pound on the table the camera is sitting on nonstop. Seriously?

[@CatamaranImpi]

Shane you are quite correct. We noticed the pounding but we did not have enough time to re do it. The apple by the way - was set up as a fun thing - a joke between Ana and me and I can assure you and I actually asked Ana if folks would not get this wrong - in my household, to me, the woman are more important than the men - I am not one of those dictator type guys :) But kudos on you - it shows you have good principles Cheers my friend Brent

[@nothanks9205]

Clearly you're a good man yourself and I misread the situation. I find this information very useful and I'm glad you guys went through the effort to produce it. I don't think there's a single other video that goes this in depth on lithium technology in boats.

[@CatamaranImpi]

Thanks Shane and no worries. We appreciate the compliment about the video - it really comes from a space of 'learning and sharing' for us. We were quite desperate at the time we needed to replace batteries and it was really tough to find any information on the internet that was 'simple enough' for my pea brain to understand when it comes to Lithiums. We decided to go this route with limited knowledge at the time, and also with electricians who were quite secretive about their trade which makes it difficult for guys like us on boats. Everything we could find on the internet was incredibly technical and on forums people seemed to be in so much disagreement with each other - so it was a tough decision for us to make. To boot, we were then dropped by several electricians during that time which as it turns out was a 'blessed subtraction in our lives', and came across Sam Brown who did a great job, followed by Jack Peters who after years of us struggling with one of the Victron multiplus devices discovered an internal issue with the unit after setting up a data logging device. He then advised us to modify certain aspects of the lithium system and actually made it a lot simpler around the batteries, but with more monitoring capability. Regarding his 'diagnosis to our victron multiplus units', this follows Victron in South Africa not wanting to acknowledge a problem existed, Victron Holland never quite knowing what to do with us, Victron USA, Panama, Tahiti, New Caledonia, New Zealand and eventually in Australia after 5 years of struggling with a system that kept 'freezing' and going into a 'looping circuit' - Jack Peters was appointed by Victron Australia to help out. So for 5 years we were charging through one device whereas we had paid for and installed two devices. We have oodles and oodles of emails and wasted time with Victron over those years but they did make good in the end - thankfully. Jack got it sorted super efficiently and the manner in which he went about it was exceptional and professional. This is why we can proudly mention both Jack and Sam as being great guys. We learned so much from watching these guys, both being willing to share and discuss every detail of the instal with us, so I asked them if they would mind sharing some knowledge for other sailors to understand how 'non complex' it can be. Both men are in huge demand and always busy, so I don't think they felt the threat of sharing knowledge - and we seriously hoped through this video that owners of boats the world over could get some basic understanding of at least 'one way' in which a system can be set up. We realise there are many different ways and possibly even better ways of doing it, but for us the system has been virtually maintenance free. Cheers and thanks for the reply - we appreciate it.