Powerboater's Guide to Electrical Systems: Maintenace, Troubleshooting, and Improvements - 2nd Edition

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Item # MH-85500  ISBN: 9780071485500




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Powerboaters can use this simple, step-by-step, illustrated guide to do their own electrical projects and repairs. Author Ed Sherman walks the reader through the basics, including wiring diagrams, diagnosing problems, ignition systems, battery systems, shorepower circuits, installing equipment, surveying your boats wiring, and more.

Frustrated by the high cost of basic electrical work but nervous about tackling such projects yourself? Ed Sherman worte and teaches the American Boat & Yacht Council's certification program for electrical technicians. Now he's written this heavily illustrated, project-specific manual—the next best thing to having an electrician looking over your shoulder, and a lot cheaper!

Basic theory is combined with a problem-solution format that provides step-by-step directions for repairs and add-ons. From installing a new cabin light, CD player and speaker, fishfinder, or VHF radio, to tracing a faulty ignition circuit, it's all you need to maintain your boat's basic electrical systems. Learn to:

• Draw up a wiring diagram for your boat.
  
  
• Locate and identify the wiring and circuit components.
  
  
• Select and use a multimeter.
  
  
• Choose and maintain battery and marine ignition systems.
  
  
• Troubleshoot starter-motor, engine, and instrument problems.
  
  
• Install DC and AC marine accessories, equipment, and electronics.

Any powerboater will find Powerboaters Guide to Electrical Systems a valuable addition to their arsenal of onboard tools.

Table of Contents:

Foreword | Introduction

Chapter 1. Electrical Basics You Need to Know
What Is Electricity? | Electrical Circuits | Ohm's Law and What It Can Tell Us | Voltage Drop | Putting It All Together | Circuit Problems and How They Occur | Tools

Chapter 2. Working with Wiring Diagrams
The Trouble with Boats | Wiring Diagrams | Common Symbols | Component Identification | Wire Identification and the ABYC Color Code | Expanding the Basic Circuit | Locating Components | Drawing Your Own Wiring Diagram

Chapter 3. Selecting and Using a Multimeter
Multimeters | Selecting a Multimeter | Using Your Multimeter | Measuring Amperage | Measuring Resistance and Continuity

Chapter 4. Wire and Circuit Protection Standards and Repair Procedures
Order Out of Chaos | ABYC Standards and Recommendations | Basic Wiring | Wire Size | Wire Insulation | Fuses and Circuit Breakers | Ignition Protection | Testing Fuses and Circuit Breakers | Levels of Circuit Protection | Acceptable Locations for Fuses and Circuit Breakers | Wire Routing and Support | Connecting the Dots: Making Wiring and Connection Repairs

Chapter 5. Batteries and Battery Systems
How Batteries Work: The Basics | Basic Chemistry | Types of Lead-Acid Batteries | Which Battery Is Right for You? | Battery Safety | Battery Maintenance and Testing | Battery Installations | Testing Your Batteries.

Chapter 6. Battery-Charging Systems
Alternator Basics | Engine-Driven Marine Alternators | Alternator Problems | Outboard-Engine Charging Systems | Shore-Power Battery Charging Systems and Installations | Solargizer Approach

Chapter 7. Maintaining Marine Ignition Systems
Ignition-System Components | Regulations Regarding Ignition Systems | Outboard and PWC Ignition Systems | Maintaining Ignition Systems | MerCruiser Thunderbolt IV and V Systems | Beyond the Basics: Outboard and PWC Ignition Systems | Outboard and PWC Ignition Tests | Testing Your Stop Switch | Final Checks and Ignition Timing

Chapter 8. Tracing and Repairing Starter-Motor Circuits
Coast Guard Regulations for Starter Motors | Starter-Motor Problems and Solutions | Troubleshooting Starter-Motor Circuits | Outboard-Engine Starter Circuits | Testing the Neutral-Safety Switch | Engine Ignition Switch | Other Outboard-Engine Starter-Motor Problems

Chapter 9. Installing Your Own DC Accessories
Before You Begin | Installing a New Cabin Light | Installing a New Bilge Pump | Adding a New Compact-Disc Player

Chapter 10. Engine Instrumentation Problems and Solutions
Mechanical Gauges | Common Instrument Interpretation Problems | Abnormal Instrument Readings | General Instrument Troubleshooting

Chapter 11. Alternating Current and AC Equipment
What Is Alternating Current? | AC on Your Boat | AC Safety | Color Coding for AC Wiring | Comparisons between AC and DC Circuits | AC Overcurrent Protection | Basic AC Outlet Connections | Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters | Checking Voltage, Continuity, and Polarity on AC Circuits | Selecting a DC-to-AC Inverter | AC Generators | Galvanic Isolators

Chapter 12. Installing Marine Electronic Equipment
Electronic Gadgetry | Universal Installation Details | Power Supply | Installing a VHF Radio | How Much Can I Gain? | The Coaxial Question | Installing a Fish-Finder or Depth-Sounder | Installing a GPS Receiver | Installing Your Own Radar

Glossary | Resources | Index

About the Author

Ed Sherman is the author of Outboard Engines and is a professor at the New England Institute of Technology in Warwick, Rhode Island.

Powerboater's Guide to Electrical Systems: Maintenace, Troubleshooting, and Improvements - 2nd Edition