DaveS

Can anyone confirm that I'm thinking along the 'right lines' here. Having very recently bought a 3 year old Viking 24, which is fitted with an Engel 12V fridge. When we took the boat out for the first time last weekend, running for 3 or 4 hours, the fridge got nice and cold. On thursday, I went up to the boat to spend a couple of days, doing some work on it, and staying over night. The boat was 'hooked up' to 230V shore power. In order to have fridge on, without draining the battery, I put connected a battery charger to the battery, and let it run in 'float charge' mode. However, the fridge did not get cold. I assumed that, like my caravan fridge (a Dometic 12V, Gas, Mains), while towing, 12V is only connected to the fridge when the engine is running (a voltage sensing relay in the car takes care of this). As the Dometic fridge will draw up to 10 Amps from the car supply, this prevents the flattening the car battery, when the engine is off, but the fridge still connected to the car. I believe the Engel fridge only draws something like 3.5 Amps, but obviously enough to drain a battery over several hours. If it is the case, that the boat fridge is only activated via the ignition switch circuit, then I will need the wire in a bypass switch, so that I can run the fridge on the 12V system, when on the marina mooring with the ignition circuit switched off. The 230V 'shore supply' powering a battery charger in 'float mode', maintaining the battery power. What is confusing, is that with the shore power connected, I can here what sounds like a fridge compressor running all the time. The sound coming from the vent below the fridge. Switching the fridge to off, via it's internal switch, has no effect on this compressor type noise. Switching off the whole of the 12V at the isolator, also has no effect. Disconnect the 230V shore power supply, and the noise stops. Any thoughts on this ? Dave

That would be the Albany Highway, which is the main artery South. Unless you did the bit down to Margaret River, via Manduarah, Bunbury and Bussleton, on the coast road. Dave

No parrots here Jonny, only the wife's Budgie The Galah is a very common garden bird in W.Oz, as is the Ring Neck Parrot (also known as the 28, because it's call sounds like 28,28,28 . See below: Dave

A nice story, and a very interesting read. I too, look forward to reading the next installment Dave

The last dying embers of the Sun over the Indian Ocean, before it dips below the horizon. Taken at Safety Bay, Western Australia, last October. Dave

She was in Safety Bay, but very recently moved into a new house, that they had built in Baldivis. Both locations are south of Perth. Dave

These pictures were taken on one of our annual visits, to see our daughter and family in Western Australia. The first two are her pets, 'Rocky' the Galah (also known a s a pink and Grey), 'Eddie' the Rainbow Lorakeet, who is a great talker. Sometime too great The third is a frog found sitting by her garden pond, and then angry Blue Tongued Skink, that met me at the front door Dave

As a recent member to the forum, I thought I'd 'pop' a couple of pictures into this section. Both are Macro 'shots' and were taken with Canon 30D with a Sigma 105mm 2.8 EX DG Macro Lens. Dave

I have the manual (it came with the boat), but it doesn't give the 'pin out' info, with regards to the multipin connector on the unit. The display unit, is here at home with me now, and the cables (hard wired into the boat) and connectors are 54 miles away on the boat. If I had the 'pin out' info, I could power the unit up on the bench, and work on it. Of course there woud no data fed to the unit, but at least the display should come on. As it is at the moment, the display is backlit, but blank. Thanks anyway for your interest, it is appreciated. Dave

Does anybody happen to know the 'pin out' details on the Navman 4380 Fish Finder, 12V DC power connector ? I have this unit on the boat I have just bought, but its not working. I want to be able to check the PCB for 'dry joints', and power it up on the 'bench' at home. It's cable and connectors are 'hard wired' into the boat. Dave