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Every time I start
my engine, all my electronics “burp,” shutting down or resetting.
What can I do? S. Plainfield, NJ
Well, that’s rude.
Actually, yours is not an uncommon problem, and lots of skippers simply
wait until they’ve fired up the engines before turning on their machines.
Some electronics manufacturers even recommend that procedure in their
manuals. But the technique seems rather crude, even annoying, if, say,
you anchor overnight during an offshore fishing trip and want to start
up at dawn without losing your electronic plot.
There are a couple of
possible solutions. One is to install a separate electronics battery which
shares only a ground and a switched charging circuit with your boat’s
main power system. NMEA recommends this setup as the kindest way to feed
your power-sensitive devices. After all, the problem you are experiencing
is that your electronics are trying to protect themselves from a power
surge precipitated by the big draw your starter motor imposes on the system.
Another possible fix
is to install surge protection. I recently discovered that marine-specific
protectors exist, and I’m told that they have successfully cured
other “burping” boats. The manufacturer is YachtGard, information
available at www.yachtgard.com, (888) 200-7460. The beauty of the YachtGard
products, which are designed for whole D.C. and A.C. distribution panels,
is that they also safeguard your electronics from lightning in a way that’s
separate from and additional to the proper bonding system discussed in
previous columns. —B.E.
Got a marine electronics
question? Write to Electronics Q&A, Power & Motoryacht,
260 Madison Ave., 8th Fl., New York, NY 10016. Fax: (917) 256-2282. e-mail:
PMYElectronics@primediamags.com.
No phone calls please.
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