Customer Reviews

Powerboater's Guide to Electrical Systems: Maintenace, Troubleshooting, and Improvements

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4 star:		(1)
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Whether you're a new to electrical systems or a professional serviceman, there is valuable material here for you. The book starts with the basics of electrical circuits, wiring diagrams and test equipment. The liberal use of drawings and photographs clearly illustrates the theories set forth. The recommended test equipment is used and demonstrated consistently throughout the book. So, any user purchasing or owning similar devices will have a clear idea how to apply them when troubleshooting and maintaining an electrical system. The explanation of wiring diagrams, symbology and use in maintenance applications is very easy to follow. For the professional serviceman, the references to ABYC standards and practices is very informative. The chapter covering circuit protection and repair procedures gives significant insight as to what is or is not a good electrical connection! There are two chapters devoted to batteries and battery charging systems. This included the use of isolators, combiners, wiring schemes, hydrometer testing, load testing, alternator and shore power charging systems. Explanations are thorough enough to explain the workings of these systems for basic troubleshooting or selection of equipment for upgrades to systems. AC and DC devices aboard the boat are each covered in their own chapters. Installation considerations as well as troubleshooting are explained. Safety with AC systems is discussed at length. Again there are frequent references to the ABYC standards throughout. Finally the book wraps up with the chapter on electronic installations. Issues such as RFI, magnetic field interference, power, and basic physical considerations are included. For the boat owner interested in doing it themselves, or those that want a little more knowledge when dealing with servicemen, this book provides a solid base of theory and practical knowledge for both. All installation and maintenance explanations are given in the context of the ABYC standards. Therefore I highly recommend it as a book to have on the shelf for professionals as well.

Don Gulliver President Yacht Systems Services, Inc. Virginia Beach, VA

In fact, he more resembles King Henry at the Battle of Agincourt with this winning effort. I dabble in Marine Electrics but find myself ineffective applying the principles of instruction. While I understand why a customers boat needs a working galvanic isolator, or why I want to rip out from their boat the residen-
tial type solid copper conductor Romex cabling when I see it, putting that into phraseology understandable by someone trained in another specialty is usually a problem. With this book I can either explain in words or hand them the pagemarked book itself.
I usually do the latter and keep on working.
I appreciate the depth into which the author explains shorepower systems, especially how he echoes my distaste for ferro-res chargers and my preference for 3 and 4 step smart chargers and multistage inverter chargers.
Anyone who owns a hole in the water you pour money into that has at least one engine, battery and decked over bow should have one copy of the 12 volt bible on board and another back at the house.

Very useful, but recommend it only for those who want a very detailed description of 12vdc. While it is mainly for boats it is clearly a resource for all who are considering Solar or 12vdc systems. Detailed descriptions, photo's and diagrams. Well worth the money!

This is a comprehensive guide that I feel is very helpful in all aspects of solving electical problems and maintaining the system on a boat .

Buddy and I just purchased a 1989 Hydrasport and the wiring is a mess. This book has been very helpful for someone like me who doesn't know the first thing about wiring or electrical systems. It works its way from the basics of electrical current and circuits up to specific instructions for installing lights, pumps, etc.

Money well spent.

This is a fantastic book. I read a lot of technical books; actually, that's pretty much all I read. But all the books I read are usually on the topics of software / computer science -- as that is my trade. I recently bought my first boat, a 30 ft. cruiser. I am the kind of person that feels uncomfortable knowing very little about such a complicated beast.

I bought this book, among many others on various topics. The book exceeds on every level. First, the content is exactly what you expect. Sherman covers all the topics you need to know. Next, the editing is done well -- not too much detail, but just enough. Diagrams are great. Writing is fantastic. I really can appreciate Ed's style. He covers the underlying science without going too deep. I find this extremely important. I had all my physics/chemistry courses over 10 years ago. It is good to brush up on the basics. For example, he has a whole chapter dedicated to batteries. The first couple of pages describe the science of how a battery works, and the 3 main types of batteries you'll encounter. He then goes into the most pertinent issues with marine batteries: safety, diagnostics, maintenance, which type of battery to use, how batteries are wired toegether, etc. It is exactly what I was looking for.

The first thing he recommends in the book is trying to make an electrical diagram of your boat. He explains the standards and how to attack the problem, and shows example diagrams. I started this today, and in the couple hours I spent poking around behind distro panels and examining the batteries, I learned a lot, and it was precisely like he laid out in the book.

If you own a boat, I think it is the most responsible thing to do to make sure you understand it - at least from a safety standpoint; as an added bonus you'll probably save yourself a good deal of money.

He gives an example in the book where he saw a boat on fire, and tried to help the people. Their battery had no main on/off switch, and as a result it was just feeding the fire. This is invaluable knowledge to newbie boaters like myself. Educate thyself.

Great reference book for marine applications. Very understandable. If you own a boat you need this book.

Ed Sherman provides a great deal of useful information about the electrical systems on a boat. His troubleshooting guides to solve electrical problems are clear, understandable and easy to use. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to work on his or her boat.