Overview

The completely revised, expanded, and updated 4th edition of the world’s most comprehensive electrical and electronics handbook for sailors. This useful and thoroughly practical guide explains in detail how to select, install, maintain, and troubleshoot all of the electrical and electronic systems on a boat, and is fully illustrated with hundreds of informative charts, wiring diagrams, and graphs. Subject-specific chapters have been updated with the latest information on topics such as batteries and charging systems, including lithium-ion batteries, wiring, alternative energy charging, corrosion protection, GPS, radar, satellite communications, autopilots, VHF and SSB radios, instrumentation, and much more. In addition to being restructured and significantly expanded, the 4th edition of Marine Electrical & Electronics Bible incorporates information on new technology equipment and devices such as AIS; the latest on GMDSS, electronic charting, NAVTEX, lightning protection, and other systems; and brand-new chapters on electrical propulsion, diesel engines, and mobile phone boating apps.

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9781493074198

Table of Contents

Reviews

Electrical problems are not an inevitable part of cruising and racing. An acceptable level of reliability is possible, and in fact is necessary, ' says author John Payne. His Marine Electrical and Electronics Bible will help you achieve this reliability with detailed information on selecting, installing, maintaining and troubleshooting all the electrical and electronic systems on your boat. The information is presented in classic textbook style, accompanied by tables, graphs, and wiring diagrams to make the information easy to find and understand. Each chapter is dedicated to a system, which is explained and thoroughly analyzed. This new edition is fully updated to include modern systems and new technologies.-- Sail Magazine Everything a sailor could possibly want to know about marine electronics is here . . . as a reference book on the subject it is outstanding.-- Classic Boat The Marine Electrical and Electronics Bible by John Payne differs from most other treatments of this important topic in its outline format. There s very little theory or long digressions; as Sgt. Friday's sidekick used to say: Just the facts, ma'am. The troubleshooting guides are valuable. Includes AC and DC systems, plus most electronic equipment. A handy reference.-- Practical Sailor This new edition is expanded to include advances in marine electronics, including the Internet, email, GMDSS, and updated radio frequencies. The easy-to-follow reference handbook advises, with diagrams, how to select, install, maintain, and troubleshoot onboard electrical or electronic systems. It includes a three-language electrical glossary, a worldwide service directory, and a listing of marine electrical suppliers.-- Cruising World

"Worldwide Praise for the Previous Edition ""This encyclopedia begins with primary ship systems, like battery, water, engine and AC, before progressing to more esoteric navigational, communication and instrumentation systems. Laid out like an extended outline, this is, perhaps, the most easy-to-follow electrical reference to date, complete with worldwide service contacts."" --Cruising World Magazine (US) ""On electrics, the best book by far we have come across . . ."" --Motor Boat and Yachting Magazine ""Subtitled 'A Practical Handbook for Cruising Sailors, ' this book ranks with the very best technical works ever produced for yachtsmen. It is a solid book, in feel and content, not only well written, but well produced with clear typeface and illustrations. The content is [so] wide-ranging that to list it would more than fill this short review. Any serious cruising yachtsman will probably buy two copies, one for the boat and one for the home. If I was undertaking a long cruise on a modern yacht, I would rank this book an essential part of my equipment. If you are installing equipment aboard a new or current vessel, then again this book is for you. It is very good indeed."" --The Island ""A concise, useful and thoroughly practical guide. . . . It's a 'must have on board' book."" --Sailing Inland & Offshore ""You might think 'Bible' is overstating the case a little, and perhaps from a strictly Christian perspective it is. But from any other viewpoint the word is apt. Everything a sailor could possibly want to know about marine electrics and electronics is here, [in] very sensibly signposted chapters, complemented by over 150 line drawings and 105 tables. The book starts with the basics: batteries and how to charge them, before moving on to wiring and lighting systems, water and engine systems and the old AC/DC quandaries. You know you are dealing with someone who is serious about his subject when you get nine pages on lightning protection alone, including intimate meteorological details of how lightning is generated and what to do in a lightning storm. Other interesting inclusions are a section on galvanic action, another on water systems including plumbing details, plus a brief but illuminating (!) discourse on using alternative forms of energy for recharging. The second half of the book gets to grips with some serious electronics, extending to peripherals associated with electrical equipment such as radar reflectors, including the disturbing claim that blind spots on a conventional octahedral reflector add up to nearly 180 degrees when the boat is heeled, even if they are fitted correctly, which 70-80% are not. Helpful information is inserted along the way, such as the phonetic alphabet and radio frequencies for weather forecast--the US, the UK and Australasia only, I am afraid. Unless you happen to be an electrics/tronics nut, this isn't a cover-to-cover bedside read, but as a reference book on the subject it is outstanding."" --Classic Boat ""Four hundred pages of technical information and diagrams make this weighty tome an essential part of the onboard library. Every aspect of a yacht's electrical system is covered clearly. All in all, this book makes an essential reference manual for both the uninitiated and the expert."" --Yachting Monthly (UK) ""More and more sailors are relying on electronic and electrical devices aboard their boats, but few are aware of the proper installation procedures or how to troubleshoot them when they fail. This book covers this in a well-written, easy-to-understand format that even a sailor will understand."" --Latitudes and Attitudes Magazine (US) ""To keep a boat healthy and safe one must have an electrical system based on sound principles--think of the electrical systems as parts of the body, arteries, veins and capillaries (wires) providing blood (electricity) to all areas of the body (the boat). This comprehensive publication can be the key to a healthy boat. A very thorough 'Bible' indeed, as might be expected from a cruising sailor who is also a professional electrical engineer. It covers both installation and troubleshooting in a concise and practical manner."" --Multihull International ""A bible this really is, covering every aspect of electrical equipment and installation of for all normal hull materials. The clarity and attention to detail make this an ideal reference book that every professional and serious amateur fitter should have on hand. Even the non-technical yachtsman will find vital guidance and numerous valuable tips."" --Cruising ""If you are mystified by all those wires, fuses, buttons, switches, etc., this could be your ticket to understanding not the last word, but the latest."" --WoodenBoat ""An increasing number of sailors rely more and more on electronic and electrical equipment aboard their boats, so they should increase their awareness of the subject. But . . . few would be able to differentiate between good and bad, safe or unsafe installations. John Payne has put together a concise, useful and thoroughly practical guide explaining in detail how to select, install, maintain and troubleshoot all the electrical and electronic systems on a boat. As the author rightly points out, there are no 24-hour road services offshore, so this book is essential reading for practical sailors. [It] covers all aspects of the subject in great depth and with authority. Batteries, charging systems, lightning protection, water systems, engine electrical systems, navigation station design, autopilots, interfacing, safety systems, computers and even entertainment systems are covered. It's well illustrated too, so for those unsure of the subject but willing to learn, the clear and concise illustrations will help immensely. It's a 'must have on board' book"". --Sailing Magazine (South Africa) ""The ever-increasing range of electrical and electronic equipment available to recreational boaters captures a lot of attention. But Payne says the systems to support all the gadgetry are often ignored. Payne, with 18 years' experience on merchant vessels, offshore oil rigs and recreational yachts, has written his book for the cruising boat owner. Beginning with theory, the book progresses through selection, installation and maintenance of marine electronics systems. Payne, advisor to three Australian BOC around-the-world sail-racing boats in 1990-91, stresses that electronic navigation systems are only aids and no substitute for good seamanship."" --Soundings Magazine (US) ""Yes, it sounds boring and no, it probably won't challenge Jeffrey Archer at the top of the best sellers list. But would a best seller help ensure that when the chips were down all of your electrics and electronics carried on working in the way you intended? This comprehensive volume tells you just about everything you need to know about your boat's electric and electronics systems, and is invaluable if you ever intend to leave your marina berth!"" --Lifeboat (UK)"

Author Information

John C. Payne is a professional marine electrical engineer and surveyor, with a career spanning more than thirty years in commercial shipping, the offshore oil industry, and yachting. He is a qualified technical writer and has been involved with everything from submarine sonar systems and oil rig operation manuals to military helicopters. Currently he is a commissioning manager for some of the world's largest and most complex offshore oil production and drilling installations. John is the author of nine marine electrical and electronics books and numerous magazine articles. He has built and restored several yachts and lives aboard his own boat.

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