Sailboat Electrics Simplified (PB)

<h3>Introduction</h3><h3>1. Safety First</h3><h5>Battery Acid; Containment; Spark; Explosive Gas; Fire; Corrosive Fumes; Fuse</h5><h3>2. Understanding the Basics</h3><h4>Terminology</h4><h5>Amp; Volt; Ohm; Watt</h5><h4>Three-Part Harmony</h4><h5>Ohm's Law; Power; Load Calculations; Desert Algebra</h5><h4>Circuits</h4><h5>Not Like Water; Boys Will Be Boys; Polarity; Open and Closed; Series; Parallel; Extra Credit</h5><h4>AC/DC</h4><h5>Magnetism and Current; Current; Polarity; Loads; Voltage; Power Factor; Safety Revisited</h5><h3>3. Battery</h3><h4>The Basic Cell</h4><h5>Fully Charged; Discharging; Fully Discharged; Charging; Gassing; Shedding; Plate Sulfation; Inefficiencies</h5><h4>Batteries</h4><h5>Internal Construction; Plate Thickness; Spongy Lead; Self Discharge; Starting or House?</h5><h4>Battery Choices</h4><h5>Automotive--Conventional Flooded; Maintenance-Free; Deep-Cycle; Gel Cell; Scales Don't Lie; Absorbed Glass Mat; Selection Chart</h5><h4>Capacity</h4><h5>Amp-Hours; Cycle Life; Weight and Amp-Hours; Cold-Cranking Amps; Marine-Cranking Amps; Reserve Minutes</h5><h4>Sizing Batteries</h4><h5>Load Calculation Redux; The Alternative to Bigger Batteries; House Bank; Starting Battery; Powering Inverters</h5><h4>Installation</h4><h5>Series; Golf-Cart Batteries; Parallel; Matching; Negative Ground; Temperature</h5><h4>Maintenance</h4><h5>Discharge; Recharging; Water; Clean and Dry; Terminal Corrosion; Voltage; SG and Voltage; Specific Gravity; Keep Records</h5><h3>4. Wire</h3><h4>Wire Selection</h4><h5>Construction; Size; 10% Drop; 24 Volts; Insulation</h5><h4>Routing</h4><h5>High and Dry</h5><h4>Connections</h4><h5>Crimp Connectors; Crimping; Soldering; Tinning the Soldering Iron; Heat-Shrink; Bare Wires; Wire Nuts</h5><h4>Overload Protection</h4><h5>Fuses; Circuit Breakers; Sizing; Installing; Supply Side; Equipment Protection</h5><h4>Switches</h4><h5>SPST; DT; DP; Battery Selector</h5><h4>Neatness Counts</h4><h5>Labeling; No More Than Four; Terminal Strips; Junction Boxes; Right Angles; Spiral Wrap; Panel Location</h5><h4>Coax</h4><h5>Size; Construction; Connections; Weatherproofing; Backstay Connection</h5><h4>Copper Ribbon</h4><h3>5. Circuits</h3><h4>Wiring Diagrams</h4><h5>Symbols; More about Ground</h5><h4>Circuitry Step by Step</h4><h5>Closed Circuit; Open Circuit; Overload Protection; Series; Parallel; Real World</h5><h4>Mapping Your Own Boat</h4><h5>AC Caution; WYSIWYG; Circuit Diagrams; Master Diagram; Layout Schematic; Signal Wires</h5><h3>6. Troubleshooting</h3><h4>Signs of Trouble</h4><h5>Dimming; House of Cards; Sluggish Starting; Flickering; Blown Fuse; Ground Return; Heat; Odor; Heat Loss; Corrosion; Wet Wiring; Rat's Nest</h5><h4>Test Light</h4><h5>Make or Buy; Using a Test Light</h5><h4>Digital Multimeter</h4><h5>Digital vs. Analog; Auto Ranging; Polarity; Clamp-On Meters</h5><h4>Meter Fundamentals</h4><h5>Connecting Test Leads; Measuring Voltage; Measuring Current; Measuring Resistance (or Lack Thereof)</h5><h4>Troubleshooting with a Meter</h4><h5>Voltmeter Tests; Multimeter Connections; Zero Adjust; Checking Your Hydrometer; Extending Your Reach; Kirchoff's Law; Ohmmeter Tests; Masthead Lights; Changing Resistance; Ammeter Tests</h5><h3>7. Charging Systems</h3><h4>Alternators</h4><h5>Output; Pulley Ratio; Sizing; Ignition Protection; Expecting Too Much</h5><h4>Regulators</h4><h5>Standard Regulator; Fooling the Regulator; Manual Controller; Three-Step Regulator; Equalization--The Fourth Step; Charging Gel Batteries</h5><h4>Alternator and Regulator Wiring</h4><h5>Output; Internal Regulation; Attached Regulator; External Regulation; Polarity; Excitation; Surge Protection</h5><h4>Alternator Maintenance</h4><h5>Belts; Connections; Bearings and Brushes</h5><h4>Troubleshooting Alternators and Regulators</h4><h5>Alternator Output; Regulator Faults; Excitation; Bypassing a Faulty Regulator; Diodes</h5><h4>Battery Switching</h4><h5>The Sta