Xantrex just added a new 60 amp rated battery charger to it's already successful TRUECharge2  line-up. This is timely as folks keep adding to their battery capacity on board; bigger battery banks need bigger battery chargers and the new TRUECharge2 60 is a well specified unit. The unit has some interesting features that make it a worthy competitor in a very competitive sector of the marine marketplace.

For the Cruising Sailor, the new unit offers truly global AC voltage input that ranges from 90-265 VAC and 47-63 Hz, so it will work anywhere in the world where shorepower is available.

The unit comes with temperature compensation capability, with a three setting standard or optional temperature sensor (recommended) which will add needed input to the micro-processor controlled unit. This allows for more precise voltage and current output while charging batteries, maximizing battery potential life cycles, which is super important today considering the price of quality batteries.  The unit is also programmable for use with all of the popular battery chemistries used today. Of course the TRUECharge is a three phase unit and does come equipped with a fourth equalization phase for those still using traditional flooded cell batteries.

Another super feature set is the size and weight of the unit. Unlike older battery charger designs, this one has as small footprintat only 3.5 X 6.7 X 13.4 inches dimensionally and it only weighs 10 lbs.

Additionally, the TRUECharge 2 60 complies with virtually all of the international Standards for marine battery chargers, like ISO, CSA, ABYC and IEC. the unit is rated for ignition protection so it can be mounted in areas of a boat storing gasoline or with gasoline engines.

This unit comes with a two-year warranty and has a price of $630.  Based on the specifications, this charger is definately worth a look if you are planning an upgrade or setting up a new boat. I've got one on order to run through a test sequence and give you an up close and personal look at how it performs, so stay tuned.

Last week I was in Kansas City at the Skills USA National Championship contest, this week I'm here in Minnesota at Best Buy's Geek Squad University training about 30 members of the Geek Squad team in the nuances of marine electrical systems. One of the mandates Best Buy has put in place as they slowly expand their marine electronics business is that all of the Geek Squad technicians that are going to be working on boats must be certified by the American Boat and Yacht Council, (ABYC) in marine electrics. Additionally they will also be required to become National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) certified. This week we have students from all over the country in the group as Best Buy begins the roll out of their newest venture.

I have to say it, this company is doing it right! The techs I'm working with have already been highly trained in many areas of electronics such as home theater installations and calibrations, automotive audio system instalations and electrical fundamentals. Many of the techs have already been working on boats and now they are going to get the chance to expand their work even further. Each of the technicians I'm working with has been hand picked by their respective store managers to go through this training and I just can't say enough good about the level of professionalism and expertise I'm seeing. These folks are sharp! Within a matter of weeks we're going to see more Best Buy stores coming online with truly qualified marine electronics installation specialists. The company is carefully selecting traditional marine electronics vendors to provide product. Companies like Garmin, Raymarine, ICOM, Lowrance, Fusion are already on board, and more are going to be coming into the mix over the next few months.

One of the things Best Buy Marine is offering that is unique is flat rate installation pricing for their customers. Most electronics installers work on a "time and materials" pricing format, which means when the tech leaves the shop to come to your boat the meter starts running. When they are done, the meter shuts off. You pay for every minute, no matter how long it takes to do the install. Sometimes this can turn into a real horror show and statistically, I'll tell you that in a time and materials format, you are almost always going to end up paying more than the price you get quoted as an "approximate" estimate. At Best Buy, the price you get quoted is what you'll pay, not a penny more. I love the concept!

So, next time you're looking for on board audio, video, or traditional marine electronic navigation and communication gear, give Best Buy a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Today we completed the hands-on portion of the USA National Championship competition. The photo below shows one of the contestants totally engrossed in troubleshooting an electrical problem with a Suzuki outboard engine ignition component. Keep in mind that this was only one of 5 test stations as a part of the hands-on side of the competition. It was a long day as we had 27 finalists this year at the competition.

 One of the other stations in the competition had the contestants going through a predelivery inspection checklist on a new Cobalt bow rider. That's shown here:

So you may be asking yourself what's the boat tip here? That's an easy one for me to answer. These are the sort of young people we need to both foster and support in any way that we can. They represent the future of boat service at the highest level. Ask your boat service people if they have ever hired a Skills USA champion. That's today's tip. Again, if you are not familiar with Skills USA, go to www.skillsusa.org to learn more.

I'm in Kansas City, MO this week at the Skills USA National Championship competition to determine the best and brightest in the service industry not just for marine techs, but virtually any area of service you can think of, from airplanes to pastry chefs to medical assistants. Most people outside of the service industry are not familiar with Skills USA and I encourage you to go to their website to learn more about what they do and how it can impact your life whenever you need to get something repaired or built. Go to www.skillsusa.org to find out more about this group.

The participants come from schools all over the US and most of the competitors have already proven themselves by winning state or regional contests. So, for me this is an opportunity to not only meet with the instructors, but students that have really worked hard to become the best that they can be in their respective interest areas. As a judge for the contest I get to see these young people demonstrate their skills first hand. These are the newest and best that the marine service sector will see. These are the people you want to be servicing your boat!

One of my personal volunteer projects over the last several years has been to work with the people at Skills in the development of a new competency exam for these or any Skills USA member in the marine service technology area. One of the mandates set forth by Skills was that the exam be Standards Based. Most of you reading this probably have no real idea what that means, so let me explain. Virtually any industry has a "code" or set of standards that are followed in the workplace to act as a guiding light for work perfomed. Household electricians are mandated to follow the National Electric Code as an example. Well, since I work for the Standards writing body for the recreational marine industry, the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) I was a logical choice to create a Standards Based test for the marine industry. This is a whole new approach for the marine sector, as well as many of the other service sectors represented here at this contest. The other interesting thing about this exam is that it is the first of its type within the marine industry and it utilizes some new approaches to standardized test taking.

Readers need to understand that most service people in the world have a very definable set of learning styles. Visual and hands-on learning are the keys to their successful training. To that end, this exam employs many visuals as well as interactive drag and drop diagrams. Yes, it is a multiple choice exam, but it is the first attempt at integrating some of the known learning styles and methods into a generic, industry wide competency exam. Further its all online, so the new generation of service workers are at a computer taking the exam. Computers are a way of life in the new service sector, so why not adopt them for competency testing purposes. Its also an instant gratifiaction society at this point in history, so the online system gives the students a score immediately, which is recorded in a database.

So, today was the "written" portion of the contest, and all of our marine contestants have taken the online test. Tomorrow is the hands-on portion of the contest and the contestants will work their way through 5 work stations demonstrating their skills in boat and trailer preparation, precision measurement, electrical troubleshooting and systems diagnostics. I'll get you some more photos tomorrow. Below you see our first group online working their way through the new exam. Remember folks, these young technicians are the future for your boat repairs, and with people like these working on your boat your future looks good! 

Something I had forgotten about over the years is the limitation found on inland lakes and waterways that exists in some locations. Specifically I'm talking about either horsepower limits or in some cases restrictions on the use of internal combustion engines at all.

Well it seems one boat manufacturer has found the obvious answer. Godfrey Pontoon Boats is one of the premiere manufacturers of pontoon boats here in the US and they are now offering a super option, Torqeedo 4.0 electric outboards to power their pontoons. The press release is here:

TORQEEDO MOTORS ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON GODFREY PONTOONS

As more lakes are designated green with gas and diesel engines prohibited, boaters want and require an environmentally-friendly form of propulsion.  Helping its customers select the best in electric power, boat manufacturer Nautic Global Group now offers Torqeedo's Cruise 4.0 R electric outboard as optional equipment across all of its Godfrey Pontoon Boat lines.

"Many of our dealers sell boats onto lakes that have horsepower or gas-powered engine constraints," said Steve Tadd, marketing director for Godfrey.  "Torqeedo is a good partner to team up with and gives our customers a great option in clean, powerful propulsion."

Revolutionizing the standards for electric power, the Cruise 4.0 R offers boaters more drive and range than ever before.  With thrust equivalent to a 9.9 hp gas outboard, it achieves an efficiency of more than 50%.  It operates on 48V lead-gel, AGM battery bank or two high-performance lithium manganese batteries from Torqeedo's Power series.

"Godfrey and our whole network of dealers are impressed with the motors' battery consumption feedback and the outboards' performance and capabilities," said Tadd.  "We will put a Torqeedo on any pontoon we build, but they seem to be most popular on our Sweetwater models."

After building the industry's first ever all-aluminum pontoon boat in 1958, Godfrey has remained a leader in innovation and quality.  Having built more pontoon boats than any other company and having received more than 20 industry CSI awards, also more than any other builder in the world, Godfrey Pontoon Boats are synonymous with customer satisfaction and excellence.

        Torqeedo is a leading manufacturer of high-tech, electric outboards, offering a range of horsepower options to power a variety of vessels, including pontoons, dinghies and kayaks.  The company's electric motors are lightweight, incredibly efficient and environmentally-friendly.

Contact Torqeedo Inc., 171 Erick Street Unit A-1, Crystal Lake, IL 60014.  815-444-8806; Fax: 815-444-8807.  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ;  www.torqeedo.com.

The installation looks like this:

Stay tuned here as I hope do be doing some testing on these motors later this summer, they are really catching on and so far I haven't heard a bad word about them, which is impressive.