PowerSurvivor 40E or 80E ?

[foamcore]

Good words Mark. Don't bet your life that your watermaker will work. Harder to when doing on a long passage on a slow boat though!

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by SvenG

You both raise really good points that has made me consider how we would be using the watermaker more carefully.

I had assumed that we would rely upon our 80 gallons of shore supplied water most of the time and only use the watermaker to top that up during long (3-4 week ?) passages and to keep the unit exercised. We too are reasonably frugal when living a life of abundance on a mooring, using around 40-60 gallons of utility water per 10-days without being too stingy and around 10 gallons of drinking-cooking water during that same time.

That's about 7 gallons per day for two without starting to ration our use (freely dribbling fresh water for dish washing and rinsing).

The bottom line is that I think you are both right and that for us the 80 is the right choice for the two of us. A separate (expensive :-( ) emergency desalinator for when everything hits the fan, stored in the liferaft.

Thanks, that really helped.



-Sven

You may also consider some "frugal" adaptations, like using foot pumps instead of pressure water, and splitting the water tankage so that you can collect, say, 50 gallons of rainwater for washing/showering purposes.

If you have a watermaking just for drinking, cooking and the occasional freshwater flush down the head (I'm not joking, it's a good idea), then your needs lessen a great deal. Take watermaker water out of the shower and deck wash equation and it becomes a fraction of what you needed at start.

Just something to think about.

[SvenG]

Defender has a "short term" sale right now where the PowerSurvivor 160E Watermakeris the same price as the 80E: $4124.95
I'm not sure what to make of the sale with the same price for the two units but it sure is tempting.



-Sven

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by SvenG

Defender has a "short term" sale right now where the PowerSurvivor 160E Watermakeris the same price as the 80E: $4124.95
I'm not sure what to make of the sale with the same price for the two units but it sure is tempting.



-Sven

If you want to stick with the Katadyn and you can get a 160E for the same price as an 80E I cannot anymore strongly state that it's a no brainer for a 39' boat. Why would you even consider the 80E at the same price? Being frugal is one thing, purposefully limiting yourself to half the watermaker capacity you can get for the same price makes no sense at all. Especially in these size ranges. But then in the $4100 price range you can get a Spectra 150 for about $600 more and use half the amp hours either the 80E or the 160E uses for the same amount of product water. Again a no brainer.

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by Tellie

But then in the $4100 price range you can get a Spectra 150 for about $600 more and use half the amp hours either the 80E or the 160E uses for the same amount of product water. Again a no brainer.

You make a pretty compelling argument. I'll take another look, especially concerning the Amp-Hr/gallons and the very tempting automated functions.

Thanks,



-Sven

[SvenG]

The Spectra web site indicates that they will not ship internationally, that would seem to limit long range cruising ?

Maybe the website is just confusingly designed since there is a phone number for international calls.



-Sven

[Captain Bill]

I have a 160e and wish I had something that was bigger and ran on 120V. I find that I'm often running the genset to power the thing. I don't like to use it when I'm in a harbor and I find that my solar panels are often not putting out enough to offset the 20 amps the thing draws as my sails are often shading some part of the solar panels. If I'm going to have to run the genset anyway I'ld rather load it up for an hour or two than to run it under little load for 7 or 8 hours. 20 amps DC is drawing only about 2 amps AC through my charger. I have a 110 gallon fresh water tank, that I like to keep at least half full so I make water at half a tank. A unit that made 50 GPH would be a lot better even if it drew 15 amps@120V. It would sure put less wear and tear on my genset. For very long blue water cruises a small unit might make sensem but I think a bigger one would be better for island hopping. Now I just need to figure out how to get a 50 GPH unit without going bankrupt.

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by Tellie

But then in the $4100 price range you can get a Spectra 150 for about $600 more

Can't find any under $5000 (or $8000 with the new control panel/computer).

Has the price gone up or am I just looking in the wrong places ?

Thanks,



-Sven

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by SvenG

Can't find any under $5000 (or $8000 with the new control panel/computer).

Has the price gone up or am I just looking in the wrong places ?

Thanks,



-Sven

Hi Sven,

If you're working within a tight budget forget the MPC5000 electronic controls. I was shooting from the hip when I said about $600 more. The prices have gone up this year a bit. The actual difference would be about $767. Still just a bit under 5K. Sorry Sven, it was early in the morning and I should have had my coffee first then paid better attention to my math. I have to be careful here because of board rules. This is not a solicitation for business at all, but I can get much further into this with you on a PM if you'd like. I think there may be a few questions you still might want to consider first before you make any decision. I always leave myself open for moderation if I'm out of line, and you're welcome to openly post anything I write. But as far as this thread goes, amp hours are a very important consideration with 12Volt systems.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by SvenG

The Spectra web site indicates that they will not ship internationally, that would seem to limit long range cruising ?

Maybe the website is just confusingly designed since there is a phone number for international calls.



-Sven

I'm not sure what you are reading, but Spectra has an international network. I can make sure you get anything you'll need to practically any place in the world you'll ever travel to.

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by Tellie

I have to be careful here because of board rules. This is not a solicitation for business at all, but I can get much further into this with you on a PM if you'd like.

I'll PM you unless you get to me first.

I think there may be a few questions you still might want to consider first before you make any decision.

The availability of parts outside the US is certainly one of those questions.

But as far as this thread goes, amp hours are a very important consideration with 12Volt systems.

It would certainly be interesting to see a table comparing amp-hrs/gal for the different makes and models. That would seem to be critical info.

The idea of an automatic run for xx minutes every yy days just to keep the unit from having to be pickled seems brilliant but I'm not sure why it should cost $3,000 to get that functionality

BTW, I do think that functionality should also include automatic control of a solenoid so that the maintenance function draws water from the freshwater tank rather than the oil polluted harbor you may be staying in while you go shoreside for a few weeks.

I appreciate your insights and suggestions but find it hard to accept that 5 thousand dollars for potable water would be considered "on a tight budget"


-Sven

[SvenG]

Originally Posted by Tellie

I'm not sure what you are reading, but Spectra has an international network. I can make sure you get anything you'll need to practically any place in the world you'll ever travel to.

I went back to find that statement and found "All Online Ordering is for
U.S. Domestic Delivery Only". I know I saw a page (that one before editing ?) that just said only domestic orders, but now I have the answer.

Thanks.



-Sven

[downunder]

check out the Cruise RO watermaker

Watermakers, marine watermakers, cruising watermakers, boat watermakers, Cruising RO, Cruise RO Water

20 GPH for $3995
30 GPH for $4850
45 GPH for $4995

Seems good value to me.

Cheers

[larry&gerry]

I found this in the last day or so I think on CruisersForum, but can't retrace that link:

Assuming that Steve's ystem is 12VDC Nominal, operating at 13V:

His Spectra 180 uses 8 amps to produce 180 gpd or about 7.5 gph
(8A x 1Hr x 13V) ÷ 7.5 gph = 104Watt-Hr ÷ 7.5 Gal.
= 13.866 Watt-Hours per Gallon

His PowerSurvivor used 4 amps to produce 35 gpd, or about 1.46 gph (1.458)
(4 x 1 x 13) ÷ 1.458 = 52 ÷ 1.458
= 35.67 Watt-Hours per Gallon

His PowerSurvivor 80 used 8 amps to produce 80 gpd or about 3.33 gph
(8 x 1 x 13) ÷ 3.333 = 104 ÷ 3.333
= 31.2 Watt-Hours per Gallon

Was originally leaning towards 160E, but now leaning toward the Spectra.

Thanks for input on Defender 160E sale

Larry & Gerry

[S/V Alchemy]

Is it possible to run those figures as "price per gallon per hour"?