Visit our Popular Forums

Duke 48 · 10-09-2008, 17:08

Recently have seen a lot of reference to the 12 VOLT BIBLE. Because I am getting ready to rewire my boat, including adding additional electronics for the nav station, I have been considering purchasing the 12 VOLT BIBLE. I have CALDER's book. Is there enough difference to invest the time in the 12 VOLT BIBLE? A look at the table of continence would be helpful.
Duke

**David M** · 10-09-2008, 17:11

I have both books and I like both books. Having both books is worth it. Its nice to read two different peoples ideas and techniques and philosophies about a common subject. It can only help.

psteele235 · 10-09-2008, 17:26

the table of continence - made me laugh! Wonderful how spellcheck can confuse contents and continence.

**Pblais** · 10-09-2008, 17:44

If somehow you understand something important a little bit better it was worth the price of both books. You can never be too sure.

Duke 48 · 10-09-2008, 18:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by psteele235

the table of continence - made me laugh! Wonderful how spellcheck can confuse contents and continence.

DARN- OOPS- DANG IT

Duke 48 · 10-09-2008, 18:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pblais

If somehow you understand something important a little bit better it was worth the price of both books. You can never be too sure.

It really isn't the price of the books I am thinking about. It is the investment in time.
Duke

Zach · 10-09-2008, 18:51

I have them both and use them both, as well.

Calders book is excellent for showing what to do in table form. Open it up, find what you are working on... run your finger down the list and order what you need. A little dry...

The 12 volt bible is excellent for explaining in plain language how things work, and why they work. A few more tips, tricks, and stories... better late night reading.

Lay the two side by side and you'll have better understanding, than with one or the other alone. Calder is very "By the book" as in the ABYC protocol, and explains how you arrive at the table... but not necessarily why you should choose to do it that way. "Here are your options, make your choice... vs here are your options: this is why this one works, thats why that one works and heres the difference between them.(12 bible)"

If you need to fix an existing system... Calder. If you need to build a system from scratch... 12v bible to decide what you need... and then Calder to find out how to bullet proof it.

Hope this helps...

Zach

Duke 48 · 11-09-2008, 02:12

witch book gives the best info on battery charging and maintenance?

**GordMay** · 11-09-2008, 02:24

The table of contents (12 Volt Bilble for Boats) is listed here:
The 12-Volt Bible for Boats — 2nd Edition

This is a very basic "introductory" book (booklet), of limited value (IMHO).

It takes about 10,000 hours of apprenticeship practical & classroom training, to become a "Journeyman" electrician, who still works under the supervision of a "Master" electrician. Don't expect a couple of books to offer "it all". At best, they can help you become an "informed amateur".

Duke 48 · 11-09-2008, 14:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by GordMay

The table of contents (12 Volt Bilble for Boats) is listed here:
The 12-Volt Bible for Boats — 2nd Edition

This is a very basic "introductory" book (booklet), of limited value (IMHO).

It takes about 10,000 hours of apprenticeship practical & classroom training, to become a "Journeyman" electrician, who still works under the supervision of a "Master" electrician. Don't expect a couple of books to offer "it all". At best, they can help you become an "informed amateur".

I understand electrical circuits. I have been working in industrial automation maintenance for more than 30 yrs. Amp hr. loads, circuit troubleshooting no problem. What I am not familar with is battery charging and protection systems.
Duke

hellosailor · 11-09-2008, 16:02

"It takes about 10,000 hours of apprenticeship practical & classroom training, to become a "Journeyman" electrician, "
Hmmm...Versus four forty-hour classes times eight semesters, a paltry 1280 hours, to earn a B.S.EE or any other undergradute degree. In ten thousand hours you could become a PhD in astrophysics, Gord. The union journeyman/apprentice system is NOT designed as an educational resource, it is designed to restrict access to a trade guild.

A couple of basic DC electronics/electrical courses, some ham radio classes, a couple of books and kits, and I'd venture to say anyone able to read and understand their daily paper will be able to maintain boat electrical systems just as well as the journeyman electrician.

It ain't rocket science. (1280 hours, B.S. in Combustion Engineering, too.)

**SV Someday Came** · 11-09-2008, 16:03

I know i am uttering blasphemy so stone me. I bought them both and I found both utterly useless, Calder's more so than the 12v bible, for about 10 months. Calder's book requires you to know alot before you can access his material. They are at extremes of the spectrum. After owning my boat now for a little over a year, Calder's book makes much more sense -- but it took alot of "pre-requisite" course work, (i.e., here, LONG conversations with boat electricians, boat shows and LONG conversations with vendors, and sites like blue seas) for his stuff to make sense and THEN be useful. It was an expensive and very annoying paperweight for quite a while. I only say annoying because people were always raving about how helpful it was. Poppycock. You need a degree to integrate the richness in his work. On the other hand, the 12v bible was too simplistic to actually use to help me with my wiring system design.