**NEW** Feb ’24. Custom high-end lithium batteries in stock built with a REC external BMS & Victron Cerbo GX + Touch display. 12V 608Ah/912Ah, 24V 304Ah/608Ah. Installed along with a Wakespeed WS500 or Mastervolt Alpha Pro alternator regulator.

**NEW** Beta Marine 43/50/60 24V 180A Prestolite alternator with Wakespeed or Mastervolt external regulator. Factory fitted by Beta to your new engine during build. It’s the Balmar 97XD with hairpin stator plus the version I use runs a freewheel pulley.

A picture is worth a thousand words. My Instagram posts illustrate the type of work that I’m getting up to. https://www.instagram.com/four_counties_marine/ 

I’m a long established (24+ years) hard working and independent Narrowboat electrician. I’ve gained my knowledge, experience and reputation working with top quality Boat Builders and Boatyards. I take pride in my work and keep right up-to-date with the latest standards and developments in products & technology.

Specialising in work associated with power:

I’m properly setup with the tools, equipment & knowledge to tackle the jobs that I specialise in and work from a well stocked van & workshop. All of my work is done to the highest professional standards using top-quality parts and equipment.

Specifically insured to work on lithium battery systems, in any Boatyard or Marina, on any vessel. 

Based from my workshop near Leek, Staffordshire, my central location covers many popular canals and marinas. No longer offering general electrical work, concentrating only on the jobs that I specialise in.

Ed Shiers 07922 163072. fourcountiesmarineservices@gmail.com The best way to contact me is by calling. Please don’t email unless we’ve spoken first. If I don’t answer send a text or WhatsApp message and I always call back ASAP. It’s just me and I’m always busy so jobs need to be booked in months in advance.       

February 2024 case study illustrating my lithium battery + alternator charging work. Scroll through my website for more detail..

12* LiFePo4 cells built into a 12V 840Ah battery with cell dividers and 500A busbars. Controlled and managed by a REC Battery Management System. Battery fitted inside the cabin, practically removing any low temp charging issues. Pairs of 70mm tinned cables connect to the battery for unstrained current handling. Class T fuse.

The REC-BMS is awesome. Active cell balancing. Top quality construction and design. It actively controls Victron MultiPlus & SmartSolar controller via the CAN-bus connected Cerbo GX. Similar to Victron’s Lynx BMS. The REC has it’s own 500A contactor (identical to that used by Lynx BMS) and 500A shunt. They both bolt directly to a Victron Lynx Distributor making for a clean and tidy install. Twin 70mm tinned cable connect to a Victron 12/3000 Multiplus II.

This type of system can’t be compared to a drop-in type battery. Unstrained and uncompromised charging and discharging. No alternator load dump consideration which is always a risk with drop-in’s. Touch 50 touchscreen display tells you exactly what’s going on with an accurate state of charge percentage and REC-BMS is displayed as a device giving cell and temperature details. Victron’s fantastic VRM shows trends and useful data online.

The BMS has multiple relay and optocoupler outputs. One programmed to control a Victron Battery Protect handling 12V DC loads and the other controls alternator charging turning the external regulator off at 100% state of charge.

I fit my custom 6PK crank pulley and 175A altrnator conversion to the Isuzu 42 engine and install with a Mastervolt Alpha Pro external regulator. ‘Power Curve’ feature is set for ~50 amp load at tickover and full output programmed at around 1100 rpm. When the system is setup properly there’s no hint of the high charging loads. Without the regulator’s clever features the 4:1 pulley ratio’s would generate near full output at tickover and the engine literally can’t run. Alternator output throttles down to around 140A continuous with alternator temp programmed at ~95 deg C.

When the battery is full charged and cells balanced the REC-BMS automatically stops alternator, SmartSolar and MultiPlus charging. There’s no fixed time held at absorption voltage as with Victron lithium systems. If you want any more info about this type of work get in touch.