Possible dc issue

[fourreins]

Looking for a starting point. I spent the last couple of days on
the boat and I think I have a new DC issue to figure out. All the
lights on the interior seem to have a flickering to them when
they are on. I even noticed that the radio will cut in and out
Sporadically ... I think the lighting also seems a little dimmer too.
The boat is a 10.8 international. Any thoughts as a starting point?
Thank You

[prowlersfish]

Start at the battery and check connections an work your way from there . Turn the vhf on to a weather station while doing so and listen for it cutting out

[larryeddington]

sounds like it is happening uniformly to all DC devices. I would start at the battery that sources the DC and check for good connection both + and - side. Many time one can find a lot of wires stacked under a wing nut which could compromise connections if not tight. Better way it to make a 12 Volt buss that has enough connection locations so each device can be connected individually. The only one wire from + side of battery goes to it (needs to be sufficient in size to handle load) On the Negative side the same thing can be done.

[fourreins]

Thanks guys. Looks like a bad battery. Started the boat charged
battery and issue went away. This is only the third year for the
battery. How long should they last? I guess it's a possibly the battery
charger is bad. I will start will having battery checked. Thanks
for the help!

[The Dog House]

A battery that is well maintained should last 5 to 6 years. If you have an onboard charger, make sure it is a "smart" charger. Overcharging a battery will kill it far faster than undercharging will. The onboard charger has to drop to a trickle charge once the battery is fully charged. If the onboard charger keeps charging at the full rate once the battery is fully charged, the battery will only last 2 to 3 years.