Balmar not putting out

[Stu Jackson]

Glad to hear you got it sorted.

This also PROVES Maine Sail's oft repeated mantra: engine batteries are almost always full.

Means your duo charger is workin', too.

[smac999]

Sounds like your duo charge is dead then. Your engine battery voltage should go up as well from it.

[Mickeyrouse]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Well... it's working then. You dont need a wiring diagram to know to just check your voltage at the battery, if the engine's running it should be in the range you found. 14.3-14.4 v.
I highly recommend you get a Voltmeter installed. But many instruments; GPS, VHF radios have one built in if you look at the manual.
I usually install a voltmeter with a two way switch to check voltage at each battery bank on my boats. Cheap and simple. I no longer prefer one of those fancy electrical management devices, though some do.

A voltmeter is installed at the engine instrument panel, and not reading, the troubleshooting of which got me to question the alternator output in the first place.

[Mickeyrouse]

Originally Posted by smac999

Sounds like your duo charge is dead then. Your engine battery voltage should go up as well from it.

The duo charge is manually engaged

[gts1544]

This may not be exactly on topic, but perhaps helpful in the overall scheme of things. We also do not have a sophisticated battery condition monitor either, but use an accurate voltmeter with an expanded scale reading between 8.0 and 16.0 VDC to determine the state of charge of our battery banks and our alternator condition.

BATTERY STATE OF CHARGE (SOC):

Lifeline AGM Marine Battery - 25% = 11.9 VDC / 50% = 12.2 VDC /
75% = 12.5 VDC / 100% = 12.8+ VDC (From the Lifeline website)

Interstate FLA Deep Cycle Battery - 25% = 12.2 VDC / 50% = 12.4 VDC
75% = 12.6 VDC / 100% = 12.8+ VDC (From Interstate Tech Support)

In both cases, the recommendation was to not drain your bank below 50% and to recharge to 100%, if feasible. The expanded analog voltmeter ($35) works very well for this purpose. We have a placard with these numbers next to the voltmeter. This system has worked well for many years on our Beneteau in the BVI's. We have a 70 A Balmar Series 6 alternator and an Air Breeze wind turbine. George

[smac999]

Those numbers are after a 24 hour rest period. So if you disconnect the batteries and wait 24h you can check them... Not possible on a boat. On a boat it's more of a guess. Luckily you're probably guessing in the high side. Not the low side.

[Mickeyrouse]

Originally Posted by gts1544

This may not be exactly on topic, but perhaps helpful in the overall scheme of things. We also do not have a sophisticated battery condition monitor either, but use an accurate voltmeter with an expanded scale reading between 8.0 and 16.0 VDC to determine the state of charge of our battery banks and our alternator condition.

BATTERY STATE OF CHARGE (SOC):

Lifeline AGM Marine Battery - 25% = 11.9 VDC / 50% = 12.2 VDC /
75% = 12.5 VDC / 100% = 12.8+ VDC (From the Lifeline website)

Interstate FLA Deep Cycle Battery - 25% = 12.2 VDC / 50% = 12.4 VDC
75% = 12.6 VDC / 100% = 12.8+ VDC (From Interstate Tech Support)

In both cases, the recommendation was to not drain your bank below 50% and to recharge to 100%, if feasible. The expanded analog voltmeter ($35) works very well for this purpose. We have a placard with these numbers next to the voltmeter. This system has worked well for many years on our Beneteau in the BVI's. We have a 70 A Balmar Series 6 alternator and an Air Breeze wind turbine. George

I have been vaguely aware of values similar to those, and understand that they are not the same for different brands, though I haven't followed them religiously. Do you know if the same values apply regardless of the size of the bank?

[Blue Crab]

Wow! Sex and fun in an alternator thread ... good stuff.

Practical too:

Originally Posted by Cheechako

... I highly recommend you get a Voltmeter installed. But many instruments; GPS, VHF radios have one built in if you look at the manual.

I usually install a voltmeter with a two way switch to check voltage at each battery bank on my boats. Cheap and simple. I no longer prefer one of those fancy electrical management devices, though some do.

[Mickeyrouse]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Well... it's working then. You dont need a wiring diagram to know to just check your voltage at the battery, if the engine's running it should be in the range you found. 14.3-14.4 v.
I highly recommend you get a Voltmeter installed. But many instruments; GPS, VHF radios have one built in if you look at the manual.
I usually install a voltmeter with a two way switch to check voltage at each battery bank on my boats. Cheap and simple. I no longer prefer one of those fancy electrical management devices, though some do.

Like my wife says, I don't always remember everything I know. A diagram would have reminded me WHICH battery bank to check.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Wow! Sex and fun in an alternator thread ... good stuff.

Practical too:

I kept checking in.... I KNEW you couldn't resist the combo...

(good to see ya bud)

[gts1544]

I am no electrical nor battery guru, but suspect that the values would be similar for the same type of battery, AGM or FLA, regardless of brand. The battery manufacturer should be able to give you these values for their batteries. We have 4 Lifeline AGM batteries in the Beneteau (2 @ deep cycle house / 1 @ deep cycle windlass / 1 @ start). The Interstates are 4D's in my motorhome house bank to power a 3000 W inverter so that I don't have to start the generator every time I want to nuke a cuppa joe. As with the Beneteau or the Pace Arrow, we prefer dry camping and independence!


I think that these numbers probably fall under the axiom of "Measure it with a micrometer, mark it with chalk, cut it with an ax!" But, it seems to work well for us. George

[smac999]

Originally Posted by Mickeyrouse

The duo charge is manually engaged

so if you can't even remember to turn on your charging devices while doing a charging test. how do you remember to turn it on every time the engine is running?

it should be automatic.

[a64pilot]

If you go by the manufactures state of charge / voltage table, you will always be on the safe side.
Or said another way a battery under a slight load will display a significantly lower voltage than it will if disconnected and allowed to "rest".



Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by smac999

so if you can't even remember to turn on your charging devices while doing a charging test. how do you remember to turn it on every time the engine is running?

it should be automatic.

Maybe auto for big engines but when I hit the switch for the 100 amp side, those 13 seahorses don't like it much. They neigh, nicker, snort and whinny. I dunno know if they could get out of the starting gate on full auto 100 amps.

[HappyMdRSailor]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Maybe auto for big engines but when I hit the switch for the 100 amp side, those 13 seahorses don't like it much. They neigh, nicker, snort and whinny. I dunno know if they could get out of the starting gate on full auto 100 amps.

HAAAA!!!

Yes.... I missed comments like these...