Leaking Amps

[noelex 77]

Originally Posted by silver heels

According to the manuals the Link 20 uses 25 mA in sleep mode light bar, the morningside sunsaver duo uses 5.5 mA(night) and 10.0 mA(charging).
Silver Heels

25ma is, still 18ahr month, but much more reasonable. I suspect something else must be on when the battery switch is off. Disconnect one of the battery terminals and use a multimeter to measure the current with the battery switch off.
The only other possibility I can imagine is the algorithm or formula the Link20 uses. Most battery monitory compensate for the fact that amp hours in does not equal amp hours out. If you take out 20Ahrs from battery you need to put back something like 24Ahrs to break even. So a battery monitor that counts Ahrs in and simply subtracts Ahrs out is not acurate. Different battery monitors adjust for this in different ways. I dont think this is the cause of your readings, but depending how this comensation is done it can lead to some spurios conclusions about energy consumed or put back.

[silver heels]

Thanks for all the advice, I do believe I have found the culprit. A West Marine Battery Combiner switch. Without the switch usage drops down to what the Link 20 and solar controller would use in a month. I will be also installing a new battery switch.
Silver Heels

[AnchorageGuy]

Buying anything with a Worst Marine label on it is a crap shoot.

[hellosailor]

From Yandina (who actually make the West isolators) "Draws no current when batteries are not being charged ".

So, either there's something wrong with the combiner, or it is simply drwaing power because the batteries are being charged--and it is active, comparing them. I'd email Yandina directly to find out if this is an issue, and if it can be corrected.

[silver heels]

Actually, the battery combiner works as advertised, it does use amps when it combines the batteries. The amps it uses, plus what the monitors use, plus the small leakage through the switch adds up to what was lost.
I'm satisfied.
Silver Heels

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

From Yandina (who actually make the West isolators) ... I'd email Yandina directly to find out if this is an issue, and if it can be corrected.

Yandina Ltd.
P.O. Box 1582,
BEAUFORT, SC 29901
Technical Information, Troubleshooting: tech@yandina.com
or
Toll Free: 877-355-2184

Yandina manufactured marine electronic devices under the West Marine brand name from 1993 to 2005. The new retail distributor starting 2006 is Defender.

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