Picking New Battery Charger

[hellosailor]

Rocketman-
", the xantrax charger that I installed 2 years and a month ago , just out of warranty,"

Did you buy it with a credit card? Many of them extend your warranty by a full year, it is worth calling the card company to see if you're protected that way. (And if not, get a card that DOES. Some make it simple, others put you through hoops, but there are many free cards that offer this perq.)

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Rocketman

Thanks for this thead, I myself am currently looking for a 40 amp charger, the xantrax charger that I installed 2 years and a month ago , just out of waranty, has craped out for no reason, so don't buy that one, I have read all the reviews and apearantly this is a comon problem with the xantrex chargers.

I am concidering a inverter/charger and would like to hear what others think about this, and what brands to concider and also stay away from.

Have been running my Victron inverter/charger for almost 4 years and love it. Has a very nice feature, AC power boost. If you are on shore power or generator and an AC load kicks on that exceeds the capacity of the AC source (like the startup load of a compressor) then the Victron inverter automatically adds enough AC to handle the extra load and automatically shuts off when it's not needed.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Canibul

As for the IOTA, we were hit by lightning on the way down here last year. Fried just about everything on board that was hooked up to 12volts and turned on. Both fuses blew on the IOTA. Since then, it's been suspect. It sometimes has no measurable output at all ( using a digital multimeter looking at volts ) . The label says the max is 13.6, but I don't see that. I see 12.6, or sometimes zero. Last time I checked the fuses one of them was intact, but the plastic was melted. It's starting to show signs of corrosion.

Based on this information I hereby withdraw my offer to pay shipping to FL for the IOTA.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Marine Battery Charger - Sterling Power ProCharge Ultra- Power Factor Corrected (PFC) PCU - 60amp

It's really hard to beat this 60A charger from Sterling for $499. Don't need all 60A, well then dial down the output current to 40A.

[smac999]

the newer xantrax ones are junk and fail a lot.

I've put a bunch of these in lately. haven't seen a 2 bank charger. just leave 3rd one open

ProNauticP Series | ProMariner

with 400+ ah of batteries you probably want a 60+ amp charger.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by smac999

the newer xantrax ones are junk and fail a lot.

I've put a bunch of these in lately. haven't seen a 2 bank charger. just leave 3rd one open

ProNauticP Series | ProMariner

with 400+ ah of batteries you probably want a 60+ amp charger.

the sterling and pronautic are the same charger....both good units.

[alexandlorna]

I would recommend the Victron Centaur 40a for a straight 3 outpout charger .
Ours has been flawless
A friend has 3 of their combined inverter /charger units on his boats and they seem to perform well

[mitiempo]

Originally Posted by wingless

Be certain to select an appropriate charger output current, that is selected for both the quantity of batteries and for the battery topology. An AGM battery wants a charger w/ at least 0.2C (more than 20A for a 100Ah battery), while a flooded cell battery wants C/10 (10A for a 100Ah battery).

Here is the Lifeline AGM Technical Manual w/ charging rate information on page 19 of 36. Here is the Interstate Battery Deep Cycle Charging FAQ w/ information on charging flooded-cell batteries.

Those are recommended minimum output currents. A charger cannot be too large. The battery determines its acceptance, not the charger.

[wingless]

Originally Posted by wingless

Be certain to select an appropriate charger output current, that is selected for both the quantity of batteries and for the battery topology. An AGM battery wants a charger w/ at least 0.2C (more than 20A for a 100Ah battery), while a flooded cell battery wants C/10 (10A for a 100Ah battery).

Here is the Lifeline AGM Technical Manual w/ charging rate information on page 19 of 36. Here is the Interstate Battery Deep Cycle Charging FAQ w/ information on charging flooded-cell batteries.

Originally Posted by mitiempo

Those are recommended minimum output currents. A charger cannot be too large. The battery determines its acceptance, not the charger.

As stated and linked, the AGM number is a recommended minimum and the flooded cell is the recommended number.

The AGM batteries will handle more current w/o issues, they like more current.

The flooded cell batteries do not tolerate excess current. The short term effect is boiling away the electrolyte. The long term effect is battery damage. The smart charger runs through several voltage versus time profiles and can dump too much current into a flooded-cell battery, if not properly sized. The first smart charging stage, the ~4 hour bulk charging, is an over-voltage charge to rapidly restore missing charge to the battery. It is possible to decrease the over-voltage level, decreasing the current being dumped into the battery, by selecting a different battery topology on the charge, changing from flooded-cell to AGM or GELL, as stated in this Power Products - Battery Chargers" target="_blank">charger-IRJDSUNE9932123321222xxeww-FAQ.

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

Marine Battery Charger - Sterling Power ProCharge Ultra- Power Factor Corrected (PFC) PCU - 60amp

It's really hard to beat this 60A charger from Sterling for $499. Don't need all 60A, well then dial down the output current to 40A.

+1 for the Sterling ProCharge

The ability to adjust the charging states is a big plus for me. I also like the remote panel and temp compensation.

Here's a shot of my install in progress.

Thanks Maine Sail......

[wingless]

Originally Posted by Strait Shooter

Here's a shot of my install in progress.

Nice neat installation.

The Xantrex PROwatt SW is specified by the manufacturer to NOT be mounted in that orientation, as shown in page 8 of the Owner's Guide.

Also, be aware that inverter is not appropriate for installation in an area requiring ignition protection, such as a gasoline engine room.

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by wingless

Nice neat installation.

The Xantrex PROwatt SW is specified by the manufacturer to NOT be mounted in that orientation, as shown in page 8 of the Owner's Guide.

Also, be aware that inverter is not appropriate for installation in an area requiring ignition protection, such as a gasoline engine room.

Thanks for the compliment, it looks even better now, but I have no current photo on here.

Good catch on the inverter orientation, you're absolutely correct. The install, though further along than the picture, still has a few things going on. The repositioning of the inverter is one of many.

A quick side note, that inverter came to me at a great price and is why I even have a xantrex onboard at all. It's technically "not for marine use".

Oh, and I don't agree with the charger/inverter combos. One could be considered a mission critical piece of equipment. The other, not so much. I was taught that you don't mix those.

[wingless]

Originally Posted by Strait Shooter

A quick side note, that inverter came to me at a great price and is why I even have a xantrex onboard at all. It's technically "not for marine use".

You are correct, per the manual: "This unit is not intended for marine applications."

But this is a great unit and there are MANY installed on boats.

Keep it dry and you'll be fine. The Xantrex remote panel can be very handy.

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by wingless

The Xantrex remote panel can be very handy.

How so?

[wingless]

Originally Posted by Strait Shooter

How so?

To indicate power status and to toggle output power.

On my boat my inverter provides power to buried electronics. I can use the remote inverter panel to cycle power, if a reset is required to remove confusion.