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20-08-2017, 12:03
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#46
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Seattle, WA
Boat: 1990 Nonsuch 30
Posts: 65
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Re: Battery charger and switch advice
Quote:
Originally Posted by mitiempo
I would wire the alt directly to the house bank positive with a fuse close to the battery rated at 150% of the alt output. Make sure you size the wire for very little voltage drop.
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As a matter of trying to take this one step at a time, my current thinking is
1. move the ACR to the lazarette and wire directly to both banks using the existing 8 awg cables and 80 amp fuses.
2. wire the charger directly to the house battery positive with a 50 amp fuse.
Then I hope to test out the system and monitor it.
My alternator (Balmar 70 amp) would remain connected to the house buss as is, which so far has never shown signs of volage drop or other issues. Eventually if I observe alternator issues I can take the steps of wiring it directly to the house bank, or when I finally upgrade my batteries.
Do you see any major concerns with this?
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20-08-2017, 12:23
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#47
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Victoria B.C.
Boat: Wauquiez Centurion 32
Posts: 2,874
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Re: Battery charger and switch advice
Quote:
Originally Posted by matthidinger
My alternator (Balmar 70 amp) would remain connected to the house buss as is, which so far has never shown signs of voltage drop or other issues. Eventually if I observe alternator issues I can take the steps of wiring it directly to the house bank, or when I finally upgrade my batteries.
Do you see any major concerns with this?
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Based on your diagram in post #29 that means that the alt will have to go through 4 connections as well as a switch to reach the house bank. Not only is this inefficient but the alt output should not have to travel through a main switch. There has to be voltage drop as it is now wired from all the connections. You just haven't noticed. I try to wire alt outputs to have as little voltage drop as possible and a direct run to the bank. Even 3% drop takes 14.4 volts down to 13.97 volts.
Do you have an external regulator for the alt? If so do you have a voltage sense wire going to the house bank?
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20-08-2017, 12:34
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#48
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Seattle, WA
Boat: 1990 Nonsuch 30
Posts: 65
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Re: Battery charger and switch advice
I do have an external voltage regulator, but I'm not sure about the voltage sense wires. I do have a digital voltage guage that shows voltage on the house and start batteries, which has one wire on the house buss, and the other runs directly to the start battery. I don't know if the alternator is wired into this setup or if it's purely informational for this guage
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20-08-2017, 21:00
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#49
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Victoria B.C.
Boat: Wauquiez Centurion 32
Posts: 2,874
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Re: Battery charger and switch advice
Quote:
Originally Posted by matthidinger
I do have an external voltage regulator, but I'm not sure about the voltage sense wires. I do have a digital voltage guage that shows voltage on the house and start batteries, which has one wire on the house buss, and the other runs directly to the start battery. I don't know if the alternator is wired into this setup or if it's purely informational for this guage
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Your alt regulator has an external sense wire. Read the manual to find which it is and make sure it goes direct to the positive post of the house bank. It will compensate for the voltage drop.
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20-08-2017, 21:18
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#50
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Seattle, WA
Boat: 1990 Nonsuch 30
Posts: 65
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Re: Battery charger and switch advice
Quote:
Originally Posted by mitiempo
Your alt regulator has an external sense wire. Read the manual to find which it is and make sure it goes direct to the positive post of the house bank. It will compensate for the voltage drop.
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Excellent, I'll look into that tomorrow
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21-08-2017, 21:46
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#51
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Seattle, WA
Boat: 1990 Nonsuch 30
Posts: 65
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Re: Battery charger and switch advice
Quote:
Originally Posted by mitiempo
Your alt regulator has an external sense wire. Read the manual to find which it is and make sure it goes direct to the positive post of the house bank. It will compensate for the voltage drop.
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Got the charger all fired up and working great, gradually ramped up to 35 amps. One question: I ran the chassis ground to my negative bus, but it also says I should run a wire to my "boats bonding system" - I'm just not sure what that is. I'll have to research this, but want to make sure there's no major concerns running it as is.
Tomorrow I'll wire up the ACR directly to the batteries. I've also increased the acr over voltage protection to 15.5 volts to try the chargers equalization feature.
I haven't worked into the alternator yet, but I did notice an AC cable running somewhere that I haven't traced yet. It seems to run toward the bow, but I'm not sure to what. I don't have an inverter, just a windlass and a very old radar that I've never used. Any shot in the dark?
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21-08-2017, 22:26
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#52
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Victoria B.C.
Boat: Wauquiez Centurion 32
Posts: 2,874
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Re: Battery charger and switch advice
Quote:
Originally Posted by matthidinger
Got the charger all fired up and working great, gradually ramped up to 35 amps. One question: I ran the chassis ground to my negative bus, but it also says I should run a wire to my "boats bonding system" - I'm just not sure what that is. I'll have to research this, but want to make sure there's no major concerns running it as is.
Tomorrow I'll wire up the ACR directly to the batteries. I've also increased the acr over voltage protection to 15.5 volts to try the chargers equalization feature.
I haven't worked into the alternator yet, but I did notice an AC cable running somewhere that I haven't traced yet. It seems to run toward the bow, but I'm not sure to what. I don't have an inverter, just a windlass and a very old radar that I've never used. Any shot in the dark?
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The bonding system on a boat is connected to DC negative, so if you have one the connection should already be made. If you do not have a bonding system don't worry about it.
The AC cable running forward should have nothing to do with the alternator. Trace the sense wire from the regulator to its end, and if that is not the house positive change it so it is.
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21-08-2017, 22:33
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#53
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Seattle, WA
Boat: 1990 Nonsuch 30
Posts: 65
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Re: Battery charger and switch advice
Quote:
Originally Posted by mitiempo
The AC cable running forward should have nothing to do with the alternator. Trace the sense wire from the regulator to its end, and if that is not the house positive change it so it is.
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If you see the photo in post #48 at the top you'll see 3 AC wires from the alternator join into a flat white "AC jacket". Those are what I haven't traced yet, I'm just curious what they might be.
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21-08-2017, 22:49
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#54
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Victoria B.C.
Boat: Wauquiez Centurion 32
Posts: 2,874
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Re: Battery charger and switch advice
Quote:
Originally Posted by matthidinger
If you see the photo in post #48 at the top you'll see 3 AC wires from the alternator join into a flat white "AC jacket". Those are what I haven't traced yet, I'm just curious what they might be.
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If attached to the regulator they are not AC wires, just 3 conductor that has been used there. Are they attached to the regulator?
What Balmar regulator is it?
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