Association Forum - battery charging

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

battery charging

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Page: of 2

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2008 : 15:02:23

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by stampeder
 On a manual start OB, does the act of plugging in the alternator plug to the OB constitute opening the circuit? I have a 1-2-all battery switch (3 way Perko) - my understanding of battery circuitry is that this switch should be off when I do not have any batteries hooked up. (recall that this hi-jack started when I mentioned that I often sail without batteries) Do I unplug at the OB, or is keeping my battery switch in the off position keep this a closed circuit?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">When you turn a switch "off", it "opens" the circuit. Disconnecting a battery also makes the circuit "open" (no circuit). When both batteries are disconnected, it makes no difference where your battery switch is set--there is no circuit for the switch to "close".

Edited by - on

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
3477 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2008 : 15:51:19

I have gotten use to leaving my battery switch always on. My solar controller always indicates the voltage and when my outboard is on, I can tell the solar panel is not providing any juice - stops showing the amps from the panel but indicates the raised voltage from the outboard charging. If I use the outboard for a long time, then the solar controller shuts down completely. I then have to hit the power button to the controller to get it going again.

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5418 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2008 : 23:01:51

It depends . . .

Going back to Mike's question, and in agreement with Dave, if the switch is open, or if the battery(ies) is (are) disconnected, the circuit is open, so the alternator will not put out any current.

On the other hand, in Larry's situation, the solar regulator will sometimes open the circuit when the battery is fully charged, or close the circuit when the battery needs more charging.

There is an interesting difference between solar panel regulators and alternator regulators.

Solar panel regulators simply turn on and off the current from the panels. The panels are not harmed by a switch opening up to stop further battery charging.

Alternators don't cut off the current to the battery, they cut off the alternator's field current. This lets the magnetic field harmlessly discharge through the charging circuit.

Now when you have both the alternator and the solar panel both charging the batteries, if the solar panel regulator cuts out at a lower terminal voltage than the alternator regulator, the alternator will charge for a longer period than the solar panel. Eventually, the battery will fully charge up, so then even the alternator regulator will cut out.

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5418 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2008 : 23:08:14

Peter -
If you can get your analog meter to accurately measure between 11 and 14 volts, you could keep an eye on the charge state of your battery.

Note: I re-read Don Casey's section, and the range for conventional batteries is 0.2 Volt lower than the numbers I used, with 12.6 V being fully charged. AGMs use the range I mentioned above, with 12.8 V being fully charged.

Sorry for that confusion.

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

Members Avatar

USA
3758 Posts

Response Posted - 04/27/2008 : 23:10:06

It shouldn't matter as long as you are consistent. As long as you don't have an initiating current to the alternator you should have no output

Edited by - on

Bruce Baker
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
402 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 13:55:26

Hey, I went to Purdue too! I guess it's true that inside every engineer there is a sailor trying to get out!

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 14:31:19

BTW, I got a cheap digital volt meter at Wallymart--it plugs into a 12-volt (cig lighter) outlet if you have one. Seemed pretty accurate... (Our resident EE probably has it now.)

Edited by - on

Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
5418 Posts

Response Posted - 04/28/2008 : 21:27:27

Ah yes, the plug in voltmeter - it works great. Nice touch.

Edited by - on

knightwind
Navigator

Members Avatar

Canada
114 Posts

Response Posted - 05/02/2008 : 11:38:21

Well...good news and bad news...good news: There's an on board charger. Bad news: the batteries are completely dead and we didn't get a shore power slip.
2 Batteries:

Charger:

So you just refill the batteries with distilled water and charge them up right?

I guess I'll either remove the batteries and charge at home or borrow somebody's hydro slip.

Thanks for the help.

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

1608 Posts

Response Posted - 05/02/2008 : 11:45:31

Instead of distilled water, consider buying a bottle of electrolyte solution - its expensive. Available at Cdn Tire. you may also want to take your batteries to CDN tire or battery place for them to re-charge - as they will be able to tell you if your batteries will accept a charge. If they're dry, they are probably toast.

Yes, borrowing slip for a couple hours is a good idea if you can clear it with the Marina folks - the slip owner might be on a meter.

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 05/02/2008 : 11:58:28

Peter, if you are in the city much, Rigging shop has some good prices on batteries and so does Sandy Cove Marine right now (Along Hwy 400, just South of Barrie). I know Sandy Cove is a stink-potter's paradise, but their fenders (bumpers to the powerboaters) are only $10, and their batteries can be had for under $100 for a starter/deep cycle.

On our boat we have a deep cycle and a dual purpose. The dual purpose was bought this spring for $75 at The Rigging Shoppe in Scarborough. This will be our first summer with the boat and like you we have a unpowered slip. We will be putting a Solar panel on the stern pulpit, or bring batteries home to charge them.

Edited by - on

Page: of 2

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.