vas
Well-Known Member
evening all,
replaced three batteries as the two starter ones died after only 4yrs with the nasty trick I did of picking 12V from the groundmost one to start and run the generator.
So third battery is the geny starter one.
Now I have:
4X6V Trojan T105RE for service
2X12V 140Ah for starting the engines
1X12V 100Ah (or 80 forgot already...) for the generator
Victron Centaur 24/60A charging both main banks if and when I turn it on.
Victron MPPT 100/15 charging the service bank from 2X300W solar panels
port alternator charging service
stbrd alternator charging starter
gen battery not charged atm as MASE hasn't got an alternator and the generator panel is lacking the subsystem doing so (mix and match by the looks of it by previous owner)
Options as discussed in other threads are:
use a Victron smartcharger 12V15A permanently connected on the geny output so whenever the geny runs, battery is charged.
get a dedicated DC->DC circuit and charge it from the service bank
my concern is that the way I'll be operating the geny is unlikely to get the battery ever fully charged, one hour every couple of days when onboard for the watermaker the odd eve half hour A/C to cool the cabins, not much.
second concern is that I occasionally use the Victron to charge dingy battery or "revive" friend's batteries and that sort of thing.
So as far as charging patterns are concerned, I feel that I could use a system that by midday (that I typically have fully charged service batteries) some of that extra juice goes to a 24->12 dropper/charger - bulk - float sort of thing which will auto power off after a couple of hours (or so)
Makes sense? I think it does.
I'll be building a PCB for the generator controller which will do all sorts of things for the newly rebuilt yanmar 2GM monitoring (even managed to squeeze a EGT sensor as well as the leftover sea water pressure sensor
) so I was thinking of integrating a simple 2stage charging circuit in it for that. Voltage sensing would enable the waking up and charging only the days needed and making sure this battery will last double as much.
I note that Victron hasn't got 24->12V charger, only droppers, I've seen some 90+ such devices but not at all keen. I've also seen some v.simple 10euro assembled kits 6-60V in 12.whatnot (adjustable) V charging out.
any views on that?
cheers
V.
PS. as you may note I'm running out of important things to do, so trying to keep myself busy with simpler things
replaced three batteries as the two starter ones died after only 4yrs with the nasty trick I did of picking 12V from the groundmost one to start and run the generator.
So third battery is the geny starter one.
Now I have:
4X6V Trojan T105RE for service
2X12V 140Ah for starting the engines
1X12V 100Ah (or 80 forgot already...) for the generator
Victron Centaur 24/60A charging both main banks if and when I turn it on.
Victron MPPT 100/15 charging the service bank from 2X300W solar panels
port alternator charging service
stbrd alternator charging starter
gen battery not charged atm as MASE hasn't got an alternator and the generator panel is lacking the subsystem doing so (mix and match by the looks of it by previous owner)
Options as discussed in other threads are:
use a Victron smartcharger 12V15A permanently connected on the geny output so whenever the geny runs, battery is charged.
get a dedicated DC->DC circuit and charge it from the service bank
my concern is that the way I'll be operating the geny is unlikely to get the battery ever fully charged, one hour every couple of days when onboard for the watermaker the odd eve half hour A/C to cool the cabins, not much.
second concern is that I occasionally use the Victron to charge dingy battery or "revive" friend's batteries and that sort of thing.
So as far as charging patterns are concerned, I feel that I could use a system that by midday (that I typically have fully charged service batteries) some of that extra juice goes to a 24->12 dropper/charger - bulk - float sort of thing which will auto power off after a couple of hours (or so)
Makes sense? I think it does.
I'll be building a PCB for the generator controller which will do all sorts of things for the newly rebuilt yanmar 2GM monitoring (even managed to squeeze a EGT sensor as well as the leftover sea water pressure sensor
) so I was thinking of integrating a simple 2stage charging circuit in it for that. Voltage sensing would enable the waking up and charging only the days needed and making sure this battery will last double as much.I note that Victron hasn't got 24->12V charger, only droppers, I've seen some 90+ such devices but not at all keen. I've also seen some v.simple 10euro assembled kits 6-60V in 12.whatnot (adjustable) V charging out.
any views on that?
cheers
V.
PS. as you may note I'm running out of important things to do, so trying to keep myself busy with simpler things
. A bit like me trying to explain gravity to Einstein
