CharlesSwallow
Well-Known Member
Ah now! "Slow start" is an entirely different thing to using a high field voltage from start-up in the way it was described by Mr Mallows.
Chas
Fitting a Sterling Alternator Regulator to a Yanmar 2GM20F
- Thread starter Anwen
- Start date
Ah now! "Slow start" is an entirely different thing to using a high field voltage from start-up in the way it was described by Mr Mallows.
Chas
CharlesSwallow
Well-Known Member
What a very curious and unsubstantiated, non-specific response. However, over the years Charles, I have come to expect little else!
Chas
Ubergeekian
Well-Known Member
"Using a high field voltage from start up"? What's that got to do with anything? He wrote
A ramp up of alternator voltage over about 20seconds when first switched on (to minimise any tendency of belt slip).
which you highlighted in red and replied to with**How is that going to MINIMISE belt slip for god's sake? Absolute NONSENSE!
Perhaps you could ring Mr Stirling and come to a mutual understanding on this, then either he can change his website or you can withdraw your words here?
Pye_End
Well-Known Member
Certainly not my recent experience of him, and he appears to have a justified reputation for not being helpful, and not supporting his products.
Getting any sort of an answer from him is best done with a '20 questions' yes or no routine. Doesn't work if you don't know what you don't know - ie you have to ask the right questions, and must be short.
Add to your list of people he doesn't 'lioke' are inexperienced and unknowledgable.
VicMallows
Well-Known Member
I agree it would be very nice if the Sterling DID know the battery capacity and how deeply it was discharged. It could indeed then create a near ideal charging profile if so designed.
How are you suggesting it knows these parameters? It does not even know the current output from the alternator.
I am beginning to think that you have a different Sterling product to the rest of us. Have you actually performed measurements, or are your assertions based on what you think (or would like) it does?
Vic
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
Vic and I have discussed, and agreed, the one hour charging period for wet flooded cell batteries. As he says, the state of charge on startup makes no difference - one hour is what you get.
Anwen
Well-Known Member
Update
Phew, this seems to have got a little heated!
In the meantime, Wizard (Geoff) was good enough to PM me with his experiences of fitting an advanced regulator to an alternator identical to mine, and followed this up with an e-mail containing pictures and a phone call. As a result, I have been able to make some progress.
The key piece of information I was missing was the shield which is moulded as part of the plastic base which carries the regulator assembly and field coil connections needs to be cut off, which then gives direct access to the back of the brush assembly, and the needed wire can be soldered on. You might be able to make out this shield on the side of the alternator in the picture below:-
Geoff also told me how to determine the correct brush to use by measuring the resistance to earth of the two brushes. Given that our alternators are absolutely identical, it was no surprise that it was the same brush!
I now have a modified alternator ready to go back on the boat. I am also changing the split charge relay system which looks very lightweight, for a blocking diode splitter, which of course is OK provided the sensing wire from the Sterling goes to the battery side.
Incidentally, I have ordered cable, terminals and heatshrink from Electrical Car Services https://www.electricalcarservices.com/index.php, and all the gear should arrive tomorrow, ready for the weekend. Their prices for tinned marine quality cable were half those of a well known marine electrical retailer, and they sell the terminals singly instead of making you buy a pack of 10 of the sizes you need. It feels like progress.
Phew, this seems to have got a little heated!
In the meantime, Wizard (Geoff) was good enough to PM me with his experiences of fitting an advanced regulator to an alternator identical to mine, and followed this up with an e-mail containing pictures and a phone call. As a result, I have been able to make some progress.
The key piece of information I was missing was the shield which is moulded as part of the plastic base which carries the regulator assembly and field coil connections needs to be cut off, which then gives direct access to the back of the brush assembly, and the needed wire can be soldered on. You might be able to make out this shield on the side of the alternator in the picture below:-
Geoff also told me how to determine the correct brush to use by measuring the resistance to earth of the two brushes. Given that our alternators are absolutely identical, it was no surprise that it was the same brush!
I now have a modified alternator ready to go back on the boat. I am also changing the split charge relay system which looks very lightweight, for a blocking diode splitter, which of course is OK provided the sensing wire from the Sterling goes to the battery side.
Incidentally, I have ordered cable, terminals and heatshrink from Electrical Car Services https://www.electricalcarservices.com/index.php, and all the gear should arrive tomorrow, ready for the weekend. Their prices for tinned marine quality cable were half those of a well known marine electrical retailer, and they sell the terminals singly instead of making you buy a pack of 10 of the sizes you need. It feels like progress.
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CharlesSwallow
Well-Known Member
** Unless you've bought yours within the last twelve months, that could well be right. I managed to (physically) damage my original model so bought the latest "Advanced" controller which gives all the monitoring info on an LCD screen (this needed an updated chip too) and more items than the original to boot.
Not saying it is perfect but a great deal more efficient than an Adverc, which is what we are talking about, for sure.
Chas
CharlesSwallow
Well-Known Member
Phew, this seems to have got a little heated!
In the meantime, Wizard (Geoff) was good enough to PM me with his experiences of fitting an advanced regulator to an alternator identical to mine, and followed this up with an e-mail containing pictures and a phone call. As a result, I have been able to make some progress.
The key piece of information I was missing was the shield which is moulded as part of the plastic base which carries the regulator assembly and field coil connections needs to be cut off, which then gives direct access to the back of the brush assembly, and the needed wire can be soldered on. You might be able to make out this shield on the side of the alternator in the picture below:-
Geoff also told me how to determine the correct brush to use by measuring the resistance to earth of the two brushes. Given that our alternators are absolutely identical, it was no surprise that it was the same brush!
I now have a modified alternator ready to go back on the boat. I am also changing the split charge relay system which looks very lightweight, for a blocking diode splitter, which of course is OK provided the sensing wire from the Sterling goes to the battery side.
Incidentally, I have ordered cable, terminals and heatshrink from Electrical Car Services https://www.electricalcarservices.com/index.php, and all the gear should arrive tomorrow, ready for the weekend. Their prices for tinned marine quality cable were half those of a well know marine electrical retailer, and they sell the terminals singly instead of making you buy a pack of 10 of the sizes you need. It feels like progress.
That's it! Yes I remember now having to cut the case and refitting it with tiny cable ties. It's all coming back but it was 15+ years ago.
Make sure you get a low loss splitter diode as you can use nearly a volt with a basic one. Sterlings sell a suitable unit. Others will praise Voltage Sensitive Relays as an alternative. These can be good or bad but the later ones are much more reliable than those of ten years ago so it's down to personal preference. I've tried both without coming to a definite conclusion.
Chas
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CharlesSwallow
Well-Known Member
Oh DEAR! PMs outside of the thread again! Old Boys' club mentality strikes yet again.
What is wrong with keeping the whole group informed? You prefer the "Masonic" approach in these matters, obviously.
I will therefore decline to respond.
Chas
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
Once again you leap to an incorrect conclusion. You have quite a reputation for this.
The discussion I refer to took place several months ago.
VicMallows
Well-Known Member
And perhaps don't jump to conclusions so rapidly. Our discussions were in open forum some time ago on a completely different thread ..... maybe even a different forum.
Vic
Ubergeekian
Well-Known Member
This is, I fear, a fairly well established term for those who believe that others are plotting behind their back.
CharlesSwallow
Well-Known Member
Well, I've searched back over a period of 13 months and can't find any such posting attributed to either of you with a specific reference to either of these charge regulating devices so it must be assumed that you weren't discussing any contemporary device (had to avoid using "current"!) and certainly not a Sterling.
Now just so that I can get this clear, are you saying that there is NO DIFFERENCE between the functioning of the Adverc and the Sterling? - the subject under discussion. I will ignore your slights upon my reputation which is just an attempt at personal insult, I'm sure.
Chas
Ubergeekian
Well-Known Member
I'm going to take a wild guess here and suggest that when Vyv says "[we] have discussed, and agreed, the one hour charging period for wet flooded cell batteries" what he means is that they discussed, and agreed, the one hour charging period for wet flooded cell batteries and not that they think that there is NO DIFFERENCE between the functioning of the Adverc and the Sterling.
Because if that's what he meant, I'd have expected him to write something more like "[we] have discussed, and agreed, that there is NO DIFFERENCE between the functioning of the Adverc and the Sterling."
Which he didn't.
So if I may make a respectful suggestion, you may find that the discussion proceeds more easily if you respond to what people like Vyv (and Mr Sterling, for that matter) actually wrote and not what you think they wrote.
Perhaps this will be useful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man
PS. Chaps, I've put Swallow on the agenda for the cabal meeting this weekend, OK?
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
This isn't the only forum used by Vic and myself. We were most definitely discussing our experience of a Sterling unit, as I make a habit of not discussing things I have no knowledge of.
I am making absolutely no statement regarding the differences between any equipment. I said "Vic and I have discussed, and agreed, the one hour charging period for wet flooded cell batteries. As he says, the state of charge on startup makes no difference - one hour is what you get. " Seems clear enough.
No insult, just an observation that you might do well to take on board. You have done exactly as I said when you wrote "Now just so that I can get this clear, are you saying that there is NO DIFFERENCE between the functioning of the Adverc and the Sterling? " That is very obviously NOT what I said.
CharlesSwallow
Well-Known Member
**Not in order to ask you a question then without expecting to receive yet another insult as the reply?
Chas
vyv_cox
Well-Known Member
wizard
Well-Known Member
I suggest that you should all remember that at the start of all this was a forum member seeking advice to solve a problem. That is what this forum is for.
I further suggest that in future you all move the arguments to another forum whilst the rest of us concentrate on helping each other out.
I further suggest that in future you all move the arguments to another forum whilst the rest of us concentrate on helping each other out.
charles_reed
Well-Known Member
Just do what I suggest, Charles, and you'll not make quite such a fool of yourself, in public, as you are now doing.
Check out HOW the Adverc works!!!
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