Generator battery charging

[[3889]]

I use an 800w (700w continuous) inverter genny (eco setting off) to charge batteries through a 35a Mastervolt Chargemaster charger. The charger's spec is max input 575w/230v but the genny will never produce a charge voltage above 13.8v though the charger shows bulk phase. I get 14.5v on hook up. The genny will run an 800w toaster. Any ideas why this is?

 

[Alex_Blackwood]

I use an 800w (700w continuous) inverter genny (eco setting off) to charge batteries through a 35a Mastervolt Chargemaster charger. The charger's spec is max input 575w/230v but the genny will never produce a charge voltage above 13.8v though the charger shows bulk phase. I get 14.5v on hook up. The genny will run an 800w toaster. Any ideas why this is?

Perhaps that is what the regulated DC output of the Geny is set at. Not sure what you mean by "14,5v on hook up" To what, and where is that voltage measured?
The ac output for the toaster etc. has nothing to do with the DC output (Apart from being on the same machine )

 

[[3889]]

Perhaps that is what the regulated DC output of the Geny is set at. Not sure what you mean by "14,5v on hook up" To what, and where is that voltage measured?
The ac output for the toaster etc. has nothing to do with the DC output (Apart from being on the same machine )

I'm using the AC genny output for charging, i.e. via a standard 13A socket on the genny to the shore power connector on the boat. The same socket provides >700w for the toaster yet the battery charger, rated at 575w, will not perform at full output. The 14.5V is the boats batteries' voltage achieved whilst on bulk charge from the mains suppy.

 

[rogerthebodger]

You need to look at the output of the battery charger you are using with the generator.

Do you use the same battery charger from the main supply or is it a different battery charger

 

[RobbieW]

The alternator output will be determined by its regulator, usually about the voltage you see. Sterling's A2B charger can increase that to create a 3 stage system and there now 3 or so external regulators that can do this eg Balmar, Wakespeed (sp?) and one other.

 

[PaulRainbow]

The alternator output will be determined by its regulator, usually about the voltage you see. Sterling's A2B charger can increase that to create a 3 stage system and there now 3 or so external regulators that can do this eg Balmar, Wakespeed (sp?) and one other.

But he isn't using his alternator.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Any ideas why this is?

Cheap inverter electronics producing not a very good sine wave which causes your charger to sulk.

 

[RobbieW]

But he isn't using his alternator.

I took genny to be alternator, I now realise its not clearly explained

 

[B27]

Cheap inverter electronics producing not a very good sine wave which causes your charger to sulk.

Probably a combination of that, and the charger not being designed to cope with anything other than 'actual mains'.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Probably a combination of that, and the charger not being designed to cope with anything other than 'actual mains'.

Isn't that the same thing ?

 

[[3889]]

I took genny to be alternator, I now realise its not clearly explained

Was it not? Where did I say alternator? What alternator has a 13a socket? My lack of clarity or your lack of comprehension?
BTW, it's 'it's', not 'its', just for clarity.
This forum has gradually diminished over 20 years into a bickering cesspool of show offs with little to show off about. I'll do better on Quora.
From the literature:
"The sine wave constant voltage technology has a frequency stability of +/-1%, is more stable than the normal mains supply and is therefore ideal for powering sensitive equipment such as computers TVs etc. It also provides a 12V DC output that can be used for lead acid battery top up charging."
No need to reply, it will go unread.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

"The sine wave constant voltage technology has a frequency stability of +/-1%, is more stable than the normal mains supply...

Getting a stable frequency is the easy part. +/-1% is nothing to boast about, and is way less stable than mains. It's getting the correct sine wave shape under different load conditions that needs money spending on the electronics.

 

[alan_d]

BTW, it's 'it's', not 'its', just for clarity.

Are you sure you're not called "Quibble"?

 

[B27]

Was it not? Where did I say alternator? What alternator has a 13a socket? My lack of clarity or your lack of comprehension?
BTW, it's 'it's', not 'its', just for clarity.
This forum has gradually diminished over 20 years into a bickering cesspool of show offs with little to show off about. I'll do better on Quora.
From the literature:
"The sine wave constant voltage technology has a frequency stability of +/-1%, is more stable than the normal mains supply and is therefore ideal for powering sensitive equipment such as computers TVs etc. It also provides a 12V DC output that can be used for lead acid battery top up charging."
No need to reply, it will go unread.

And yet, it doesn't power your battery charger the same as mains does.
That means the genny doesn't look like mains as far as the charger is concerned, and the charger doesn't work well with that difference.

Computers, TV's etc often have power supplies in them which will cope with anything from 100 to 250V.
They are not using the supply voltage as a reference, many older battery chargers are basic reduction transformers where the out put is a fixed ratio of the input, or strongly influenced by that.
Some chargers really want 240V not 230V.
Some are not tolerant of non-sine wave forms.
Some load the input heavily and do odd things if the input voltage drops as result of that loading.

TBH, I don't like most people who run noisy generators to charge batteries, so I don't much care if we're unhelpful.