Birdseye
Well-Known Member
The problem is that the sterling / adverc regulators cannot lower the voltage from your alternators built in regulator. They can only increase it if set to do so. Now new alternators often have regulators set at 14.5 volts which is in the area that you want. You might go up to 14.8 if you have open lead acid and you are happy to top up with water, but otherwise 14.5 at the battery is as high as you want. So your extra regulator set at 14.5 or so isnt going to come into operation at all.
So the only area where you can now usefully modify your system is increasing the maximum amps capacity ie bigger alternator and even that will only make a difference in two situations. One is if your alternator is simply too small for the battery bank. The other time it helps is in the start oif engine running ie the bit where current draw is at max and the voltage is below the regulator maximum. In other words it speeds up the first bit of the charging cycle where the voltage is rising to the regulator max set point.
What would be useful would be to use only the sterling or adverc regulator and allow the voltage to drop back to 13.5 / 13.7 once the batteries are fully charged. 14.5 is a bit high for constant running with fully charged batteries.
So the only area where you can now usefully modify your system is increasing the maximum amps capacity ie bigger alternator and even that will only make a difference in two situations. One is if your alternator is simply too small for the battery bank. The other time it helps is in the start oif engine running ie the bit where current draw is at max and the voltage is below the regulator maximum. In other words it speeds up the first bit of the charging cycle where the voltage is rising to the regulator max set point.
What would be useful would be to use only the sterling or adverc regulator and allow the voltage to drop back to 13.5 / 13.7 once the batteries are fully charged. 14.5 is a bit high for constant running with fully charged batteries.
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