Smart Regulators - Alternator Controllers

[properjob]

I have read many posts extolling the merits and drawbacks of the Adverc Battery Management System verses the Stirling Digital 4 step alternator regulator, it appears to be an emotive subject! On a few occasions the Merlin AMS has been mentioned in passing but I can’t remember seeing any posts from people that own one and have reported their experiences with it.

As I shall be buying a ‘smart regulator” in the near future I would be interested to hear any feedback from anybody that has a Merlin AMS.

I have had an Adverc before and been very happy with it, but as the Merlin is half the price and if it is just as good, I might try one out. The Stirling, also nearly half the price of the Adverc, is still a possibility.

Thanks.

 

[alldownwind]

I have used a Merlin AMS for the last 2 years. Straightforward to install, it works.
Had a Sterling on a previous boat, also no problems.

 

[Romagould3]

I have fitted three sterling regs are all are still working faultlessly. Recommended.

 

[NPMR]

Sterling fitted a few years back - battery issues markedly reduced. I needed to get an auto electrician to fit the cables inside my Yanmar alternator but otherwise easy.

So far, no qeuries or issues I can recall. Fitted and mostly forgotten.

 

[rudolph_hart]

I fitted a Merlin AMS two seasons ago, and so far no problems. The fitting instructions are confusing (contradictory), but you can get some telephone help to decipher them. I also bought a Merlin 'shore power' intelligent charging system at the same time, which is simple to fit.

I also fitted an Adverc to the previous boat, and I believe it's still going strong some eight years later. The fitting instructions and telephone support are much better, but the cost is higher.

 

[temptress]

HI,

we have a MERLIN AMS and it has been great for the last 3 seasons.

It is used to charge
710 AH Domestic bank
70 Ah engine/reserve
From one 80 amp alternator

the fitting instuctions are a bit useless as I recall but a phone call to their technical guys sorted things out.

 

[Billjratt]

Sterling gets my vote. Also, having changed my alternator and "waking up" some latent problems with the wiring, I got great one-to-one Email technical advice from Charles (Sterling).

 

[BigART]

We have a Merlin AMS which I fitted myself. I have to say I could not get it to work for about a year (I wasn't trying that hard as I was busy fixing other things on the boat) and email responses from Merlin were infrequent /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. After starting the engine, the red light would come on for a while and then go green indicating that the unit had tried smart regulation but had given up. The currents and voltages were what would be expected from the normal alternator fitted regulator

The problem seemed to have been that the unit senses voltage at the alternator output and the battery. The cable between the two was a little long and not thick enough and presumably the voltage drop confused the Merlin regulator which would refuse to do its stuff. I fixed the problem by installing a shorter thicker cable from the alternator to the batteries. It now seems to work as expected producing around 35-40 amps from a 75 amp alternator at engine start instead of 15-20 amps under normal regulation.

Angus