Terra-Loon
Well-Known Member
Good job I didn't mention the dirty knife...
Viktron Blue Power IP22 Battery charger as power supply
- Thread starter Terra-Loon
- Start date
VicS
Well-Known Member
You need to curtail your point scoring and grow up Vic. If your aim is to try and prove to other forumites that you know more than me about internal combustion engines and their ancillaries, I'm afraid that you are doomed to failure.
It is totally inappropriate for you to rudely tell me to "RTM" for equipment that is not mine. That is up to the owner of the equipment. If you choose to do the same then that is your decision but to criticise me because I have not done so is pathetic.
The OP owner of the equipment simply stated that his charger can also be used as a power supply. On many chargers this requires a different setting to be selected to avoid the charger detecting a failed battery. The OP then clarified his problem by explaining that he was trying to use the charger with no battery connected (that information being obtained by yours truly asking further questions in an effort to help the OP) but the charger was not producing 12V.
The obvious first point is to check that the power supply setting has been selected, if there is one. If it has been selected, or does not need to be selected, then the problem is likely to be a fuse or switch, as I stated.
I believe that I covered these points in a systematic manner albeit without reading the manual and the OP appeared to appreciate my efforts to solve his problem.
You may wish to consider the above and reflect upon whether I am owed an apology.
Richard
You are doing an excellent job of a making your self look like an arrogant know all. keep it up!.. IMHO that is
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RichardS
N/A
Since when is a marine battery charger not a piece of "ancillary equipment associated with an internal combustion engine"?
Why this silly childishness Vic? I did not think you were the sort of person who resorted to these "Lounge-style" insults but I guess that we are all learning something new about you. I am very happy to post in the Lounge but I have always believed that that kind of "internet banter" is not appropriate in this Forum.
As I said above, I have only ever sought to help the OP so you may wish to consider your rudeness towards me in this thread and offer an apology.
In the meantime, may I offer my apologies to Rich as this is not what we would normally expect from PBO.
Richard
maxi77
Well-Known Member
Also worth noting breakers and switches are only closed, never shut.
Caladh
Well-Known Member
I've read and re-read this thread due to the "conversational" tone (!) and highlight questions raised.
When plugged into shore-power my battery charger is "on" and thus feeds my 12v needs on board and also is keeping the battery topped up etc However my battery charger has two outputs for two battery banks but I only use one as my VSR controls the charging of my engine battery. So...................
a) is there any benefit of using the spare output to feed my 12v requirements independent of the battery charger ?
b) is there any drain (and thus battery life reduction - albeit small) on the battery when a battery charger is connected and a 12v load is applied e.g lights/fridge etc ?
When plugged into shore-power my battery charger is "on" and thus feeds my 12v needs on board and also is keeping the battery topped up etc However my battery charger has two outputs for two battery banks but I only use one as my VSR controls the charging of my engine battery. So...................
a) is there any benefit of using the spare output to feed my 12v requirements independent of the battery charger ?
b) is there any drain (and thus battery life reduction - albeit small) on the battery when a battery charger is connected and a 12v load is applied e.g lights/fridge etc ?
RichardS
N/A
There may be some specs in the manual
)) but I would suspect that the current available is fixed and can only be split between the two outputs so it's difficult to see what you would gain plus you would need additional wiring/relays to separate the battery charging from the 12V requirements and it would be more complexity for very little, if any gain.If your batteries are well charged the charger will have plenty of unused capacity to power the other stuff so that is not a problem. If the batteries are low and you are using other equipment then it will probably take a bit longer to charge the batteries depending upon the relative output of your charger and the size of your battery bank ..... but I can't see that, in any meaningful sense, that is going to shorten your battery life unless the charger is hopelessly under-powered.
Others might have a different view, of course.
Richard
Terra-Loon
Well-Known Member
pvb
Well-Known Member
With chargers with more than one output, it's normally recommended (in the manual!) to link any unused output(s) to a used output in order to spread the loads on the charger circuitry.
I can't see any way in which you could ever use the spare output "independent of the battery charger".
If you apply a load greater than the output of the battery charger, the batteries make up the shortfall. You don't say which charger you have, but most chargers with 2 outputs would probably be able to output 20A or so, in which case you probably won't be taking much out of your batteries.
RichardS
N/A
I interpreted it to mean "use one output to charge the batteries and the other output to separately power all the 12V ancillaries" which would require these two circuits too be isolated with relay or switch. Perhaps the ubiquitous 1-2-Both switch fulfils the first part this requirement (?) but you would then need cabling from output 2 to the house-side of the 1-2-Both switch or something. I don't have such a switch so could well be wrong on that.
Richard
pvb
Well-Known Member
It's not possible to use the battery charger independent of the battery charger, unless I'm being too pedantic! Regardless, it's totally complicated and quite unnecessary.
VicS
Well-Known Member
But the manual clearly states that it can be used to supply DC loads when no battery is connected!
It also states that a load can be connected while charging. It explains that if the load exceeds the charger output there will be no charging taking place
These statements appear to apply to all models, 1 output or 3 output type, although the Op has not stated which he has, so cannot require one battery to be on and charging another output is used to supply the load.
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pvb
Well-Known Member
No, you've missed the point. The question in post #45 was could he use a charger output independent of the charger. Obviously not. It's like saying can I use the shorepower mains without having shorepower.
VicS
Well-Known Member
Sorry I'd missed that post altogether and the thread has rolled over onto page 2 without me noticing
- a) He appears to be asking if their is any benefit in using a currently unused the spare output to supply loads as opposed to supplying them from the output connected to the batteries. I am sure he ( Caladh) is not suggesting he could do that without the charger being connected to a mains power supply.
- b) is there any drain (and thus battery life reduction - albeit small) on the battery when a battery charger is connected and a 12v load is applied e.g lights/fridge etc ?
The answer to a) is, "possibly" if the outputs are independent but only because the load will not hopefully affect the charging of the battery. We don't know enough about the OPs charger or Caladh's charger to be sure
The answer to b) is, " only if or when the load current exceeds the battery charger output and is connected to the same output as the battery"
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Caladh
Well-Known Member
Ok people thanks for your inputs on this, the result being that there appears no gain to powering 12v loads independent of the battery. However there are 12v inverters for fridges for example that auto switch to the mains if plugged in to shore power. IF there is no perceived loss in battery life running a load via 12v charger/shore power why would you use one when the batteries are being "charged" anyway ?
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RichardS
N/A
I don't know about such inverters as my fridge and freezer are 12V but using 12V to generate mains voltage through an inverter is not an efficient way to generate 240V and would, indeed, act to stop your battery charging as quickly as it could from the battery charger if it were already low ...... so if you can switch the fridge to direct mains wherever possible that would make sense to me.
Richard