What's are these?

[westhinder]

But is the Mastervolt charger one with just a single a output and using the same diode splitter as alternator and Sterling controller. Or is it in fact a dual output charger which supplies the battery banks directly. As far as i know only the smallest Mastervolt (10amps) has just a single output.
A larger one ( at least 25amps) would be recommended for the battery capacity you have and all the larger ones have 2 or 3 outputs.


Check on the Mastervolt installation first, just to be sure about it, but then check the Sterling controller installation .

Which Sterling unit do you have ?

The Masterrvolt is a 12/2400, which delivers 100 Amps.
The Sterling is a Universal Advanced Alternator Regulator, from 1999. The voltage sensor is on the service batteries. As far as I can tell from the LEDs the unit works normally, but still the charge current never goes over 13.5V. Is there a way of verifying the Sterling actually works?

 

[geem]

You will never get to 100% charged running an engine - unless you go for 24 hrs! You can get to 85% fairly quickly but after that the current into the batteries falls away rapidly so it is not worth running the engine much more.

A properly sized charger and multi-stage regulator means faster charging overnight when you go into a marina. Go in at 2000 hrs and leave at 0800 hrs and your batteries may not be back to 100% - even though the charger says you are in Float mode.

When you run your genset with a larger shorepower charger the runtime will be much less to get to the 85% charged state.

I inherited the very large battery bank when I bought the boat. I don't think I would have such a large bank if I was replacing the batteries. The previous owner used a combi inverter charger and the genset daily to charge batteries. He had a washing machine and the most energy inefficient lighting you have ever seen! We now have LEDs everywhere, no washer, the duogen and lots of solar power. I don't expect to drain batteries much at all as we have sailed on 100mile long passages and with the Duogen and solar we have arrived at our destination fully charged. I could probably drop of some batteries and still be fine but seeing as they are installed they can stay put.

 

[VicS]

The Masterrvolt is a 12/2400, which delivers 100 Amps.
The Sterling is a Universal Advanced Alternator Regulator, from 1999. The voltage sensor is on the service batteries. As far as I can tell from the LEDs the unit works normally, but still the charge current never goes over 13.5V. Is there a way of verifying the Sterling actually works?

I cannot find any information on a Mastervolt 12/2400.

Is it a charger/ inverter combi unit ???

If so I think it only has one charging output but i dont think you could put it through a diode splitter ........ The inverter function would not work if there was a diode splitter in the circuit.

What i am digging away at is your assumption that the diode splitter is OK because the batteries charge correctly via the Mastervolt charger.

As a separate issue perhaps you need to investigate the wiring of the charger but as that is not your problem at the moment it can wait.

You dont say where you are measuring 13.5 volts. At the alternator output, or at the batteries. Remember that if the batteries are in a significantly discharged state then it will take a while for the volts to rise anyway.

Perhaps the way forward is to disconnect the Sterling regulator. You should then be able to establish that the alternator is working correctly and that the diode splitter is OK
If they are Ok then the Sterling is suspect although its difficult to see why the volts will be as low as 13.5. They should not fall below the normal regulated alternator output.

I am thinking alternator problem..... perhaps .

 

[westhinder]

I cannot find any information on a Mastervolt 12/2400.

Is it a charger/ inverter combi unit ???

If so I think it only has one charging output but i dont think you could put it through a diode splitter ........ The inverter function would not work if there was a diode splitter in the circuit.

What i am digging away at is your assumption that the diode splitter is OK because the batteries charge correctly via the Mastervolt charger.

As a separate issue perhaps you need to investigate the wiring of the charger but as that is not your problem at the moment it can wait.

You dont say where you are measuring 13.5 volts. At the alternator output, or at the batteries. Remember that if the batteries are in a significantly discharged state then it will take a while for the volts to rise anyway.

Perhaps the way forward is to disconnect the Sterling regulator. You should then be able to establish that the alternator is working correctly and that the diode splitter is OK
If they are Ok then the Sterling is suspect although its difficult to see why the volts will be as low as 13.5. They should not fall below the normal regulated alternator output.

I am thinking alternator problem..... perhaps .

We measured the output at the alternator: 14V, so that looked ok. The LEDs on the sterling indicated it was in boost mode. Voltage measured across the battery terminals was 13.4V.
So it must be either the Sterling or the diode splitter. As you suggest, I'll have to try and disconnect the Sterling and see what happens. But that will have to wait until we're back in the water. In the meantime, is there a way of checking the diode?

 

[john_morris_uk]

We measured the output at the alternator: 14V, so that looked ok. The LEDs on the sterling indicated it was in boost mode. Voltage measured across the battery terminals was 13.4V.
So it must be either the Sterling or the diode splitter. As you suggest, I'll have to try and disconnect the Sterling and see what happens. But that will have to wait until we're back in the water. In the meantime, is there a way of checking the diode?

14 volts at the alternator doesn't sound like boost mode to me. I haven't measure ours in boost mode for a while (the system just works, and looks after itself) but I seem to recall volts at the alternator were well over 15 volts when in boost mode giving over 14 volts at the batteries. (Wet lead-acid). Typically between 35 and 45 amps charging current.

 

[VicS]

We measured the output at the alternator: 14V, so that looked ok. The LEDs on the sterling indicated it was in boost mode. Voltage measured across the battery terminals was 13.4V.
So it must be either the Sterling or the diode splitter. As you suggest, I'll have to try and disconnect the Sterling and see what happens. But that will have to wait until we're back in the water. In the meantime, is there a way of checking the diode?

0.6 or 0.7 is about the minimum drop you will see across a diode splitter. 14 volts is about what you'd expect from an alternator without any form of Advanced control or boosting.

It appears that the Sterling regulator is not boosting the volts above alternators own natural output.

Check all the connections between the alternator and the Sterling.

You could test the diodes in the splitter using the diode test function on a digital multimeter but i don't see any reason to suspect there is anything wrong with it.

 

[halcyon]

0.6 or 0.7 is about the minimum drop you will see across a diode splitter. 14 volts is about what you'd expect from an alternator without any form of Advanced control or boosting.

It appears that the Sterling regulator is not boosting the volts above alternators own natural output.

Check all the connections between the alternator and the Sterling.

You could test the diodes in the splitter using the diode test function on a digital multimeter but i don't see any reason to suspect there is anything wrong with it.

I think this is a case of disconnect the Stirling, remove one option, then check the charge voltages, if the same volts check the Stirling, if lower volts start with the alternator.

Brian

 

[westhinder]

I think this is a case of disconnect the Stirling, remove one option, then check the charge voltages, if the same volts check the Stirling, if lower volts start with the alternator.

Brian

Thanks for all the advice gentlemen. That's on my list for when we're back in the water.