Weak generator battery

[sfedeli3]

Hi Greg,

I put an 80 amp resettable marine grade circuit breaker in the
charging compartment with the ACR (Automatic Charging Relay)to prevent
it from ever getting cooked. Although it has an internal self-limiting
protective element, the only way that I could forsee that happening
would be if the batteries were all linked and you hit the genny start
switch or main engine start while you had extremely low voltage in one
bank. The only time that the two banks become linked on my coach is
when there is a charge over 13.4 volts- but that can be adjusted up to
14 volts. Since it is designed for marine use on an alternator-charged
system- the presence of plug-in shore power (as opposed to genset or
alternator power) presents a new dynamic that should/can be addressed
with the resettable breaker.

Since we never fried the old diode (which only had 10 ga. wires in
my coach), I'm guessing that there are very few situations where the
call for power across the ACR would exceed 80 amps. Also, in response
to your question about a 3-bank system, the unit is designed to work
on only two banks, so I would connect it to your house and genset
banks only. The main engine bank can easily get a charge directly from
the on-board inverter/charger. Most of them already have an extra
connection for a second bank of batteries.

Shane Fedeli
85PT40
Hershey, PA

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Gregory OConnor"
wrote:
>
> Shane, sounds like a good device for my three bank system. Is the
> blueSea able to pass 79 amps? Or return pass the request amps of a
> failed start using aux "combined"??? the mfg calls it a charging
> link. recharging a genset battery should draw no more than 20 amps.
> with a good starter the momentary "combined" to start should not be
> needed. I would think 79 amps would cook the BlueSea and the only
> time there would be a big cross would be using aux to make a start
> of gen or the detroit with compramised starters. I now use mini
> alligator clips and 14 ga wire to charge my add on genset battery
> and have no issue unless I drain the battery when boondocking by not
> unclipping a clip. I think charging and starter issues begin with
> overuse of momentary aux "combined"????
>
> a link to Shanes find:
>
> http://www.nulime.com/Blue-Sea-7600-CL-S...CR/p237402
>
> or
>
> http://tinyurl.com/5aeaer
>
>
> GregoryO'Connor
> 94ptRomolandCa
>