echo charger questions

[nolasailor]

More questions about the echo charger????

1. When charging from battery charger, 10 amp, will the echo charger auto shut off when the battery reaches full charge, or is that controled by the battery charger. I was hopeing to use an older car charger but not sure if it has auto shut off or not.


2, When charging from the alternator, whis is 50 amps, the echo charger info states that it can only handle up to 15 amps. How to lower the amp out put before the echo charger?

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by nolasailor

More questions about the echo charger????

1. When charging from battery charger, 10 amp, will the echo charger auto shut off when the battery reaches full charge, or is that controled by the battery charger. I was hopeing to use an older car charger but not sure if it has auto shut off or not.

I wouldn't use an automotive charger, since most of those are not intelligent three-stage battery chargers and will overcharge the batteries.

From the Echo Charger manual:

When the input voltage is 13.0/25.5 volts DC or higher, echo-charge automatically switches ON. The LED glows a steady green. When the input voltage is lower than 13.0/25.5 volts, the echo-charge automatically switches OFF, and the LED blinks green. The output voltage of echo- charge is limited to 14.4/28.8 volts. When it reaches 14.4/28.8 volts, the charge current will decrease, maintaining a float condition. The starter battery will be fully charged without overcharging.

This is one difference between the Echo Charger and an ACR, VSR or battery combiner. The EC will cut off the charging and drop into float stage when the starting battery is full, the latter three are just voltage followers and will not drop into float stage until the charging source does so.

2, When charging from the alternator, whis is 50 amps, the echo charger info states that it can only handle up to 15 amps. How to lower the amp out put before the echo charger?

When the echocharger says it can only handle up to 15 amps, it means that it only passes up to 15 amps through to the battery on the other side of it... it doesn't matter that the charging source is 20 amps or 200 amps... it is only going to pass 15 amps MAX. You don't have to lower the amperage fed to the echocharger.

[btrayfors]

The Xantrex EchoCharge is designed to maintain a second battery, e.g., a start battery. It does this by stealing a bit of current, up to 15A, from the house battery bank whenever it senses a charge on that bank (i.e., whenever the voltage on that bank exceeds about 12.9VDC).

It will not overcharge your start battery. It is a voltage follower device, with pretty much the same profile as the main charger, but it has built-in smarts and will cut off when the attached battery is full.

The 15A maximum current of the EchoCharge has nothing to do with the amperage of your charger. You could have a 200A charger on the house batteries. The EchoCharge would sense a charging voltage, and would then steal up to 15A of that charging current to divert to the start battery...if it were needed. Usually, however, start batteries require very little charging current and a short time to reach full charge, because the act of starting the engine draws less than 1 amp hour from the start battery (high current while starting, but only for a few seconds).

Bill

[nolasailor]

so the echo charger will not stop charging bats, only send current to second(starter) if needed. The older car charger is only going to be used short term, just did a complete rewire and all new panels, running low on funds, trying to figure which comes firts, echo or on board charger. any reconmendations on chargers..... thanks

[mitiempo]

I would recommend get a new 3 stage charger to keep the batteries in good condition. If you are currently running the alternator output (B+) to the 1/2/both switch keep it that way until you get the Echo Charger and by selecting "Both" the start battery will get its charge.

Iota is recommended by many, I have installed mostly Xantrex which are good, and I did install a Victron charger that I was impressed with.

[Maine Sail]

Originally Posted by nolasailor

so the echo charger will not stop charging bats, only send current to second(starter) if needed. The older car charger is only going to be used short term, just did a complete rewire and all new panels, running low on funds, trying to figure which comes firts, echo or on board charger. any reconmendations on chargers..... thanks

The Echo Charger Will:

*Output a max of 15A charge current to a start or reserve bank.

*Limit this output voltage to 14.4 Volts even if the incoming voltage is higher. If the charger is feeding the house bank 14.8 the Echo will still only feed the start battery 14.4 volts because it is voltage limited.

*Will follow the voltage of the house bank both down and up in voltage to 14.4 Volts. If the house bank is in float mode of 13.4V then the Echo is in float at 13.4V. It is both a voltage follower & limiter.

The Echo Charger Won't:

*Go into float mode if the house bank is not in float mode. If the house bank is receiving a bulk charge then the start bank will see 14.4 volts, not a true float voltage.

*Shut off when the batteries are full. If the voltage is higher than its turn on threshold of 13.0 volts then the device is on. If the house bank falls below 13.0 volts then the Echo will turn off.