Battery Monitoring

[billbalme]

I have Toodle-oo!'s wiring all pulled apart. It's 25 years old and resembles my wife's spaghetti. Rewiring the main panel looks to be a relatively straightforward job, but I'm having problems with the charging circuit and wonder what everyone else is doing.

The boat has Ample equipment mostly: Eliminator, Alternator Sensor and Monitor. It has an Alpha 3 Cruising Equipment Alternator Regulator and she has an old Heart Interface 1800 inverter.

The Ample (Bank Manager) Monitor is not working properly - basically I only get volts and some weird numbers for everything else...

I'd like to replace the Bank Manager with something else - but leave all the rest of the equipment alone. Other than a Xantrex 20, I can't find any other monitor out there that could handle this - and apparently Ample aren’t interested in assisting with the existing unit or supplying an alternate...
(I thought I was going to go with a Xantrex 2000R until I found out I'd need to replace the inverter too to be compatible...)

Other system components: 400AH Battery bank + Starter battery, 90A Alternator, frustrated owner!

What's in your charginging circuit?


Bill
S/v Toodle-oo!
PSC 37 #148

[CLucas]

Maybe a little too simple for what you're looking for, but came across the Battery Bug from Argus Analyzers. Don't recall what I have on Grey Goose, but what I liked about Battery Bug was the constant monitoring and alarm feature should your the batteries charge state fall below a certain level. The Battery Bug also monitors the condition of your batteries and is extremely easy to connect. I was thinking of adding one only for the alarm feature. My current solution uses an analog meter and only has a momentary on-off toggle, so basically only monitors when I check it. The Battery Bug is available for around $40 and can be connected across a bank in parallel.

Worth a look perhaps, but this is not an endorsement as I have not used it. Not to hijack, but would be interested in any else's opinions or experience with this device.

[johnharch]

Originally Posted by billbalme

I have Toodle-oo!'s wiring all pulled apart. It's 25 years old and resembles my wife's spaghetti. Rewiring the main panel looks to be a relatively straightforward job, but I'm having problems with the charging circuit and wonder what everyone else is doing.

The boat has Ample equipment mostly: Eliminator, Alternator Sensor and Monitor. It has an Alpha 3 Cruising Equipment Alternator Regulator and she has an old Heart Interface 1800 inverter.

The Ample (Bank Manager) Monitor is not working properly - basically I only get volts and some weird numbers for everything else...

I'd like to replace the Bank Manager with something else - but leave all the rest of the equipment alone. Other than a Xantrex 20, I can't find any other monitor out there that could handle this - and apparently Ample aren’t interested in assisting with the existing unit or supplying an alternate...
(I thought I was going to go with a Xantrex 2000R until I found out I'd need to replace the inverter too to be compatible...)

Other system components: 400AH Battery bank + Starter battery, 90A Alternator, frustrated owner!

What's in your charginging circuit?


Bill
S/v Toodle-oo!
PSC 37 #148

Bill, I completely redid my charging circuits a couple of years ago. I replaced the on/off/both switch with individual start and house switches with a crossover. I also installed a Xantrex Battery Monitor. Works great.

I haven't looked in awhile, but there used to be several brands out there, but they were all basically the same in function and price. I don't know about reliability.

John
PSC 34' '91

[niftynickers]

Bill,
On Niftynickers I too rpld the old on-off-both switch with separate switches for start-house and parallel-I have a link 2000 battery and charging monitor and a Balmar 120 amp alternator and Balmar regulator for the house battery bank and the stock 65 amp alternator for the start battery.This is the wiring config that Nigel Calder recommends in his Boatowners Handbook.Good luck,Dianne and Chuck Burke S/V NiftyNickers C37 139