Battery switch, Echo Charger one more Question

[RobG]

I've red through the previous thread and get it all except one nagging question: I have an OFF-1-BOTH-2 switch and am going to wire in a Xantrex Digital Echo Charger not only for the alt but a solar panel. Question: During charging if the battery switch passes through BOTH it would be shorting the two Echo Charger outputs together. That doesn't sound OK to me nor is it idiot proof. Nothing is in the little manual or on Xantech's web site about protection other than reverse polarity. What do you guys think?

 

[Stu Jackson]

All an echo charger is is a mini-automatic B position on your switch - it connects the batteries, albeit in a current limiting mode. This is not an issue. Indeed, if your echo charger ever dies, just use the B position of the switch until you replace the ec.

 

[Bill Roosa]

I believe your solar charge controller and alternator regulator (aka alternator charge controller) will not care. As Stu says it is just a switch that senses high (charging) voltage and connects the batteries. Given that you already have a 3-way I'm not sure why you even have the unit. It is redundant and limits your control of the system.

 

[Don12364]

I foresee two possible issues:
Assuming the Echo is set up to charge 'B' from 'A'.
1) When charging 'B' from the alternator, 'A' will not be being charged. To overcome this would need two echo chargers wired back to back!
2) When charging 'B' the Echo will be reverse biased and its circuitry might not take kindly to this; i.e. the output voltage higher than the input voltage. In fact it might even have a crowbar circuit to prevent its output from ever rising above its normally regulated voltage. The designer should have catered for this so you need to ask Xantrex directly.

 

[Ron20324]

.....and connects the batteries. Given that you already have a 3-way I'm not sure why you even have the unit. It is redundant and limits your control of the system.

I agree with Bill. My B323 has one battery switch for each battery. I can bridge any of 3 batteries together, which is the same as the "B" on your switch. I can see that in the "B" mode, you may well bridge a full battery with a totally discharged (or defective) battery. The ACR would not know this.

 

[Maine Sail]

Your Echo Charger will not be harmed by passing through BOTH. However all charge sources must be led directly to the house bank for the Echo Charger to work correctly as it is a one-way device. It is meant to be installed between the house bank and start bank and feeding the start bank from the house bank.

If wired correctly you can still choose the second bank to run off but keep in mind that this bank will only ever see a max charge current of 15A. There should be no need to select BOTH but passing through it will not harm the Echo one bit.

They are nice units in that you only ever have to turn on the house bank and go. No worries, easy and playing with the battery switch to select which bank to charge or discharge is no longer necessary.