Beneteau 393 battery charger location

Feb 19, 2016
46
Beneteau 393 Kemah, TX
Hi all. I have a 2005 Beneteau 393 (2 cabin) equipped with a Xantrax 1800 watt inverter and a Xantrax True Charge battery charger. The inverter is located in the forward end of the port side lazarette but search as I may, I cannot find the battery charger. I’m pretty sure they are separate units as each has its own manual. All suggestions on where to look appreciated. Thanks!
 
Jun 2, 2004
149
Beneteau 393 Lake Texoma, Texas
On my 2004 2 cabin 393, the charger was nicely hidden under the shelf in the starboard side cockpit aft lazarette. Impossible to view this misplaced item without a mirror or dropping an infant into the space. I ultimately replaced the factory unit and moved it above the shelf for easier monitoring or switch adjustment if needed.
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,075
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
My memory may be flawed but don’t think that charger was manufactured before the year your boat was built. Therefore, the location is a function of where someone chose to put it rather than some pre-determined location.

I’m assuming you tried following the wires back from the battery? Or from the remote head?
 
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Feb 19, 2016
46
Beneteau 393 Kemah, TX
On my 2004 2 cabin 393, the charger was nicely hidden under the shelf in the starboard side cockpit aft lazarette. Impossible to view this misplaced item without a mirror or dropping an infant into the space. I ultimately replaced the factory unit and moved it above the shelf for easier monitoring or switch adjustment if needed.
Tnks. On my boat the aft air conditioner unit is under that shelf. Great idea, though.
 
Feb 19, 2016
46
Beneteau 393 Kemah, TX
My memory may be flawed but don’t think that charger was manufactured before the year your boat was built. Therefore, the location is a function of where someone chose to put it rather than some pre-determined location.

I’m assuming you tried following the wires back from the battery? Or from the remote head?
in
You're correct. The charger was added after the boat was delivered to the previous owner. I tried following the wires back from the battery but they disappear behind a shelf and I can't find where they re-appear. The wires from the remote head disappear into tube behind the electronics panel. I cannot find where they re-appear. Beneteau suggested a place to look near the aft starboard lazarette but it's not there. A real stumper. Not sure why they didn't put it next to the inverter. It would have fit perfectly there and been close to the batteries.
 
Dec 14, 2003
1,393
Hunter 34 Lake of Two Mountains, QC, Can
My Xantrex TrueCharge has to be fed with 110V AC. I'm pretty sure yours is the same. May be a dumb suggestion, but perhaps you could find the charger location by following the AC wires from the panel.
 
Feb 19, 2016
46
Beneteau 393 Kemah, TX
My Xantrex TrueCharge has to be fed with 110V AC. I'm pretty sure yours is the same. May be a dumb suggestion, but perhaps you could find the charger location by following the AC wires from the panel.
Thanks, Claude. The wires from the AC panel disappear into a tube that takes them to another location on the boat. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to locate the end point of that particular wire tube. Still searching...
 
May 7, 2012
1,338
Hunter e33 Maple Bay, BC
I have no specific knowledge of either your boat or your charger but in general chargers have cooling fans that kick in to dissipate heat. Maybe try turning the charger off and loading the batteries down a bit (85%). When you turn it back on, give it a chance to heat up then close your eyes and listen closely for the fan noise. Also and again in general, a charger is a large mass of metal (heat sink) so maybe a handheld compass will help point in the direction the charger is.
 
Dec 14, 2003
1,393
Hunter 34 Lake of Two Mountains, QC, Can
I have no specific knowledge of either your boat or your charger but in general chargers have cooling fans that kick in to dissipate heat. Maybe try turning the charger off and loading the batteries down a bit (85%). When you turn it back on, give it a chance to heat up then close your eyes and listen closely for the fan noise. Also and again in general, a charger is a large mass of metal (heat sink) so maybe a handheld compass will help point in the direction the charger is.
I like the idea suggested to listen to the heat fan, but on my Xantrex it is so quiet I have never ever heard it. Worth a try I suppose. As for trying to locate it with a magnet, all Xantrex chargers I have seen have an aluminum heat sink. So a compass is not likely to work unless there is either a large magnetic field created by the charger (doubtful) or there is something else made of metal located near. Larry, since you see one end of the wire conduit, you could insert a fish in it or those plastic rods available in lenghts of +/- 3 feet at Harbor freight. When the fish or the rods hit something solid, the sound might give you a better idea of where the charger hides. If the sound doesn't reveal its whereabouts, pulling the fish back and measuring the lenght that was inserted in the conduit will give you some indication. BTW, dumb question, but since you've never seen it, do you have a voltmeter that indicates that a charger is indeed at work ? Good luck
 
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May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Follow the charging leads to the batteries, the charger cannot be further away than a 2-3 feet radius.
 
Dec 14, 2003
1,393
Hunter 34 Lake of Two Mountains, QC, Can
Follow the charging leads to the batteries, the charger cannot be further away than a 2-3 feet radius.
Benny you are absolutey right...in an ideal world ! Chargers should ideally be as close to the battery bank as practical, without being over it. Shorter leads mean less installation cost, less voltage drop and better charger performance over the life of the unit. But Larry did say that the charger had been installed by PO and he did say that he had followed the leads from the batteries but lost track of them behind a shelf. So who knows where PO may have put it?
 
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Feb 19, 2016
46
Beneteau 393 Kemah, TX
A real mystery. All very good suggestions. Beneteau told me to look under the shelf in the aft starboard locker. Great place but that’s where my aft air conditioner is located. That was their only suggestion.
 
Feb 19, 2016
46
Beneteau 393 Kemah, TX
I like the idea suggested to listen to the heat fan, but on my Xantrex it is so quiet I have never ever heard it. Worth a try I suppose. As for trying to locate it with a magnet, all Xantrex chargers I have seen have an aluminum heat sink. So a compass is not likely to work unless there is either a large magnetic field created by the charger (doubtful) or there is something else made of metal located near. Larry, since you see one end of the wire conduit, you could insert a fish in it or those plastic rods available in lenghts of +/- 3 feet at Harbor freight. When the fish or the rods hit something solid, the sound might give you a better idea of where the charger hides. If the sound doesn't reveal its whereabouts, pulling the fish back and measuring the lenght that was inserted in the conduit will give you some indication. BTW, dumb question, but since you've never seen it, do you have a voltmeter that indicates that a charger is indeed at work ? Good luck
Yes, the True Charge 20 remote display panel shows total charge current as well as individual battery voltage.
 
Feb 19, 2016
46
Beneteau 393 Kemah, TX
The charger is above the aft AC unit (under the shelf)
On my boat the air conditioning ducting is above the A/C unit and leaves no room to install anything between the ducting and the shelf. Is your battery charger on the forward wall of the aft locker or on the aft wall?
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Get an air pump and place it on the tube of wiring. Maybe also blow some smoke through it to see whare it comes out.
 

Bob S

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Sep 27, 2007
1,771
Beneteau 393 New Bedford, MA
Try following the flat triplex wire from the shorepower connection.