Hi, on our 05 H38 i am trying to fully understand the wiring and charging systems by looking at the schematics and following or trying to follow what I am seeing to better understand how things work. We have the inverter option so i assume from prior experience on shore power in charge mode the house battery (4D) is being charged and the start battery is being charged by the echo charger function of the Freedom 20. When i put a tester directly on the house battery it is clearly being charged showing 14.x V in charge mode. When i put the tester on the house battery it is not being charged - showing 12.5 or something similar. When i have engine running the alternator charges both batteries. The wiring diagrams do not show the circuit for the Echo charge, and when i follow the wire from the echo charge output , under the floor board to the battery compartment and up into the space under the nav station it appears to join a bundle that heads up to the AC or DC panel area and this is where i am not understanding why this could be. Should this not be connected to the start battery switch somewhere ? Thanks ! Rob
Freedom 20 Echo Charger not charging
- Thread starter RobH38
- Start date
Ok, I think I know where it goes
Your boat will have a high current relay which shorts the house to engine when the engine is running. The coil of this relay is powered from the key switch.
The echo connection will likely tie into this relay contact.
Now, you need to put your meter on the echo output when the charger is on. The echo output should equal the charger output.
If not, then the internal fuse in the Xantrex is blown. Open the unit, and replace the fuse.
Your boat will have a high current relay which shorts the house to engine when the engine is running. The coil of this relay is powered from the key switch.
The echo connection will likely tie into this relay contact.
Now, you need to put your meter on the echo output when the charger is on. The echo output should equal the charger output.
If not, then the internal fuse in the Xantrex is blown. Open the unit, and replace the fuse.
Check on the inverter to see if wires are hooked up to the side of the inverter where the echo charge is and also check the start battery has this wire from side echo charge to start battery.
I have this wire but have not had good luck with this echo charger and added a different charging system which can't think what it is.
Nick
I have this wire but have not had good luck with this echo charger and added a different charging system which can't think what it is.
Nick
Thanks Art - i was trying to diagnose the fuse in the Freedom 20 but removing the top to check the fuses is proving almost impossible - cant reach the screws on the side to remove the cover or the larger ones to move the entire unit as it is right up against the inside of the settee in front of nav station
Rob: On my 2004 the charger manufacturer said that they did not recommend echo charging off from the house charger, as the start batery and house batteries would "become unbalanced" even though the schematics may show an echo charger it likely was never installed. When I went through many of the hunter elec schematics, many items were wired different than the drawings showed, and that is how it came from the factory.
My suspicion is that technology and standards changed so fast in this time frame that the drawings never got updated.
Just like you, I have no echo charger to the start batery other than the alternator on the yanmar and the Fisher Panda. When the Yanmar is running it is charging the house and the start batteries via the combiner solenoid.
My suspicion is that technology and standards changed so fast in this time frame that the drawings never got updated.
Just like you, I have no echo charger to the start batery other than the alternator on the yanmar and the Fisher Panda. When the Yanmar is running it is charging the house and the start batteries via the combiner solenoid.
Ok, first things first,
I don't believe there is any substance to the "unbalance"
The echo charge is basically a voltage follower circuit which tacks onto the main charger output. It is limited to 15 amps.
So, as the voltage to house bank rises (owing to bulk, float, etc.) the echo output mirrors this.
Now, I do believe that you may be correct that Hunter didn't wire in the echo, and instead relied upon the large solenoid relay which turned on when the engine switch was on.