Generator on a Hunter 326 (32')

[Ralph Johnstone]

Wow, interesting thought, for those with a generator. I don’t have one installed.

My faux pas in that I said generator when I intended to say alternator as in engine alternator. Must have been the spell check.

Yes, you do have an alternator, I don't know how big but it may be sitting there doing nothing, same as mine was.

The first thing that comes up if someone around here wants to charge the batteries faster is get a bigger alternator. Yeah, get a really huge alternator with multiple belt pulleys and serpentine belts and extra hardware. That'll do the trick. Lard Tunderin Jaysus man, it's the voltage differential between the alternator and the batteries and that determines the amps flowing into the batteries. With a dumb internal regulator on the alternator, nothing is going to change.

Getting back to what I experienced, initially when my dumb alternator was all I had, the bulk stage was 10-12A at 14.2V. Big deal. With the Balmar ARS-5 at work, the calculated voltage in bulk charge shot up to 14.7V and the amperage was 37A. We now have some smart electronics controlling the same old alternator PLUS the know-how to back off the controller if the alternator gets too hot. So I installed a fan for cooling the engine compartment, but that's a whole 'nother story.

 

[jviss]

it's the voltage differential between the alternator and the batteries and that determines the amps flowing into the batteries

That's not technically so. There will be virtually no difference in voltage between the batteries and alternator if they are connected together, save the drop over the wire connecting them, which will be in the millivolt neighborhood, given properly sized wire and clean connections. The current flowing into the batteries is determined by the alternator characteristics, rotor RPM, and field current, until the voltage regulator set point is met.

the bulk stage was 10-12A at 14.2V

Bulk stage is a constant current stage, not "at" any particular voltage. Bulk is terminated when the ACCEPT voltage set point is reached, at which point the charging is voltage regulated, i.e., constant voltage.

ARS-5 at work, the calculated voltage in bulk charge shot up to 14.7V and the amperage was 37A

Again, bulk charge is a constant current stage, and so cannot 'shoot up' to 14.7V, or any other voltage.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

The dumb regulator shows 14.2V (at the battery terminals) on the Link 10 battery monitor (after 5-10 minutes depending on SOC) during bulk charge and all you get is 10-12A.

The Balmar ARS-5 voltage regulator reads out 14.7V again after 5-10 minutes (depending on SOC) and shows 37A until it drops to absorption. More than that, not too interested.

Dumb alternators are for charging starting batteries in cars. Smart alternator controllers are for charging house batteries wherever they may be.

 

[jviss]

The dumb regulator shows 14.2V (at the battery terminals) on the Link 10 battery monitor (after 5-10 minutes depending on SOC) during bulk charge and all you get is 10-12A.

That doesn't make sense. "during bulk charge" would be during the constant current phase of usual three-stage charging regimen, and would exhibit an increasing battery voltage until that voltage reached the ACCEPT voltage setting of the regulator.

The Balmar ARS-5 voltage regulator reads out 14.7V again after 5-10 minutes (depending on SOC) and shows 37A until it drops to absorption. More than that, not too interested.

Also not sensible.

Dumb alternators are for charging starting batteries. Smart alternator controllers are for charging house batteries.

Yea, so?

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Ho hum. Still beats the can off the same alternator with dumb regulator .