I'm looking for advice on replacing a Raritan Crown Converter battery charger on my '81 37 cutter. I can't figure out how the c onverter supplies charge to the batteries -- whether it's through the battery switch itself, or directly to the batteries, and I'm looking for boatowners who have this converter and who can tell me how it's installed. I've made only a cursory look at the setup and have yet to figure out the previous owner's arrangment here. I've got two battery banks (a type 27 starting battery and two type 31's wired for twice the amp hours) and a standard isolator switch(1-both-2-off configuration). The converter itself shows three positive lead wires coming off the unit and disappearing under the floorboards. I'd love to know where they go without using a jackhammer to get at it, but that may be the simplest and neatest way!
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Wiring Converter
I had one of these on my '83 h34. Wires went directly from the converter to the batteries. Certainly if it's closer the installer could have made connections to the batteries at the battery switch. I'd take the switch apart and see what wires are there if you can't easily trace them. Second option is using a meter to trace them. Didn't get instructions with mine, it just came with the boat. Worked great but I replaced it with an inverter / charger. Barry
I had one of these on my '83 h34. Wires went directly from the converter to the batteries. Certainly if it's closer the installer could have made connections to the batteries at the battery switch. I'd take the switch apart and see what wires are there if you can't easily trace them. Second option is using a meter to trace them. Didn't get instructions with mine, it just came with the boat. Worked great but I replaced it with an inverter / charger. Barry
You'll find a lot info on the Raritan website
Link below. You'll need to know the model of your battery charger. If you still need more info, call Raritan at 800-352-5630 x 2
Link below. You'll need to know the model of your battery charger. If you still need more info, call Raritan at 800-352-5630 x 2
Reason I asked...
Is that both battery banks have just one set of cables going to the pos and neg posts, which made me think perhaps the converter supplied juice to the battery through the same cables that took DC current to the main breaker panel. If the converter had supplied DC current directly to the batteries, I would have expected to find two sets of cables on each bank, wouldn't I?
Is that both battery banks have just one set of cables going to the pos and neg posts, which made me think perhaps the converter supplied juice to the battery through the same cables that took DC current to the main breaker panel. If the converter had supplied DC current directly to the batteries, I would have expected to find two sets of cables on each bank, wouldn't I?
Raritan?
Those must be pretty rare. I see nothing on the Raritan site about chargers/inverters. Jack, is your battery switch located just starboard of the steps by the icebox? Then it should be easy to see the back of it through the starboard locker. There should just be three #4 red cables, one to the starter and one to each battery bank. If there are more than three then the charger was hooked in to the switch. My batteries are in that locker so I would be able to see the extra wires there. My own charger/inverter(Freedom 20) is right there also, mounted on back of icebox. This makes for short wires and an easy hookup, both to shorepower and to the batteries. Editing: I did not see your second post before I wrote mine. The other possibility would be to run the inverter/charger wire to the starter. On my H37C the starter post is where the DC panel gets its 12 volts. But if wired that way you would need to have your battery switch on to ALL for charging(or at least to 1 or 2 if you have a combiner).
Those must be pretty rare. I see nothing on the Raritan site about chargers/inverters. Jack, is your battery switch located just starboard of the steps by the icebox? Then it should be easy to see the back of it through the starboard locker. There should just be three #4 red cables, one to the starter and one to each battery bank. If there are more than three then the charger was hooked in to the switch. My batteries are in that locker so I would be able to see the extra wires there. My own charger/inverter(Freedom 20) is right there also, mounted on back of icebox. This makes for short wires and an easy hookup, both to shorepower and to the batteries. Editing: I did not see your second post before I wrote mine. The other possibility would be to run the inverter/charger wire to the starter. On my H37C the starter post is where the DC panel gets its 12 volts. But if wired that way you would need to have your battery switch on to ALL for charging(or at least to 1 or 2 if you have a combiner).
Our Raritan
Jack, The 1983 37C we purchased last summer came with a Raritan Crown Converter. Ours was mounted under the nav table and the wires disappeared through the floor and eventually hooked up to the back of the main battery switch. The thing hummed pretty loud when it was on. A `marine electronics guy told me that the Raritan Crown is a Ferro-resonant battery charger... crude but bullet proof... and recommended I keep it unless I was planning to spend $600 + on a high tech multi stage charger. I relocated it up under the cockpit coaming in the stbd. cockpit locker, less than 2' from the main battery switch. The Crown will charge up to three battery banks - hence the three positive wires or terminals - and I have two positive wires (just jumper the third positive terminal to one of the other two, if only using two banks)going directly to the main battery switch, so that the batteries will charge even if the main switch is OFF.The ground wire goes to the engine block. BTW, you must have a fuse or breaker installed in the negative wire rated at the maximum ampacity of the wires (30 A in my case) going to the batteries to prevent potential fire hazards.
Jack, The 1983 37C we purchased last summer came with a Raritan Crown Converter. Ours was mounted under the nav table and the wires disappeared through the floor and eventually hooked up to the back of the main battery switch. The thing hummed pretty loud when it was on. A `marine electronics guy told me that the Raritan Crown is a Ferro-resonant battery charger... crude but bullet proof... and recommended I keep it unless I was planning to spend $600 + on a high tech multi stage charger. I relocated it up under the cockpit coaming in the stbd. cockpit locker, less than 2' from the main battery switch. The Crown will charge up to three battery banks - hence the three positive wires or terminals - and I have two positive wires (just jumper the third positive terminal to one of the other two, if only using two banks)going directly to the main battery switch, so that the batteries will charge even if the main switch is OFF.The ground wire goes to the engine block. BTW, you must have a fuse or breaker installed in the negative wire rated at the maximum ampacity of the wires (30 A in my case) going to the batteries to prevent potential fire hazards.
Jim: another question
Jim: Your answer helps enormously -- I'm betting that's the arrangement I have, though I've had some trouble figuring it out. I never could see positive cables going directly to the battery, and I vaguely remember the previous owner telling me it was routed to the battery switch. Now, bear with me, but exactly how were those positive wires attached to the battery switch? Were they on the same terminals as the two red postive battery cables, or somehow teed into those cables? I'm about to replace the converter with a Truecharge 3-stage charger, and am at the point of trying to decide whether to run the positive cables directly to the battery, or keep it through the battery switch as your is and as I think mine is. Thanks much.
Jim: Your answer helps enormously -- I'm betting that's the arrangement I have, though I've had some trouble figuring it out. I never could see positive cables going directly to the battery, and I vaguely remember the previous owner telling me it was routed to the battery switch. Now, bear with me, but exactly how were those positive wires attached to the battery switch? Were they on the same terminals as the two red postive battery cables, or somehow teed into those cables? I'm about to replace the converter with a Truecharge 3-stage charger, and am at the point of trying to decide whether to run the positive cables directly to the battery, or keep it through the battery switch as your is and as I think mine is. Thanks much.
Jack, our wires...
Jack, Our two positive wires (each was #10 or #12 AWG)went straight to the 1 and 2 terminals on the Perko battery switch - there is plenty of room on the terminal studs to terminate several wires. The negative wire went to the rear of the engine block, where the battery ground is hooked up.
Jack, Our two positive wires (each was #10 or #12 AWG)went straight to the 1 and 2 terminals on the Perko battery switch - there is plenty of room on the terminal studs to terminate several wires. The negative wire went to the rear of the engine block, where the battery ground is hooked up.
Thanks, Jim --& a final thought
Thanks much. I believe that's the arrangement I have, though I'll have to check. I'm planning to remove the converter and install a 3-phase automatic charger capable of charging 3 battery banks. I just have two banks, so I don't suppose I need to runt he charger wires directly to the battery if the charger is going to supply whatever power it deems appropriate to each bank through the separate battery switch terminals -- and as you point out, regardless whether the switch is on 1 or both or 2. Were you I, would you retain the charger wires to the battery switch, or would there be an advantage running the wires directly to the two different battery banks?=
Thanks much. I believe that's the arrangement I have, though I'll have to check. I'm planning to remove the converter and install a 3-phase automatic charger capable of charging 3 battery banks. I just have two banks, so I don't suppose I need to runt he charger wires directly to the battery if the charger is going to supply whatever power it deems appropriate to each bank through the separate battery switch terminals -- and as you point out, regardless whether the switch is on 1 or both or 2. Were you I, would you retain the charger wires to the battery switch, or would there be an advantage running the wires directly to the two different battery banks?=
Were I you...
Jack, I would use whichever wiring arrangement is most workable. The gauge of the wires going from the battery switch to the battery banks is so heavy (#4 or #2 AWG) that connecting the charger to the switch would add virtually no more resistance than connecting directly to the batteries. Good luck. Jim S/V CALYPSO
Jack, I would use whichever wiring arrangement is most workable. The gauge of the wires going from the battery switch to the battery banks is so heavy (#4 or #2 AWG) that connecting the charger to the switch would add virtually no more resistance than connecting directly to the batteries. Good luck. Jim S/V CALYPSO
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