Woops...... Charging

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NYSail

NYSail

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Jan 6, 2006
3,181
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
So tonight I messed up.... maybe?

I have a Xantrex True Charge 40 charging system while at dock, and a Balmar 70 amp with the external regulator while under power.

I was doing some filter changing at the dock tonight. When finished I started the engine and ran for about 3 minutes before I noticed I forgot to shut down shore power. I turned off shore power charging system.... looked at the external regulator for alternator and it was showing 14.3. Then when I shut down engine, shore power charger came back on and appeared ok....

Could I have broken something??

Thanks.
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
23,353
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Diodes have nothing to do with it.

Many boats have multiple charging sources. Solar still works when an alternator is working.

You did not do any harm.

Only thing I keep getting is: "My tach stopped working when I started my engine!"

Hmm, reason? Your bank was full and still plugged into shorepower, the regulator didn't require alternator output.

So NOT an issue.
 
NYSail

NYSail

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Jan 6, 2006
3,181
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
I was thinking the same that the smart alt. would not send a charge
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
23,353
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Uhm, alternators are not "smart." Heck, I'd bet many of us wish they were! :) The regulator is what determines the alternator output (assuming the AO is uninterrupted). That and battery acceptance.
 
B

Benny17441

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May 24, 2004
7,215
CC 30 South Florida
Running the engine while the battery charger is on? I do it all the time and have never had any problems. I guess both the charger and the alternator go into a trickle mode as both sense the battery bank is full.
 
Witzend

Witzend

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Dec 25, 2008
1,580
catalina 310 Elk River
Stu Jackson said:
Diodes have nothing to do with it.

HMMM, your assuming that all the source charging systems are in fact working properly. This is why the designers diode isolate their outputs. If they were not in place and there was a failure you would start sinking current into that device.
Click to expand
 
Stu Jackson

Stu Jackson

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Feb 26, 2004
23,353
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Gotta make at least that assumption, witz, 'cuz the OP didn't say otherwise.

Of course, if something is NOT working, then all bets are off, but that didn't seem to be his question.
 
NYSail

NYSail

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Jan 6, 2006
3,181
Beneteau 423 Mt. Sinai, NY
Thanks for all the input as always. As I said, after the "incident" the alternator and a/c charging system seemed to work fine... were putting out voltage. Just not an electrical guy and thought I would ask you folks.

Thanks!
 
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