New alternator specs

[Scott7022]

Thanks, nice to know my not right thinking isn't not right pass me the extinguisher!!

[Scott7022]

Balmar does make a dual alternator regulator and a single alternator regulator model that works on Lithium batteries. I looked over the specs and for BattleBorn units, stock settings are reasonably close and in a 400amp/hr configuration a 1C would work well with the now spare alternator and I have built-in redundancy a plus.

I think I might go this way. (See I wanted to get the shiny Mechman race red or is it disco blue powder coated unit.)

Thanks for the bump as I had forgotten about Balmar. The down under idea is unproven tech and Sterling are good but past stupid expensive and convoluted tech.

Provided for other peeps. While the numbers are close enough for the BB units I will of course program them to exactly match and add both temp sensors ALt Batt.

[sternwake]

if the sterling and Downunder DC to DC converters could pass close to the capability of the alternator, and not be these giant clumsy oafs of electronic boxes of unknown durability, they would be more desirable.

BUt I just see them as amperage constrictors waiting for murphy to tell them when to fail.

BUt there are cases where they cannot be avoided if one wants the house bank to be able to reach absorption voltages and hold them for longer than a few minutes.

It is pretty much a crime when ones batteries are depleted and there are charging sources available, but they are throttled back and uncontrollable. Solar controllers seeking early float stage is a huge battery sulphator, and the attitude that when one is driving, the batteries are being rapidly recharged is another lead acid battery killing weapon.

On the opposite side of the coin, if one gives complete voltage control of an alternator to a battery Neophyte, they would likely crank it up to unsafe levels, always, and overcharge batteries and fry alternators left and right.

When driving I can see voltage and amp the battery is accepting, as easily as I can check my Speedo, but there is not a blinking red light saying when my battery is over 77F and the regular voltages I seek to hold should be tamed down, nor is there one on on the alternator. I do have sensors on these, but no warning lights, and i have to actually have the display set up, and have not bothered doing so for about 11 months now.

regarding solar controllers, well yesterday i saw my solar was not going to be able to fully charge by sundown, so I hooked up 200 watts of portable panels directly to my 12v system. There is no danger until this 200 watts by itself can maintain voltage over 14.7ish.

My intent was to remove the portables once the roof monted solar could maintain absorption vltage with the fridge's compressor running along with the other loads.

I missed this window and the high clouds moved out and I was like FFFFFF. Looked at battery monitor and voltage was at 15.9v.

Dooh!

Good thing lead acid is relatively tolerant of overvolting, and so are most of my electronics/loads. But those with absorption fridges, their circuit boards should not see over 15.3v so my brief overvoltage window would have fried such a device and have certain inanimate objects launched into low earth orbit followed by a flurry of curses.

The thing is, I have a two other sub 20$ solar controllers I could have easily hooked in between these portables and my batteries and prevented the possiblity of overvolting,, but just assumed I had a time safety cushion window, and i missed it by a mile.

So my desire for manual control, can lead to consequence, even when one is fully aware of the dangers. I got lucky. My AGM might have vented a little bit. If I overvolted lithiums like this, I might be shopping for new ones.