purple_stars wrote:
Wayne.B wrote:

There is a BIG difference between the charging requirements of a car
versus a boat. When things are working normally on a car the battery
never gets deep cycled. The only charging that takes place is for the
relatively small amount of power drawn during engine cranking. After
that the alternator supplies all of the power needed and the battery
just floats across the output, usually at about 13.8 volts.

On a boat however, the house bank routinely gets deeply discharged,
often to as low as 50% of capacity. To replace that amount of power
as quickly as possible, 3 stage charging is required.


i don't know what use a charge controller is if you have a voltage
regulator, such as on an alternator. a charge controller, at least in
a solar panel install, is just there to regulate voltage and current,
because solar panels can put out upwards to 16 to 17 volts on a cool
clear day and that would be high enough to damage your batteries over
time. so with solar panels the charge controller's job is to make the
solar panel work like an alternator, supplying the voltage and amps
needed to properly recharge the batteries.

Maybe you need to read regulators 101.
http://www.sailnet.com/collections/a...eid=caseyd0081
krj