On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 03:23:08 GMT, (Mic) wrote:

On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 14:34:56 GMT, (Mic) wrote:


But what should be given the fact of 2 alternators, 1 reg and 2 ?
battery sets what should be the proper config. ie where the sensing
voltage cable should be going, should all batteries be in parallel
when charging, etc.

ANSWER
FYI
http://www.amplepower.com/wire/dual_alt/index.html


Two Engines ..... One Regulator

http://www.amplepower.com/primer/twoeng/index.html

INCLUDING DIAGRAM

I belive that the answers to the questions can be found at the above
URL's.

(Mic) wrote in :

Two Engines ..... One Regulator



That's so if one regulator fails, both engine won't charge the boat.

NOT a good idea, eh?

--
Larry

Mic wrote:
On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 03:23:08 GMT, (Mic) wrote:


On Fri, 19 Aug 2005 14:34:56 GMT, (Mic) wrote:



But what should be given the fact of 2 alternators, 1 reg and 2 ?
battery sets what should be the proper config. ie where the sensing
voltage cable should be going, should all batteries be in parallel
when charging, etc.

ANSWER
FYI
http://www.amplepower.com/wire/dual_alt/index.html



Two Engines ..... One Regulator

Bad idea, Mic, very bad. You just created two areas of single point
failure into a system intended to provide redundancy.

There may be some systems that can benefit from this, but when both
engines are running, there is usually more than enough power generated
to charge the batteries. In fact, I often reduce the alternator
output because my small engines can't push the boat at full speed and
charge at 100 Amps at the same time!

The bigger issue is often running on one engine, where the complex
wiring creates potential pitfalls, as I've mentioned. Also,
redundancy is important. Twin engines with twin charging systems has
come in handy on more than one occasion, reducing the affects of a
breakdown to a minor annoyance.

BTW, Balmar has there own version, which is designed to work with two
regulators. This makes a bit of sense if you have two identical
systems, since they can beat against each other at times. I never
encountered this problem when I had two smaller alternators; and now
that I have one large and one small, there's no problem in this regard.

http://www.amplepower.com/primer/twoeng/index.html

INCLUDING DIAGRAM

I belive that the answers to the questions can be found at the above
URL's.

On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 07:59:31 -0400, Larry wrote:

(Mic) wrote in :

Two Engines ..... One Regulator



That's so if one regulator fails, both engine won't charge the boat.

NOT a good idea, eh?

The info. regarding this concept is by Ample Power not me.

Monohulls usually only have one engine, 1 alternator and 1 regulator.
Gee to figure out 2 alts. and 2 regs. with 2 sets of house batteries
with all that aftermarket gizmo's to intergrate...

Keep it simple, redundency is in your putt-putt 1000 watt portable
genny, solar panels and wind genny or aquagen. A much better
redundency system.


--
Larry

Mic wrote:
On Sat, 20 Aug 2005 07:59:31 -0400, Larry wrote:


(Mic) wrote in :


Two Engines ..... One Regulator



That's so if one regulator fails, both engine won't charge the boat.

NOT a good idea, eh?


The info. regarding this concept is by Ample Power not me.

Monohulls usually only have one engine, 1 alternator and 1 regulator.
Gee to figure out 2 alts. and 2 regs. with 2 sets of house batteries
with all that aftermarket gizmo's to intergrate...

Why would you have two house banks? A two engine system doesn't have
to be anymore complicated than one, though obvious a few costs go up.



Keep it simple, redundency is in your putt-putt 1000 watt portable
genny, solar panels and wind genny or aquagen. A much better
redundency system.

All good suggestions, but much better to have identical gear - easier
learning, more spare parts, etc. It takes a lot of panels to make a
difference, and wind power can be obnoxious in close quarters. I
might spring for a 2K genset (1K really doesn't do enough) but then I
have to carry gas as well as diesel. The reason I might get one is
that I could get some use out of it off the boat.

The issue here is that a multihull probably already has two
alternators and regulators. Taking out one regulator and replacing it
with a DAC is for many setups, a step backwards. For most boats it
simply isn't needed. Understanding how to hook up the wires is needed.