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#1
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Non-stop battery charging
Still finding surprises on a used boat.
It has a Freedom 25 Charger/Inverter, controlled by a Link 2000. When I turn off the charger using the button on the Link, the charger only stays off for a few minutes. When the fully charged battery drops to about 13.6v, the charger switches back on. It's subtle, because the "charge", "accept" and "float" lights and the "charge" light do not light. If you're not watching the voltmeter, you won't notice. Is this the way it's supposed to work? The manuals imply that this is the default option that can be overridden by DIP switches on a manual control panel that I think the Link replaced. The only way I can shut down the charging is to kill the 110 to the Heart. Unfortunately there is no separate breaker on that line. |
#2
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Non-stop battery charging
Dick,
First thing to do from a safety standpoint is to install an AC circuit breaker between your shore power input and the inverter. Second. Have you checked the "charged voltage" setting on the Link 2000 panel? It should be set to 13.5 V (default value). If it is set higher, the charger might be sensing that the battery is not completely charged and try to continuously start the charge cycle. Have you tried setting the Link 2000 to the default settings? Have you disconnected the phone cable from the inverter and tried to operate it without the Link 2000? Kelton s/v Isle Escape Dick Locke wrote: Still finding surprises on a used boat. It has a Freedom 25 Charger/Inverter, controlled by a Link 2000. When I turn off the charger using the button on the Link, the charger only stays off for a few minutes. When the fully charged battery drops to about 13.6v, the charger switches back on. It's subtle, because the "charge", "accept" and "float" lights and the "charge" light do not light. If you're not watching the voltmeter, you won't notice. Is this the way it's supposed to work? The manuals imply that this is the default option that can be overridden by DIP switches on a manual control panel that I think the Link replaced. The only way I can shut down the charging is to kill the 110 to the Heart. Unfortunately there is no separate breaker on that line. |
#3
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Non-stop battery charging
On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 20:00:51 -0400, Kelton Joyner
wrote: Dick, First thing to do from a safety standpoint is to install an AC circuit breaker between your shore power input and the inverter. There is one. It's a 220v boat with a 110 stepdown transformer. The breaker is before the transformer (I assume, but I better check that.) The 110 from the transformer goes only to the Heart which distributes 110 to various outlets aound the boat. I can't kil the 110 to the Heart without killing the shore power to the outlets and I want to keep it on to run an icemaker/freezer/ Second. Have you checked the "charged voltage" setting on the Link 2000 panel? It should be set to 13.5 V (default value). If it is set higher, the charger might be sensing that the battery is not completely charged and try to continuously start the charge cycle. I don't see how to read or set the "charged voltage." BTW, these are gels. The charging works fine, goes to the third stage and stays there while I do minor current draw. It does this whether the charger is ostensibly on or off, though. Have you tried setting the Link 2000 to the default settings? I was considering a hard reset but wanted to check first whether this situation was normal. I have a question in to Heart but no answer yet. Have you disconnected the phone cable from the inverter and tried to operate it without the Link 2000? The only control on the inverter/charger is an on and off switch. The manual has reference to a simpler remote panel with dip switches on the back, but if there is one of these wired in, it's well hidden. I believe the Link replaces the standard remote panel. The Heart manual says: Dip switch 4: On= Disable, charger responds to on-off switch; Off = Enable,: Charger on when AC is connected (default). The charger is acting like Dip switch 4 is on, in the default position. Hmm, I wonder if there are dip switches on the back of the Link control panel. Another thing to ceck Kelton s/v Isle Escape Dick Locke wrote: Still finding surprises on a used boat. It has a Freedom 25 Charger/Inverter, controlled by a Link 2000. When I turn off the charger using the button on the Link, the charger only stays off for a few minutes. When the fully charged battery drops to about 13.6v, the charger switches back on. It's subtle, because the "charge", "accept" and "float" lights and the "charge" light do not light. If you're not watching the voltmeter, you won't notice. Is this the way it's supposed to work? The manuals imply that this is the default option that can be overridden by DIP switches on a manual control panel that I think the Link replaced. The only way I can shut down the charging is to kill the 110 to the Heart. Unfortunately there is no separate breaker on that line. |
#4
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Non-stop battery charging
Dick,
Yours must be an older unit. I don't have dip switches on the inverter or Link 2000. There are two buttons and 4 LEDs on the inverter front panel. One button turns the inverter on/off, the other button turns the charger on/off. LEDs indicate status. http://www.xantrex.com/support/docserve.asp?id=431 is the link to the users manual. Dick Locke wrote: On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 20:00:51 -0400, Kelton Joyner wrote: Dick, First thing to do from a safety standpoint is to install an AC circuit breaker between your shore power input and the inverter. There is one. It's a 220v boat with a 110 stepdown transformer. The breaker is before the transformer (I assume, but I better check that.) The 110 from the transformer goes only to the Heart which distributes 110 to various outlets aound the boat. I can't kil the 110 to the Heart without killing the shore power to the outlets and I want to keep it on to run an icemaker/freezer/ Second. Have you checked the "charged voltage" setting on the Link 2000 panel? It should be set to 13.5 V (default value). If it is set higher, the charger might be sensing that the battery is not completely charged and try to continuously start the charge cycle. I don't see how to read or set the "charged voltage." BTW, these are gels. The charging works fine, goes to the third stage and stays there while I do minor current draw. It does this whether the charger is ostensibly on or off, though. Have you tried setting the Link 2000 to the default settings? I was considering a hard reset but wanted to check first whether this situation was normal. I have a question in to Heart but no answer yet. Have you disconnected the phone cable from the inverter and tried to operate it without the Link 2000? The only control on the inverter/charger is an on and off switch. The manual has reference to a simpler remote panel with dip switches on the back, but if there is one of these wired in, it's well hidden. I believe the Link replaces the standard remote panel. The Heart manual says: Dip switch 4: On= Disable, charger responds to on-off switch; Off = Enable,: Charger on when AC is connected (default). The charger is acting like Dip switch 4 is on, in the default position. Hmm, I wonder if there are dip switches on the back of the Link control panel. Another thing to ceck Kelton s/v Isle Escape Dick Locke wrote: Still finding surprises on a used boat. It has a Freedom 25 Charger/Inverter, controlled by a Link 2000. When I turn off the charger using the button on the Link, the charger only stays off for a few minutes. When the fully charged battery drops to about 13.6v, the charger switches back on. It's subtle, because the "charge", "accept" and "float" lights and the "charge" light do not light. If you're not watching the voltmeter, you won't notice. Is this the way it's supposed to work? The manuals imply that this is the default option that can be overridden by DIP switches on a manual control panel that I think the Link replaced. The only way I can shut down the charging is to kill the 110 to the Heart. Unfortunately there is no separate breaker on that line. |
#5
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Non-stop battery charging
Dick, are the batteries hot or percolating away the electrolyte?
I just installed 700AH of tall golf cart batteries in Lionheart. The pulse-type automatic cutoff charger has been running full bore for 2 weeks under the load. It would take 70A for 14 hours to charge them discharged, but this charger is only a tiny 10A "trickle charger" and we keep turning the lights, radios, etc., on it. I doubt it will ever switch off. The solar panel adds about 5A for 8 hours on a sunny day but that's still not much charging power to these monsters. At 10A there's no gassing at all. I think I heard one of the 6V beasts laughing at the Guest charger...(c; If it's not using much water, the battery isn't "hot" (warm is normal), and there's not a lot of gassing going on.....stop worrying about it and let it get on with its job..... Larry W4CSC 3600 planes with transponders are burning 8-10 million gallons of kerosene per hour over the USA. R-12 car air conditioners are responsible for the ozone hole, right? |
#6
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Non-stop battery charging
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#7
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Non-stop battery charging
You haven't mentioned how you know the charger is running - are you seeing a Voltage or a
current flow? Its possible that you're getting a faulty reading from the Link indicating a small current flow. You might try putting an Ammeter in series with the battery connection to verify the flow. FTIW, my Heart charger is "on" 24/7 most of the time - I don't recall every turning it off. Since my fridge is DC I rely on the charger to keep it running, and as longs as it doesn't over/under charge the batteries I don't see the problem. "Dick Locke" wrote in message ... On Thu, 09 Oct 2003 12:17:42 GMT, (Larry W4CSC) wrote: If it's not using much water, the battery isn't "hot" (warm is normal), and there's not a lot of gassing going on.....stop worrying about it and let it get on with its job..... They are gels, so probably won't outgas. I'll check temp. Somehow, though, I think a charger that is on without any indicator lights saying so is going to bite me on the butt sometime. |
#8
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Non-stop battery charging
Dick,
This is not normal behavior. If the CHARGE LED is off after you press the CHARGE button. it should never enter charge mode until it is enabled again. Suggest you contact Xantrex. Doug "Dick Locke" wrote in message ... Still finding surprises on a used boat. It has a Freedom 25 Charger/Inverter, controlled by a Link 2000. When I turn off the charger using the button on the Link, the charger only stays off for a few minutes. When the fully charged battery drops to about 13.6v, the charger switches back on. It's subtle, because the "charge", "accept" and "float" lights and the "charge" light do not light. If you're not watching the voltmeter, you won't notice. Is this the way it's supposed to work? The manuals imply that this is the default option that can be overridden by DIP switches on a manual control panel that I think the Link replaced. The only way I can shut down the charging is to kill the 110 to the Heart. Unfortunately there is no separate breaker on that line. |
#9
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Non-stop battery charging
It has a Freedom 25 Charger/Inverter, controlled by a Link 2000.
When I turn off the charger using the button on the Link, the charger only stays off for a few minutes. When the fully charged battery drops to about 13.6v, the charger switches back on. It's subtle, because the "charge", "accept" and "float" lights and the "charge" light do not light. If you're not watching the voltmeter, you won't notice. Is this the way it's supposed to work? The manuals imply that this is the default option that can be overridden by DIP switches on a manual control panel that I think the Link replaced. The only way I can shut down the charging is to kill the 110 to the Heart. Unfortunately there is no separate breaker on that line. ANSWER: When the link 2000 is connected to the Freedom 25 all control over the invertor is through the link. Refer to the link manual to set the many functions of the invertor/charger. There are more than 15 functions that can be set from the link if you want to monitor and protect your investment. If your link does not have the advanced battery temperature function set the charge voltage range based on the average battery box temperature. Once the functions are set the charger can be left on to maintain the batteries at full charge and unlike most other chargers the voltage will remain at float state when small loads are applied. Because this charger can produce over 100 amps I recommend the power sharing function be set for low output, most boats can get buy with a 25 amp. charger. From the author of books on boat refrigeration http://www.Kollmann-marine.com |
#10
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Non-stop battery charging
In article , Dick Locke
wrote: is it possible that the charger/inverter is wired into the inverter output? I have my unit wired so that the inverter output goes to only one outlet on the boat. if your interverter is wired to the entire boats 110v system then it would be possible that the above scenario could be the culprit. If so then the batteries via the inverter would be trying to charge themselves. Hence the increase of voltage. karlheinz s/v Evensong Still finding surprises on a used boat. It has a Freedom 25 Charger/Inverter, controlled by a Link 2000. When I turn off the charger using the button on the Link, the charger only stays off for a few minutes. When the fully charged battery drops to about 13.6v, the charger switches back on. It's subtle, because the "charge", "accept" and "float" lights and the "charge" light do not light. If you're not watching the voltmeter, you won't notice. Is this the way it's supposed to work? The manuals imply that this is the default option that can be overridden by DIP switches on a manual control panel that I think the Link replaced. The only way I can shut down the charging is to kill the 110 to the Heart. Unfortunately there is no separate breaker on that line. |
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