It is "float" unless its 13.7 or under. It sounds like your "3-stage" is bogus - would
you care to share the brand or point us to a web site? Frankly, I was skeptical when
you mentionde an alternator with a built-in 3stage regulator - I';ve never heard of such a
beast.

-jeff

jeannette wrote:
On 14 Aug 2003 12:49:08 -0700, (john s.) wrote:


Jeannette, after you have let your batteries rest overnigt, do they
still show 14.4 V. My expectation is that you would foind them
shoiwing 12.8 V which indicates a fully charged battery. The three
stages are different in the amps delivered by the alternator to the
batteries, bulk is about 25% of their capoacity, acceptancea around
10% and float about 1% of the capacity, but always at 14.4 V - it's
only the "equalization" which your smart regulator may not have that
injects 16 V at low amperage to remove the sulfation of the plates by
making the battery "boil" for about half an hour, after which you;ve
got to add some distilled water to bring back the level of
electrolyte john

When I disconnect the batteries from everything, they read around
12.80. I also check the specific gravity and they are all correct. My
concern was that I have read and also that I can see on my shore
charger that when a 3 stages charger goes to float, the voltage comes
down to about 13.7. This charger keeps outputting 14.40 at all times
even after several hours of running like when I motored to Bodega Bay
for 6 hours.
The charging current does go way down though. Maybe I worry for
nothing.
Why is it that all the 3 stages chargers I read about go to float at
13.7?. Why doesn't this one do it?


Jeannette Bristol 32, San Francisco
http://www.eblw.com/contepartiro/contepartiro.html