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Battery switches, alternators and regulators?
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. |