Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

Here's a concise and handy guideline that was included in the
installation manual for my new Victron charger:

Problem: Charger does not function
Possible Cause: Inadequate AC power. (Restore or reconfigure AC)
Possible Cause: Input or output fuses defective. (Consult your dealer)

Problem: The battery does not get fully charged
Possible Cause: A bad battery connection. (Check connections)
Posible Cause: Battery type selection switch set improperly. (Change
switch settings)
Possible Cause: Battery capacity is too large. (Make sure charger
capacity matches battery)

Problem: The battery is being overcharged
Possible Cause: Battery type selection switch set improperly. (Change
switch settings)
Possible Cause: A single cell in the battery is defective. (Replace
battery)
Possible Cause: Battery is undersized for charger. (Consult battery
supplier)

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...
Here's a concise and handy guideline that was included in the
installation manual for my new Victron charger:



Do you ever stop thinking about boats and boating Chuck? There is, after
all, more to life than that.

What are you going to post next..........guidelines included in the
installation manual for your head?

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

JimH wrote:
"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...
Here's a concise and handy guideline that was included in the
installation manual for my new Victron charger:



Do you ever stop thinking about boats and boating Chuck? There is, after
all, more to life than that.

Of course there is.
And when I'm not involved with either working or recreating, there's no
reason to think about boats.




What are you going to post next..........guidelines included in the
installation manual for your head?

Probably not.

I thought these might be useful as they will apply to a wide variety of
chargers, not just the unit I recently installed.

As far as "Omigawd, Gould is posting more boating related material on
the rec.boats site!"
Guilty. I am under the confused and misguided impression that boat
stuff is why the site exists. :-)

Have you any tips or observations to add to the topic "Troubleshooting
a battery charger"?

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
ups.com...

JimH wrote:
"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...
Here's a concise and handy guideline that was included in the
installation manual for my new Victron charger:



Do you ever stop thinking about boats and boating Chuck? There is,
after
all, more to life than that.

Of course there is.
And when I'm not involved with either working or recreating, there's no
reason to think about boats.




What are you going to post next..........guidelines included in the
installation manual for your head?

Have you any tips or observations to add to the topic "Troubleshooting
a battery charger"?


Yes.

Refer back to the installation manual or call the manufacturer.

Do you have a life outside of boating Chuck?

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

"Harry Krause" wrote in message
...
On 12/29/2006 9:08 PM, JimH wrote:
"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...
Here's a concise and handy guideline that was included in the
installation manual for my new Victron charger:



Do you ever stop thinking about boats and boating Chuck? There is,
after all, more to life than that.

What are you going to post next..........guidelines included in the
installation manual for your head?

How about "Chuck's Guide to Towel Drying Your Boat after Use"?

You know, selection of towels, brands (potential advertisers), which way
to rub, how often to wring, and, of course, color of towels.


I am sure he can post the manufacturers recommendations in case the boat
gets wet. After all, it is On Topic and of interest to all.

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

On 29 Dec 2006 18:25:59 -0800, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

Have you any tips or observations to add to the topic "Troubleshooting
a battery charger"?

Yes. If output voltage at the battery is low, or charging is
incomplete, check for adequate wire size - particularly the ground
wire if charging multiple batteries. The ground wire carries the
entire combined current for all batteries and must be sized
accordingly.

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

Do you ever stop thinking about boats and boating Chuck? There is, after
all, more to life than that.

This *IS* a boating newsgroup aint it? This is the type of remark that gets
crap started, and this thread will now spiral out of control.

He was helping the OP with a relevant post. Why did you have to destroy the
effort?

--Mike

"JimH" not telling you @ pffftt.com wrote in message
. ..

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...
Here's a concise and handy guideline that was included in the
installation manual for my new Victron charger:



Do you ever stop thinking about boats and boating Chuck? There is, after
all, more to life than that.

What are you going to post next..........guidelines included in the
installation manual for your head?

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

Wayne.B wrote:
On 29 Dec 2006 18:25:59 -0800, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

Have you any tips or observations to add to the topic "Troubleshooting
a battery charger"?

Yes. If output voltage at the battery is low, or charging is
incomplete, check for adequate wire size - particularly the ground
wire if charging multiple batteries. The ground wire carries the
entire combined current for all batteries and must be sized
accordingly.

Thanks, Wayne. That's an excellent addition to the list.

Much to the chagrin of a few folks with little or no interest in
boating, it is still possible to
develop a boating related discussion on rec.boats.

Anybody else got something useful to add?

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

Mike wrote:
Do you ever stop thinking about boats and boating Chuck? There is, after
all, more to life than that.

This *IS* a boating newsgroup aint it? This is the type of remark that gets
crap started, and this thread will now spiral out of control.

He was helping the OP with a relevant post. Why did you have to destroy the
effort?

--Mike

No worries Mike. The thread isn't destroyed. It will only "spiral out
of control" if somebody takes the hateful bait. Simply consider the
source. (If you're new here, you'll know before very long exactly what
I mean).

Got any tips based on observation or experience for maintaining or
troubleshooting a battery charger?

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

The thread isn't destroyed. It will only "spiral out
of control" if somebody takes the hateful bait.

Yeah, we'll see what happens. :( I've been here for about 3 years, but
hadn't posted much since I was a new boater then. I came here for info, and
usually found what I needed using the handy search feature ;-)

All I can do is echo Wayne's remarks about proper wire sizing, but that's
mainly for a fast charge, or starting amps. For a trickle charge it isn't as
important.

--Mike

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
ps.com...

Mike wrote:
Do you ever stop thinking about boats and boating Chuck? There is,
after
all, more to life than that.

This *IS* a boating newsgroup aint it? This is the type of remark that
gets
crap started, and this thread will now spiral out of control.

He was helping the OP with a relevant post. Why did you have to destroy
the
effort?

--Mike

No worries Mike. The thread isn't destroyed. It will only "spiral out
of control" if somebody takes the hateful bait. Simply consider the
source. (If you're new here, you'll know before very long exactly what
I mean).

Got any tips based on observation or experience for maintaining or
troubleshooting a battery charger?

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
ps.com...


Got any tips based on observation or experience for maintaining or
troubleshooting a battery charger?


Mike wrote:

All I can do is echo Wayne's remarks about proper wire sizing, but that's
mainly for a fast charge, or starting amps. For a trickle charge it isn't as
important.

--Mike

Ideally, connect the charger *directly* to the battery terminals but at
least make sure there is no risk of a loose connection IN THE BOAT'S
wiring between the charger connection point and the battery. If there
was a loose connection you might over-voltage all your on-board
electronics. *Expensive*. Some chargers are protected against this and
are labelled as suitable for running 12V equipment even without a
battery connected, Otherers are not, so take care.

Make sure the charger is suitable and safe for use on a boat. A quality
marine charger has a fully isolated output. Many car chargers have the
-ve output terminal grounded. Your 12V system and your on-board mains
should only have the 0V and the protective ground joined at a SINGLE
point and the battery charger is *NOT* an appropriate or safe place to
do so. Depending on the design, the RFI filter at the input to a
switched mode charger may *by design* leak enough current from Live to
ground to swamp your galvanic isolator and render it ineffective at
protecting your propeller etc. from rampant electrolysis.

(This problem is not exclusive to battery chargers, any 3 wire mains
applience with a switched mode PSU can contribute to the problem as can
2 wire (no ground) appliences where some connection is made to the 12V
ground (laptop computers connected to the instruments, entertainment
centres with the aerial braid grounded where the aerial is mounted etc.
The only *certain* cure is an isolation transformer on the incoming
mains feed, but on boats with simpler equipment, carefull choice of
appliences and unplugging anything 'fancy' {i.e. with push-button
controls} when its not in use, can minimise the problem.

Gotta go, I have to fit a battery charger . . .


--
Ian Malcolm. London, ENGLAND. (NEWSGROUP REPLY PREFERRED)
ianm[at]the[dash]malcolms[dot]freeserve[dot]co[dot]uk
[at]=@, [dash]=- & [dot]=. *Warning* HTML & 32K emails -- NUL:
'Stingo' Albacore #1554 - 15' Early 60's, Uffa Fox designed,
All varnished hot moulded wooden racing dinghy.

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

"Mike" wrote in message
...


He was helping the OP with a relevant post. Why did you have to destroy
the effort?

--Mike

Mike, the part you missed is that Gould's post *was* the OP.

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

On Fri, 29 Dec 2006 21:38:29 -0500, Harry Krause
wrote:

On 12/29/2006 9:08 PM, JimH wrote:
"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...
Here's a concise and handy guideline that was included in the
installation manual for my new Victron charger:



Do you ever stop thinking about boats and boating Chuck? There is, after
all, more to life than that.

What are you going to post next..........guidelines included in the
installation manual for your head?



How about "Chuck's Guide to Towel Drying Your Boat after Use"?

You know, selection of towels, brands (potential advertisers), which way
to rub, how often to wring, and, of course, color of towels.

While Jimmy was absent, there was much less rancor in the group. Now that
he's back, you've found someone to reinforce your bad behavior. Perhaps
Jimmy would do us all a favor and leave again, could you suggest that to
him. I didn't notice a groundswell of emotion upon his return (or departure
for that matter).

Give it some thought.
--
John

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

On 29 Dec 2006 18:25:59 -0800, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:


JimH wrote:
"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...
Here's a concise and handy guideline that was included in the
installation manual for my new Victron charger:



Do you ever stop thinking about boats and boating Chuck? There is, after
all, more to life than that.

Of course there is.
And when I'm not involved with either working or recreating, there's no
reason to think about boats.




What are you going to post next..........guidelines included in the
installation manual for your head?

Probably not.

I thought these might be useful as they will apply to a wide variety of
chargers, not just the unit I recently installed.

As far as "Omigawd, Gould is posting more boating related material on
the rec.boats site!"
Guilty. I am under the confused and misguided impression that boat
stuff is why the site exists. :-)

Have you any tips or observations to add to the topic "Troubleshooting
a battery charger"?

Here's a question: Which is better for maintaining the battery over the
winter, infrequent charges on the 10 amp setting or more frequent and
longer charges on the 2 amp setting. I've been using the 2 amp and leaving
it on overnight. It's an automatic charger, so it stops charging when the
battery is charged.
--
John

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

On Sat, 30 Dec 2006 03:15:35 -0500, "RCE" wrote:


"Mike" wrote in message
t...


He was helping the OP with a relevant post. Why did you have to destroy
the effort?

--Mike

Mike, the part you missed is that Gould's post *was* the OP.



And Jimmy's post was an effort to destroy the thread.
--
John

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

Hi, Chuck, and thank you.

Of course, we all know about www.batteryfaq.org, which I find a great
reference. Be prepared to spend some time digging and reading.

It continues to amaze me how technical a topic boating is. I can identify
with my new-boater friend who thought you just turned the key and pushed the
lever. He's not finding the old joke about "BOAT= 'break out another
thousand'" currently very amusing. However, the technicalities, over the
years, have proved to be a distinct part of the pleasure (and undeniably
also often a major pain in the transom), and paying attention to them makes
boating safer ... and less expensive.

My main battery problems over the years have been from corroded
connections - boy, can that ever sneak up on you! Also, a deep cycle
"suddenly" (?) went bad on me once, and fried the alternator. I'm not sure
that was foreseeable, but many boaters view a digital voltmeter as essential
for keeping an eye on a battery's health. Checking the specific gravity is
better, but in the real world, a voltmeter will get used more often. If
they're not _perfect_, replace immediately. (The literature says "or repair"
but I have never heard of it actually being done.)

The extra money spent on good batteries can more than pay for itself. I know
some friends who use a high-end brand but get 10 years out of them ... _and_
are very knowledgeable about maintenance. Really good charging matters, and
doesn't happen all by itself. See the reference quoted above. Charging is
the topic you started us on.

Batteries and charging is always a good discussion point among boaters. It
rivals "what's the best anchor" as a subject of controversy and strong
opinion. But they're good conversations to have, sifting fact from
speculation, and making mental notes ...

Batteries and charges are one of the essential systems on any boat with an
engine. We can manage without a fridge or a transom wash-down, but not
without well-charged batteries. Good winter topic. Thanks again.

Charles

====

Charles T. Low
www.boatdocking.com

====

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...

Anybody else got something useful to add?

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

"Gene Kearns" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 30 Dec 2006 04:09:28 GMT, Mike penned the following well
considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

He was helping the OP with a relevant post. Why did you have to destroy
the
effort?

Now you have *my* interest. Was there an original post? Was it the
same subject? Can you send me the message id of the original post.

Reason: nothing sinister. I'm running beta software and I never saw
the OP... so I might have a trouble ticket to initiate on this
occurrence.....

--

Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC.

Homepage
http://myworkshop.idleplay.net/

Rec.boats at Lee Yeaton's Bayguide
http://www.thebayguide.com/rec.boats

The original poster is Gould and he posted it to google groups. Too bad you
missed it. It was one of his better efforts. :-) There are currently 12
posts in the thread including yours. I am watching 2 newsfeeds in parallel
and they both drop a post ocassionally. Sometimes the post will appear at a
later time. Sometimes bits fall into the bit bucket just because they can.
Message-ID: .com
Happy New Year,
Jim

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

Ok, just to make sure.... when Mike said, "He was helping the OP with
a relevant post," I got a little confused. Then there really was no
post prior to the above Message-ID.....?

Grady-White Gulfstream, out of Oak Island, NC.

Homepage
http://myworkshop.idleplay.net/

Rec.boats at Lee Yeaton's Bayguide
http://www.thebayguide.com/rec.boats

Correct

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

JimH wrote:
"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...
Here's a concise and handy guideline that was included in the
installation manual for my new Victron charger:



Do you ever stop thinking about boats and boating Chuck? There is, after
all, more to life than that.

What are you going to post next..........guidelines included in the
installation manual for your head?

go back into hiding, Jim. No one missed you and your constant ****
stirring. Did you notice not one single person asked anything about
you? Do you wonder why?

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

RCE wrote:
"Mike" wrote in message
...


He was helping the OP with a relevant post. Why did you have to destroy
the effort?

--Mike

Mike, the part you missed is that Gould's post *was* the OP.

And aside from some assinine remarks tossed in by a couple of guys who
specialize in same, the thread has not done badly. How about you,
Richard? Got anything useful to add to the general subject of battery
chargers or charging?

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

Mike wrote:
Do you ever stop thinking about boats and boating Chuck? There is, after
all, more to life than that.

This *IS* a boating newsgroup aint it? This is the type of remark that gets
crap started, and this thread will now spiral out of control.

He was helping the OP with a relevant post. Why did you have to destroy the
effort?

--Mike

Because JimH is an asshole.

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

Charles T. Low wrote:
Hi, Chuck, and thank you.


The extra money spent on good batteries can more than pay for itself. I know
some friends who use a high-end brand but get 10 years out of them ... _and_
are very knowledgeable about maintenance. Really good charging matters, and
doesn't happen all by itself. See the reference quoted above. Charging is
the topic you started us on.
Charles

====

Charles T. Low
www.boatdocking.com

====

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...

Anybody else got something useful to add?



Then there's people like me, that on a seasonable runabout I use the
$29.95 "EL Cheapo" battery that has a "12 month free replacement." it
does the job for the 10 or 12 times I'm going to the lake. Then when
boating season is done for me and winterizing has happened. I pull the
battery out and put it on my Dad's log splitter,w here it will have a
good working life through january or so, then it will be pulled from
there, and replace the dead battery in my dads little IH tractor which
will serve out the rest of the winter, then it will probably stay there
and I'll by another new battery for the boat in the spring..


I'm not one to make a science out of battery costs, and maintenance for
the purposes I have.

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

Chuck,

Sorry, I didn't realize you were the OP. My newsreader hides read messages
when I leave the group. A simple mistake, and look what happened. I hope you
get some help with the charger. I'm going to click ignore this thread now.
;-)

--Mike

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
oups.com...

RCE wrote:
"Mike" wrote in message
...


He was helping the OP with a relevant post. Why did you have to destroy
the effort?

--Mike

Mike, the part you missed is that Gould's post *was* the OP.

And aside from some assinine remarks tossed in by a couple of guys who
specialize in same, the thread has not done badly. How about you,
Richard? Got anything useful to add to the general subject of battery
chargers or charging?

Can I play too?
Don't let the water level get below the top of the plates.

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

"Mike" wrote in message
. ..
Chuck,

Sorry, I didn't realize you were the OP. My newsreader hides read messages
when I leave the group. A simple mistake, and look what happened. I hope
you get some help with the charger. I'm going to click ignore this thread
now. ;-)

--Mike


Mike, I hope he gets some help too.

Eisboch

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

On Sat, 30 Dec 2006 13:46:24 -0500, "RCE" wrote:


"Mike" wrote in message
...
Chuck,

Sorry, I didn't realize you were the OP. My newsreader hides read messages
when I leave the group. A simple mistake, and look what happened. I hope
you get some help with the charger. I'm going to click ignore this thread
now. ;-)

--Mike


Mike, I hope he gets some help too.

Eisboch


That is not at all like who you are!
--
John

Troubleshooting a battery charger:
 

Thanks, Tim,

There's no one right approach, and the only caveat I have with yours that
you are increasing your chances that you'll have to row home some day,
unless you have a pull-start or some other back-up plan.

Having said that, I don't think I have every maintenance item on my boat
pinned completely down. There are too many of them! And for the type of
boating I do, I make some compromises. For example, an engine rebuilder said
to me last year, "When was the last time the engine was out of the boat?"
(in its 27 year life). The answer was never, because it was working well,
using very little oil, a rebuild is expensive - and I live with it. Wouldn't
take it alone off shore, however...

Charles

P.S. ... been trying to send this for a week - possibly outdated now ...
technical problems .

====

Charles T. Low
www.boatdocking.com

====

"Tim" wrote in message
ups.com...
Then there's people like me, that on a seasonable runabout I use the
$29.95 "EL Cheapo" battery that has a "12 month free replacement." it
does the job for the 10 or 12 times I'm going to the lake. Then when
boating season is done for me and winterizing has happened. I pull the
battery out and put it on my Dad's log splitter,w here it will have a
good working life through january or so, then it will be pulled from
there, and replace the dead battery in my dads little IH tractor which
will serve out the rest of the winter, then it will probably stay there
and I'll by another new battery for the boat in the spring..


I'm not one to make a science out of battery costs, and maintenance for
the purposes I have.