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(no email)
Date: Sat Nov 29 2003 - 03:44:52 EST
> -----Original Message-----
> Jim Fidler wrote:
> Also, can you give us a thorough comment about the West
> Marine battery combiners, based on your experiences?
>
>
> REPLY
> Sorry but I do not have any personal experience with the West Marine brand
> combiner.
>
>SNIP.
>
> Perhaps Andina can tell us if there has been any tests done to determine
> contact burn under these loading conditions.
>
>
> Regards
>
> Arild
>
Hi girls and guys, Andina here.
I'm not unbiased - in fact I'm very proud of this product.
I invented the Combiner in 1993. We have manufactured the West Marine
combiner since then with over 25,000 now in the field. We started with a 12
month warranty but since they are so reliable we have changed it to an
UNCONDITIONAL warranty. I don't care where you bought it, or how you got
it, or how much you paid, or if you have a receipt, or what happened to it,
if it isn't working its our fault and we will repair/replace it and return
by priority mail at no charge. This includes lightning, fire and sinking.
You don't need to agonize over Arild's comments about how to hook it up.
There is no problem with different sized banks - in fact this is the most
common situation. In our early manuals, before we had generated enough
field experience, we recommended you connect the alternator directly to the
larger bank and let the combiner charge the smaller - typically the starting
bank. But in 10 years we've NEVER had a return with contact damage so the
current owner's manual has dropped those recommendations. Just hook the two
positive leads to the positive battery terminals, the negative to ground and
you're done.
In fact we had one return where the timing circuit had failed. The customer
complained that although it had worked OK since installation it was
"buzzing" and the noise was annoying. Normally the relay can't cycle more
than about once per minute. On inspection, after two years of operation
with periods up to 40 times normal speed, although the contacts were pitted,
they were still quite functional. It was an accelerated life test
equivalent to 80 years of cruising.
Xantrex came out with a copy some years ago. See if they will back it with
an unconditional warranty. It is overpriced, not waterproof and less
reliable. West Marine sold so few that they didn't carry them in the stores
and I believe it has been dropped from the web site and the catalog. About
1995 we eliminated all the potentiometer adjustments to increase
reliability. So if you want bells and whistles and knobs and adjustments to
fiddle with, get the Xantex because ours is the install and forget style.
If your alternator output is 100 amps or less you can use the Combiner 50
If the alternator is 200 amps or less you can use the Combiner 150
For alternators up to 500 amps the new Combiner 400 is the choice.
They draw no power from the batteries and milliamps from the alternator when
combined. In fact the new Combiner 400 only draws 3 milliamps to run the
LED when combined and this can be disabled so it consumes no power, combined
or not.
There is an extensive FAQ on combiners at
http://www.yandina.com/combInfo.htm
I would be quite happy to answer any questions, on or off the trawler list.
Andina Foster,
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