Next message: (no name): "Re: T&T: Lehman 120 and alternator options"
I did at the time, but don't have those notes in front of me (hopefully I actually still have them).
Right now we're in the midst of an off-season upgrade so can't replicate the situation. One option we may go with is determine some good monitoring protocols and run for a bit this season to get a tighter assessment.
Which reminds me - I need to put that silly little magnetic screwdriver back on the boat - last time I wanted to mess about with the regulator displays I couldn't find anything magnetic to trigger the reed switches :(
--
Jason Pringle
M/V Shibui - 50' OA Mk I
www.quartermasteryacht.com
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Richard Cook <>
> Hi Jason,
>
> Have you gone through the diagnostic procedures available with the
> 612 regulators? I haven't had to do this in some time, but if memory
> serves you can find out exactly what voltage the regulator is seeing at
> each step, what voltage it's telling the alternator to produce at each
> point, and more key details, by activating one of the more detailed
> display functions of the regulator. Instructions are provided with the
> regulator, if I remember correctly. I have more detailed notes in the
> boat that I can get to if you would like.
>
> Balmar took me through this over the phone when I was having trouble
> with my system, and we were able to determine that one connection to the
> regulator was dirty, and then later that alternator brushes were worn
> too far. Easy fixes once you know what the problem is.
>
> Richard Cook
> New Moon (Bounty 257)
>
>
> wrote:
> > Currently we have 100A Balmar alternaters on our Lehmans (don't
> > recall the model number) that have been rebuilt a couple of times.
> > Our battery bank is 1245Ah, so we're short on the 25% rule of thumb
> > (charging capacity = 25% battery capacity) - 300A vs 200A. However,
> > we typically try not to draw down more than 50%, and usually make
> > long runs so figured it wouldn't be an issue.
> >
> > Last summer we encountered some circumstances that are making us look
> > at our charging system again. We were burning through Ah faster than
> > expected overnight - some load investigation determined that the
> > nasty culprits were our 110v ice maker on inverter (keeping our chest
> > cooler happy with ice) and the heater (September in the PNW can still
> > mean cold nights :)). No problem, we thought, it's a long leg ahead
> > today.
> >
> > Turns out that our electrical consumption while underway was such
> > that very little was getting into the batteries, most of the
> > available amps were going to loads. Further, it appeared that though
> > the batteries were quite low, the alternators were only chugging
> > along at 50A each or so (based on separate ammeters on the alternator
> > outputs) rather than 80, 90 or (gasp) 100A. The regulators are
> > Balmar MC-612, paralleled through a Balmar Centerfielder.
> >
> > So that's the backstory, the upshot is we want to increase our
> > alternator output.
> >
> > One question I have is whether the current alternators are shot - I
> > never see them registering 100A (or even 80-90A) output, which means
> > either the ammeters are inaccurate (they're "homemade" by the
> > previous owner - a shunt matched to a large scale VM), the
> > alternators aren't putting out rated current, or the regulator isn't
> > "asking" for the rated current during the bulk phase. Given that the
> > alternators have been re-wound a couple of times, I suspect them over
> > the other options. However, I do plan to replace the current
> > ammeters with commercial units for piece of mind (and remote viewing,
> > but that's another matter).
> >
> > I've considered the possibility that the current alternators are
> > good, but are getting de-rated due to heat. However, if that were
> > the case I'd expect to see them start off @ high current and then
> > back off as they get hot.
> >
> > That leads to replacement options.
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