Rich,
I think I get it now. If I have my starter battery as #2, I start the
engine with #2 only (not ALL). This echo-charger could take the Alternator
charge going into #2 and also charge #1.
Do I have that right?
If so, I gots me some wiring to do….
All the best,
Edd
Edd M. Schillay
Starship Enterprise
C&C 37+ | Sail No: NCC-1701-B
City Island, NY
Starship Enterprise's Captain's Log
On May 5, 2014, at 2:52 PM, Rich Knowles <r...@sailpower.ca> wrote:
> In short, an Echo Charge is a simple regulator that derives it's input
> voltage from a battery connected to a charging source. It's output is
> connected to a secondary battery such as an engine start or windlass battery.
> If the input voltage rises above 3.4 volts, as I recall, the
>
> Rich
>
> On May 5, 2014, at 14:10, Edd Schillay via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Marek,
>>
>> Very interesting. What exactly is an echo charger and how would I
>> connect it?
>>
>> The previous owner had two house bank 31s and a starter battery hooked
>> up parallel to one of them. That starter battery turned out to be dead and
>> was dragging the other down.
>>
>> I replaced all with two new 31s about 4 years ago. Now one of those two
>> is dead and I don’t feel like dumping $300 on a replacement when I’m not
>> running on batteries for more than a few hours on any given day.
>>
>>
>> All the best,
>>
>> Edd
>>
>>
>> Edd M. Schillay
>> Starship Enterprise
>> C&C 37+ | Sail No: NCC-1701-B
>> City Island, NY
>> Starship Enterprise's Captain's Log
>>
>> On May 5, 2014, at 1:01 PM, Marek Dziedzic <dziedzi...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Edd,
>>>
>>> I don’t want to start a discussion on how to charge the batteries (as this
>>> would be off topic), but starting from the ALL position has some major
>>> disadvantages. One is that you might be hiding a problem with your starting
>>> battery; two is that if one battery is weak, you would be charging that
>>> weak battery from the strong one (you risk that if one is nearly dead, the
>>> other would not start the engine, either, but instead would discharge to
>>> equalise the voltage with the weak one).
>>>
>>> No question (in my mind), the best way is to start from the starting
>>> battery (hence the name) and have the echo charger making sure that both
>>> batteries are charged properly.
>>>
>>> Some advocate to have the batteries split into “main” and “spare”. Many
>>> good marine batteries can be used as dual purpose. If you design your
>>> system this way, you start on the “main”, it gets charged by the alternator
>>> and the echo charger maintains the “spare”.
>>>
>>> If I remember correctly, you have a solar system, as well. Many charge
>>> controllers have a dual battery option and they can be setup to charge the
>>> “main” battery first and then charge the “spare” (mine has a selectable
>>> 50/50 or 90/10 split).
>>>
>>> If you are interested, you can check some of Main Sail’s articles on that
>>> topic at Sailboat Owners or at his web site
>>> (http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/).
>>>
>>> Marek (in Ottawa)
>>>
>>> PS. Would “may the Force (May the 4th) be with you” apply, even if it is a
>>> day late? I know it is mixing the references...
>>>
>>> From: Edd Schillay via CnC-List
>>> Sent: Monday, May 05, 2014 10:58 AM
>>> To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com
>>> Subject: Re: Stus-List Mixed batteries
>>>
>>> Rich,
>>>
>>> Please do send around a diagram. I’m planning to do something similar — a
>>> 27 starting battery (as battery #2) and a 31 house bank (as battery#1).
>>>
>>> When I want to start and run the engine, I will do so on ALL. That way the
>>> alternator will charge both batteries. When sailing and “hanging out”, I
>>> would switch to 1 only.
>>>
>>> I have a solar panel and a dual battery regulator, which would connect to
>>> both.
>>>
>>> Two weeks to launch and still much to do…..
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> All the best,
>>>
>>> Edd
>>>
>>>
>>> Edd M. Schillay
>>> Starship Enterprise
>>> C&C 37+ | Sail No: NCC-1701-B
>>> City Island, NY
>>> Starship Enterprise's Captain's Log
>>>
>>> On May 5, 2014, at 10:38 AM, Rich Knowles via CnC-List
>>> <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> The best method I have found and the least problematic from all points of
>>>> view is to have a dedicated starting battery that does nothing else but
>>>> start the engine, and a house battery that can be several batteries in
>>>> parallel. Ideally the house batteries will all be identical. I feed the
>>>> alternator directly to the house battery and use a device such as a
>>>> Xantrex EchoCharge, a small regulator, to keep the start battery charged.
>>>> A simple 1/both/2 off switch feeds the house load from either battery and
>>>> acts as a combiner switch if needed. I have a diagram I can send you if
>>>> you wish.
>>>>
>>>> I have wired many boats this way with no complaints or incidents.
>>>>
>>>> Rich Knowles
>>>> Indigo. LF38
>>>> Halifax. NS
>>>>
>>>> On May 5, 2014, at 10:47, via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> In a pinch, I recently bought a 'starting' battery (Group 27) per my
>>>>> earlier post (no marine stores open after 6 on Saturdays)
>>>>>
>>>>> Then I decided to get a replacement for my dead Lifeline AGM battery.
>>>>>
>>>>> Of course, Murphy lurking about, I realized that my Zantrex Truecharge 40
>>>>> wants all the batteries it charges to be the same since
>>>>> its charging schemes apply to all three outputs to the batteries.
>>>>>
>>>>> Before I pull the 'rope-a-dope' of returning the starting battery, I need
>>>>> some list advice:
>>>>>
>>>>> A lot of sailors suggest using a 'starting' battery exclusively for
>>>>> starting and using the house batteries for the house. I am aware that
>>>>> an AGM can be used for starting as well.
>>>>>
>>>>> However, if a 'starting' battery is better for this job (CCA, etc.) and
>>>>> the AGM is better for its job, how does one use a single charger like
>>>>> mine
>>>>> to satisfy different charging schemes?
>>>>>
>>>>> 2 chargers, a smarter charger that has outputs for different battery
>>>>> characteristics, or 'forgetaboutit" and charge both batteries as though
>>>>> the were both AGMs?
>>>>>
>>>>> Charlie Nelson
>>>>> Water Phantom
>>>>> C&C 36 XL/kcb
>>>>>
>>>>> cenel...@aol.com
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