Thank you so very much. I found your video while trying to troubleshoot why my alternator stopped charging our batteries. It was the temperature sensor. Your video was interesting and gave me very clear steps to diagnosing the issue. You have been a hugh help. I have fixed the problem, saved a lot of money, and feel very proud of myself. Take care, Ben from Nova Scotia
WOW I wish I was at this seminar!! I recently re did my boat's electrical. I have a 200Ah TPPL AGM house bank, and a group 34 AGM starting battery. I am using a Victron Argo FET isolator. I installed a Balmar 100 A alternator with a MC614 external regulator. I also have a Victron battery monitor. I set the belt load manager to 80 A to bulk charge my house bank at .4C per my battery manufacture's recommendations. I wired the alternator output to the positive input of the Victron battery isolator input with a 150A anl fuse. When I wired the power for the regulator to the back of the alternator there was not enough voltage to turn the regulator on, so I wired the power to the external regulator directly to the battery with supplied 15 A fuse. I also wired the positive voltage sense wire directly to the house battery with the supplied fuse. The supplier I bought the regulator and alternator kit from said this should be OK. The first question I have is why does the regulator power source need to come from the back to the alternator? This set up did not work with the Victron battery isolator. The supplier I bought the kit from said powering the external controller directly to the positive of the battery should work fine. Also I am concerned that since my voltage sense wire is connected to the house battery I may over charge my starting battery. I used a clamp amp meter to check the current going into the starting battery during bulk charging. The Victron Argo fet isolator its job, there was no or very little current going to the starting battery. Anyway, I went cruising for 2 weeks to test this system and the system was AMAZING!!! everything worked perfectly it was BEAUTIFUL!! But again why does the power for the regulator need to come from the back of the alternator? Do you think I will have issues in the future with the power connected to the battery with supplied fuse?? Another thing I love about the external regulator that you did not mention is that is you have an option to wire a "small engine switch" to close the belt load manager circuit. This cuts the alternator out put by 50%. Originally I was worried about the 5 HP power take off from my 13 HP engine. This switch worked AMAZING!! I think sailors may worry about the large power requirements of high out put alternators. With this external regulator's "Small engine switch this is not an issue. I also understand that if open/ turn off the ignition switch you will turn the alternator off with out damaging the alternator. Again I was absolutely amazed with this system!! Thank you for the video and all your information.!!!
O Son of Neptune! Please do not report me to your father for giving you potentially faulty feedback. If I’m banished from the seas by him, I’m f***ed! :-D I’m no pro in this, but to your main question: Is it ok to power the external regulator straight from the battery? I’d say the answer should mostly be yes. Also that powering it from the back of the alternator is normally the same thing. The post used on the back of the alternator normally is the one that also has the charging wire going to the battery. Thus, connecting it there is just a convenient connection point to the battery with no practical difference from connecting it straight to the battery (with its own fuse). The other question I think you ask is, how come connecting the sensing wire to the house bank rather than the battery isolator is better? How does that protect the secondary non direct connected battery? This I can’t answer with authority, but my take is this: Connecting the sensing wire to an isolator makes the regulator see two separate voltages and amperages as an average of the two. Since any combination of numbers could add up to something realistic, that means the regulator has no way to know what is actually going on. If it’s rather connected straight to the house bank, where the alternator charge cables should also go (not to the start battery), the regulator has a solid reference. It actually knows the situation in one battery and won’t spin off trying to correct missing voltage. The secondary battery being connected by the isolator when charge starts will see realistic voltages suitable for a battery. It can use its internal resistance to reduce current when it’s full. This is only true if the batteries are of a similar type. Mixing very different battery types in one system is a bad idea. Then you need to not use a battery isolator or anything such. A B2B charger is then way better. Battery to battery charger. It starts when the house bank gets a charge. It gives the secondary batteries the perfect charge, completely independent of the voltage and current going to the primary batteries. B2B chargers are great. Strange that so few use them.
@@SteinVarjordThank you for the reply!! My system has worked well so far, and I think it will continue to work. Jeff from Pacific Yacht systems said that the power wire for the controller should be connected to the out put of the alternator. Then he said he was not going to go into the reasons why. Well I want to know the reason why, what was he referring to?? My alternator out put is connected to the input of my Argo Fet isolator and there is not enough voltage to turn the system on . I agree that the voltage sense wire connected to my house battery should be ok. My starting battery is always almost "full" and the battery isolator does not send power to it from the alternator. I love what you said about my Dad!! The reality is that my Dad is a Scuba Diving Guru in Milwaukee he has had a scuba store and scuba charter boat in Milwaukee and has done marine salvage in Milwaukee for over 30 years. I grew up with all this. My TH-cam channel name is about respect for my dad and all that I have learned. Thank you !!!
Thank you so very much.
I found your video while trying to troubleshoot why my alternator stopped charging our batteries.
It was the temperature sensor. Your video was interesting and gave me very clear steps to diagnosing the issue.
You have been a hugh help. I have fixed the problem, saved a lot of money, and feel very proud of myself.
Take care,
Ben from Nova Scotia
Thanks Ben. Glad was i able to help all the way from over here.
WOW I wish I was at this seminar!! I recently re did my boat's electrical. I have a 200Ah TPPL AGM house bank, and a group 34 AGM starting battery. I am using a Victron Argo FET isolator. I installed a Balmar 100 A alternator with a MC614 external regulator. I also have a Victron battery monitor. I set the belt load manager to 80 A to bulk charge my house bank at .4C per my battery manufacture's recommendations. I wired the alternator output to the positive input of the Victron battery isolator input with a 150A anl fuse. When I wired the power for the regulator to the back of the alternator there was not enough voltage to turn the regulator on, so I wired the power to the external regulator directly to the battery with supplied 15 A fuse. I also wired the positive voltage sense wire directly to the house battery with the supplied fuse. The supplier I bought the regulator and alternator kit from said this should be OK.
The first question I have is why does the regulator power source need to come from the back to the alternator? This set up did not work with the Victron battery isolator. The supplier I bought the kit from said powering the external controller directly to the positive of the battery should work fine.
Also I am concerned that since my voltage sense wire is connected to the house battery I may over charge my starting battery. I used a clamp amp meter to check the current going into the starting battery during bulk charging. The Victron Argo fet isolator its job, there was no or very little current going to the starting battery.
Anyway, I went cruising for 2 weeks to test this system and the system was AMAZING!!! everything worked perfectly it was BEAUTIFUL!!
But again why does the power for the regulator need to come from the back of the alternator? Do you think I will have issues in the future with the power connected to the battery with supplied fuse??
Another thing I love about the external regulator that you did not mention is that is you have an option to wire a "small engine switch" to close the belt load manager circuit. This cuts the alternator out put by 50%. Originally I was worried about the 5 HP power take off from my 13 HP engine. This switch worked AMAZING!! I think sailors may worry about the large power requirements of high out put alternators. With this external regulator's "Small engine switch this is not an issue. I also understand that if open/ turn off the ignition switch you will turn the alternator off with out damaging the alternator.
Again I was absolutely amazed with this system!!
Thank you for the video and all your information.!!!
O Son of Neptune! Please do not report me to your father for giving you potentially faulty feedback. If I’m banished from the seas by him, I’m f***ed! :-D I’m no pro in this, but to your main question: Is it ok to power the external regulator straight from the battery?
I’d say the answer should mostly be yes. Also that powering it from the back of the alternator is normally the same thing. The post used on the back of the alternator normally is the one that also has the charging wire going to the battery. Thus, connecting it there is just a convenient connection point to the battery with no practical difference from connecting it straight to the battery (with its own fuse).
The other question I think you ask is, how come connecting the sensing wire to the house bank rather than the battery isolator is better? How does that protect the secondary non direct connected battery? This I can’t answer with authority, but my take is this: Connecting the sensing wire to an isolator makes the regulator see two separate voltages and amperages as an average of the two. Since any combination of numbers could add up to something realistic, that means the regulator has no way to know what is actually going on. If it’s rather connected straight to the house bank, where the alternator charge cables should also go (not to the start battery), the regulator has a solid reference. It actually knows the situation in one battery and won’t spin off trying to correct missing voltage. The secondary battery being connected by the isolator when charge starts will see realistic voltages suitable for a battery. It can use its internal resistance to reduce current when it’s full. This is only true if the batteries are of a similar type. Mixing very different battery types in one system is a bad idea. Then you need to not use a battery isolator or anything such. A B2B charger is then way better. Battery to battery charger. It starts when the house bank gets a charge. It gives the secondary batteries the perfect charge, completely independent of the voltage and current going to the primary batteries. B2B chargers are great. Strange that so few use them.
@@SteinVarjordThank you for the reply!! My system has worked well so far, and I think it will continue to work. Jeff from Pacific Yacht systems said that the power wire for the controller should be connected to the out put of the alternator. Then he said he was not going to go into the reasons why. Well I want to know the reason why, what was he referring to?? My alternator out put is connected to the input of my Argo Fet isolator and there is not enough voltage to turn the system on .
I agree that the voltage sense wire connected to my house battery should be ok. My starting battery is always almost "full" and the battery isolator does not send power to it from the alternator.
I love what you said about my Dad!! The reality is that my Dad is a Scuba Diving Guru in Milwaukee he has had a scuba store and scuba charter boat in Milwaukee and has done marine salvage in Milwaukee for over 30 years. I grew up with all this. My TH-cam channel name is about respect for my dad and all that I have learned.
Thank you !!!