Association Forum - Charging question

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Charging question

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

JohnMD
Navigator

Member Avatar

USA
207 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/24/2007 : 16:17:13

As I was motoring along on a windless day it occurred to me that my outboard was charging my battery at <> 7 amp rate. 7 amps is a pretty stout charge rate, I wonder how it keeps from overcharging your battery? Anybody have experience with this? Maybe that's one reason we buy so many batteries.

Edited by - on

piseas
Former Treasurer

Members Avatar

USA
2017 Posts

Response Posted - 09/24/2007 : 17:35:50

I believe there is a voltage regulator that knows when the battery needs recharging and likewise is full. I may be wrong so wait for others to respond.

Edited by - on

JohnMD
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
207 Posts

Response Posted - 09/24/2007 : 18:50:04

I can't speak for how things are done on other boats, but, on my boat the alternator on the outboard is wired directly to the battery. In fact, I had to install a fuse, it was hard wired straight in.

Edited by - on

kevinmac
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
732 Posts

Response Posted - 09/24/2007 : 19:14:51

My outboard (Yamaha 8) is wired directly to the battery, but has a voltage regulator as part of the motor that prevents overcharging.

Edited by - on

Sloop Smitten
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
1181 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2007 : 14:09:00

I believe all modern outboards use silicon controlled rectifiers in their alternators that convert AC voltage to DC voltage and monitor current. As the voltage of the batteries rises the load they create rises and current will reduce until it reaches its cutoff point. This is also the reason modern outboards have a charging rectifier and another separate rectifier to supply ignition voltage. You wouldn't want your ignition voltage to cutoff when your batteries reached a full charge. It is also the SCR circuit that gets damaged if you disconnect the battery while your engine running. Not the alternator. If you had a generator and not an alternator you would probably need a separate regulator as generators create DC voltage which is unregulated.

Edited by - on

CaptRon400
1st Mate

Members Avatar

USA
90 Posts

Response Posted - 09/25/2007 : 21:25:51

Could be wrong, but I don't believe that any of these regulators mentioned are of the multistage variety and they could be very capable of damaging a battery - but only if you motor continuously for days on end. You've got to "float" (the final stage) the battery as it gets near 100 percent capacity. The bigger Catalina's don't come with them either. You have to go to Balmar, et. al. for this kind of 3 or 4 stage regulator, but this obviously gets more critical when you've got a 110+ amp alternator bolted up to the diesel.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.