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Old 02-24-2016, 10:23 AM   #10
Ski in NC
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City: Wilmington, NC
Vessel Name: Louisa
Vessel Model: Custom Built 38
Join Date: Jan 2014
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hawgwash View Post
I know, "it depends" but can a second alternator be easily mounted to most engines?

Larry, what is your "large house bank" and what size are your 3 alternators?

Also, the word "combiner" has not been used in this thread; does that go without saying or not used in a single setup?
It truly depends on the engine, some are fairly easy to add a second alt, some are a real pita. And all second alts must be "engineered". I have seen a number of hack jobs and that does nothing for system reliability.

Combiners can be used, but can add other failure modes and problems. The diode based ones have a voltage drop which screws up charging. The relay based ones are much better in that regard. I chose not to use one in keeping with my "simple" design theme. That's also why I put the batt sw under the galley sink for easy access from helm. Same with second alt, as my engine is in the pita category.
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