Just discovered that the Balmar 3 step regulator has failed on my trawler! This is the 3rd such regulator on my last three boats that has failed. It also is built so that it cannot be repaired. Balmar stuff is basically expensive junk.:lol:
YEP - I went ample power in my old ketch and it lasted 18 years and maybe moreI had a Balmar on my last sailboat. At the time it was quite new, very pretty, with the board encased in resin, attached to a humungous finned heat sink. DId its job very well for the 5 or so years till I sold that boat.
When I went back into the market for my present boat, I ended up with Ample Power. Newer, but not nearly as pretty. Still going strong after 24 yrs.
YEP highly expensive jukaroo! and some units are just repainted Ford stuff marked up:lol: 500%Some Balmars (including my 100A unit) are basically Autolites (Ford) painted white. I use a Transpo (also Ford) regulator that is adjustable via a little pot on the unit. Regulator cost $35.00 and has been rock solid reliable.
I set volts to 13.8. A three step would be nice, but this is good enough. After a day of running when I go on the AC powered charger, the adsorption phase draws few amps, so batts are nearly topped up.
Seen a good number of Balmar regulators not functioning on boats I sea trial. Could be lightning, surges, maybe just a crappy unit, whatever. But that replacement cost is staggering.
The Bslmar Smart Gauge is a rebadged Merlin from England at double the price. You can get one from England delivered in no more than four days.YEP highly expensive jukaroo! and some units are just repainted Ford stuff marked up[emoji38] 500%
The Bslmar Smart Gauge is a rebadged Merlin from England at double the price. You can get one from England delivered in no more than four days.
Were your regulators installed within the engine room or somewhere cooler? I have had 2 x twin sets of balmar regs, Centerfielders & duo chargers not because the 1st set failed but because I chose to upgrade when newer versions became available. I think they are high quality items & far from "junk"...but epoxy-potted electronics don't like heat. I wouldn't bother with Balmar alternators though...I'm a big fan of Leece Neville for that role.
Specifically about the VRs.
Yes the failure rate is higher than it should be.
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I have had 3 Balmar regulators fail. Is that evidence?Great example of how "fake news" is spread on the 'net. Not one jot of evidence offered for this damning statement which is at odds with the majority of the posts on this thread by actual users.
Just saying...
Maine Sail has posted dozens of detailed comments and instructions for how they should be mounted and calibrated for a given setup to protect against overheating.
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Any way you can post a link to that info?
Thanks in advance.
So why cannot the Balmar regulators be placed in an ER? According to the information link noted by D Hays, no problem with 140F and the newer designs OK at 194F. Maybe in Death Valley with a dry stack heating up an ER will you see temperatures that exceed the above referenced numbers.
The issues noted with Balmar may well be ER ventilation problems.