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Old 10-30-2018, 02:17 PM   #101
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Originally Posted by High Wire View Post
Are you sure the inverter/charger is in charge mode with the generator running? 12.2 volts is too low. It should be about 14.5 depending on the settings.
When you say it reaches full charge with shore power in a few hours again says there is something wrong when using the generator. The generator should be the same as shore power.
Maybe I was not clear enough. I did not mean to say the the charging was up only to 12.2V The charge goes up higher to 13.5-13.8V with 95-108A from the generator. I suspect, it could higher, if I'd ran it longer. So, there is no problem there. The charger/inverter is doing its job fine from both shore power and generator. I can see the ' bulk charge ' stage and later the ' floating charge ' stage. I could just never reach the complete charge for the banks from the generator, within the same timeframe.
What my concern was that it takes much longer with the generator.
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Old 10-30-2018, 02:19 PM   #102
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Good to hear the genny seems to be back in order.
If the batteries are flood lead acid, are they topped up with distilled water and all of the connections clean?


Yes, the batteries are checked and topped weekly. Connections look clean for the most part. I think the photos earlier can show that.
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Old 10-30-2018, 02:21 PM   #103
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Also, a two hour charge was not long enough to fully charge them if they have gotten below 50% discharged. 11.7 volts is only about 30% charged.
Yes, 11.7V seemed too low to me, too. I have two banks with total of 840AH and only the anchor light was on, which is a good quality LED.
The batteries are Trojan and only 3 years old.
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Old 10-30-2018, 05:25 PM   #104
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Could there be a parasitic drain on the batteries keeping them from reaching a full state of charge besides the anchor light?
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Old 10-30-2018, 05:47 PM   #105
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Leoka. Do you have a voltmeter you can check your ac output voltage of the gen vs shore power?
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Old 10-30-2018, 06:40 PM   #106
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How many amps does your remote for the inverter show are being used when you shut down for the night? I found that the only way I can get it down is to actually shut off the power going to the TV and the satellite because they are still drawing about 3 amps even though they are turned off. Now I only have the frig. drawing on the batteries I they will only go down to about 12.3v over night.
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Old 10-30-2018, 07:24 PM   #107
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Leoka. Do you have a voltmeter you can check your ac output voltage of the gen vs shore power?
Yes, I do. I can measure it today.
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Old 10-30-2018, 07:31 PM   #108
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How many amps does your remote for the inverter show are being used when you shut down for the night? .
During anchoring time the display showed Zero Amp usage, ' inverting ' only.

When the boat was sitting on the hook, with only the anchor light on (12V), all the breakers were switched off on the panels. Officially, there should have been no inverting going on. I have even unplugged the surge protectors, which have a pilot led for current.
I will check, if the minimum amp setting can be lowered, so every fraction of amps will display. I remember something about this, when I've read the manual.
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Old 10-31-2018, 10:53 AM   #109
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A difference between shore power and generator charge times could be...
When you plug into shore power, the batteries have just been charged somewhat by the main engine alternators while returning to the dock and therefore need less charging time. When using the genny, there is no charging by the main engines preceding, so more charging time needed to reach full.


Question - With everything off except the anchor light, what runs the refrigerator?


Comment- An LED anchor light draws about 0.1 amp and should last a month or more on any decent battery. The Inverter inverting with no load is still using 1 or 2 amps. Check the manual to see if you can get it into STANDBY or SEARCH mode. That will reduce from about 25 watts to maybe 8 to 10 watts.
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Old 10-31-2018, 02:35 PM   #110
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Leoka. Do you have a voltmeter you can check your ac output voltage of the gen vs shore power?
I ran the gen last night, just itself. The voltage was 12.5V at the beginning. 5 minutes later, I put it in charge mode, but it was still 12.5V. I took off the charge after 5 minutes and let it run. I checked again after 10 minutes and the voltage was 13.3V. Before I turned off around 20 minutes run, the voltage was 13.5V on the generator.

The shore power is standard 110V and 30A.
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Old 10-31-2018, 02:43 PM   #111
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Originally Posted by High Wire View Post
A difference between shore power and generator charge times could be...
When you plug into shore power, the batteries have just been charged somewhat by the main engine alternators while returning to the dock and therefore need less charging time. When using the genny, there is no charging by the main engines preceding, so more charging time needed to reach full.


Question - With everything off except the anchor light, what runs the refrigerator?


Comment- An LED anchor light draws about 0.1 amp and should last a month or more on any decent battery. The Inverter inverting with no load is still using 1 or 2 amps. Check the manual to see if you can get it into STANDBY or SEARCH mode. That will reduce from about 25 watts to maybe 8 to 10 watts.

That's the funny thing. This boat is wired not to charge the batteries from alternator. At least, not the banks. The main engine's alternator only charges the starting batteries. I have two of those.
If I want to charge the two banks I have, I must run the generator, or use shore power. The PO explanation was that the boat has been upgraded to 50A shore power and the electrician wired things this way. No reason was given why the alternator cannot charge the banks, as well?

On anchor, there was nothing on. No fridge, no lights, nothing. Only the anchor light. I was away on a trip, so I turned everything off.
Based on the calculations I have seen from older notes, the fridge would consume the batteries within a day. So, unless the generator is running for few hours everyday, the fridge cannot be turned on.
This is why I plan to install a serious solar charging system. Until that is in place, I cannot be completely off-grid and anchor out for long term. Things are still developing and the priorities are changing.

I will check the manual for the inverter to see about your suggestion. I want to reduce the consumption to the minimum, while the boat is sitting on anchor, without anyone on board.
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Old 11-01-2018, 02:53 PM   #112
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A difference between shore power and generator charge times could be....
This morning, I put the boat on anchor again.
The batteries were completely charged from shore power. I ran the generator for a while and turned on the charging on it. It showed immediately ' Float Charge ' on the control display.
After the anchor was set, I turned off everything except the anchor light. The display showed 13.2V and 0A usage. I also turned off the inverter, since nothing needs to be run for a week, while I am on a trip.
Let's see, if the batteries will be depleted this time, again?
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Old 11-01-2018, 07:07 PM   #113
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This morning, I put the boat on anchor again.
The batteries were completely charged from shore power. I ran the generator for a while and turned on the charging on it. It showed immediately ' Float Charge ' on the control display.
After the anchor was set, I turned off everything except the anchor light. The display showed 13.2V and 0A usage. I also turned off the inverter, since nothing needs to be run for a week, while I am on a trip.
Let's see, if the batteries will be depleted this time, again?
Whet you say you run the generator and turn the charging on, what exactly are you turning on?
Also where are you reading the 12.5 volts? The generator gauge panel, the inverter, or somewhere else?
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Old 11-01-2018, 07:12 PM   #114
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Whet you say you run the generator and turn the charging on, what exactly are you turning on?
I can charge from shore power, or from the generator. I have a switch on the breaker panel to choose the charging source. I started charging from the generator, before I disconnected the shore power, this morning.
I let the generator run and charge until I finished anchoring and shut everything down.
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Old 11-01-2018, 09:24 PM   #115
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This has gotten a little confusing. I don't believe your generator actually has a battery charger in it. What is happening is the generator is furnishing power to some other device that is now charging the batteries, either a stand alone battery charger or more likely the charger built into the inverter. Correct me if I am wrong.
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Old 11-01-2018, 11:31 PM   #116
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the inverter. Correct me if I am wrong.
You are not wrong. I should have said ' inverter/charger ' is turned off.
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Old 11-02-2018, 01:58 AM   #117
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I can charge from shore power, or from the generator. I have a switch on the breaker panel to choose the charging source. I started charging from the generator, before I disconnected the shore power, this morning.
I let the generator run and charge until I finished anchoring and shut everything down.
That is an unusual arrangement.

Just to be clear, this switch changes the AC power source TO the inverter/charger?

Its not switching between the Generators engine alternator output and the Inverter/charger output, right?
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Old 11-02-2018, 03:02 AM   #118
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That is an unusual arrangement.
Just to be clear, this switch changes the AC power source TO the inverter/charger?
Correct.
See pictures
Attached Thumbnails
IMG_2240.jpg   IMG_2255.jpg   IMG_2257.jpg  
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Old 11-02-2018, 06:17 AM   #119
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The 3rd circuit breaker up from the bottom of the shore/genset panel that says "battery charger". Is that what you turn on to charge with the genny? To me that looks like power to a separate charger other than the Magnum.

Question- How is your inverter input AC tied to shore power?
A- Shore>Inverter>Transfer switch?
B-Shore>Transfer switch>Inverter?
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Old 11-02-2018, 10:26 AM   #120
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Quote:
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Correct.
See pictures
In my Motorhome I have the same Magnum Charger/Inverter.

You have 3 panels in your first picture. The one on the right allows you to select input power from either genset or shore power. That selection, if either source is available, then goes to the other panels for distribution to the boat. Your handwritten labels "via inverter" suggest that every circuit on the two distribution panels is available either on shore power, genset power or Inverter (battery) power.

IOW, if genset or shore power are not available, the distribution panels will look to the Inverter for AC power, if it is enabled by turning on the Inverter at the Magnum panel, shown in the third photo. Without that selection being made, none of the AC loads will operate unless your genset or shore power are providing AC. If you leave the Inverter turned on at all times, your connected loads will not know which AC source, genset, Shore, Inverter, is supplying that power.

If (when) there is a failure of the Shore power supply, the Inverterr will automatically and seamlessly supply the missing power from the batteries, until they have been depleted, or the genset comes on (with Auto Gen Start this will be the first notice you get of the failure of shore power). Without AGS the Inverter will continue to use the batteries for AC until they can no longer supply. But I digress.

The Magnum panel allows you to turn the Charger on manually, when either Shore power or Genset power are available, and allows you to turn the Inverter on or off at any time, regardless of the presence or absence of an AC supply.

In my case, having seen my batteries depleted by the Inverter being left on while there was shore power available and thus used automatically when that source of power failed, I leave the Inverter function off unless I need it.

While charging, the Magnum panel is very useful to inform you of the state of charge, as it reports whether the charging is in Bulk, Absorption or Float, and the amperage being accepted at the batteries.
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