Good battery monitoring system?

Buy2ls · Post by **Buy2ls** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 9:06 am

AGM batteries charge just like any other battery, However they do not like excessive voltage. If your charger goes over 15 volts your AGMs could be toast. Here is the best link about batteries and chargers that I have evert read. http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm

Joef · Post by **Joef** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 8:31 pm

AC bilge pumps? Bildge pump problems must be in the air these days...last week i went to my boat and found ankle deep water in the engine area...the bilge pump motor died, and the combo of heavy rain and a small seawater leak from an underwater light created quite a puddle. Anyway, while shopping for the replacement pump, i saw arule pump that looked like a normal DC powered pump, but was indeed a 120V AC pump. After my idmmediate crisis was resolved and i thought about it...the issue of battery chargers and bildge pumps seem somewhat related. The only reason i ever leave my battery charger on is to keep my batterie charged so that the bilge pumps keep working (just in case a small leak develops around an underwater light). If i had an AC pump onboard, could i not theoretically leave the batt charger off...let the AC pump do the work when the boat is at the dock...and in the even of a storm or loss of dockside power, the DC pump would back it up...and hell...if the dockside power goes out, the charger won't work anyway. anyone use these? I do wonder about the wisdom of having 120V AC power going into a pump sitting in the bottomw of my boat...the i think the theory of them is pretty good. J

Sean B · Post by **Sean B** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 10:24 pm

quote:Originally posted by franklyprice I feel exactly the way you do Sean.Except it's more like 90% You ever see that bit in the movie "Fight Club," when they are selling (soap) the wealthy women their own fat asses back to them? Same sort of process the Chinese have been up to, I think

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:17 am

Only in this forum could a string I started about battery monitors end with a post mentioning "fat asses"!

Post by **dougl33** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:39 am

The first rule of fight club...

mikehedb · Post by **mikehedb** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 6:09 pm

Well, with all this talk about battery monitors...I need some additional input. My boat was struck by lightning yesterday. So far, I know it fried the battery charger (3bank Pro Marinier 40), probabbly my radios and the bildge alarm also, and blew up 4 ft of one of the VHF antennas. Any thoughts on the best replacement brand charger...and bildge alarm (high water, fume & fire)

Sean B · Post by **Sean B** » Fri Jul 16, 2010 7:30 pm

Wow were you on it when it hit? That is my biggest fear on the water: lightning. I always try to pick a slip next to a tall-masted sailboat for that reason. But when you're out bobbing around out on the ocean, alone..... nowhere to hide somtimes. We get a few people fried by lightning every year or two in my neighborhood, scary stuff

franklyprice · Post by **franklyprice** » Sat Jul 17, 2010 8:33 am

Ya, I heard the chances of getting struck by lightning are the greatest by far down where you guys are. I've seen it here though and it makes me nervous. Takes a little of the fun out of watching a thunder storm.

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Sat Jul 17, 2010 9:42 am

Mike... I just bought a Xantrex TrueCharge 40 amp charger from www.marine.com. The charger is compact, easy to install, and Marine.com's price was $291, plus frt. Go to www.marine.com, then do a search for "Xantrex True Charge 40" and you should get to the proper page in their catalog. This charger handles all standard battery types, will handle 3 banks, and has a good display of the settings and what the charger is doing. Don't bother with the accompanying optional remote panel.. it is difficult to see the faint tiny and out of alignment LEDs, rather buy someone else's battery monitor. I am now looking at a Blue Sea VSM (Vessel Systems Monitor) 422 unit that monitors and displays several things including battery condition (for 1 bank, as I understand it), bilge pump operation and tank levels.

mikehedb · Post by **mikehedb** » Sun Jul 18, 2010 3:20 pm

I was not on the boat when it was struck, but somebody that was nearby said it lit ip the whole marina. It was a 3:30 PM Thunderstorm...I stopped by to check the boat a little after 5:00 and there were two life jackets stored under the flybridge helm that were still burning..one had melted to a 4x6 chunk of foam covered in orange. I think I have to add the auto pilot to the list of damaged components. I'm still trying to decide whether to submit it to insurance(Boat US). The charger and autopilot are probably 19 years old...I had an extra VHF. I figure by the time they depreciated the electornics, it will be a wash, because there is a $600 deductible and I'll loose a $360(20%) no loss credit on my premiums. Anybody have experience on how Boat US will likely handle this claim? By the way, I was surprised by the strike...there are several sailboat within 50 yards of my boat with masts that are at least 8-10 feet taller than my VHF antennas.

BECCA ROSE · Post by **BECCA ROSE** » Mon Jul 19, 2010 4:05 pm

I have heard, BoatUs is very savy when it comes to paying out on claims. They "know" boats and their equipment and are very smart about how to "depreciate" everything you are claiming a loss on. Thats why I use Travelers, they don't know sh"t about boats, they just give you what you paid for your stuff, after you pay your deductable. Being insured by BoatUs is like having the Fox in charge of YOUR chicken coop.

mikehedb · Post by **mikehedb** » Thu Jul 22, 2010 6:45 pm

I had the surveyor on the boat today. The most expensive equipment that was damaged was the autopilot. I had a Raytheon ST500 that worked fine, but everything now has the seperate electronic control unit. I'm having an stimte worked up tomorrow, and we'll have to see where we end up at. Insurance is a little tougher to get in Florida than in other parts of the country. I wonder if they'll pay to have the system removed/reinstalled after repair...that is if I can get it repaired at Raymarine.

buzzk · Post by **buzzk** » Fri Jul 23, 2010 2:11 am

Is it your your surveyor and have you involved the insurance company? If you end up paying for it yourself, it's not hard to remove the AP. I installed my autopilot, it's not a Raymarine but Furuno and I'm not an electronics expert. I feel your pain about finding insurance. A lot of companies don't want to write insurance on older boats and on top of that a lot of companies don't want to write insurance in NC. Hope you get everything worked out. Buzz

Brian Davin · Post by **Brian Davin** » Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:23 am

When I repowered, I installed a Charles 30 AMP charger, can't remember if it's the 2000 series or 5000 series (I think 2000). It works great and I mounted it in the engine room centered between the two engines, up high on the forward bulkhead wall. Great location for checking, just behind my engine room stairs. http://www.northeastmarineelectronics.c ... 000sp.aspx