Operation
When all wiring is complete and has been checked, restore battery connections. The relay may momentarily energize when power is first applied. The automatic charging circuit has a time delay of approximately one minute to reduce cycling caused by noise in the system.
Indicator Lights
There are three LED indicator lights on the CL-Series BatteryLink™ ACR:
•UNDERVOLTAGE
•COMBINED
•OVERVOLTAGE
1 2 3 4
Remote LED
Battery Negative
Manual Switch, ON-AUTO-OFF
Remote Sense for B-Battery
The amber UNDERVOLTAGE indicator lights when:
•There is no charging source present
•The voltage level of the sensed battery is less than the COMBINED value
•There is a charging source on one battery and the other battery is less than 4 volts.
The UNDERVOLTAGE indicator is normally on when the batteries are being discharged. When the UNDERVOLTAGE indicator is on, the battery banks are disconnected in approximately one minute.
If the voltage on Terminal A or Terminal 1 remains high enough for approximately one minute, the green COMBINED indicator lights, the relay closes, and the battery banks are connected.
If the voltage exceeds the OVERVOLTAGE setting, the red OVERVOLTAGE indicator lights and, after a few seconds delay, the green indicator goes out. When the OVERVOLTAGE indicator is on, the battery banks are not connected.
To facilitate adjustment of the CL-Series BatteryLink™ ACR voltage settings, OVERVOLTAGE and UNDERVOLTAGE indicator lights operate without a time delay. However, the relay closure only occurs if the voltage is in range for the period of the time delay.
Adjusting Voltage Settings
The CL-Series BatteryLink™ ACR is preset at the factory for COMBINED voltage, UNDERVOLTAGE, and OVERVOLTAGE values that are consistent with typical charging systems and flooded lead acid batteries. COMBINED and OVERVOLTAGE have default settings of 13.5V and 15.0V respectively. The triangles (
) on the product label show the normal settings for conventional charging service. For most systems, no adjustment is necessary.
These values can be changed to meet your specific needs. For example, some batteries such as Gel Cell and AGM are sensitive to overcharging so you may want to set OVERVOLTAGE lower than nominal. Also, if the ACR is used to control loads, COMBINE and OVERVOLTAGE can be set downward to shut off appliances to reserve capacity for starting, navigation, and communication.
The CL-Series BatteryLink™ ACR has two potentiometers to adjust these settings to the user’s preferences.
| 13.0 | | 14.5 |
| 12.3 | | 15.0 |
12.6 | 13.5 | 14.0 |
12.7 | |
11.9 | | | |
12.2 | 14 | 13.5 | 15.5 |
11.513.2
Combining Adjustment | Overvoltage Adjustment |
(close/open) | (open) |
The COMBINED potentiometer adjusts the COMBINED voltage to the user’s preference. Changing the COMBINED setting automatically changes the OPEN voltage as well because the OPEN voltage is fixed at 6% below the COMBINED voltage.
The OVERVOLTAGE potentiometer is used to adjust the voltage at which the CL-Series BatteryLink™ ACR switch opens in response to high voltage. This is a protection feature when one battery needs to be charged at a lower voltage than the other. It also protects the second battery bank in the event of an overvoltage condition produced by the alternator.
The potentiometer adjustment range covers about 270 degrees of rotation. Do not use excessive force - this adjustment requires only a little torque within the rotation range; it should not be forced beyond the end stops. If you do want to make an adjustment, note the orientation of the screwdriver as you adjust. There are end stops at approximately 4 O’clock and 8 O’clock and it may be necessary to turn gently to find those stops and then return to the intended adjustment.
Some high current chargers in inverter/charger systems drive very high current pulses into the system. The average voltage may be in range, but the peak voltages may cause the OVERVOLTAGE light to come on. Connecting the CL- Series BatteryLink™ ACR negative connection and positive connection directly to the batteries can reduce the effects of voltage drop in the wiring and prevent these chargers from interfering with the CL-Series BatteryLink™ ACR. It may be necessary to adjust the OVERVOLTAGE setting up to its maximum value if such a charger is driving a smaller battery system that does not readily accept this rate of charge.
Undervoltage Lockout
The voltage sensing circuits in the CL-Series BatteryLink™ ACR prevents the relay from automatically closing if either sensing terminal is connected to a voltage source at a voltage less than 4 volts.
Emergency Starting
The CL-Series BatteryLink™ ACR is designed for automatic control for charging dual battery banks. When it is manually closed, it allows a starting battery to be supplemented by the house battery. However, this use should be limited
to smaller engines. Even occasional use to connect both battery banks for emergency starting may overstress the relay contacts and reduce life. The CL- Series BatteryLink™ ACR current limiting system permits high peak currents for a few seconds, which may be adequate to start a small diesel or a small to medium sized gasoline engine in good working condition. Also, starting currents may exceed the capacity of the CL-Series BatteryLink™ ACR’s current limiting capability, which causes the protective circuit to temporarily open.
Many battery management systems include a manual emergency cross connect battery switch or a “1-2-Both” battery switch. If either of these are available, it is preferable to use that device for emergency engine starting.
