Sterling Plumbing BB122430, BB121250 manual Why do I need the d/c battery charger?

Why do I need the d/c battery charger?

By now I hope most people understand that the best way to charge a battery is using a 4 step battery charging curve, which cannot be achieved from a standard alternator . This system enables one to simply attach the unit to a standard engine battery and it will fool the alternator into working at its maximum ability in order to ensure all its surplus power, utilised to charge the auxiliary battery bank to its maximum. This system is designed to use only the surplus power. It ensures at all times, that the power required to run the primary system as the vehicle system or the boat engine is not effected. The surplus power is converted into a higher voltage and is used to charge a secondary battery bank using a digitally controlled programable 4 step charging curve whose unit is also totally isolated; i.e. the starter battery cannot discharge through this system, even in the event of the unit failing.

What does it do?

In a nut shell it charges your extra battery system about 5 times faster than it would otherwise charge and put about 50% extra use full power into them, and increases the life of the battery by de-sulphating them . For best effect use open lead acid batteries. Avoid gel, sealed and AGM batteries. Even though open lead acid batteries are by far the best for fast charging and longer life using advanced charging units. There is sometimes no choice but to use gel or AGM. The unit has the settings to enable these to be charged within their recommended charging curves.

Advantages of this unit.

1)installation: it does not get any easier. Simply connect to your starter batteries and to your domestic battery. Job done. Low costs.

2)no direct connections to the standard engine alternator , or to the outboard, if used, thus on new installations there is no extra wiring for a split charger system.

3)ensures the engine battery if maintained and well looked after

4)mutable units can be used, for example if you have a 60 amp alternator, and 3 battery banks ( engine, domestic, and bow thruster ) then 2 of these can be used to run the bowthruster and the domestic system

.There, internal programs will adjust their charger patterns to accept the other unit. Ensure only the excess power is used and the primary system is not placed in jeopardy.

5)ensures there is no voltage rise on the engine management system , to ensure no alarms or damage to the system. Be it a outboard, or a car, or a boat

6)no vehicle warrantee issues as you are not connected to the main system

7)the unit isolated both battery banks and prevents any feed back through the unit

How does it work?

The unit monitors the engine start battery. This unit will not start until the battery voltage exceeds about 13 volts, then it waits for 2.5 min. to ensure that some charger is replaced quickly into the engine start battery. After that, it pulls the engine battery down to no less than 13 volts, which enables the engine battery to still receive a small charge and ensures the alternator works at its full potential. To further, ensure the engine battery is o.k. Every 20 min. the unit stops for about 3 min. to ensure the engine battery charge is o.k. The unit takes the 13 volts into the control box and then boosts this up to 14.8, or what ever voltage the unit is set at( determined by the battery type dip switch settings ), in order to fast charge the other set or sets of batteries. After a period of time, calculated by the software, when the auxiliary batteries are full, the system will float the batteries at 14 volts, but always ensuring the engine battery comes first

Other features included in this system are 2 x temperature sensors, an alternator- and a battery temp sensor. There is also a remote battery sensor and a fully automatic sleep sensor, which switches the unit off when the engine has stopped. A remote panel is available as an optional extra

Installation see fig 8

Set this unit as you would any other high power battery charger, fit it as close to the batteries as possible in a cool dry ventilated space. As with most ideal conditions on a boat, the cool well ventilated part is a bit of wish full thinking, with this in mind you may notice that the unit comes with a heat sink and 3 x cooling fans. Do not be surprised if in Northern Europe you never see these fans running, as the unit is designed for a 40 deg C ambient running.

So if you have to fit it in a hot engine room then it should be o.k. but try to fit it low down on the bulk head as it will be a little cooler there than at the top of the engine room.

Wiring : connect the output positive cable first, then the input positive cable then the negative, remember the unit has a sleep and auto start , if the input voltage is above 13 volts ( due to a battery charger being on etc , then the unit will auto start.)