Ahmet, All that would be absolutely true if you only ran the engine to charge the batteries. However as soon as one realizes it is only for use while the engine is being used to MOVE THE BOAT then the regulator becomes much more valuable. For you need not pay any attention to the charging process, it is automatic, so you can pilot the boat and enjoy the day. Amortized over just 5 years the price comes down to a small percentage of the cost of the fuel. The oil companies probably take that in fuel cost increases every week. Personally I prefer Norm's method of installing enough solar panels to finish the charge cycle after I drop anchor and am sitting in the cockpit sipping a cool drink before preparing my evening meal. Or I would, if I could still go boating...
Eric Thompson Sunnyvale, California [email protected] ----- Original Message ----- From: "ahmet erkan" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, April 29, 2011 6:31 PM Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] AGM battery questoin ($300 Question) Dear Eric, Running an engine at light load is inefficient to begin with. As someone suggested increasing the engine rpm to cool your cheap alternator makes the process further inefficient. If you want to make matters worse get your lovely Balmar regulator to reduce the load too. But wait.....there is more.... After you bulk charged your batteries inefficiently, you get to run your engine for an extra six hours at virtually no load and use your lovely miracle regulator to automatically equilize your batteries. Such a deal.............. All I gotta say is if some of us are enamored with Balmar and consider it the best thing since the invention of sliced bread, good for you keep using it. The others who prefer to invest the $300 towards extra copper and high quality bearings in the alternator don't need your magical regulator. Good luck to you my friend. SV8827 Ahmet NOTE : Anybody out there who wants to top off or equilize batteries without running their engine? We can talk about that. > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:27:49 -0700 > Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] AGM battery questoin ($300 Question) > > Ahmet, > There are some features of the Balmar regulator that may have been > overlooked. > Such as: > Automatically modifying the charging setpoints based on battery > temperature, > Automatically REDUCING charge current when the alternator temperature gets > too high, not just shutting down the charging system. > Allowing custom settings for switching between bulk, absorption, and float > modes. > > And, by the way, shutting down the charging system before attaining a FULL > charge is a MAJOR CAUSE of the need for equalizing... > > It will also greatly reduce the lifespan of AGM batteries. > > My 2 cents. > > > Eric Thompson > Sunnyvale, California > [email protected] > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "ahmet erkan" <[email protected]> > To: <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2011 8:26 PM > Subject: Re: [Liveaboard] AGM battery questoin ($300 Question) > > > > Hi Norm, > Other than your Delco and Chrysler comments I don't agree with anything > said > on the list about this subject. > Balmar is just a rip off outfit trying to take advantage of inexperienced > folks > willing to pay $300 for a product (ie: Balmar's stupid ARS 5 regulator) > performing > no useful functionality that a $20 Mopar regulator could not perform. > One of your 80C thermal switches for the exhaust system or whatever you > were using them for would work great to protect the alternator as well. > (for > a lot less > than $300 too). > The bottom line is, I do not know why but cruisers are not interested > about > equilizing their batteries. > I asked this very list if anybody while underway would be interested in a > product that would allow them to > shut down their engine after a bulk charge when the alternator output > drops > to say 80% of bulk > charge current yet still be able to equlize their battery? There was > exactly > zero > interest to the question. So why should any cruiser invest $300 in the rip > off company > Balmar to equilize their batteries using the alternator? > Fair question? > Fair winds. > Ahmet > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Liveaboard mailing list > [email protected] > To adjust your membership settings over the web > http://liveaboardonline.com/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard > To subscribe send an email to [email protected] > > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > The archives are at http://www.liveaboardonline.com/pipermail/liveaboard/ > > To search the archives > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > The Mailman Users Guide can be found here > http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > Liveaboard mailing list > [email protected] > To adjust your membership settings over the web > http://liveaboardonline.com/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard > To subscribe send an email to [email protected] > > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] > The archives are at http://www.liveaboardonline.com/pipermail/liveaboard/ > > To search the archives > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > The Mailman Users Guide can be found here > http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html _______________________________________________ Liveaboard mailing list [email protected] To adjust your membership settings over the web http://liveaboardonline.com/mailman/listinfo/liveaboard To subscribe send an email to [email protected] To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] The archives are at http://www.liveaboardonline.com/pipermail/liveaboard/ To search the archives http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] The Mailman Users Guide can be found here http://www.gnu.org/software/mailman/mailman-member/index.html
