Stirling 30A charger 'problem'

[flatplane8]

Hi,

 

I was looking at my batteries today, and my two domestic ones seem to be receiving 13.9v but the starter battery is getting 14.6v. TheStirling charger has three positive posts, so I swapped the cables round, but the lower charge still occurs on the post that has the two domestic batteries fitted.

 

So basically, ant of the three posts will supply 14.6v to the starter battery (during that particular phase of the charge cycle...) but the domestic batteries are about 0.7v down on this. All voltages measured at the charger posts, so no bad wiring to worry about.

 

The domestic batteries are about 6 weeks old.

 

So my question is, could there be something about the domestic batteries that is limiting the voltage to 13.9?

[Tusses]

measure again when they are charged up a bit

[blackrose]

Hi,

 

I was looking at my batteries today, and my two domestic ones seem to be receiving 13.9v but the starter battery is getting 14.6v. TheStirling charger has three positive posts, so I swapped the cables round, but the lower charge still occurs on the post that has the two domestic batteries fitted.

 

So basically, ant of the three posts will supply 14.6v to the starter battery (during that particular phase of the charge cycle...) but the domestic batteries are about 0.7v down on this. All voltages measured at the charger posts, so no bad wiring to worry about.

 

The domestic batteries are about 6 weeks old.

 

So my question is, could there be something about the domestic batteries that is limiting the voltage to 13.9?

 

Presumably you've got two output posts connected and supplying the domestic batteries and the third connected to the start battery? You've got to use all 3 output terminals.

Edited March 24, 2008 by blackrose

[PeterF]

I wonder if all 3 outputs are controlled independently, i.e. if all 3 outputs can be on different stages of their own cycle or if once there is only one overall master controller running all 3 outputs and thus once one of the outputs reaches a certain condition then the other outputs have to make do if you see what I mean.

 

I thought about connecting the starter battery to my Sterling with 3 posts and thought this was a waste of 1/3 of the charger as the starter battery never really gets much call for being charged and a couple of hours runnings every few months over the winter is enough. And if it is flat then you can cross connect to domestic bank with jump lead for a start.

[chris w]

The 3 outputs are not controlled independently. For the case described above, 2 of the terminals need to be tied together and fed to the domestic batteries which should be wired in parallel. The starter battery will go to the 3rd terminal.

 

If the domestics are showing 13.9v it simply means they are not yet charged. The charger should be indicating it is in the BULK stage.

 

Chris

Edited March 24, 2008 by chris w

[flatplane8]

Thanks for the replies all. From my brief look today, it seems the starter battery is on two of the terminals, with the domestics on the third. I'm not sure why they wired it up this way.

 

I'll check in a few days to see if the charge has come up on the domestic batteries, and I may look at running the starter battery off one post (not two) but running the domestics of two as Blackrose suggested,

[chris w]

Thanks for the replies all. From my brief look today, it seems the starter battery is on two of the terminals, with the domestics on the third. I'm not sure why they wired it up this way.

 

I'll check in a few days to see if the charge has come up on the domestic batteries, and I may look at running the starter battery off one post (not two) but running the domestics of two as Blackrose suggested,

 

Definitely do as Blackrose suggested and wire the two domestics to two of the terminals (the terminals being wired to each other). The starter should be on the third terminal. I wouldn't wait a few days, there is no point.

 

Also, what stage is the charger showing? It should be the Bulk stage.

 

Chris

[flatplane8]

Definitely do as Blackrose suggested and wire the two domestics to two of the terminals (the terminals being wired to each other). The starter should be on the third terminal. I wouldn't wait a few days, there is no point.

 

Also, what stage is the charger showing? It should be the Bulk stage.

 

Chris

 

Thanks, yes its at the bulk stage. I'm waiting a few days as I'm away ;-)

[chris w]

If the charger is playing up (and it turns out not to be a fault) then I would suspect that you have one of the 3 output terminals not connected. This would certainly screw up its operation.

 

Chris