[Public-List] BlueSea ACR installed. Works nicely.

[Jonathan Bresler]

Happy to report that the Blue Sea Automatic Charging Relay (ACR) (
https://www.bluesea.com/products/category/35/Automatic%20Charging%20Relays)
that I installed this week is working as expected.    Got the relay from
PKYS in Annapolis.  Good prices there on many items.  Pasco made up the
6AWG cables for me.

Committed the rookie mistake last summer of turning the battery switch to
the "Off" position while the engine was running....poof!  No more
functioning diodes in the alternator.  Repaired.  Lesson taken to heart.

* Removed the connection from the "BAT" terminal of the alternator to the
"BAT" terminal of the starter.
* Connected the "BAT" terminal of the alternator to one battery bank.
* Connected the ACR between the battery banks.
* Connected the Newmar battery charger to the other battery bank.

Now I cant blow the diodes in the alternator.
So long as the alternator or the battery charger is putting out more than
13V, the relay will close and charge both batteries.
The relay will open when the charge on either battery is below 12.75V, that
is to say not being charged by the alternator or the charger.
If either battery is too low (< 9.5V from memory), the relay will not close
and will protect the charged battery from draining into the low battery.

The LED on the front of the ACR verifies that the ACR is working as
planned.  Checking with a voltmeter, confirmed that the LED is right ;)

Given this configuration, I can treat the "ON/OFF/1/2" switch as an On/Off
switch, running the boat off a single bank and still have a bank in
reserve.  Just in case i make another rookie move and drain a bank so low
that that bank will not start the engine.

Jonathan
-- 
Jonathan M Bresler
S/V Constance Alberg 30 #262
Annapolis/Eastport MD