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Battery Monitors


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Hi All,

 

Part of my winter projects is to get my head around a few more of the electrical systems on the boat.

 

I have two displays that I think are both battery monitors:

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3YmuP8oZgV7AnAXp8

 

Why would I have two, or have I missed something, is the Balmar one providing some sort of information about the output from the alternator that the Xantrex isn't?

 

Cheers

 

Al

 

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Yes, the Balmar is controlling the ALT and the Xantrex the Charger. The Xantrex should be the one set up primary monitor of the Battery banks.
The Link systems have long been considered the most sophisticated monitoring systems available (providing the have been programmed properly) and all other makes copied the features.
The two separate monitors will be giving access to the parameters of the charging units, so you do need both.

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So the Balmar controls the Alternator output (through charging regulator?) and displays information about Battery health?

 

The Xantrex controls ??? and displays information about battery health? (The same battery information as the Balmar display?)

 

To complete the picture the boat used to also have shore power/inverter chager but this was 100v and has been removed.

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Arrr, righty, the link20 would have controlled the shorepower charger. Sorry, I didn't realise the charger was removed.
You could remove the Link if you want, as it is doing mostly what the Balmar is as in reporting Battery state of charge.
Or you could buy a Xantrex charger that accepts the Link as a control, or the Heart Interface charger that was thew original charger the Link was first designed for. But they are expensive and may not warrant your own personal needs of Boat use.

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Well I am going to install a Victron MultiPlus and BMV712 - so that will replace the Xantrex. I presume i should leave the Balmar display in since it controls the alternator output?

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I doubt the balmar dc monitor controls the regulator.

Check the manual on the Balmar regulator that you have; that vintage were usually set on the regulator. Pots, reed switches etc.

I'm not familiar with it

http://www.balmar.net/manuals-for-discontinued-products/

 

Lateral, I think you are right, there is a controller in the electronics bay. Thing in a blue metal case as you say with pots etc - that being the case the BMV712 could replace both the Xantrex and the Balmar monitor? (But the regulator obviously left in circuit).

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Both are discontinued years ago, 2008 for link 20. Pretty dumb compared with whats available today.

Not quite. Xantrex went it's own way and Heart Interface remains as Heart Interface. The heart system is still pretty much mechanical/solid state. Relays clunk etc. Xantrex became all wizz bang techy solid state and have suffered for it.

The new brands of controllers like the Link have many new features, but how much info do you actually need. The Link system is still a very acceptable tool.

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Internal shorts you cant do much. External shorts is why you should have battery fuses.....

 

Oh, except making certain that your batts are properly secured. Crashing around can cause shorts. Non marine batts are not designed for the movement in a boat, and short more easily.

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Yikes. I thought this was some kind of joke question. That is really scary. I know, I have had something like this happen myself. I can't work out the battery, but it looks like multiple cells coupled together and it looks like an external short. I really would like to know more about what happened.
By the way, it takes a serious short to Earth for a considerable time to do something like this. Unless they are Lithium and one has shorted out.

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