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Old 02-15-2009, 08:04 AM   #1
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I have just set up an Air X wind gen and 150w f solar on my boat.

Both have adjustable output voltage.

I currently have 1 off 220 amp/hr lead acid low maintenance battery and wonder what kind voltage my charging system should be set to?

Ghost
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Old 02-15-2009, 08:56 AM   #2
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Hello ,

Set at a float charge of 13.2 volts - CHECK the voltage with a calibrated meter.

Richard
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Old 02-15-2009, 02:05 PM   #3
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Does "low maintenance" mean AGM? *The manufacturer will be the best source of the charging protocol and procedures for regular equalizing.
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Old 02-15-2009, 09:26 PM   #4
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I have tried the manufacturer but no help forthcoming. I will try again.

The battery I have is one of these. Exide battery

I think they are liquid acid but don't have vents??

Peter
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Old 02-15-2009, 09:58 PM   #5
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From your brief description - it appears that you have a truck battery - low maintenance (not AGM)

EXIDE do say that you will need to ensure that you do not over charge (therefore regulate the voltage input)

Exide's blurb on marine batteries : SAYS
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Old 02-16-2009, 12:33 AM   #6
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If you have the truck battery, which is a high cranking, not deep cycle battery, it might be prudent to reconsider your battery installation. *You need a high cranking battery to start your engine but it is not suitable as a house battery for running your lights, etc. when the engine is not running; for house batteries you want deep cycle batteries.

You might want to read up a bit more about them - the link you provided to the Exide battery indicates that they are vented batteries, and yes, flooded not AGM.

Deep Cycle Battery FAQ
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Old 02-16-2009, 10:05 AM   #7
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Firstly, as others have said, you have the wrong batteries for deep cycle usage (e.g. running refrigerators, etc).

You really need 2 battery banks. One cranking battery like the one you have for starting the engine, and a separate bank of deep cycle batteries for the house loads. I can recommend Trojan T105s, they are a good compromise between cost and amp hour capacity, although you may want to consider AGM if you want low maintenance.

I would invest in an external regulator rather than trying to charge the batteries direct from the solar and wind source. Considering the amount of charging facility you have (300W wind peaking to 400W = about 35 amps, and 150W solar will give you about 12 amps) you need a regulator of around 30A - 40A capacity (inefficiencies in the charging circuit usually mean you can sometimes get away with less rated current of the regulator than the maximum current of your charging devices). I have a bit less charging capacity than you have and with a dual battery setup I'm quite happy with the morningstar range of regulators, the morningstar 25A duo is the one that I have, it has separate output leads for the house and cranking battery and means I can charge the house battery at 90% and use the remaining 10% to trickle charge the engine battery. Perhaps look for something in the 40A range from the same company, their regulators are quite cost effective. The other option I would look at are the Plasmatronics ones, these are an Australian built range of smart regulators. They have a PL40 which would probably suit your needs.
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Old 02-18-2009, 01:47 PM   #8
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Quote:
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I would invest in an external regulator rather than trying to charge the batteries direct from the solar and wind source.
IMHO: most solar panels require a regulator: so-called 12V panels actually open circuit around 17v.

OTOH, AirX wind generators should be directly connected and should not use a regulator in addition to the built-in one, since the internal regulation also brakes the rotor automatically when the batteries are fully charged.
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Old 02-22-2009, 12:05 AM   #9
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Firstly, as others have said, you have the wrong batteries for deep cycle usage (e.g. running refrigerators, etc).

.
I agree that the battery I have is the wrong one for the house, soon I will look at new house batteries.

The Morningstar Duo looks good, can you tell do both battery banks need to be the same or could I have a lead acid cranking and an AGM house??
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Old 02-22-2009, 12:58 AM   #10
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The Morningstar Duo looks good, can you tell do both battery banks need to be the same or could I have a lead acid cranking and an AGM house??
"lead acid cranking and an AGM house?" No problem, remember that the AGM should be deep cycle.
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Old 02-22-2009, 11:26 AM   #11
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I agree that the battery I have is the wrong one for the house, soon I will look at new house batteries.

The Morningstar Duo looks good, can you tell do both battery banks need to be the same or could I have a lead acid cranking and an AGM house??
Yes, the Morningstar has a set of DIP switches to set what type of batteries you have on each bank. AGMs need a lower charging voltage than flooded so you set the DIP switch to AGM for that bank and you're away.
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