2120 - "Cat's Cradle"- Off Season Projects

[shawnee83]

Wart, thanks for your feedback again. I called Promariner Tech Support just to confirm my understanding of how this charger functions. For traditional Chargers, as I will call them, you would be correct, however this Promariner ProNautic 12-20P is just 20A total available output. It does have 3 banks but I'm only using 2 of the banks. There is also no need to run a jumper between unused banks on this charger. This charger has digital features that will allow you to set up 3 different charging profiles, for different bat type for each bank, if needed and it will self manage its output to each bank depending on the needs of that bank. Yes, 60A would be way to big for the AH's I'm going to have which will be about 255 (55 & 200). According to my calculations and based on charts I referenced, the 20A should be able to bring my 200AH house bat back to full charge in about 9 to 10 hrs if I remember correctly. The way I use my boat in Beaufort, I'm usually back at the docks on shore power by 5 or so and we head back out the next morning around 9am so if I discharge using the inverter I should have enough charging power and time to make it work? I'm enjoying the challenge of these projects and learning some stuff too. FYI-ordered my BEP cluster yesterday, looking forward to that functionality thanks.Thanks to all for the help as always.

 

[shawnee83]

It appears that the bus bar studs are 1/4". I need to remove it and clean it up then redo all the connectors with heat shrink while I'm at it.

 

[rwp48]

Hi Shawnee!
I came across this article on battery chargers that I thought I'd share. Hope it will be some help.
BTW, the site has some good info on a variety of boating topics.

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/inst ... ry_charger

 

[shawnee83]

Thanks for that link Randy. This was very good information. It also confirmed most of the stuff I've read about on these chargers and set up. By the way, the Sterling charger referenced in the article is identical to my Promariner. If you look closely at my pic you will see the only difference is the color of the labeling on the face of the charger. I may be off a tad on this explanation I learned from my research but my understanding is that Sterling and Promariner jointly developed this charger for sale in different markets (EU & US?). Something went down and now Sterling sells in the US also or visa/versa? I did purchase the remote as well to mount at my dash. I'm excited to get this whole set up working. Kind of feel like a geek saying that :lol:

 

[warthog5]

When your finished on the Buss Bar......Coat it with diaelectric grease.


From experience with a bunch of different battery chargers / different brand too..... I don't have a lot of confidence in them to do the correct thing.

20amp on a 3 bank is weird.... It's usually 5 , 10 or 15amp per bank

I've had brand new chargers cook batteries , only to get a 2nd bad one that I checked closer and the 3rd one was OK.

Had other chargers blow batteries up. If you don't think that didn't make a mess.

If I was looking to buy today..... I'd be looking at NoCo brand. https://no.co/products

 

[Jersey Jim]

I don't trust any new charger either, until I see on a voltmeter exactly what voltage it peaks, changes stages, or settles in at. Bought an "automatic" charger this summer at Walmart to bail me out in a pinch. I don't use it anymore, at least unattended. The voltage it floats, or maintains at is WAY too high. If you don't have a volt meter handy, usually chart plotters have a pretty accurate voltage display built into them. Is like a volt meter permanently wired. Just watch it throughout the 3 stages of charges, and don't leave it unattended. A full battery won't take long to progress through the stages, especially if you intentionally bring the battery down with lights, etc. Recovers fully in just minutes.

 

[shawnee83]

Thanks Wart and Jim for your input. Man, not feeling so great about my charger though. Perhaps the good thing in my favor though is that the only time my charger will be on is when I'm at the Beaufort docks on shore power. So that will be like 12 to 16 hrs a couple of nights on the weekends when I'm there.

 

[Jersey Jim]

....... Just watch it throughout the 3 stages of charges, and don't leave it unattended. A full battery won't take long to progress through the stages, especially if you intentionally bring the battery down with lights, etc. Recovers fully in just minutes.

I may have misled you. What I meant by "don't leave it unattended", was that when proving out a new charger for the first time by monitoring the voltage it climbs to,
don't leave it and assume it will not climb too high in voltage and boil your batteries. Once you see that it is designed correctly, then by all means, leave it unattended. Usually a charger that allows you to specify a particular battery chemistry, such as yours, has the precise maximum voltage allowed for that battery type, programmed in. Is always a good practice to verify it when charging for the first time.

 

[warthog5]

After the BEP install...... You may not even need to charge them with the charger....

 

[shawnee83]

After the BEP install...... You may not even need to charge them with the charger....

Honestly Wart, you are probably correct. The main thing driving this charger is my slightly crazy idea of putting the inverter onboard just to be able to run the heat and AC on occasion. I'll be the first to admit that it's a little over the top and mostly unecessary.

 

[shawnee83]

Between bad weather when I have free time and work lately, I've not been able to get much done. I found a good deal on the BEP Cluster switch at $150 from iMarine but it's been on B/O. It's supposed to ship this week. I decided to go ahead and instal the Lumitec SeaBlaze Mini's with the few hours I've had the last couple of evenings. #7 Done. I think they look pretty good and they seem like they are well made. I eliminated my raw water wash down pump from my port side jump seat as I'm putting my inverter there. Also, it was disconnected last year from my AC instal. If I reconnected a wash down pump, I was going to put a T in the water line after the strainer and before the AC pump. Then I would mount the pump for a wash down in the bilge. Honestly, I hardly ever used it (speaks to my boats part time fishing status) and I keep a small bucket on the deck which works fine. As I'm unsure of installing another pump etc.. I decided to just use that switch position and existing wire run already in the bilge for my underwater lights. If I do hook up another wash down pump I'll put a 3 position switch in my curtisy deck light spot at the switch panel and I'll run new wires for my underwater lights.

 

[shawnee83]

Decided to get the 1st coat of bottom paint on yesterday as we were in the 70's and wanted to take advantage of that. Hope to get the 2nd coat on one evening this week if I get time? Using West Marine PCA Gold Albative which is a multi year and stays viable after removing from water. This should work for me as mine stays on a trailer except 2 to maybe 5 days at a time while being used. I'm raising my water line some, more from mid-ship to bow, as you can see from pic. I'm now thinking I'll hold off on the boot stripe until after I float it just to make sure I've got the water line where I want it. My BEP Cluster switch is supposed to arrive today so I should be able to get that installed next weekend or later in the week if I have time?

 

[shawnee83]

BEP Cluster Switch has arrived. Very cool piece of electronics. Really like the function this is going to bring to battery management.

 

[warthog5]

Good Move on the BEP cluster.


I do see one problem.

All the drilling to mount a Pertrim exposes bare alum. The factory has spent a lot of R&D to coat these motors to keep them from becoming a piece of crap.

When you drilled you removed the coating, but not only that you have a disimlar metal touching it.
Stainless fastners.

Look at the fastners closely. Install a small piece of heat shrink where it goes thru the anticavitation plate on them.
Use washers like they put metal roofs on with. There is a stainless washer and a rubber washer under it. Use a nylon flat washer under a stainless flatwasher.

The objective is to isolate the stainless from the alun.

 

[shawnee83]

That's a good point on the Permatrim mounting hardware Wart. I'll have to add that to the list. Hopefully since mine doesn't stay in the water much and I always trim my motor out when back at the docks, I've dodged any corrosion from the dissimilar metals? I don't see any signs at least.

I was able to put my 2nd coat of bottom paint on yesterday evening after work. Pulled the tape this morning. Bottom paint checked off the list. I am going to hold off on the boot stripe until after I float her just to make sure my water line doesn't need additional adjustment?

 

[johnkn]

Hi do you see your pictures as being rotated counterclockwise 90*?

 

[shawnee83]

John, I only use my iPhone for taking the pics and iPad for posting them. I didn't know that they were rotated 90 degrees? When I view them on my Apple products they are oriented correctly. I don't know how to correct this for others. Perhaps soneone else can explain and assist?

 

[grouperjim]

Wart always gives sound advice here and elsewhere. I have installed probably 2 dozen Permatrims over the years and Wart's concern about dissimilar metal corrosion is a valid one.

I have always used black 5200 in the newly drilled holes as well as a generous bead/barrier between the perma and the A/V plate. Essentially, the 5200 acts as a gasket anywhere the A/V and perma touch. I have never observed any evidence of corrosion around the bolts/holes. The newer Permatrim instructions include the step of putting a sealant in the holes to isolate the stainless bolts.

I'll snap a couple of shots this afternoon. I put the under-mount version on the new 2801. It's a different look but works the same.

 

[warthog5]

Hopefully since mine doesn't stay in the water much and I always trim my motor out when back at the docks, I've dodged any corrosion from the dissimilar metals? I don't see any signs at least.

How long has it been on there? Looks fairly new. It will show up and paint will start bubbling.

Turn your phone horizontal when you take pix's and they will not be 90degs out of phase when you post them.

My GF has Iphone and I Pad..... I Hate them! But then anything "Proprietary" I hate ! and Apple is Proprietary.

 

[shawnee83]

I think it was about 2 years ago Wart? I'll need to look back at my project on the tabs and Permatrim instal to be sure on that.
Jim, I did the same method with the 5200 on mine but I used the white. Maybe that's good enough? I'll check it out again for any signs. The Permatrim looks good on those twins. Only a few guys have done it on twins so glad to hear it's working out.