Hey,
Looks like the "new" house batteries are fairly new in age but due to loss of trickle charging, they sat flat for too long, and need to go. Since I've got to replace them it makes sense to at least research adding solar to keep the new bank charged and supply some juice during the day.
Four 4D batteries, connected in series for 24v and parallel for capacity. It seems golf battery offer proven durability and deep discharge capacity and good fit for a boondocking bus with some solar help.
Most golf batteries are 6v, requiring four in series to get 24v. There are 12v golf batteries for more capacity but far less common and costlier.
Solar charging batteries during the day starts the evening with them fully charged and needing less capacity in the bank.
A Vanner 24-3600c inverter/charger and 8Kw generator are available to charge up or run any AC equipment if needed.
I'd like to break the replacement/upgrade into two phases due to cash flow starting with the batteries.
Typical draw during the day is quite low. Refrig runs on LP, DC, and 110. TV and stereo don't draw much. Hot water runs on 110v, engine and webasto. Water pump draws a bit.
What size of golf battery bank seems reasonable, knowing there will be panels offering boost during the day, and generator/inverter/charger for backup when still running short.
Thanks
Don
Solar?? An automatic start for your genset makes more sense.
--Geoff
Solar panels are more automatic than any auto-start generator! They automatically start charging every day at sunrise, they automatically fully charge the batteries according to a precise 3-stage regimen tailored to any type of battery, and they automatically need zero maintenance, zero repairs, zero fuel, zero oil and coolant, and they produce zero noise, zero vibration, zero pollution and fumes, and best of all after they're installed they produce electricity for zero cost for two or more decades. Show me a generator that does that.
If you have sufficient battery capacity to give you 3 days' autonomy without them being charged (how often is it so overcast that there's no solar production for three days, at least here in the US Southwest?), then you may not even need an emergency generator. So saying, it's prudent to have a Plan B for electricity production, just as it is for heating water, for keeping warm, for staying cool, for starting the engine if the start batteries are dead, etc etc. FLA batteries are best charged at a rate of between 5 and 13% of their 20-hour capacity, but for the usual less-than-ideal panel placement on a bus roof I would suggest having enough PV to charge at the higher end of that range. That's why I have 2040 watts of panels to charge almost 900 amp/hours of batteries - that's almost a 13% rate, and my panels can tilt up to 45 degrees from horizontal for optimum winter insolation unlike most mobile installations.
If you have a 12V house system you will probably need two charge controllers for anything much over 1000 watts of PV, but that then allows you the luxury of splitting your entire PV and battery system into two completely separate halves. By doing this you can have total redundancy (another Plan B), you can buy each bank of batteries at separate times (then they won't all need to be replaced at the same time), and the batteries don't even need to be all the same type or capacity. And in case you're wondering how to keep two battery banks truly separate, I have 250 amp Schottky diodes between each bank and the combined DC load center so one bank cannot back-feed into the other. Easy!
John
I'd be much interested in what you have installed John. Do you have pictures?
Hi John,
Some of your old posts were ones I found while searching the topic. I'll need help with the math. My goal is to start with having PV charge the house batteries via the charge controller. The current house batteries, inverter, and balancer are wired for 24v, so plan to stick with that.
Shopping for new house battery bank, the T-105 golf battery appears to be a solid base. Connecting four 6V in series provides 24v and something like EDITED: 215 Ah (not 430Ah). If more stored energy is needed adding some more T-105 is possible.
I was hoping a single 200-300 PV panel would keep the house batteries topped off during the day with small draw for the refrig, TV, and water pump.
Based on your experience what do I need for PV charging and energy storage? The batteries only need to keep the above going and the occasional few minutes of microwave in the morning and a couple lights in the evening. Prolonged AC use will run off shore or gen power.
This is the link to the Trojan battery as an example
http://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/datasheets/T105RE_TrojanRE_Data_Sheets.pdf (http://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/datasheets/T105RE_TrojanRE_Data_Sheets.pdf)
Based on the spec sheet, it seems each 6v battery delivers over 1 Kwh, so four of them should be more than enough for my needs unless I'm missing something. The footnote states these figures are for battery voltage remains above 5.25v (1.7v/cell)
thanks
The question: What size Battery Bank should I use for solar? Great Question, I've been researching a while myself. Here is what I know so far.
The 6v string of 4 to make a 24v bank @ 230 AH seem like the way to go. I think you doubled the AH in your post above. AH only increases with paralleling the banks, to increase run time you'll need add 4 more batteries for a 2x4 setup and you'll have 460AH. I have one in my bus now. I might end up with 12 some day, or do LiFe (Lithium Iron).
Bank size starts with your needs. For sake of argument let's assume you want to run all your stuff minus AC for 24 hours.
Fridge - These sip power... .8kw per day on average, let's figure 1kwh.
TV - Assuming LCD /LED flat screen TV. .3 to .5kwh per day. Let's say you binge watch and leave it on all day and round up to 1kwh to keep math simple.
Water Pump - This is going to be momentary, almost nothing, I'd say it's covered by our over estimation on the others.
Misc Other / Over head, whatever - Let's toss in another .5khw to cover other stuff we're not thinking about, thermostats, leds, parasitic losses, etc.
Total 2.5kwh ever day.
Your bank is 230ah @ 24v that equals (multiply amp hours by volts to get watt hours) 5,520 wh = 5.5kwh. That's 100% depth of discharge, 50% is considered a good guideline, 20% or 30% will help the batteries last forever.
Will it work? Looks like yes, 50% discharge would be 2.5kwh or so. , I was over zealous with your power usage estimates, in practice you might be more like 1.25kwh / day.
Now you need solar to put power back in. In a perfect world, you can use that 200w panel for all 5 hours of usable sun hours (unless you use a solar tracker you won't get usable output more than this) that will be 1000 watts or at 1 hour 1kwh if everything is right. That doesn't cover a light usage day, you'll need more panels. From what I gather you want to have more solar than you think you'll need by a factor of 1.5 to 2. So if 2 panels would cover you, get 3, then you have overhead for when they get covered in dust or partial shade / cloudy days, etc.
3 panels at 200w each is 600w for 5 hours a day is 3000w. That covers your needs easily, but let's a clear sky, clean panels, etc. Real world figure 1/2 that and you're at 1500w , that covers a light / normal day and banks some away for this higher usage days.
A few thoughts on this:
A typical generic 60-cell grid-tie panel produces about 250W at about 30V, with a maximum current of about 8.4A. This is barely enough voltage to charge a 24V battery bank - it would work (just) by using a simple PWM charge controller, but not very efficiently. (Trojan T-105s need slightly higher Absorb voltage than other FLA batteries.) An MPPT charge controller will maximize solar harvest, but is hardly needed for just one panel: MPPTs are most efficient when their array voltage is about twice the battery bank's voltage. Just bear in mind the 5-13% suggested charge rate for FLA batteries - if the battery is not fully charged each day it is going to eventually sulfate due to prolonged deficit charging. Any FLA battery should never be drawn below 50% SOC, and for maximum life should normally be discharged less than that. Trojan's specifications about voltage remaining above 1.7V/cell seems like a surefire way to kill a battery! At that voltage the battery is at only 10% SOC, effectively dead 50% SOC is about 6.05V (2.02V/cell). Why does Trojan keep publishing those absurd specifications?
A single panel may be sufficient to keep a small battery bank topped off during the day, but will not be enough to fully recharge a discharged bank. (An array of eight panels will fully recharge a 24V 430ah battery bank from a single 60A MPPT charge controller, but that's probably more than you want to do!)
The Northern Arizona Wind & Sun forum has a wealth of information about PV - it's well worth perusing the threads there to glean useful ideas.
HTH, John
@Shawn - Thanks so much for the reply. It helps a lot to follow the logic through all the computational considerations. I'm thinking I can always incrementally add/double up another bank if needed later.There is plenty of room in the storage area, now housing 4 4D.
The solar configuration should also be expandable as needed. Sizing and purchasing the correct sized charge controller seems to be the main consideration up front. Adding panels later should be easily accommodated. Additionally, I'm fine if some days solar generation does not top off the bank; I can always use the genset.
DOD might be fairly low especially during sunny days as the panels will add power to the bank. In fact, the specific max draw down will likely be at the end of the night. So the calc may be more like 100% full late in the day and computing usage from that point to the end of the evening. Who knows, DOD just might be only 20-30%, ensuring very long life.
@John - Thanks for the insights. You're so right - 8 full size panels is way more than I'm wanting; not like your design. Obviously, more research required on my end for a proper solar design is baked and ready to go.
Batteries are the current pain point. House battery bank is so worn out, can not even keep a charge for a few hours. The GC2 6 volt deep cycle golf battery form factor seems to be an acceptable choice. Made for bumping around rather than stationary, deep cycle and heavy use on a frequent basis, thicker lead plates, and respectable costs.
Shopped around last night, checking specs and prices, and wondering if there are reasons not to buy at a discount retailer like Costco, Sam's Club, or Walmart. The prices are hard to beat and looking at $400 for a set of 4 GC batteries should get the bus boondocking with a smile again, pronto. Any reason to pay twice as much for some brands? Any sage advice on warranty differences?
Thanks
Don
Costco has Interstate golfcart batteries for $80-something each, but I think their core charge is $24 per battery. I don't know about Walmart / Sams Club because I refuse to step in any of their stores, ever! Good ol' golfcart batteries are still the best bang for the buck ($ per Watt/hour), and if you check their SG and water them every month they can last you a good long time, especially if solar is keeping them fully charged all the time.
John
Quote from: Brassman on July 24, 2017, 10:57:20 PM
I'd be much interested in what you have installed John. Do you have pictures?
Sorry, I'm photographically challenged, so no pictures! There's a YouTube video of my bus leaving one of our annual get-togethers for a jaunt into town, and it shows my panels' support frames before I installed the panels themselves - I think the clip is titled Buses Gone Wild VII, or something like that. My panels are hinged to a central walkway, and each can be positioned from 21 degrees down to 45 degrees up depending on season and latitude.
John
https://youtu.be/d-1nMvB8aYw?t=27
Video in question above.
I'm sorry to interject a note of reality but ............
Solar is a lifestyle choice, not a power source. If you are willing to drastically alter your lifestyle you MAY be able to put sufficient solar panels on your coach to live off them but I stress the word "MAY". If you are just wanting to keep the batteries topped off while the coach is unused then no worries, solar will work.
If you are serious about solar then its all about the watts. Figure out your power usage. There's no magic. 800 or 1000 watts of solar on a coach is huge but that's the kind of numbers you will need and in my never to be humble opinion you'll still need a generator. There's no point obsessing about battery capacity if you don't have enough watts coming out of the panels to recharge the batteries. And you've only got about 6 hours of truly useful solar input each day.
Been there done that. Solar can drastically reduce your generator run time and keep your batteries floated but most people can't live without a generator.
Bob, 800 or 1000 watts really isn't that much. I've got 2kW, and I would have more if I had roof space for it. With solar now down to not much over 50 cents a watt (I paid 79 cents, and that's now high by current pricing) it's almost cheaper to carpet the roof with PV panels than to build a tropical roof over it for insulation! To complement my PV I'll also have two solar water heating panels - heck, if I'm getting my electricity for free, why not also heat my water for free?
With enough PV power I really don't feel I'll need to compromise my lifestyle. I'll have a 12K minisplit in the front and a small window A/C in the bedroom, I'll run my tools and toys just like now, I can use a microwave and an induction cooktop, so it will work for me. I'm not an energy hog even at home - I lived for many years in a little old house with only a 20 amp feed (yes, twenty!), and two of us managed just fine with it. I intend to not be anywhere stinking hot in the summer or bloody cold in the winter - that's why buses have wheels! No more brass monkey weather for me.
John
I've thought that the PV panels would act as good roof shading as well.
Happen to have any photos of your roof?
Quote from: neoneddy on July 25, 2017, 12:44:28 PM
I've thought that the PV panels would act as good roof shading as well.
Happen to have any photos of your roof?
Sorry (see above!).
My interior is significantly cooler now that the sunlight doesn't even reach most of the roof. The temperature difference between the ceiling under the panels and the ceiling elsewhere is a lot. My bus's interior now doesn't much ever exceed ambient air temperature - there's no heat soak into the roof any longer. There a few inches of air gap under the panels to allow air to freely circulate under them. Essentially I now have a big tropical roof that makes free power all the time. Yeah!
John
Can we re-iterate the math on the batteries again? If I'm not mistaken a T105 6V battery is approx 115AH. To push up to 24V using 4 of them, you still only have 115AH----Correct? It's just now at 24V instead of 6V. The same arrangement, which is what I currently have on the house side at 12V is giving me approx 230AH. Am I figuring this right? To get 460AH at 24V will take a lot of batteries.... I think....
Will
I've been know to be in the shed needing an edge. (Translation-Not the sharpest tool in the shed)
https://www.thesolarbiz.com/trojan-t105-golf-cart-6v-225-ah-battery.html?fee=1&fep=36&gclid=CjwKCAjw2NvLBRAjEiwAF98GMYOXI434vu6mGJ1DzXJrO03vLH9TLUnK3gJoYoi2tliVvpZXbrQnyxoC7IAQAvD_BwE (https://www.thesolarbiz.com/trojan-t105-golf-cart-6v-225-ah-battery.html?fee=1&fep=36&gclid=CjwKCAjw2NvLBRAjEiwAF98GMYOXI434vu6mGJ1DzXJrO03vLH9TLUnK3gJoYoi2tliVvpZXbrQnyxoC7IAQAvD_BwE)
The battery is 225 ah . You are correct, putting batteries in series builds voltage. This is good for increasing efficiency and reducing line loss. To build a ~460 ah 24v battery bank it would take 8 batteries in a 2x4 configuration.
Quote from: neoneddy on July 25, 2017, 03:12:53 PM
https://www.thesolarbiz.com/trojan-t105-golf-cart-6v-225-ah-battery.html?fee=1&fep=36&gclid=CjwKCAjw2NvLBRAjEiwAF98GMYOXI434vu6mGJ1DzXJrO03vLH9TLUnK3gJoYoi2tliVvpZXbrQnyxoC7IAQAvD_BwE (https://www.thesolarbiz.com/trojan-t105-golf-cart-6v-225-ah-battery.html?fee=1&fep=36&gclid=CjwKCAjw2NvLBRAjEiwAF98GMYOXI434vu6mGJ1DzXJrO03vLH9TLUnK3gJoYoi2tliVvpZXbrQnyxoC7IAQAvD_BwE)
The battery is 225 ah . You are correct, putting batteries in series builds voltage. This is good for increasing efficiency and reducing line loss. To build a ~460 ah 24v battery bank it would take 8 batteries in a 2x4 configuration.
Thanks for clearing that up for me.
QuoteSolar can drastically reduce your generator run time and keep your batteries floated but most people can't live without a generator
Exactly my plan. The bus has an 8Kw genset and that remains a key component of the electrical system. The less it is used, the better. Last weekend I nearly got into a punch up with some A-hole bitching about the diesel fumes from the genny early in the morning. Then I started the bus as well and he really went off. LOL. The more flexibility I have to run the gen if needed the better.
If the stated capacity in Wh uses a SOC of 1.75v then how does one estimate the partial DOD capacity. Like how much Kw is available at 30%, 40%, 50% DOD?
Quote from: bobofthenorth on July 25, 2017, 10:36:40 AM
I'm sorry to interject a note of reality but ............
Solar is a lifestyle choice, not a power source. If you are willing to drastically alter your lifestyle you MAY be able to put sufficient solar panels on your coach to live off them but I stress the word "MAY". If you are just wanting to keep the batteries topped off while the coach is unused then no worries, solar will work.
If you are serious about solar then its all about the watts. Figure out your power usage. There's no magic. 800 or 1000 watts of solar on a coach is huge but that's the kind of numbers you will need and in my never to be humble opinion you'll still need a generator. There's no point obsessing about battery capacity if you don't have enough watts coming out of the panels to recharge the batteries. And you've only got about 6 hours of truly useful solar input each day.
Been there done that. Solar can drastically reduce your generator run time and keep your batteries floated but most people can't live without a generator.
Listen to Bob- do you want a bus to travel in or a freak show with a dozen solar panels? I have traveled a lot and I can't recall a bus or RV with solar panels on the road. That is crap for traveling.
--Geoff
No plans to make the bus look like it is full of panels up top. Researching if a couple might help keep the house battery bank topped off during the day. Main thing now is to finish the math if the new bank of 4 6v 230Ah golf batteries connected in series is a solid base of energy storage.
If I'm reading correcting one just takes the stated full storage and can divide using DOD to compute the usable energy. For example, the 24v 230Ah battery bank has max energy storage of 24X230=5,520 Wh. At 50% DOD the available energy is 2,760 Wh. Based on our usage profile, this should work fine to get through a day of electrical consumption.
Main pending decision is correctly sizing and selecting the right golf batteries.
Who knows - if the new battery bank does a good job and a short generator session gets them topped of each day, I may skip the solar. Always better to plan for future upgrades early rather than later.
Don
These are the ones I have.
https://www.batteriesplus.com/battery/rv/deep-cycle/6/sligc115 (https://www.batteriesplus.com/battery/rv/deep-cycle/6/sligc115) Ask for the 10% off online discount in-store, they'll give it to you plus some because they get the money vs it going to corporate. Worked for me anyway. I even said these are for a new application where there is no core to possibly exchange, they waived the core charge on 4 batteries, saved me $100 right there.
A generator topping them off each day would probably do it, but in my humble opinion, the future is clearly PV in some form or another. Even if you only run 200 - 400 watts to start, that will keep everything charged when not in use (not sure if you're a full timer or not).
http://www.aimscorp.net/Power-Inverter-Charger/ (http://www.aimscorp.net/Power-Inverter-Charger/) I run one of these for now... they have an auto gen start when voltage gets low. Eventually I'll go Victron, but I ain't made of money quite yet.
Don just a suggestion on starting the genny in the morning. get or make a stack pipe for it. Pipe venturi for air at the bottom and up the diesel fumes go into the air instead of accumlating at the ground and neighbors area.
Second if starting the engine to air up hook a shop compressor into your air system with a shutoff valve on the in line. Turn the compressor on before you leave you will fill the system without needing to start the engine until you leave. HTH ;D
Dave
Quote from: Iceni John on July 25, 2017, 12:40:14 PM
Bob, 800 or 1000 watts really isn't that much. I've got 2kW, and I would have more if I had roof space for it. With solar now down to not much over 50 cents a watt (I paid 79 cents, and that's now high by current pricing) it's almost cheaper to carpet the roof with PV panels than to build a tropical roof over it for insulation! To complement my PV I'll also have two solar water heating panels - heck, if I'm getting my electricity for free, why not also heat my water for free?
With enough PV power I really don't feel I'll need to compromise my lifestyle. I'll have a 12K minisplit in the front and a small window A/C in the bedroom, I'll run my tools and toys just like now, I can use a microwave and an induction cooktop, so it will work for me. I'm not an energy hog even at home - I lived for many years in a little old house with only a 20 amp feed (yes, twenty!), and two of us managed just fine with it. I intend to not be anywhere stinking hot in the summer or bloody cold in the winter - that's why buses have wheels! No more brass monkey weather for me.
John
Absolutely John, with 2K watts you can approach "normal" living. You're dreaming if you think you'll run much AC off that but I'll believe the rest of the electrical systems within reason. The reality is that most solar enthusiasts think that 500 watts is a lot of power when its actually mainly a joke. If you managed to fit 2K watts on your roof then you must know how difficult that was and I'll go so far as to say that for most people by the time they get around existing roof obstructions its simply not practical. More power to you (pun intended) if you made it work but solar newcomers need to hear a dose of reality early on and I'm the a**hole that helps provide it.
Listen to BoTN...
And you aren't going to top off your batteries with the generator, unless you like to listen to it run all day, trickling the critical last few amps into them.
The method for many is a blended approach.
From the battery charging perspective, the generator can do some heavy lifting, either on purpose, or as a bonus, when it is turned on for other purposes, and then the generator may be shut down when the other purposes are done. The solar panels do the rest of the job.
The peeps who run the generator "for a couple hours" to charge the batteries, don't get long battery life from that style of charging, as the bank does not reach full charge, and the generator wastes a bunch of fuel, may be running lightly loaded, another cardinal $in, and fills the air with stink and noise... pissing off the neighbours....
A boost from the generator, a little solar and a lot of silent running?
And if your geography or style of camping involves running the generator all day for the HVAC, then there is little need for solar other than storage battery maintenance?
One of the struggles in choosing a battery bank voltage is the commitment required to up-size.
12 volt banks can be built-up a pair of golf cart batts at a time. the 24 volt banks need multiples of 4 golf cart batts.
cable sizing, inverter wattage limits, space for batteries, solar panel parking spots upstairs...
Tell me again how this can all be called "camping"???
happy coaching!
buswarrior
Buswarrior,
I've been considering using grid tie inverters in the bus plus solar so while parked at my house it helps offset energy use. Then you can also get solar tax credits because you have a house solar array, that happens to be on a bus.
Lastly I'm not too much of a crackpot but I like to hedge my bets. If the world goes to hell, it will be nice to have something to live in that is somewhat self sustaining. Or any kind of disaster, more likely the big solar storm that will take out our grid.
I digress, it's not camping, it just a fun hobby that we tell.people is camping so they don't ask too many questions :-)
OK, great discussion about this topic and feel sufficiently educated to at least get new house batteries.
Decided the following:
1) System is 24v and stays that way. Understand the higher costs when upgrading
2) Going with deep cycle 6v golf batteries (GC2). Four make a 24v battery bank.
3) Foregoing the high end brands like Trojan given how much cheaper Costco sells them.
4) After getting new bank going, will start a full energy use audit and optimize energy use (i.e. switch all lights to LED)
5) After a good idea of daily energy use, configure solar for charging battery bank.
6) Generator will be used as necessary to replenish the battery bank, knowing they won't be topping off hopefully getting through bulk and absorption stages via Vanner inverter/charger or bus alternator while on the road.
charging via the bus alternator going down the road is an unhappy experience, unless you have a proper regulator.
The stock regulator is dumb, and won't recharge a house bank properly. Same as every regular automotive alternator, they need proper external regulation and protection.
3 or 4 stage regulator, with battery and alternator temperature sensors.
Every way to care for a big house bank costs lots. Redundancy costs lots more...
That's why we roll our own!
happy coaching!
buswarrior
Windtrader have you considered L-16 batteries in place of the golf cart batteries? Same foot print but about 4" taller and about 400 ah.
Quote from: Lee Bradley on July 31, 2017, 05:23:37 PM
Windtrader have you considered L-16 batteries in place of the golf cart batteries? Same foot print but about 4" taller and about 400 ah.
Last I looked a bunch more money. The interstates are 85 each. If the last a couple years I'll be satisfied. Just bought the bus so trying to keep as much in the war chest for future expenses I'm sure will come knocking
Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
I'd get good at caring for inexpensive batteries, then, once your habits have proven to be battery friendly, consider graduating to expensive batteries?
You can murder expensive batteries in pretty much just as short a time as inexpensive batteries...
when the "trial" batteries are still doing their job in 7 years, you have arrived?
happy coaching!
buswarrior
From the documents on my bus, it seems the bus alternator charges the house batteries if the switch is engaged and just sends power straight in. My understanding is 3 stage charging is the best way and the house batteries do charge that way via the inverter/charger.
So, yes, I need to figure it all out and actually get a good idea of my own pattern of use before buying expensive batteries.
This is a long story of everything you didn't want to know about internally regulated alternators, externally regulated alternators, the bias of manufacturers, and needing to get your house bank re-charged, vs topping off a start battery.
It is a marine focus, but the end result is the same for a busnut. Get a beverage before you start this one.
https://marinehowto.com/automotive-alternators-vs-deep-cycle-batteries/
Summary: a regular internally regulated automotive alternator has a really bad habit of trickle charging your house bank when you need it to do more.
Our big coach alternators are externally regulated, and just as limited. But we're over half way there, we have the alternator, we just need the regulator
Upgrading the external regulator on our big Delco alternators, dedicated to the house bank, with temp sensor for both the alternator and the battery bank, can really do the job well, if charging on the move will be your style of camping. Let an add-on alternator take care of the start batteries?
happy coaching!
buswarrior
BW - Thanks for the link. The general theme is most motor connected alternators undercharge the battery bank. Tomorrow, I'm going to hook up and volt/current meter in the house battery loop. Will check what is going on with both the alternator charge as well as the ouput from the 3 stage charge/inverter.
Once some solar energy is installed and controlled by a charge controller to the house battery pack, that should allow for proper amount and charge rate. In the meantime, I can make sure proper bulk/absorption/float volts/current is going to the batteries via the inverter/charger.
If the alternator tends to undercharge, maybe it can just stay that way as it not harming the batteries while charging.
One of the problems with non-stock regulator for the big Delco alternators is they require up to 10 amps for the field while most other alternators don't exceed 5 amps. Make sure the regulator you get can handle that load.
http://www.balmar.net/?product=regulator-mc-624-h (http://www.balmar.net/?product=regulator-mc-624-h)
Balmar's 24 volt multi-stage regulator is programmable and will do just over 300 amp alternator/ 10 amp field.
Not cheap, but it'll do exactly what you tell it to do.
Dream for the lottery to come in?
happy coaching!
buswarrior
I looked it the Balmar regulator and finally decided that I am just not going to drive enough hours to need that much regulation. I added a small 28 volt alternator for the start batteries and left the big boy set at 27.3 volts. I don't think that voltage will hurt the AMG batteries for the number of hours I'm going drive and the Trace 4024 can take care of them when I'm on the pole or generator.
OK. Great progress today. Got the new battery bank in and running. Now using 4 x 6v 210Ah Interstate GC2 deep cycle batteries, all in series. Never realized just how dead the old house battery bank was until this new bank. Like a new coach, God, let there be light and there is light. LOL. Loving the difference, recording the voltage to get some sense of estimated vs actual drawdown.
Will check the alternator tomorrow. I thought it was a 50DN? upgrade but could not find the receipt. Going to have to go take a look.
So much nicer when you can see and your beer stays cold. LOL