Things I did today:
The "smart" charger has been bugging me for months. Its a magic box that provides the appropriate charging regimes for the domestic and engine batteries. The charger is effective at sending the juice to the appropriate battery, but when it cut in, it tended to reduce the alternator output when it should have increased it. Yesterday I figured out why - the alternator had a battery sense wire connected and so was ignoring the charger's attempt to drive it harder. Too much detail already - the outcome is that we can now charge our batteries at twice the rate (=> less engine, less noise, less diesel, colder beers), and I have a dilemma. Will the smart charger drive the alternator harder (risking busting another one), or was the fault some how caused by the conflict between the battery sense voltage and the charger? I've bit the bullet and wired it right, but this is why we need a spare alternator ASAP.
Another moment of joy - the panel meter which indicates how much water is in our tanks started working again today. Its been showing nothing for two months, despite a couple of attempts to poke it into life.
- Went running at crap o'clock, sun came over the hill as we climbed back on board.
- Re-installed the old alternator to double check it was kaput. Yup - no output.
- Re-re-installed the good alternator.
- Asked around in Paros, and discovered Νίκος Καστανιάς, an alternator doctor.
- Walked up the hill, talked to Nikos. He took the back off the old one and placed his money on in needing re-winding. Unfortunately, that means shipping it back to Athens, and there's no guarantee fixing it would be cheaper than a new one. So I ordered a new one - and was promised it will come on a ferry tomorrow (will be stunned if it does). There's one a little cheaper on e-bay, but that would take a few weeks before we could get our hands on it.
- Wired up our smart charger properly.
The "smart" charger has been bugging me for months. Its a magic box that provides the appropriate charging regimes for the domestic and engine batteries. The charger is effective at sending the juice to the appropriate battery, but when it cut in, it tended to reduce the alternator output when it should have increased it. Yesterday I figured out why - the alternator had a battery sense wire connected and so was ignoring the charger's attempt to drive it harder. Too much detail already - the outcome is that we can now charge our batteries at twice the rate (=> less engine, less noise, less diesel, colder beers), and I have a dilemma. Will the smart charger drive the alternator harder (risking busting another one), or was the fault some how caused by the conflict between the battery sense voltage and the charger? I've bit the bullet and wired it right, but this is why we need a spare alternator ASAP.
Another moment of joy - the panel meter which indicates how much water is in our tanks started working again today. Its been showing nothing for two months, despite a couple of attempts to poke it into life.
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