alternator help

[IT'SONLYMONEY]

i'm running two blue tops and two deep cycles that get worked out pretty hard with the stereo. four 12's and eight highs and mids and about 4thousand watts. what size alternator do you suggest to keep the batts charged when running.
thank you
chuck

[OnlyMoney]

you stole my name!!! :rollside: :rollside: :rollside:

[Jesster]

i'm running two blue tops and two deep cycles that get worked out pretty hard with the stereo. four 12's and eight highs and mids and about 4thousand watts. what size alternator do you suggest to keep the batts charged when running.
thank you
chuck
If you want any significant play time you should run a generator. That depends on the amount of room you have though. If you do't have enough room there are a number of places that sell high output Alternators though here is one alternators (http://www.alternatorparts.com/marine_alternators.htm#201602) Wait a little while you will get a number of responses on this one.

[IT'SONLYMONEY]

you stole my name!!! :rollside: :rollside: :rollside:
i like to think of it as sharing a good thing right

[IT'SONLYMONEY]

If you want any significant play time you should run a generator. That depends on the amount of room you have though. If you do't have enough room there are a number of places that sell high output Alternators though here is one alternators (http://www.alternatorparts.com/marine_alternators.htm#201602) Wait a little while you will get a number of responses on this one.
thought about the gen. but just bought the system so i need to wait until next year to spring that one on the wife. it's about 14hundred for the set up. there was a really good thread on here not to long ago and some guys sent me some really cool picts. have the room and would love to drop some weight in batts with the gen. i only have a 454 and she is just made for cruzing and with a full load she takes a minute to plane out so the more weight gone the better.
thanks again
chuck

[IT'SONLYMONEY]

The stock alternator is probably fine. Most people misunderstand how an alternator charges, or how a battery takes a charge rather. The internal resistance of a battery is what regulates how much current it will accept, the closer it is to being fully charged, the less current it will accept. A bigger alternator will provide full output to the fully depleted batteries for a little while, but as soon as the batteries are charged up a bit, they will self regulate their input, taking much less than an alternator can provide. The only time high output alternators make sense is when you will be using the system while the motor is running.
i did notice that when running it wasn't charging at the 14 amps that is normal. it was around 12 or 13. would one of those boxes that connect to the alternator and then to each seperate battery, only charging the batt that need it work. i'm at lost for what it is called right now.

[sigepmock]

I think your best bet is a good battery charger that you can plug in at night. Like these:
http://www.pmariner.com/Chargers.php
They have the power and electronics to properly charge your batteries. As said above, running a high output altenator is only good for when the motor is running and most boat owners don't really run their motors long enough to properly charge their batteries...it takes times and the correct current and voltage...and different types of batteries take different types of power and time to charge.
The generator is a good set-up but very complicated and there's always the risk with the fumes and the fact that they are not approved for marine use and could possibly void your insurance if something ever went wrong. I've seen some very nice gen set-ups and they work well but for the money and ease of use I've always gone with an on-board charger/battery maintainer, but I have the luxury of power where we park the boat overnight and where we store it.
Just my $.02,
Chris

[Beer-30]

i did notice that when running it wasn't charging at the 14 amps that is normal. it was around 12 or 13. would one of those boxes that connect to the alternator and then to each seperate battery, only charging the batt that need it work. i'm at lost for what it is called right now.
I am sure you are probably fine for the rest of the season. Play with it and see how it does the remainder of the year.
You are only showing 12-13 volts because all alternator regulators in the last decade are temperature sensitive. If it senses the engine area and batteries are fairly warm, it will not blast them with more volts than they need. When cold, you will see the full 14+. Don't sweat it.

[IT'SONLYMONEY]

I think your best bet is a good battery charger that you can plug in at night. Like these:
http://www.pmariner.com/Chargers.php
They have the power and electronics to properly charge your batteries. As said above, running a high output altenator is only good for when the motor is running and most boat owners don't really run their motors long enough to properly charge their batteries...it takes times and the correct current and voltage...and different types of batteries take different types of power and time to charge.
The generator is a good set-up but very complicated and there's always the risk with the fumes and the fact that they are not approved for marine use and could possibly void your insurance if something ever went wrong. I've seen some very nice gen set-ups and they work well but for the money and ease of use I've always gone with an on-board charger/battery maintainer, but I have the luxury of power where we park the boat overnight and where we store it.
Just my $.02,
Chris
thank you very much. i bought the prosport12 charging system for her with the external plug in. i'm hoping this will help. very good info i didn't know that about the gens and insurance.
really appreciate all the help.
chuck

[IT'SONLYMONEY]

Again, the battery that "needs" it will take the proper amount of current from the charging system. A dead battery has less internal resistance than a fully charged battery, so eletricity will flow to the path of least resistance. Believe me, there's very little you can do to influence the way it works. It's electricity, you're not baking a cake. ;)
are battery isolators worth the money?

[IT'SONLYMONEY]

They're worth about $1, so yes. :D You have a battery isolator in your boat, I'm assuming, it's called a Perko switch. ;)
yes but i thought the perko makes the alternator eithor see all four at once or one to two to three etc. doesn't the isolater come off the alternator and then to each individual batt only charging the batts that need it?

[KREGER]

i'm running two blue tops and two deep cycles that get worked out pretty hard with the stereo. four 12's and eight highs and mids and about 4thousand watts. what size alternator do you suggest to keep the batts charged when running.
thank you
chuck
I have the same setup. I put in a 200AMP alternator and it was not as effective as I had hoped. ShockWaveBob' s point about the lack of charging poential is true. If I was to do it again I would have bought the powerful charger they are suggesting before a larger Alternator. I am sure mine helps "keep" the charge up in the batteries when they are up, but it does not seem to charge them up as they drain out. I tried to see if I could get them back up one day with out running the system. Did not work. I ordered a PSA-75 to charge my batteries for now until the generator comes later.

[Beer-30]

They're worth about $1, so yes. :D You have a battery isolator in your boat, I'm assuming, it's called a Perko switch. ;)
These cost a little more than a dollar, but save from flipping a seat up every stop. Automatically isolates when voltage drops (no alternator voltage).
http://www.bluesea.com/product.asp?Product_id=53476

[BADASS38CHEVY]

This is the hot ticket. But in the APS 75 http://www.cascadeaudio.com/aut2_aps.html

[IT'SONLYMONEY]

i think i finally understand. thank you very much guys. very helpfull
chuck

[Beer-30]

Basically, an isolator (automatic one) has three terminals:
Battery 1 (main for starting)
Battery 2 (say 3 optimas for stereo)
Alternator (self explanatory)
There are two types of auto iso's. One just simply uses a wire that would be energized with the ignition switch. When turned on, it closes the connection between all of those posts - allowing the alt to charge all 4.
Another type (more complex and trick) senses voltage above 12.8-13 volts and connects all together. Therefore, when the engine is off, and the alternator is not putting out it's 14+ volts, the iso opens and separates the two terminals. Engine started, 14+ volts, iso closes and connects all.
Perko does the same, but manually. The main drawback to a Perko, is that in a drunken stuper, boat owners tend to forget to switch and iso the stereo. Therefore, after reaching for several MORE beers, click-ick-ick-ick.
Um, not that um, that has ever, um happened to, um me. :)

[77charger]

I also run an isolator and a 100 amp alternator.I would usulally killl stereo batt then run off main batt for a while when i started and left perko on both and batts low it would strain the alt could smell it hot so i would have to turn perko to 1 batt only.Now with the isolator i dont worry about it and it does a better job keeping an even charge.
I was able to still have a wire from second batt to perko if a jump is needed but thats it and mainly use perko to turn off batt 1(starting).As for the isolator mine has 2 terminals for spare batts and 1 for starting plus the terminal for alt.

[IT'SONLYMONEY]

Basically, an isolator (automatic one) has three terminals:
Battery 1 (main for starting)
Battery 2 (say 3 optimas for stereo)
Alternator (self explanatory)
There are two types of auto iso's. One just simply uses a wire that would be energized with the ignition switch. When turned on, it closes the connection between all of those posts - allowing the alt to charge all 4.
Another type (more complex and trick) senses voltage above 12.8-13 volts and connects all together. Therefore, when the engine is off, and the alternator is not putting out it's 14+ volts, the iso opens and separates the two terminals. Engine started, 14+ volts, iso closes and connects all.
Perko does the same, but manually. The main drawback to a Perko, is that in a drunken stuper, boat owners tend to forget to switch and iso the stereo. Therefore, after reaching for several MORE beers, click-ick-ick-ick.
Um, not that um, that has ever, um happened to, um me. :)
are you running the one that you sent me the link to?

[Beer-30]

are you running the one that you sent me the link to?
Not yet. Probably that one, though. Here is another that is in the running:
http://www.boatersworld.com/product/196830095.htm?bct=t13037503%3Bcielectrical-plumbing%3Bcibattery-systems%3Bcibattery-chargers