Alternator Question...

My 2-29's diesel has a Motorola alternator, and appears to have a separate Motorola regulator mounted on the bulkhead. I've been thinking of replacing the regulator with an adjustable one so I can set the charging voltage higher when cruising. I also looked at the Xantrex 3-stage alternator regulator but it's rather expensive... Does anyone have any experience with regulators on the Farymann? The alternator shows 35A rating on the stamped plate in case that matters. Any suggestions for a replacement regulator to get some more charging power? (I have two Trojan AGM-31's now in a combined battery bank, equals somewhere over 200AH.) Richard Anderson "Sleipnir" 1975 Cal 2-29 Everett, WA http://pics.livejournal.com/techsavvy/pic/0004sec8/t9678z

morning, Richard; i read your post and blog, and you seem like a capable guy where it comes to building what you need. so i won't bother with simple answers here, i will just give it too you straight. yacht wiring is a specialty of mine, and by "Yacht", i am not talking anything under 55' of seven figures. so when i say not to bother with a three-step regulator on that little alternator, that is not just good advice. it is from a lot of experience. automotive alternators are cheap. get a 100 amp job that is a old style belt drive and adapt a mounting to fit on your engine. don't forget to use bigger belt pulley's on the crank if that is a low-speed diesel as an automotive alternator turns higher rpm. Oh, and by the way; your invertor should be on it's own bank of batteries with 2-0 cable...... also, ground that alunimum! fiver, Master of The "BB-54" one of the famous Cal-28 flush-decks out of Sierra-5, Papa Hotel (in days gone by) now resting outside my shop Federal Way, Wa. (built like a Battleship; sails like a Sub......) ************************************************** --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "Richard" <richard@...> wrote: > > My 2-29's diesel has a Motorola alternator, and appears to have a > separate Motorola regulator mounted on the bulkhead. I've been > thinking of replacing the regulator with an adjustable one so I can > set the charging voltage higher when cruising. I also looked at the > Xantrex 3-stage alternator regulator but it's rather expensive... > > Does anyone have any experience with regulators on the Farymann? The > alternator shows 35A rating on the stamped plate in case that matters. > Any suggestions for a replacement regulator to get some more charging > power? > > (I have two Trojan AGM-31's now in a combined battery bank, equals > somewhere over 200AH.) > > Richard Anderson > "Sleipnir" > 1975 Cal 2-29 > Everett, WA > http://pics.livejournal.com/techsavvy/pic/0004sec8/t9678z >

Thanks for this info.. I'll take a look at automobile alternators that might fit the Farymann A30. I'm a little worried about going too big that it robs power from the already small engine. 100A might be okay, not sure i'd want to go much larger though. I'm glad you reminded me about the ground, I grounded the charger/inverter chassis but I didn't even think about the battery tray. I have left over cable I can use so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle. As far as the battery banks and cable size, I've read all sorts of opinions and recommendations about independent battery banks, some say combined, some say to separate starting from house. It comes down to a couple problems, the boat is only set up right now for 2 batteries. Any more and I'd have to find another location, and run more cabling, more fabricating, etc. There isn't that much room in the 29 for more batteries. (Thought I'm sure GreggSalisbury will disagree with his 7 batts or something). The Farymann takes so little power to start I wasn't too concerned with cranking amps. If the main battery bank is too low to start the engine I can hand crank it, which I've done a few times already. The only thing on the Inverter side is the outlets, we don't have any other A/C loads and the only thing I plan to plug in right now is a laptop or two. Plus the Xantrex we got is only 1000W nominal and they recommended 2 AWG for it. I sized up from there to 1/0. ABYC recommends 4 AWG wire for a 100A load at 3% voltage drop for runs up to 10Feet. Is there any particular reason you recommend separate batts for the Inverter? Again, thanks for the input. Richard Anderson "Sleipnir" 1975 Cal 2-29 Everett, WA --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "slickbutfoxbuger" <fiverhrairoo@...> wrote: > > morning, Richard; > > i read your post and blog, and you seem like a capable guy > where it comes to building what you need. so i won't bother with > simple answers here, i will just give it too you straight. > > yacht wiring is a specialty of mine, and by "Yacht", i am not > talking anything under 55' of seven figures. so when i say not to > bother with a three-step regulator on that little alternator, that it's > not just good advice. it is from a lot of experience. automotive > alternators are cheap. get a 100 amp job that is a old style belt > drive and adapt a mounting to fit on your engine. don't forget to use > bigger belt pulley's on the crank if that is a low-speed diesel as an > automotive alternator turns higher rpm. > > Oh, and by the way; your invertor should be on it's own bank > of batteries with 2-0 cable...... also, ground that alunimum! > > > > > fiver, > Master of The "BB-54" > one of the famous Cal-28 flush-decks > out of Sierra-5, Papa Hotel (in days gone by) > now resting outside my shop > Federal Way, Wa. > > (built like a Battleship; sails like a Sub......) > > > ************************************************** > > --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "Richard" <richard@> wrote: > > > > My 2-29's diesel has a Motorola alternator, and appears to have a > > separate Motorola regulator mounted on the bulkhead. I've been > > thinking of replacing the regulator with an adjustable one so I can > > set the charging voltage higher when cruising. I also looked at the > > Xantrex 3-stage alternator regulator but it's rather expensive... > > > > Does anyone have any experience with regulators on the Farymann? > The > > alternator shows 35A rating on the stamped plate in case that > matters. > > Any suggestions for a replacement regulator to get some more > charging > > power? > > > > (I have two Trojan AGM-31's now in a combined battery bank, equals > > somewhere over 200AH.) > > > > Richard Anderson > > "Sleipnir" > > 1975 Cal 2-29 > > Everett, WA > > http://pics.livejournal.com/techsavvy/pic/0004sec8/t9678z > > >

I have a '77 2-29 powered by the A30 and just replaced the 30 year-old 35A alternator with a new 65A a few months ago. It doesn't drag the A30 down much when engaged (I have a selectable switch to turn the alt on when needed). I usually charge one battery at a time as needed, but in testing have charged both batteries at around 20A. I'm going to be repowering in a few weeks (13.5hp Beta Marine from Sound Marine). The wife said not another hour or dime on the Farymann. The A30 ran fine until she stopped. I think it's the high pressure pump. With that, I'll be parting out the Farymann. I think I paid around $130 for the new 65A alternator last fall and installed it a few months ago. I'll let the alternator go for $100, including the reworked bracket. Other new/rebuilt parts include the waterpump (rebuilt last month), exhaust elbow (new Dec 2005), electric fuel pump w/ fitting for stock banjo bolts (new Jan 2006). Just about everything else on the Farymann is in pretty decent shape. The water jacket shows it's 30 years in salt water, and I'm guessing the high pressure pump is shot. The starter is good, and I just put new mounts on the back last year. If anyone is looking for parts or interested in the whole thing, let me know. I don't plan on pulling it out for a week or two. John Caldwell Cal 2-29 #966 Alamitos Bay Long Beach, CA --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "Richard" <richard@...> wrote: > > Thanks for this info.. I'll take a look at automobile alternators that > might fit the Farymann A30. I'm a little worried about going too big > that it robs power from the already small engine. 100A might be okay, > not sure i'd want to go much larger though.

hello again, Richard....... i hadn't taken note that you were just up in Everett. i am a bit south in Federal Way..... first off, when i think of inverters; i generally think 2000 or better. in fact many of the jobs i have stuck in have been stacked. that is where two big inverters will talk to each other so they can share the load as one. most people who just want to run a lap-top or two use 12 volt plug-in adaptors. i had assumed that you were going to have a cappuccino machine.... :)(: or at lest a micro- wave. what the hell do you do for morning lattee' on your boat........? anyway, don't feel bad, i only got a 1000 watt Hart for BB-54 too. but the Hart's will handle 1600 for several minutes and that long enough too get something done in both the nucher and the cappuccino machine at the same time. you see, when you think of big DC loads on a boat. you can't just look at voltage loss and say *we got it covered*. i know that is what "ABYC" does, but those guys haven't got much experience yet; they haven't been around for 50 or 75 years. even the guys at "ABS" get it wrong sometimes too. i learned it following in my Father's trade. and He started out well before WW-2. and there is nothing like learning from your mistakes. my Father built me an elect outboard motor for my sailboat when i was a kid. so i had to go around the docks bagging all the old batteries i could get to run it. He gave me nice big 2-0 cables too wire the whole thing up, but no switch's. He said i had to make them. and i also had to make a air-blower to keep the 2-HP elect motor cool. well it was all working out as good as one would expect for a kid of that age until one when i dropped a big screw-driver across my home-made reversing switch as i was coming into the dock. the motor went dead, the lights went out. but that wasn't a problem as the screw-driver was lit-up nice by then. and my Father was just standing on the deck of the tug laughing He ass off. because by then i was trying to tie my little boat up and there was clouds of white smoke coming out of the cabin. i had a line to the dock by then and i was trying to pry what was left of the big screw-driver away from my molten switch with a hammer. and it just wasn't happening. the Old-Man by then had come down from the deck of the tug and told me to give it up as all those old batteries were dead bay then anyway. so He and fiver just sat there on the dock (up wind) of my boat until the smoke cleared and talked about what i should have done better. you just got-a think of a bunch of batteries as a big welder. because that is exactly what they are. it's only because of the use of those dumb-ass useless screw-on stud terminals that there are not way more boat fires the way boats are wired these days. they can't get enough current through them too do any damage..... that and the "crimp-on" battery terminal. it was those damn big 2-0 cable's that saved my boat from catching on fire. the cables were big-enough that they did not become the "resistive element" in the system that produced all the heat. and that was a goodness as they were running through places in my little boat that i could never get at. and as you will note, the fusible link (the screw-driver). doesn't always blow when it should. and that doesn't just go for screw-drives. while i am on this, i hope you put a battery switch in your system? the reason for separate batteries is simple; an inverter can drag down a set of batteries faster than you think. and if you are sitting out on a hook some night with no mast- head light after you've drained your batteries. well, you get the picture. on your boat, there are always loads that one must have, and loads that one would like to have. never the two should meet. as to just where to put batteries; how big is the keel on that boat? on BB-54 (Cal-28 flat-top) i could almost sleep inside my keel. though don't think about putting batteries that salt-water can get into down there. the one other thing i mite remind you about is your compass. don't run large DC cable's together for any distance. if you do, it's generally referred too as a "Electro Magnet". and please don't do the deal of twisting the conductors around each-other. that is called a "BBQ". just take the time too run each one a good distance apart and solve both problems at the same time. and if you need to have a lot power at your windless. stick a battery up there and run a pair of #10's up to keep it charged. it's so very much less expensive than running 2-0 up to the bow at $15 a foot. and while i am thinking on it, one more idea in place of your alternator. Honda makes a very small and very quite 1000 watt portable generator that is about 23 pounds and smaller than a jim- bag. i will have one on my boat actually. it can be had for just over $500 on sale. it's their "inverter model" so it actually slows down depending on the load it's under. just pull it out and hang it on your stern and plug your inverter into it and you get 110 and your batteries charged at the same time. lights go out at home; take it there and you got cappuccino in the morning......... Ok, so i think i got it all for now. you let me know if'in i missed anything......... fiver........ *************************** --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "Richard" <richard@...> wrote: > > Thanks for this info.. I'll take a look at automobile alternators that > might fit the Farymann A30. I'm a little worried about going too big > that it robs power from the already small engine. 100A might be okay, > not sure i'd want to go much larger though. > > I'm glad you reminded me about the ground, I grounded the > charger/inverter chassis but I didn't even think about the battery > tray. I have left over cable I can use so it shouldn't be too much of > a hassle. > > As far as the battery banks and cable size, I've read all sorts of > opinions and recommendations about independent battery banks, some say > combined, some say to separate starting from house. It comes down to > a couple problems, the boat is only set up right now for 2 batteries. > Any more and I'd have to find another location, and run more cabling, > more fabricating, etc. There isn't that much room in the 29 for more > batteries. (Thought I'm sure GreggSalisbury will disagree with his 7 > batts or something). The Farymann takes so little power to start I > wasn't too concerned with cranking amps. If the main battery bank is > too low to start the engine I can hand crank it, which I've done a few > times already. The only thing on the Inverter side is the outlets, we > don't have any other A/C loads and the only thing I plan to plug in > right now is a laptop or two. Plus the Xantrex we got is only 1000W > nominal and they recommended 2 AWG for it. I sized up from there to > 1/0. ABYC recommends 4 AWG wire for a 100A load at 3% voltage drop > for runs up to 10Feet. > > Is there any particular reason you recommend separate batts for the > Inverter? > > Again, thanks for the input. > > Richard Anderson > "Sleipnir" > 1975 Cal 2-29 > Everett, WA > > --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "slickbutfoxbuger" > <fiverhrairoo@> wrote: > > > > morning, Richard; > > > > i read your post and blog, and you seem like a capable guy > > where it comes to building what you need. so i won't bother with > > simple answers here, i will just give it too you straight. > > > > yacht wiring is a specialty of mine, and by "Yacht", i am not > > talking anything under 55' of seven figures. so when i say not to > > bother with a three-step regulator on that little alternator, that it's > > not just good advice. it is from a lot of experience. automotive > > alternators are cheap. get a 100 amp job that is a old style belt > > drive and adapt a mounting to fit on your engine. don't forget to use > > bigger belt pulley's on the crank if that is a low-speed diesel as an > > automotive alternator turns higher rpm. > > > > Oh, and by the way; your invertor should be on it's own bank > > of batteries with 2-0 cable...... also, ground that alunimum! > > > > > > > > > > fiver, > > Master of The "BB-54" > > one of the famous Cal-28 flush-decks > > out of Sierra-5, Papa Hotel (in days gone by) > > now resting outside my shop > > Federal Way, Wa. > > > > (built like a Battleship; sails like a Sub......) > > > > > > ************************************************** > > > > --- In Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com, "Richard" <richard@> wrote: > > > > > > My 2-29's diesel has a Motorola alternator, and appears to have a > > > separate Motorola regulator mounted on the bulkhead. I've been > > > thinking of replacing the regulator with an adjustable one so I can > > > set the charging voltage higher when cruising. I also looked at the > > > Xantrex 3-stage alternator regulator but it's rather expensive... > > > > > > Does anyone have any experience with regulators on the Farymann? > > The > > > alternator shows 35A rating on the stamped plate in case that > > matters. > > > Any suggestions for a replacement regulator to get some more > > charging > > > power? > > > > > > (I have two Trojan AGM-31's now in a combined battery bank, equals > > > somewhere over 200AH.) > > > > > > Richard Anderson > > > "Sleipnir" > > > 1975 Cal 2-29 > > > Everett, WA > > > http://pics.livejournal.com/techsavvy/pic/0004sec8/t9678z > > > > > >