[C320-list] Xantrex Truecharge 20+ Replacement ofProMarinerFlyback 20-3

[Robert E. Sloat]

Bruce-If it has the ProMariner and Flyback logo on the front then it is.  It 
is a black aluminum box made up of heat sink material with an analog amp 
meter on the front.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bruce Stanley" <brucestanley36 at gmail.com>
To: <C320-List at catalina320.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 6:11 PM
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Xantrex Truecharge 20+ Replacement 
ofProMarinerFlyback 20-3


> Hi Bob
> the hull #1084 was built in Florida in March 2006.
> I am not sure if it is the Flyback ... will it say on the casing?
>
> thanks
> Bruce Stanley
> Sydney Australia
>
> On Thu, May 15, 2008 at 8:44 AM, Robert E. Sloat <resloat at comcast.net>
> wrote:
>
>> Bruce-Good morning.  I will take some pictures and post them on the C320
>> site along with some technical talk.  When this is done I will post a 
>> note
>> here.
>>
>> I assume from your hull number you also have the Flyback.
>>
>> Bob Sloat
>> Savannah Hull 894
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruce Stanley" <
>> brucestanley36 at gmail.com>
>> To: <C320-List at catalina320.com>
>> Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:21 PM
>> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Xantrex Truecharge 20+ Replacement of
>> ProMarinerFlyback 20-3
>>
>>
>>
>>  Hi Bob
>>> Thanks for this most interesting Xantrex Truecharge installation report.
>>> Any chance of posting it on the C320 site ..........with as many photos 
>>> as
>>> possible? ....... the modifications to the cable connectors, the final
>>> installation, the 10 AWG / 16 AWG connections, and any other pointer to
>>> help
>>> illuminate this successful upgrade.
>>>
>>> thanks
>>> Bruce Stanley #1084
>>> Sydney Australia
>>>
>>>
>>> On Thu, May 15, 2008 at 6:00 AM, Robert E. Sloat <resloat at comcast.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>  A few comments on installing the Xantrex Truecharge 20+ which replaced
>>>> the
>>>> second Flyback 20-3 on my 2002 Hull 894. Many of the previous Xantrex
>>>> post
>>>> were helpful and a few additional comments on the installation are in
>>>> this
>>>> note. ProMariner has an upgraded battery charger that must compete with
>>>> the
>>>> Xantrex.  On the basis that two of the ProMariner Flyback 20-3's have
>>>> failed
>>>> since commissioning and that Catalina no longer uses this brand, I
>>>> decided
>>>> to make a change to Xantrex.
>>>>
>>>> The Xantrex appears to be a more modern design than the Flyback 20-3 
>>>> and
>>>> offers the following features that the Flyback does not have:  (1) a
>>>> battery
>>>> temperature monitor which shuts down the charger if the battery it is
>>>> attached to gets too high in temperature; (2) a remote panel display
>>>> which
>>>> can be mounted near the electrical panel to keep an eye on battery 
>>>> charge
>>>> and voltage when the charger is turned on, but not underway; (3) the
>>>> ability
>>>> to equalize flooded batteries with a simple push of a button; (4) the
>>>> ability to optimize battery charging depending on a preselected battery
>>>> temperature (hot, medium or cold); and (5) choice of three operation
>>>> modes -
>>>> bulk/absorption/float, bulk/absorption and fixed 13.5 volts.
>>>>
>>>> Like the Flyback it can work on up to three of the same type of 
>>>> batteries
>>>> (flooded, gel or AGM).
>>>>
>>>> I needed a longer mounting board (16" high X 10" wide) for the Xantrex
>>>> since its mounting height is longer than the Flyback.  I mounted the
>>>> board
>>>> directly over the original one for the Flyback unit.
>>>>
>>>>  The ground and battery connections on the Xantrex are much smaller 
>>>> than
>>>> the Flyback which has been noted by previous post.  My solution was to
>>>> not
>>>> remove the original crimped eye fittings from the battery cable
>>>> connectors
>>>> used for the Flyback installation.  I was able with the help of a good
>>>> sheet
>>>> metal cutters and a file to cut and shape the eyes down to a spade 
>>>> shape
>>>> which fit into the Xantrex battery and ground connections.  It took a
>>>> reasonable amount of patience to get this done.  To do this, cut the 
>>>> end
>>>> of
>>>> eye off leaving a stub and then cut and file the stub to the required
>>>> spade
>>>> shape.  Keep cutting and filing until the spade fits into the Xantrex
>>>> connectors and can be tightened down with the connector screws without
>>>> shaking loose.  This eliminated the clutter of a buss bar which needs 
>>>> to
>>>> be
>>>> protected from contact with any metal in the port cockpit locker.
>>>>
>>>> The cable connectors were covered with shrink tubing near the original
>>>> crimped connectors so no metal was exposed other than the spades which
>>>> fit
>>>> into the Xantrex connectors.  The formed spades were slightly bent so 
>>>> the
>>>> ground and battery cables when inserted into the Xantrex connections
>>>> would
>>>> clear a 3/4" thick strip of wood placed horizontally across the bottom 
>>>> of
>>>> the mounting board used to hold the cables in place.
>>>>
>>>> As in a previous post, 3/8" nylon cable clamps were used to mount the
>>>> ground and battery cables near to the strip of wood at the bottom of 
>>>> the
>>>> mounting board so they would not shake loose if hit by any flying 
>>>> objects
>>>> in
>>>> the port locker.  A few 1" nylon cable clamps were used to hold the 
>>>> three
>>>> battery cables along the inside of the hull in place.
>>>>
>>>> The AC lines on the C320 are 10 AWG which is much larger than the AC
>>>> wires
>>>> on the Xantrex which are 16 AWG.  The crimp connections supplied by
>>>> Xantrex
>>>> did not work so I used a set of insulated spade and female connectors
>>>> -one
>>>> side was crimp size for 10 AWG wire and the other side was for 16 AWG
>>>> wire
>>>> size.
>>>>
>>>> Overall, this installation looks like the clean factory install for the
>>>> Flyback without any additional connections or equipment or wires 
>>>> needed.
>>>>
>>>> Bob Sloat
>>>> Savannah Hull 894
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>