[C320-list] Alternator Upgrade questions - Balmar 70 110A

[Myron Welch]

Danny,

Congratulations on finishing the major electrical upgrade.  Your write up with fantastic pictures should be so useful to others wanting to do the same.  Glad I could be of some help along the way.

Myron


On Nov 26, 2013, at 9:27 PM, danny jensen <danny at jensenshouse.com> wrote:

> Myron,
> Thanks again for your schematics. My project is now complete and I have
> posted the schematic and step by step documentation on the C320 site.
> The scope of the project includes the following:
> 1.	Design and ordering parts
> 2.	Starting Battery installation
> 3.	House battery and Starting Battery Wiring with Xantrex Shunt and
> Blue Seas ACR 
> 4.	Xantrex Link Lite Battery Monitor Installation
> 5.	Conduit and Wire Pulling needed for Alternator
> 6.	Voltage Regulator Installation
> 7.	Alternator Installation of Balmar 6 series alternator
> 8.	Main Panel Wiring for amp meter
> 
> Here are the open access links to my project. Thanks again.
> http://www.mammothcondos.com/electrical-upgrade-c320.pdf
> 
> http://www.mammothcondos.com/schematic-c320.pdf
> 
> The schematic link is for people who want to blow up the schematic. The
> project .pdf has limited resolution.
> 
> Danny
> A Boa Vida
> Hull #972
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Myron
> Welch
> Sent: Friday, September 14, 2012 7:05 PM
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Alternator Upgrade questions - Balmar 70 110A
> 
> Danny,
> 
> I bolted an 8" section of 2X4 (turned sideways) under the fiberglass  
> seat bottom behind each battery.  I think this will be clearer when  
> you see the picture.  The pictures are from my iPad and the wiring  
> diagram is kind of hard to read, but you may be able to zoom (or  
> pinch) in and out to make it clearer. I have everything ready to go,  
> but I will not install the new group 27 battery until we launch next  
> spring.  All I have to do is move the wires from battery 2 to the new  
> start battery and attach the parallel cables to the 4D's.  Two things  
> were very helpful when doing this project: 1.) I made a clear wiring  
> diagram of the present wiring and a clear diagram of the new project  
> (without it, it would have been very easy to get confused from day to  
> day); 2.)  I traced all the wires and carefully labeled each end.  I  
> did the same for each new wire that I added.  I can now say that I  
> understand the DC system much better!  I'll send you a few pictures of  
> my iPad to you home address.
> 
> Myron
> 
> 
> On Sep 14, 2012, at 6:00 PM, danny jensen wrote:
> 
>> Myron,
>> Thanks for your comments. I've got Warren's great explaination on 12V
>> upgrade Project.docx on the C320 site. How did you secure the  
>> backboard
>> to the hull where you mounted your 250A bus bars?
>> Please if you have a wiring diag. it would be nice and any pics that  
>> are
>> unique showing you cable paths, bus bars etc. My email is.
>> 
>> NOSPAM-danny at dmgevents.com
>> 
>> Remove the NOSPAM-.
>> Danny
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com
>> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf Of Myron
>> Welch
>> Sent: Friday, September 14, 2012 2:40 PM
>> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com
>> Subject: Re: [C320-list] Alternator Upgrade questions - Balmar 70 110A
>> 
>> Danny,
>> 
>> I can't help you with the alternator question, but I just finished
>> adding a starter battery last week, so everything is still fresh in my
>> mind.  Warren Updike was most helpful with this project, along with
>> the information on the 320 website and the engineers at Blue Seas
>> Systems.
>> 
>> Here are just a few comments from your statements below:
>> 
>> I added the Blue Seas "add a battery" kit which included the #7610 ACR
>> and a new selector switch.  The choices on this switch are Off, On or
>> Combined.  When switched to On, all house loads are connected to the
>> paralleled house batteries, and the starter is connected to the
>> starter battery, which is somewhat foolproof as to where to set the
>> selector switch.
>> 
>> I have a Xantrex Truecharge 20 (will update to a 40 if this one stops
>> working).  Now that you have the ACR, you need only run one wire from
>> the charger to the house battery.  The ACR will charge the starter
>> battery as necessary from the house battery.
>> 
>> I did run a dedicated 2AWG wire from the alternator to the house
>> battery.  My research found that this was a better path and more
>> efficient. I attached the wire to house battery with a 200 Amp MRBF,
>> as per the recommendation of the Blue Seas engineer. Again the ACR
>> charges the starter battery from the alternator through the ACR as
>> needed.
>> 
>> I added a four post 250 Amp Blue Seas bus bar for each bank.  This
>> made for a neat installation.
>> 
>> Let me know if you would like to see my wiring diagram or pictures.
>> 
>> If I ever do an alternator upgrade, I'll be interested in your final
>> decisions.
>> 
>> Myron Welch
>> Wind Instrument #238
>> Iowa City, Iowa
>> Grace Memorial Harbor, Elk Rapids, Michigan
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> On Sep 14, 2012, at 12:15 PM, danny jensen wrote:
>> 
>>> All,
>>> Thanks for all the info on the c320 site re the alternator topic. My
>>> questions follow. Please answer anything you can. Thanks in advance.
>>> 
>>> Boat details
>>> C320 hull 972 2004
>>> Yanmar 3GM30F-YEU
>>> xantrex true charge 40
>>> Flooded Lead Acid 4D x 2 1 yr old
>>> 
>>> Project:
>>> I have decided add a starter battery per C320 site instructions
>>> (create
>>> house and starter bank) and then work my way aft to upgrade the
>>> alternator. 2 phase project.
>>> 
>>> Alternator:
>>> I'd like to go with the Balmar 110A alternator with the ARS-5-h
>>> voltage
>>> regulator purchased in kit part number 70-YP-110-KIT
>>> Balmar Alternator Kits Contain:
>>> Alternator 70 series
>>> Matching ARS-5-H voltage regulator
>>> 54" Wire harness
>>> MC-TS-A Alternator temperature sensor
>>> MC-TS-B Battery temperature sensor
>>> 
>>> I found this kit for $700.00 at East Coast battery and electric.
>>> http://www.eastcoastbattery.com/alternators.htm
>>> 
>>> Other Stuff:
>>> Blue Seas ACR #7610 between house and starter
>>> Xantrex linkLite with shunt
>>> Group 24 60ah or Group 27 92ah (not sure) will get from Sams Club?
>>> Xantrex truecharge 40 with 2 outputs connected to house and starter
>>> batteries
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Questions:
>>> 1. What is the best location to place the voltage regulator? The kit
>>> above only has a 54" harness. Looks like Jeff mounted the regulator
>>> next
>>> to the nav station. Other people mounted in engine area next to
>>> coolant
>>> res. How hard is it to extend the balmar 54" harness?
>>> 2. what size thickness and type of wood do you use for your  
>>> electrical
>>> backboards? How do you secure them to the hull? Type of screws used  
>>> to
>>> mount components/backboards?
>>> 3. Was the balmar 110A a drop in replacement with no shimming? Do you
>>> have a belt part number I can use? Do you chew up belts?
>>> 4. Best place to buy bus bars/fuses/connectors, battery strap etc, do
>>> you have Part numbers?
>>> 5. Do you have any details you can give me on interfacing the old
>>> alternator / boat wiring to the balmar harness (ground, power input,
>>> ignition, tack out)? Do we need to interface the tack wire from the
>>> Balmar reg to the boat? Is the tack output somewhat accurate? Cable
>>> path
>>> to dash lamp on Edison to flag charger malfunction
>>> 6. Location of existing negative bus bar on hull 972? Do I have one?
>>> Where should I locate the fuse protection for this neg bus bar?
>>> 7. Is it absolutely necessary to run alternator directly to house
>>> batteries? Or can I just leave it running to the switch?
>>> 8. Any custom configuration needed programming the Balmar Reg?
>>> 9. Other stuff I'm forgetting not covered on C320.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> Dr. Myron Welch
>> Director of Bands Emeritus
>> Professor of Music
>> Collegiate Fellow, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
>> The University of Iowa
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
> 
> Dr. Myron Welch
> Director of Bands Emeritus
> Professor of Music
> Collegiate Fellow, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
> The University of Iowa
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>