[C320-list] Balmar Alternator and Starter Battery upgrade

Wed Nov 27 10:33:35 PST 2013

it made to the email list both times…

Fair Winds
Chris Burti
Commitment
Catalina 320, #867

From: danny jensen
Sent: ‎Wednesday‎, ‎November‎ ‎27‎, ‎2013 ‎12‎:‎50‎ ‎PM
To: 320

For some reason my previous post did not make to google groups c320-list
so I'm posting one more time. 

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
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