The Mutts kicking my butt

[rickf]

Mark, did your buddy design any dedicated 24 volt charging systems? Not that it matters since this one will do the trick.

[ODRotorHead]

Rick,

To your first question (this is embarrassing to admit), I parked the MUTT and accidentally left the ignition switch on with the running lights also on. I didn't discover that for a couple of weeks and found both batteries completely drained. I didn't check for residual charge, but given the situation, I assumed it was zero. I've had the same experience as you with other electronic chargers, but in this case the batteries came right back up to full charge. The charger owner's manual doesn't address that situation so maybe I just got lucky - no bad cells.

I'm not sure how many different chargers he designed (they sold the house and moved back to Wisconsin a few years ago), but that manufacturer produces chargers for single 12V batteries as well as banks of two (24V) and banks of three (36V). The system I have is for a bank of two 12V batteries (their term is Dual Bank). The batteries can be connected in series, parallel, or stand alone, can be Flooded (Lead-Acid), AGM, or GEL, so there's a lot of versatility moving from one application to another. Regardless of the configuration, each battery is charged independently.

The only "restrictions" are that the batteries must be of the same type, and should be of the same age and condition. My charger is an older model and it's fairly heavy. That line of chargers has been redesigned several time over the years, so I can't speak to the reliability or functionality of newer models.

I'll attach a copy of the owner's manual for my manual as reference (page numbers are not in sequence).

As I mentioned earlier, I'm not endorsing this brand or model, but this TYPE of charging system has really worked well for me. Just one more option among many.

Mark

[rickf]

Went to the website and looked them over but could not find a price. Looking for a dealer gave me nothing so I tried to check the "web" search and it does not come up so I had to enter the company in Google to find them online. They are a bit pricey but if they work that is a good deal. I would go for the smaller series which are in the 160.00 range. But it looks to me like maybe the company was sold to a corporation? The Navico Group? If that is the case then sometimes I question the quality since corporations are all about the money and a lot of the time that is at the expense of original quality. Did a little more sleuthing and yup, made in China. Your buddy made his fortune and moved on. I see your manual says nothing about made in China, probably why it is heavy and has lasted so long.

From the description on the Amazon site for the Pro 8.

About this item
Crafted from the highest quality material
Perfect for outdoor and even indoor use
Made in China

And here is the text from the bottom of the user manual from the 365.00 Pro Tournament model.

Professional Mariner, LLC 15 Dartmouth Drive, STE 101 Auburn, New Hampshire 03032 TEL: 603-433-4440 FAX: 603-433-4442 www.promariner.com Made in China

[ODRotorHead]

...

[rickf]

The Chinese are quite capable of building very high quality electronics, They have done as much in space as we have or more. It is just that we continue to buy the cheap stuff so that is what they make for us, At a huge profit.

I think we have drug this thread pretty far off it's original track. Why don't you start a thread dedicated to all of the electrical stuff you are doing? As I mentioned in the PM, I would love to have you post up the wiring diagrams and I will make those a locked sticky so they stay at the top and do not get cluttered up. All the rest of your stuff can go in a thread dedicated to your improvements.

[ODRotorHead]

Happy to do that, but it may take a few (more) days.

If someone will be kind enough to send me (on loan) an original diagram of the A1 electrical system, I'll work up a CAD version for that too. Another option would be a scan of ~ 600 dpi. I need a reasonably high degree of detail to avoid making mistakes.

[Mark]

The diagram should be on this website (G838 Manuals) Aw, you probably have checked it out already!

[Horst]

Perfect material for the wiki

[rickf]

I sent you a PM with the one I have, PM me your e-mail and I can send a better version of it.

[Sundawg3]

Is the high quality A1 electrical schematic available?

[rickf]

Still waiting for the original poster to get them done and online. This is on his own time and I am sure it is a lot of work so it will be a bit.

[ODRotorHead]

Diagrams for the M151 (1960) and M151A1 (1971) have been submitted for review. As soon as someone has the time to proof read them and identify any errors, I'll make the required corrections and get them posted. Sorry it's taking so long. Still looking for original diagrams - especially one for the A1 from the late 60s (AUG 1968).

Mark