Good point, always read the instructions carefully. All of these system components are different and can have very different responses to the various configurations people might try with them.
Although the manufacturer's liturature doesn't always address the specific questions you might have about what you're trying to do, it is a good idea to study them. The Outback FM 80 MPPT charge controller also has a fairly complex charge strategy but the QuickCharger is pretty much just a transformer with a voltage monitor. I have noted in testing that the QuickCharger will trick the FM 80 into thinking the batteries are more charged than they really are but I seldom if ever run it when the sun is shining.
When you're dealing with what are essentially "experimental watercraft", sometimes you don't know if something is going to work or burn up when you try it the first time. So far I haven't let the smoke out of anything.
Carter
From: Matthew Geier <matthew@acfr.usyd.edu.au>
To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2013 2:15 PM
Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Re: Multiple source charge controller?
To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2013 2:15 PM
Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Re: Multiple source charge controller?
Just check the specs of your various items of equipment. My main charger
actually has note saying NOT to run it in parallel with any other
charging device (they mention solar), as it monitors the battery bank
pretty well ALL the time. I was advised that if I wanted to also do
solar charging to put a disconnect switch to remove the 240v charger
from the battery circuit first.
My charger has a particularly complex 'float' algorithm - it doesn't
leave the battery on trickle charge all the time, it actually turns off
completely and monitors the terminal voltage, only giving a 'gentle' top
up as required. It also maintains some sort of long cycle timer and so
doesn't always do an 'equalise' charge, with out looking at the manual,
I can't remember what that cycle was - although given the infrequent use
I make of my boat, every trip gets a full equalise charge cycle.
The upshot it, my charger would get confused and possibly even
damaged, if it was in parallel with a solar or wind charge controller.
I would imagine that Solar/Wind charge controllers are more likely to
cope with being paralleled, as having multiple power sources is more
common in the 'renewable' energy world, where as my main battery charger
is firmly in the 'grid connected' world.
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