Multiple Battery types and the danger of diode damage with modern batteries mixed with Lead Acid and OEM alternators.

BankManager™ Gen2? for an off grid multi battery system?​

RanchWelder said:

Bought a Power-Master 3 years ago because of charging adjust-ability, L/A vs AGM vs Lithium.
Had no idea what was going to be removed from the shelves because of EPA or lack of manufacturing.

PM is rated at 200 amps.
Never thought the idle voltage was a concern, TBH.
Can see how it matters.
Dim lights, having to throttle up to close the rear windows, even using relays on windows and headlamps?

Generating that extra voltage at idle must increase the heat under the hood at idle too?



From what I have read the Lithium is a poor investment and AGM, (although better reviews for the old school red tops that lasted 10 years or more), either one will fail prematurely without the proper "tuning or adjustment" of the alternator output voltage. (Like the PowerMaster offers, 13.8, 14.6, 14.9 and at different trickle rates, etc). Does this alternator adjust for Lead Acid and at least AGM?

Lithium seems to have issues, if not managed and cotrolled properly?
Not sure. Never owned one.
Highly doubt any old school alternator is designed to protect a Lithium cell.

Read they have a BMS (Battery Management System) stabilizer safety disconnect board that freaks out when it breaks loose from the alternator during charging and the alternator diodes can see 100 volts for a millisecond? Smoked alternator does not sound like a goood idea?

Lot's of sailing videos where they lost the alternator at sea because they were charging LifP04 or Lithium and stuff messed up the alternator diodes?

Many sailors recommend to never connect your solar cells to any standard controller and integrate the Alternator, for this reason. Mixing Lead Acid dual battery with an AGM or lithium, without a select-able alternator voltage such as the PowerMaster 200 amp offers, still requires you switch the alternator settings for each different type of cell, or you'll kill the one you're not switched for. Mix and match is a bad thing.

Here's a link to a load manager that protects the diodes in a mixed charging environment and when using different cells such as in a camper or when tied to a solar or wind generation scenario, with or without an alternator in the loop:
https://www.emilyandclarksadventure.com/bbms/buy

I'm looking at the older model that does not have Bluetooth, if my camper requires the better quality LifPo4 batteries, instead of stoopid heavy deep cell golf cart batteries or the deep cells that cost $250 and die every 2 years, with low re-charge life span count.

The LifP04 might require charging if it's overcast for a week and until I can afford solar cells, for the few days we get full sunny days?

It's cloudy here a lot.

Waiting for the cells to recharge everything while living off the grid might be better to protect the battery brain and alternator investing in a $500 charging controller (see the link) vs spending $500 on questionable quality solar cells, as recommended without an alternator and set up as a stand alone solar LifP04 system?

Don't get me wrong, stand alone solar to LiFp04 sounds safe and is used by millions.
Burning fuel to recharge the batteries off the alternator might save the week on quite a few weeks, without a power pole to recharge for miles?

What do you guys think of the

BankManager™ Gen2? for an off grid multi battery system?​

See the above link for the installation and owner's manual...

What works for you and your Sailboat, RV or Motor-home?

What do you avoid at all cost? (Brand names, system controllers, bad quality cells... etc?)

What would you like to own to upgrade your system for off-grid battery and charging /controllers?

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RanchWelder said:

Have heard many people cliam to leave the Batteryminder on all the time on stored vehicles and thought that was wrong info. The Shumacher $70 version I have had sucess with for a few years, has L/A and AGM mode and turns off as a minder after full charge. It has run flawlessly sitting under the hood in -40 weather keeping my battery just warm enough not to freeze. Wanted to change it because soem said the brand was poor quality, hoever even after getting snow under the endges of thehood a few times, it just works.

Been researching LiFEPO4 and converters today.

Sounds like the LOW Frequency Inverters are $680 for 12v for a reason, to protect from in-rush currents over the high voltage versions people use and have mixed reviews over. Just not within my price range.

Like the idea of conditioned power for my devices to run/charge on.

Considering 2 @ 12v group 31 batteries, (in case 1 drops out) and so I can get 24v, when upgraded.
1 good quality Inverter with expansion.
1 LiFEPO4 charger, if it will run off backup generator power without burning up?

Starts to get confusing as to what will and won't work.

Might have to build a switch, so my 12v Lithium batteries can be isolated from the truck batteries and my alternator adjusted to charge the Lithium exclusively off the alternator, when required.

The 200 amp alternator should be fairly quick to charge a pair of 12v Lithiums, over the generator, through the inverter, considering the generator is dirty A/C instead of clean-er DC alternated current?



My generator's are both the old school Coleman Green units that were sold for campers in the 90's.
Both run and generate great, however I cannot use them for charging my tools or running A/C for my phone charger or the computer without fear of destroying the devices.
Great for power tools, drills, saws, lights.
Concerned most modern electrical devices cannot handle the dirty A/C power my 2 genny's can produce?

Might not even be worth risking it, except as emergency power for the schumacher, if my truck battery gets low in the field? Carrying the boat anchor gas generator sounds more and more like a waste of time?

Will my generator ruin my Schumacher?
It runs great off houshold A/C. What happens off a generator without a power conditioner?

What do you guys think?

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Ricko1966 said:

Buy a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) run it off your generator and run your 120volt stuff off the UPS it will clean up the signal. Now just buy coincidence I have a few generators and a schumacher battery charger,mine is old,no leds, I used before I built the battery/alternator/Honda engine rig. I used the generator to the battery charger to my deep cycle,with out issues. But the Honda engine spinning the 12SI was just more efficient.

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