B38 Penta D2-55 alternator wiring.

[icarusbop]

Hello:

I'm trying to fit a battery charging manager to my boat.
I need to connect to the "F" terminal on my alternator, but there is not one labelled.
My alternator label has worn off, so I don't know what type/model it is, but it looks like the original 2004 factory fitted unit. There is embossed test on the rear of the rectifier saying "Made in France  Brevets DEP"
The lack of labelling in making it difficult to get hold of the manual, does anyone know what the make/model of this alternator is please?

I have the current labels on the terminals "B+, B-, W & D+"
On the B+  connection there Is a yellow wire on a spade connector that goes back inside the regulator case.
Just next to the B- terminal is a separate Screw terminal, with a black wire on it that goes back inside the regulator case.

I wonder if one of there two is the F terminal?

Thanks for any advice

Regards
IcarusBop

[Impavidus]

IcarusBop.
You may find this useful, it looks like it covers your alternator. 

http://www.adverc.co.uk/cm/files/pdf/Adverc_installation_basic.pdf

Hope this helps.

Ant.

[tiger79]

Before you mess about modifying your regulator to connect the battery charging manager, have you measured what voltage the alternator is supplying now?  If it's around 14.3-14.5v, you won't see any great improvement with an add-on system.  As I recall, the D2-55 has an electronic charge controller as standard, and should be supplying an adequate charge voltage.

[Lyra]

Don Casey in his book "sailboat electrics simplified" (or something like that) provides cross reference to the various names manufactures mark the alternator terminals.
Unfortunately my copy of the book is at the boat now, but maybe someone else here has this book (which is highly recommended to every boat owner).

[altertraum]

I fitted a 130A Sterling Alt 2 Batt Charger to my VP D-55 and its working fine. Before I had installed a 80-A-charger of the same type and occured a lot of troubles, mainly the alternator temperature going up to more then 120 degrees C. Now the alternator temperature never exceeds 70 degrees.

[patprice]

Hello Altertraum

My B42 year 2000 has a VP 55 and likely the same alternator as you have. A Valeo A13N Model 147M. Might be 60 A.

I have a new Sterling AB 1280 which I am about to fit. Is this the same scenario that gave you problems? Then you fitted an AB 12130?

Help and advice will be very much appreciated.

[altertraum]

Yes, patprice, this is right.

First, I had a Sterling AB 1280 and got these troubles with my Valeo alternator (as I am actually not on the ship I can't confirm the type of alternator, but I think it is a 60-Amp-Valeo). I returned the device to Sterling and they sent me a new AB 1280. Again the alternator showed temperatures up to more then 120 degrees and I got alarms from the remote control, which stopped the device working and the alternator charging.

In the third act Sterling upgraded me on the bigger model AB 12130, and since then all the issues are gone. I am charging my 520-Amp-AGM-bank since four years without troubles. Batteries and alternator seem to be happy.

But keep in mind: my experiences with the AB 1280 are about 4 years old. Maybe Sterling changed something for the AB 1280, so hopefully your story is done in one act.

[patprice]

Thanks Altertraum. I guess I will give mine a try!

[altertraum]

  Yes, patprice, and please let me know, how the things are unfolding ...

[patprice]

And one more thing Altertraum, please. Did you fit your unit in the engine room, below the water overflow tank? Where the splitter was.

[altertraum]

No, as I feared the temperatures in the engine room (and the neighborhood of the water in the overflow tank), I fitted the unit on the board under the first step of the companionway, that means outside the engine room.     

Small disadvantage of this location: With the 2 AB 1280 units I faced some noise by the built-in fans. The AB 12130 is quiet.

You need just 2 holes in the board for the cables (1 per side). Use a slack of at least 20 cm in the connection-cables, so you can easily take away the board with the first step, for example for changing your impeller. 

I left the splitter on its original place, just in case I would ever need it again ... but I didn't.

[altertraum]

Patprice, if you send me your e-mail-adress, I can send you a short movie showing where I fitted the unit exactly and also the "noise" of the AB 1280

[patprice]

Great and thanks Altertraum that is very generous of you.

pendulum771(at)gmail.com

Thanks again

Pat

[altertraum]

Pat, you have an e-mail

[icarusbop]

Before you mess about modifying your regulator to connect the battery charging manager, have you measured what voltage the alternator is supplying now?  If it's around 14.3-14.5v, you won't see any great improvement with an add-on system.  As I recall, the D2-55 has an electronic charge controller as standard, and should be supplying an adequate charge voltage.

This is exactly the unit I'm trying to connect, I already have the manual thanks. In the diagrams at the end of the Alternators the one labelled "Paris Rhone"  is very similar to my alternator, but my alternator does not have an exposed "F" terminal, and the diagram does not make it clear what to connect to.

However, this has given me a lead on the type of alternator I have, and a search on the model has uncovered an interesting point - the Yellow wire on my alternator needs to be disconnected from the B+ terminal and connected to one of my batteries instead as I have a split charging diode on-board.

Thanks for your help.

[icarusbop]

Don Casey in his book "sailboat electrics simplified" (or something like that) provides cross reference to the various names manufactures mark the alternator terminals.
Unfortunately my copy of the book is at the boat now, but maybe someone else here has this book (which is highly recommended to every boat owner).

Hello thanks - I didn't know the alternator had an electronic regulator.
The battery manager is already on-board the boat, it was there when I bought her, but the previous owner never connected it up. So it's not going to cost me anything to fit it, do you think there would be no positive impact if I do because of the electronic regulator?