Ample Power Regulator

[berwick]

Hi, A new to me boat has an Ample Power Regulator SARV3, I don't have much on it and they seem long out of business.

I take it this is a 2 stage and not 3 stage regulator?

Does anyone know what the actual voltages for each of the batteries settings (vice lead acid, gel etc)?

thank you

Richard

[jcapo]

Originally Posted by berwick

Hi, A new to me boat has an Ample Power Regulator SARV3, I don't have much on it and they seem long out of business.

I take it this is a 2 stage and not 3 stage regulator?

Does anyone know what the actual voltages for each of the batteries settings (vice lead acid, gel etc)?

thank you

Richard

Google reveals many links to manuals. Here is one of them:

https://manualzz.com/doc/7449313/view-manual-as-pdf

[berwick]

Yes I do have that particular manual but it doesn't say if it is a 2 or 3 stage regulator and doesn't give actual values of the battery setting, was hoping someone would have this other information,

thank you

Richard

[kenbo]

It is a 3-stage regulator. Davis Smead, the developer was a big believer in gel batteries and that's why there are so many presets for gels. What type of chemistry/brand are the batteries you are charging?

[Bowdrie]

I too have an ancient Ample Power regulator.
It is a 3-stage, but probably pre-dates yours, (the model # and serial # are hand-lettered on the label,) it's ~30 years old and works like a charm.
I'd have to dig up the paperwork, but IIRC there was a tiny dipswitch under the cover that you set for the type of batteries you were using.
The exact voltage for each step escapes me at the moment.

[berwick]

I am using it to charge Trojan Golf Cart T105's. Thanks for the info on it being a 3 stage, nothing in the manual about actual voltages when the dip switches are set though,

thank you

Richard

[kenbo]

Richard,

Use the dip switch setting for thick plate liquid and your be fine. I don't believe the Vset will be 14.8 like Trojan specs but David was pretty aggressive with his charge settings. His marketing slogan was "a fast, full charge" fast = high set points.

[berwick]

Ok will try that setting then, to bad they never put it down in the manual for future changes in batteries,

Richard

[belizesailor]

Interesting. Im running 2 old Ample Power - Next Step regulators and their documentation is very detailed.