Regulator for 80 amp balmar alternator

[tchiffriller]

is there a cost effective regulator for a balmar 80 amp alternator?

my max charge 614 has been acting crazy, 17 volts for 15 min. then 12 growing to 13.5 then nothing

i have tested the alternator and it is good have been talking to the reps at balmar and after a factory reset of the unit the symptoms i have been giving them, they have suggested that the units software is corrupt

so im looking for a basic regulator that does not cost as much as the balmar

i just have standard wet cell batteries

thanks!

[smac999]

are you sure all the wires are good? maybe the battery sense wire is loose / bad?

what does the BV on the screen say when its' acting up? is it matching the battery voltage, moving up and down as well?

where is the 17v measured? alt output, battery? is the alt direectly connected to the same battery as the sense wire is reading? do you have a isolator inbetween alt and battery?

[Sternwake]

New Voltage Regulator for Ford Heavy Duty Transpo F540XHD | eBay

There are 4 terminals labelled I A S F
I......is for the idiot light

A..... is for the Always Hot. Run to battery (+) with minimum 14awg or thicker

S .....is the switched hot. This is supposed to be live with the engine running. Very little current on this terminal.

F..... This terminal goes to One of the two Field connections on the externally regulated alternator. The other field terminal must be grounded.

There are pigtails one can get. I used individual quick connects

The Voltage regulator case must be well grounded.


There is an internal 2K ohm potentiometer for adjusting voltage. 2 screws to remove lid and access it.

I got under the semi potted potentiometer, and nipped off its legs above the potting, soldered wires to legs, twisted them tightly , ran them through a ferrite, and ran them to a remote 10 turn 2K ohm Bourns potentiometer with turns counter.


Target voltage range is adjustable 12.8 to 15.3v.





I also attached a finned heatsink from an old CPU to the underside of the voltage regulator body, adjacent to heat producing transistors, and carry a spare.

In the wiring harness along field wire and ground wire, I added a K type thermocouple, and thermal epoxied the sensor end to my alternator casing. Can measure stator temperature with a digital multimeter or other device that accepts k type thermocouples.

https://www.amazon.com/upHere-4-Chan...eter+4+channel

Got a sensor on my battery, alternator, and voltage regulator heatsink and one channel free, so far.

With an Ammeter and voltmeter is it interesting to collect temperature data.

Low rpms and high loads and both VR and alternator temperature spike.

Battery temperature increase when high amp charging also much higher than I expected

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by smac999

are you sure all the wires are good? maybe the battery sense wire is loose / bad?

what does the BV on the screen say when its' acting up? is it matching the battery voltage, moving up and down as well?

where is the 17v measured? alt output, battery? is the alt direectly connected to the same battery as the sense wire is reading? do you have a isolator inbetween alt and battery?

Good questions. I'd also ask: where is the regulator mounted? If it's next to the engine, move it!

ITWMB, I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. Or get Balmar to "un-corrupt" it for you.

You might be interested in this:

Alternator Regulators - The Differences between ARS-5 and MC-614 Units (scroll UP to see reply #5)
External regulation | SailboatOwners.com Forums


The conclusions are pretty clear.

[smac999]

Originally Posted by Sternwake

New Voltage Regulator for Ford Heavy Duty Transpo F540XHD | eBay

so you have a single stage reg with no voltage sense and no battery or alt temp sensing...

buy another balmar if you can't fix what you have.

[Sternwake]

The Op did not want to spend the $$$.$$ on another Balmar and asked for a basic regulator.

The Sub 20$ transpo540HD is basic, and is also adjustable via the potentiometer inside the casing and easily able to handle the field current of his 80 amp balmar alternator.

The A terminal provides the power for the field current output AND acts as the voltage sense line. Thick copper to this A terminal from battery(+) can negate most of the voltage drop ~8 amps maximum of field current requires, especially if it is a short distance..

Not recommending this option over the automatic 3 stage Balmar, just stating it is an option, and easily wired in place of a failed Balmar, which the OPs unit appears to be.

Obviously the Balmar can fail. If at sea during failure, the 20$ transpo540 HD could be considered a get me home backup. With a little spit and shine and an additional external potentiometer it is a very functional and adjustable regulator, and has so far proved reliable.

I've no issue twisting a dial located next to my voltmeter to change voltage. Likely a thousand times better than an internally regulated alternator that drops voltage when hot and kills the battery via chronic undercharging.