As an authorized Balmar dealer, Boundless Outfitters can install and service your charging system in South Florida! Check out our Yacht Services page for more details.
Balmar - Making The Most Of Your Charging System
Like most complex systems, your vessel’s electrical charging system not only dictates how much energy you’ll have to operate your on board electrical demands - it also has a major impact on how many batteries you can effectively charge, and how long it will take to bring those batteries back to a fully charged state.
Balmar high output alternators and smart, multi-stage voltage regulators enable the sail boater to maximize the available charging output for house and starting batteries by providing the greatest amount of charging current possible without overwhelming the limited capabilities of the engine and drive belt.
Twin engine application, like cruising powerboats and multi-hull sailboats, offer the advantage of two alternators which, when properly balanced and controlled, can provide twice the charging capacity for larger battery loads.
By integrating two high-output Balmar alternators and smart Max Charge voltage regulators with Balmar’s Centerfielder II, the power boater and multi-hull sailor can effectively double the charging power that’s available to charge large house battery banks.
70-150 Amp, 12 & 24 VDC Built within the 6-Series alternator is a patented Smart Ready™ internal regulator that's always ready as a primary regulator or as a backup to take over in the unlikely event that your external regulator fails.
80-110 Amp, 12 VDC Dual internally fanned 7-Series 12-volt alternators are an excellent choice in applications where high output and extra cooling are needed.
Balmar System packages make it easier than ever to ensure a proper match, deliver better performance and provide more trouble-free installation.
Single & Dual V-Belt Groove Pulleys, as well as Serpentine Belt Pulleys for your Balmar High-Output Marine Alternator.
What do Balmar smart regulators do?
Smart voltage regulators, like Balmar’s Max Charge and ARS-5, use electrical current to magnetize an alternator’s rotor and stator. The alternator’s rotor creates alternating (AC) current as it turns within the stator that’s converted into DC electrical energy which can used to charge batteries. During the time that the alternator is charging the batteries, the voltage regulator constantly monitors the battery voltage and adjusts alternator output to bring batteries to a fully charged state. Unlike a simple, single-stage regulator found in an automotive alternator, Max Charge and ARS-5 regulators are designed to provide specific multi-voltage charging profiles that are customized for many of the different battery technologies commonly found in marine vessels. As the alternator and regulator provide the battery/batteries with a source of charging energy -- and the level of discharge is diminished -- the batteries develop greater resistance. The regulator works to overcome that resistance by increasing the charging voltage to the highest level that the battery can safely be exposed to. One of the core responsibilities of the voltage regulator is to ensure that the charging voltage meets, but does not exceed that (target) voltage. How do Balmar smart regulators work? Typically, the regulator begins its cycle when the engine starts. After a short start delay (which allows the engine and belts to warm up), the regulator begins to apply field current to the alternator’s positive brush, causing the alternator to supply charging output to the batteries. After charging for a set time period, the regulator begins to perform calculations based on three primary criteria:
Whether the system has reached the target voltage for 1.that battery technology
Whether it has been able to maintain that target voltage 2.for specific time period, and,
How hard the regulator is having to drive the alternator 3.to maintain that voltage (field percentage).
If, at the time of calculation, the Balmar regulator is able to meet its target goals, the regulator will advance to the next stage of charging requirements. If not, the regulator will continue to drive the alternator at a high level until the calculated goals are met.
