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  1. tpenfield

    LiFePO Batteries ???

    All Set . . . (I hope) I added a 100 Ohm resistor and a 14 volt Zener diode to the FET activation circuit to regulate the activation voltage. It seems to be working as intended. I installed the remote display panel for the EPEver. It is mounted to the wet bar, as that was about the 'best'...
  2. tpenfield

    LiFePO Batteries ???

    Update . . . Still messing with the Victron ArgoFET isolator . . . It looks like the activation voltage/current is what is charging/maintaining the starter batteries. As such, it is over charging them. The internal aspects of the ArgoFET are a bit of a mystery, as it is not well documented...
  3. tpenfield

    Any tips to release fuel tank stuck by floatation foam

    I have used a variety of methods, including a strap underneath the edge as well as wedges made of 1x3 lumber pounded in underneath. It all depends on how much space you have to work with. Those were on metal fuel tanks. I am not sure poly will hold up to the forces need to break the tank...
  4. tpenfield

    LiFePO Batteries ???

    I got the remote monitor today . . . hooked it up. Just got to find a place to install it. . In other news, I have figured out that the starter batteries were charging via the voltage from the FET isolator 'activation' feed. I've experimented with a few resistors to get a voltage drop. 220...
  5. tpenfield

    LiFePO Batteries ???

    Quick Update . . . The ArgoFET isolator is being the source of some frustrations . . . essentially the solar system is overcharging the starter batteries and I believe the FET isolator is the source of the issue. The documentation on the innerds of the ArgoFET is very light, but possibly it...
  6. tpenfield

    LiFePO Batteries ???

    I've only had the system up and running for 1 day and I am already tired of opening the engine hatch to look at the solar charging status. So, I ordered the remote panel for the EPEver.
  7. tpenfield

    Coolant Disappearing, need help

    In order to find the leak, you can do another pressure test and listen for the air escaping. You may need a mechanics stethoscope in order to locate it.
  8. tpenfield

    LiFePO Batteries ???

    An interesting thing happened this morning as I was running the engines to purge some de-scaler solution (an annual ritual for many of us salt water folks). The starboard alternator started putting out voltage. It happened when I rev'ed the engine up to around 800-1,000 RPM . . . it basically...
  9. tpenfield

    Wealth preservation,....

    Over the past few years my Admiral has wanted to purge a lot of the 'junk' that we have accumulated. I recently threw away my college engineering books. They had been in a box untouched for over 40 years and moved from place to place.:oops: I think every generation has to deal with purging...
  10. tpenfield

    LiFePO Batteries ???

    OMG . . . it's working !!! :D I re-installed the off-grid panel and got it all wired up. Installed my cable splice thingy on the port engine key switch and gave it a test. . . The charger was in bulk mode for a while, then shifted to absorption mode. In bulk mode, the alternator was...
  11. tpenfield

    Wealth preservation,....

    When my FIL passed, one of the family members asked when "the reading of the will" would be. I got a good laugh out of that one . . . they've been watching too much television. :rolleyes: Getting back on-topic . . . When you get to a point where you are beyond your working years, you do get...
  12. tpenfield

    Flooring Repair/Rejuvenation

    Boat envy is a difficult thing. :LOL: Next time you shop for a boat, keep that in mind. I agree with the others, what you see is what you got.
  13. tpenfield

    Alternator or switch?

    When the condition exists, Check the voltage at the battery, and if you can, the voltage across the switch. The switch contact may have become slightly corroded and operating the switch 'cleaned' the contacts. See if the condition re-occurs and then check the voltages.
  14. tpenfield

    LiFePO Batteries ???

    Quick update . . . I took the 'off-grid' panel out of the boat and did the re-wiring as planned. . . So . . . the DC-DC charger will be activated when the port engine ignition is on. The port engine used to be in charge of charging the inverter bank, now it is in charge of charging the...
  15. tpenfield

    Four winns question info please

    You are right about the not-so-straight answers . . . Folks don't really know, and the manufacturers keep quiet about the details of construction. Drilling a few small test holes in the stringers & transom from within the inside of the hull will tell the story. A 17 foot boat will have foam...
  16. tpenfield

    4.3 LX water in the oil...

    Best to get the leak tester and get some numbers, but the milkshake oil may be telling the story.
  17. tpenfield

    LiFePO Batteries ???

    I am not sure. I was having some charging trouble last year, but I never diagnosed it. During my initial testing, the starboard alternator voltage fluctuated (over voltage, then under voltage) and created a bunch of warnings in the VesselView. After I shut the engine down and cleared the...
  18. tpenfield

    LiFePO Batteries ???

    No it is right out in the open . . . easy-peasy. The V-P alternator lists for $700, but it is basically a $125 alternator.
  19. tpenfield

    LiFePO Batteries ???

    Back in the day . . .when I was in college working summers at an electronics company that made/sold A/D and D/A converters . . . we used to write "NFG" on the parts that failed final test. One of the managers questioned our use of profanity, and we said . . . it means "Not Functioning Good"...
  20. tpenfield

    LiFePO Batteries ???

    Looks like the starboard engine's alternator is NFG (Not Functioning Good). Mercury part # is 8M0095472, the Alternator itself looks to be a Delco . . . Part #8600612. Port side is A-OK. I'm going to check fuses, but it looks like I get to replace the alternator . . . buried under the heat...
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