V3 will not switch to float

[dvkall]

Dear Ample power,
My V3 will not switch to float. I've only seen it once or twice happen. I have 420 amp hours of Gels in the house battery and right now I am charging (as per my EMON) 1.6 amps into the batteries. From my reading of your books it should have switch to float awhile ago. I'm currently running about 20 amps overhead of house power on top of the setup. What changes do I need to do to make ensure the SAR V3 functions correctly.

Thanks,
Dave Kall

[Coulomb]

What is the green LED showing? What is the battery voltage?

There are a number of factors that control when the V3 switches to float. Depending on the battery bank dip switches, it can take an hour or more.

The float decision is made within the microcomputer. If the regulator is functioning at all, then the microcomputer is working. It is extremely unlikely that part of the program within the microcomputer has failed.

You can always manually put the unit in float and check the voltage.

[dvkall]

The voltage was 13.9 +/- 0.03 volts and as I said when I looked the amps being input into the battery was less then 1% of the battery capacity. As the voltage was not changing at that time but moving around the 13.9 setting. I am not using the EMON to run the SAR V3 as I didn't get the idea there was any value in doing such from reading your literature.

The setting are for Deka Gels which the batteries are and I am in the Tropics - French Polynesia now. I will look at the LED lights tomorrow when I run the generator again near topping off the batteries and report back then.

Thanks

[dvkall]

The green light appears steadily on. The Amber light is activated after about 5 seconds.

In anticipation of the next step I've completed the table from: http://www.amplepower.com/trouble/sarv3/index.html but do not see how the explanation connects to the notes as there are no numbers designating which notes apply. Sorry I'm so dense. Being in the middle of the Pacific seems not to help me.

So here are the results filling in from the table
[list]Pin All off All on Engine Running
1 Parellel 0.02 0.01 12.84
2 On/Off 0.01 11.05 12.21
3 Ground 0.01 0.04 0.20
4 B+ 12.24 11.61 13.41
5. Field 0.01 7.05 5.8
6 Alt Gnd 0.01 0.05 0.2
7 Lock 0.01 0.04 0.19
8 Bat Volt 12.25 12.16 13.69
9 T-Blk 0.01 0.04 0.18
10 T+Rd 3.03 3.06 2.83
11 ABS 0.01 0.04 0.17
12 Err Lmp 0.35 0.37 0.19
13 Stat Lmp 4.39 3.92 4.5
14 Limit 0.01 0.04 0.17
15 EQL 0.01 0.04 0.17

House Bat Voltage at time of measurements 12.24

Batteries 4 Deka Gel wired in parallel Total 420 amp hours

[Coulomb]

Ground and Alt Gnd both measure 0.2 Volts with the engine running. This indicates that both are connected together rather than run as separate wires. That 0.2 comes out of the battery setpoint.

The battery voltage at the input is 13.69 which would be 13.89 if the Ground were connected per the wiring diagram.

The 0.2 Volts at Ground also affects the temperature reading, which is apparent from the readings.

Fixing the wiring will lead to better performance.

[dvkall]

Ok, this is where I get confussed. I have the Ample Power DAC. I have a main engine alternator and a DC generator. The DAC diagram shows (Aug 16th, 2005) shows the Alt Ground Connected to Ground-Reg on the DAC and that ground wire runs to the Negative Distribution Post. On the SAR V3 of Feb 1, 2000 the diagram shows the ground going to the Negative Distribution post. I have both wires running to the same spot as you have correctly surmised.

Are you suggesting that I take the Alt Ground wire that runs to the DAC and then connect that wire to each engine Negative post? Rarely do I run both engines at the same time. Would I be able to run either wire through a switch? I am running one regulator with two alternators as it appears the DAC is intended to do.

Thanks for your succinct answers and I feel finally I'm on the road to having this system run correctly.

[Coulomb]

You must be measuring at different points than what the regulator sees or there wouldn't be a difference in the readings when the engine is running.

If you're measuring at the battery, but the regulator ground is at negative distribution then you'll see some difference depending on the amount of alternator current.

[dvkall]

For the table I made from your diagnostic tool I measured from the screw pin on the regulator to the ground on the house battery. Today I wired only the the alternator to the ground + of the DAC that feeds the Alt Ground on the SAR V3. The unit went to float. Thanks

In the next day or so I will combine the Alt Ground wires of both alternators at a separate post and feed that to the Ground in the DAC that feeds the Alt Ground. I think this will be my last connection to this setup to work correctly.... I hope.

The two diagrams I mentioned; one shows the DAC with the alternator ground joining at a negative distribution post and I believed that the Negative distribution post was the same as in the SAR V3 diagram where the ground for the Regulator attaches to the Negative distribution post. I will let you and the forum know the results but for the first part it is the first time I"ve seen FLoat in a long, long, long time. Thanks