Installing Truecharge 40

[Mike Smith]

Problem Solved!  I went to Breezer today after brunch determined to track down what was wrong with my new Truecharge 40 and/or its installation.  I checked the AC at the dock and it was 119+.  The dockside cord checked out, as did the AC at the distribution panel, and at the splice to the Truecharge 40.  I read every word in the users manual and it seems the unit is pretty much bulletproof for low/high AC, spikes and surges.  So, no problem with the AC.  Since I was having problems with the charging cycle, I decided to check other features of the charger to see if they worked.  On the TC 40 you can set the lead output of the charger to 13.5VDC to run appliances not wired into the boat's electrical system, so I set it and measured the output at the end of the leads. Zero VDC.  Whoa! Bad new cable?  So, I contorted myself one more time underneath the nav table with my volt-ohm meter, measured the output at the lead connections at the base of the unit and found the problem.  Red and red do not equal 13.5VDC, they equal Zero!  

The Sentry charger I removed had four lead connections in a row at the base of the unit, one ground (black) and three positive (red), ground outboard.  The Truecharge 40 has four lead connections in a row at the base of the unit, one ground and three positive, ground INBOARD!  I knew the ground connection was at one end of the row of connections,  but the connection labels are at the end of the unit and consequently, when the unit is mounted on the bulkhead, they are upside down, and are invisible.  I had connected the leads to the battery banks wire for wire as in the original installation, ground, (black) outboard and the three positive (red) leads inboard.  I assumed (there's that phrase again) that the wiring sequence would be the same. Wrong!  Lessons learned: (1) When installing new electronics, slavishly follow the manufacturors' instructions and don't think the way things were wired before will work with the new equipment. (2) Don't be afraid to ask for advice when things don't seem to make sense. The more you know you know, the more you know you don't know!

Thanks for all your help!
Mike

[Stu Jackson]

GREAT

Now, think about how much more fun it would have been if you'd introduced the new yellow ground wiring!~

Super, enjoy.  Yes, time to get back in that danged hammock!!!

[Mike Smith]

Been out of town for a week.  I turned my new TC40 off to see if my old T105 batteries would hold a charge - they didn't, so they are getting replaced this next week.  Hopefully the TC40 won't trash the new ones like the old Sentry did!

Mike