Time for a New House

[britinusa]

Confused (not difficult)
Looks like I'm gong to have to connect the new batteries before I complete my wiring diagram so that I can tell if all of the electronic components of the Link 2000R system are online.
Just to recap:
The system has the following electronic components
Freedom 20 Charger / Inverter
Heart Interface LINK 200-R
Ideal Regulator Output Module 12/24v
Incharge 3 stage Regulator
Blue Sky Solar Boost 25Amp MPPT Solar Controller

But today, when I pulled out the upper electrical panel (above the main electrical panel) I found an AMP-HOUR+2 circuit board that is connected into the system. It appears to be wired according to the Manual diagram.
The Heart Interface Manuals show that AMP board but do not show the Ideal Regulator Output Module(IROM) 12/24v
The IROM only appears to have a single phone cord type connection to it. Not yet figured out where it goes, but I have a feeling that it's a legacy module and not required (please pipe up if you know better)

Anyone got a similar system and have both the Ideal Regulator Output Module & the Incharge 3 Stage Regulator??

Thanks.

Paul

[Stu Jackson]

Paul, is Ample Power still alive in Seattle?  They'd know for sure, with a phone call.

[britinusa]

Stu, I have spent toooo many hours following links and reading everything I can find, but I did not find your wiring diagram. Any chance you could post a link here?

And...
Here's a link to the PDF version of my system wiring diagram (from the Link 2000 Manual)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzhALZsJd3D4UWw5WmpIaTBBUVk/view?usp=sharing

As you can see, it does not show the Heart Interface - Ideal Regulator Output Module 12v/24v, so I'm wondering if it's just a piece of legacy equipment.

Paul

[Jon W]

Hi Paul,
I'm a little confused because I see both drawn in the schematic. Note 6 is a typical engineering note to cover items not the focus of what they were hired to engineer/install. If I were you I would take the time to follow all the in's and out's to make sure I understood what is connected and why. Just my two cents.

[Stu Jackson]

Stu, I have spent toooo many hours following links and reading everything I can find, but I did not find your wiring diagram. Any chance you could post a link here?

Cleverly hidden in the Electrical Systems 101 topic

Stu's Wiring Diagram  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,4623.msg27335.html#msg27335   

[Stu Jackson]

And...
Here's a link to the PDF version of my system wiring diagram (from the Link 2000 Manual)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzhALZsJd3D4UWw5WmpIaTBBUVk/view?usp=sharing

As you can see, it does not show the Heart Interface - Ideal Regulator Output Module 12v/24v, so I'm wondering if it's just a piece of legacy equipment.

Paul, I'm confused.  The PDF shows the BIG box in the middle of the page that says:  Ideal Regulator Output Module.  The Link 2000R difference from the regular Link 2000 (that I have) is the connection to that alternator external regulator.

Am I missing something here?

You earlier wrote:  Anyone got a similar system and have both the Ideal Regulator Output Module & the Incharge 3 Stage Regulator??

Is it the two different things that have you stumped?  That's why I suggested calling Ample.  Have you looked at their website?

[britinusa]

Here's my cause for confusion...

The first image show two Heart devices

The second image shows the AMP-HOUR+2 circuit board.

The diagram only shows 3 devices, the Link 2000 Monitor/Controler, The Regulator & the AMP-Hour+2 circuit board but my system physically has a 4th device and appears to only have a single (ribbon) connection (plus the Freedom Inverter)

Yesterday I was able to reinstall the batteries. I had to make up new interbattery cables (the new battery terminals are in a different configuration, the old series & parallel cables were too short.) Everything appears to be working.


This morning I'm going to install the ProMarininer Galvanic Isolator and charge the batteries. And that leads to another question.

When I apply shore power and press the Link Charge button and then the Amps Button then Battery 1 shows 33amps and Battery 2 shows 3amps (Battery 2 is the Starter Battery that appears in good condition despite being a 11/09 battery )

That would indicate (IMHO) that the batteries are both being charged from the Freedom Inverter - I didn't think that it had the option to charge 2 batteries (hence why I purchased, not installed yet, an ACR)
Plowing my way through the Freedom Manual and the two Link Manuals.

Paul

[KWKloeber]

I didn't think that it had the option to charge 2 batteries

Paul

Jon the link system can handle 1 or 2 battery banks.

Ken

[britinusa]

We have the Freedom 20 - it can change a single battery bank (House) But it also has a built in Echo Charger specifically for a Start/Auxiliary battery - Both seem to be working fine now that I have replaced the House Battery Bank.

It's amazing what I can find by reading the fine manual! Still at a loss about the extra device not shown in the diagram.

Paul

[KWKloeber]

We have the Freedom 20 - it can change a single battery bank (House) But it also has a built in Echo Charger specifically for a Start/Auxiliary battery - Both seem to be working fine now that I have replaced the House Battery Bank.

It's amazing what I can find by reading the fine manual! Still at a loss about the extra device not shown in the diagram.

Paul

Paul (ie, Jon, sorry -- too many customers, too little brain left.)  While you're scratching around behind there, I noticed that the selector switch has light terminals UNDER the large lugs (looks like they might be simply shoved under them and 'clamped down'?  Completely backwards -- you might want to address that -- batteries and power posts should be built up from the heaviest lug to lightest terminal end, so that the greater current flow is next to the power conductor, and the lowest current flow is next to the nut/lock washer.  Oftentimes there an issue really tightening down on a light terminal -- you can add an extra nut for the lighter terminals atop the battery cable lug nut -- use jam (thin) nuts if necessary.

ken

[britinusa]

Thanks Ken.
Good catch.

Note also the horrid sticky electrical tape! I'm planning on reorganizing the entire wire run when time permits. I still have a few 'wire nuts' to remove from the 110v system!

Paul

[britinusa]

Making progress.

We spent Monday, Tuesday and this morning on the boat, the week got cut short due to lying weather forecasters!

The last paragraph of the Link 2000-R Optional Regulator Manual suggests having a backup Regulator and recommend the Heart Interface Incharge three stage charging Regulator!!

So, it looks as though the PO installed the spare regulator and connected it to the alternator to test it and never reconnected it to the Main regulator.

I have reached out to the PO asking if it the backup was connected as a test (as recommended in the manual) and never reconnected to the main device or did the main device fail and he switched over to the backup unit.

Note: The Main Regulator is connected to the Link 2000 Terminal circuit board via an 8 wire ribbon cable (RJ45) but the spare regulator is not connected to the Link 2000.

Hopefully the PO will respond and I'll know if I can just reconnect it to the main and keep the backup just in case or if I need to purchase a new main regulator to replace a faulty  one.

Paul

[Mike and Joanne Stimmler]

Paul, you really need to get rid of those wire nuts ASAP. They have a reputation for setting boats on fire!

Mike

[britinusa]

Wirenuts - Nuts! Agreed.

and updates continue.... Just heard back from PO - He did not install the backup regulator because the main failed, so that would indicate that the main is just fine.

Looking at the wiring, the Regulator Output Module (part of the Link 2000-R System) was probably never connected up as the shunt wires do not exist! Whereas the stand alone 3 stage regulator is connected to the alternator.

My plan is to wire up the alternator shunt (have to find it first) to the Output Module and then disconnect the backup regulator and connect up the Output module and test everything out.

Paul

[britinusa]

More research on the boat.

The Shunt for the alternator is in place but has never been connected to the regulator (their are no witness marks on the two small screws on the shunt!)

Next research is to find out where the cables from the alternator go (to the Off-1-All-2 switch) or directly to the battery. Going to be fun tracing those wires.

Paul