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Re: [Amel Yacht Owners] Re: Victron Auto Isolation Transformer

Colin - ex SV Island Pearl
 

Bill

I have one of these on board, the 3600w Victron Islolation transformer version on your data sheet, but the version with physical jumpers to move internally to select between 110v/220v input.

To be honest, it has been on board for over a year and I have yet to install it, as we have been at anchor mostly and it will really become most usefull to me when we reach the east coast of USA where I may leave the boat in a marina for a few months.

The 3600w version is pretty heavy and I've been trying to find a suitable position for it. My current plan is to bolt it on the shelf up behind the Onan generator, bolted through the fwd wall of the life raft (200L spare diesel in my case  in jerry cans) locker as that is close to the shore power input cable box. My only issue is that I already have so much weight on that side as I often have the spare fuel full at present crossing so many oceans.

Also, I have not yet worked out how to best connect it into that special Amel shore power junction box........waiting for someone smarter with electronics (like you!) to do it first so I can copy you. I never just let any marine electrician loose on Island Pearl until I am sure that the Amel Guru's on this site have already pioneered connections in the correct "AMEL" way.

After seeing my unit (and trying to purchase it off me...which I refused) a good cruising friend in Malaysia purchased and installed the exact same unit on his boat. He has been extremely satisfied with it since.

Very keen to follow this thread and see where and how you connect it Bill. These are the most solid and robust isolation transformers you can purchase with the added advantage of a very heavy duty 110/220v transformer you can trust, however from what I have been advised, it is better to go with the 3600w instead of the 2000w

Best regards

Colin Streeter
SV Island Pearl II, Amel 53 #332
Gan, Addu Atoll, Maldives
(leaving for Chagos this next week)

On Thu, Apr 26, 2018 at 11:03 PM, john.biohead@... [amelyachtowners] <amelyachtowners@...> wrote:
 

Porter. (and Bill)  forgive me if I am jumping in at the wrong point.  


Porter the transformer is for regulating shore power onto the boat.  It gives one the option to use different voltage inputs on the SP cable and get 220/230v supplied to the boat's AC distribution panel. Charging the battery is a different matter.

 Porter, I installed the MagnaSine  4124 inverter-charger over Christmas (2017) and have had good experience with it so far.  I corresponded a lot with Bill Kinney during the installation trying to make sure I did not foul up the Amel bonding set up.  I think we worked through it OK.  The unit is wired between the auto transfer switch (the one that selects the generator or shore power for AC) and acts as a charger if AC is present upstream (from SP or the genset,) or as an inverter if there is no other source of AC.  I set it up to be the "whole house" inverter so it supplies the main AC distribution panel.   We routinely run the microwave, vacuum, food processor...etc from the battery.    I paid about $1900 USD  for the unit plus the remote control unit, which you will need.

As a charger it supplies 63 amps to the battery at the start and ramps down as the battery voltage comes up.  It is programmable so you can set it to which ever battery type you have.   We have AGMs and it does the absorb phase at 28.6V then floats at 26.5V  We run in it in parallel with a 40A charger to speed things along at the start. 

I installed the unit in the engine room forward port side.  It has internal cooling fans, and internal temperature sensors to shut it down if it gets too hot. It seems to be happy there so far.  

If you have a charger that is becoming unreliable  I definitely recommend getting a new charger  while you are near good shipping points.  We now have three chargers, in addition to the solar, engine alternator, and shaft alternator.  Can't have too much.

   See you soon,  John and Colleen

SV Annie  SM 37
St Thomas, USVI





--
Colin Streeter
0411 016 445
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