"Pulsing" Battery Charger

**VMALLOWS** · 08-09-02, 21:01

And full marks for keeping the Thailand bit to the end.......otherwise it might have distracted us!. And to think I was about to say I'd be happy to pop round if you were nearby!!

**hutch** · 09-09-02, 21:48

Had to keep somehting back! But you are very welcome to drop in! It's a great area to sail - in comfort. The sun shines! It's always warm! Conditions are generally pretty benign. Lots of anchorages! Great food! Cheap booze - especially in Langkawi, a leisurely 140 miles away! Under 25p - yes, pence - for a can of beer! I could go on! Best of all, she who must be obeyed stops complaining - well, most of the time! Seems to think that the sails are to provide shade or not, as the mood takes her!

Will keep you posted about the batteries and look forward to your wisdom! Many thanks to all.

**halcyon** · 10-09-02, 00:01

Sounds like a earth problem/fault.
Battery charger works with genny, not connected to earth.
Put boat back in water after work on shafts, what do you do, connect props and shafts to earth, ie water, these intern are connected to common neg in boat. The marina earth may well be a spike in the ground, thus giving a circuit thought the ground, water and props.
Possible there is a charger fault, sounds like the domestic batteries are linked into mains (via transformer?) under certain conditions, ie when tries to switches to float charge.

Brian

**hutch** · 10-09-02, 23:00

Brian

Thanks for your input. Everyone's feedback has given me lots to think about - and given me some more areas to investigate. Once I am back aboard I will investigate further and will report back. Am hoping not to have to call in a "professional" who I know will suggest a new charger to be the solution. I do have access to a very good electronics guy who I will get to look at the circuit board to see if it is the charger that is the problem. Alas, he wasn't around when I left the boat two months ago.

Thanks again

**ccscott49** · 11-09-02, 08:24

Hutch,
I still say check the shore supply first, I don't see how it can be your charger, when the supply to the boat pulses, as you've seen and the genny doesn't! Just putting a low wattage bulb across the shore supply will probably show the light pulsing, if it does, theres nothing wrong with your charger, think laterally.

**hutch** · 11-09-02, 09:08

Colin

I will check the shore power. If anything, it is likely to be an earth problem - probably none and thus eveything is being earthed through the water. I do run a 240V circuit inside the boat - for TV, HiFi, fridge/freezer and lights - and all are fine when the charger is not on. I had previously ruled out possible problems with neighbouring boats. I was moored next to a rusting steel hulk but moved and am sandwhiched between two glossy plastic fantastics which I have assumed are properly wired. As I am learning from this exchange and from other subjects, never assume anything so will try and measure for any stray voltages around the boat! Thanks again.

**hutch** · 20-05-03, 16:32

Referring back to my original post in September last year and to all the advice given, I have still not been able to solve the problem. However, the boat is now out of the water and I am now going over everything once again. I hope to have a positive result before too long and will post a report on what if anything I find!

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