Monday, 1 June 2020

Balmar Marine Altinator


I am using a Balmar Marine Alternator  95 Series 140Amp, connected with an MC 624 Regulator, I chose this unit for many reasons:

It has a very large output for fast charging of Lithium-ion batteries.

It has external Battery and Alternator temperature sensors and is able to adjust the charge rate based on the temperature readings.

The controller is programmable for every battery type including Lithium-ion.

Charging lithium batteries from an alternator, in a vehicle, presents some challenges when compared to the straightforward nature of charging lead-based batteries.

1    Alternator overheating 

2    Alternator rectifier diodes failing because of overvoltage after disconnect by a BMS

Lithium-ion batteries can draw the full 140Amp from the alternator, nearly all alternators will not be able to cope with this for long periods.

When fully charged the BMS disconnects the batteries from the alternator, again not good.


The Balmar MC 624 regulator takes care of both of these.