Sterling 12v 80A Alternator to Battery Charger (AB1280)

£329.90
£264.99 (including 20 % tax)
You Save: £64.91

This is the smallest in the range, but the 80A capacity is sufficient for the majority of installations on smaller craft. Please find below the specification and some further detail on the product

Easy to install (please see the simple wiring diagram below)
80A (at 12v) rating
Splits and isolates the charge two ways
1 or 2 alternators can be used with this item (combined capacity must not exceed 80A)
4-step constant current charging curve
4 battery type charging curve selector (Lead Acid, Gel, USA Gel, Sealed Lead Acid)
Dimensions: 250mm x 180mm x 70mm
Weight: 2.5kg
Automatic battery bank size and state sensing
Thermostatically controlled fan cooling
Automatic absorption time calculation
Battery temperature sensor
Alternator temperature sensor
LED output display information panel
Optional remote control (not included or priced with this listing, please ask for details)

So why do I need one and what do they do?

Every alternator has a built in regulator, this is a voltage sensitive device that tells the alternator when and when not to charge a battery bank. The generic regulators are simplistic devices that are only really designed to control an alternator when charging a single engine starter battery; therefore they cant really deal with multiple battery banks, large battery banks, deep discharge cycles or complex charging cycles. This tends to result in only partial charging or excessivley slow charging of batteries.

There are multiple solutions to the problem of splitting the charge across multiple batteries or battery banks, two of these are Sterling splitter Diodes and Sterling Pro-Split R alternator splitting systems (we sell both ranges). But this still leaves the basic alternator regulator controlling the rate and extent of charge.

The Alternator to Battery charger range fulfill two functions:

To split the charge two ways (give you two outputs from one)
To act as an intelligent regulator utilise the alternator as a 4 stage battery charger, hence offering a greatly improved charging curve.

The range

The range is characterised by the maximum input size of the alternator(s). For example an 80A unit cannot take an input of more than 80A from an alternator(s). Two alternators can be connected to a Digital split charge unit (the connections are just piggybacked on the same terminal), but their combined input must not exceed its rating.

80A
130A
160A
210A
Optional remote control

Basic wiring diagram

Please find below a basic wiring diagram. There are numerous set ups that this system can be incorporated into, but this demonstrates the simplicity of installing the unit to achieve a vast improvement in your battery charging.