richard5933 Report post Posted July 1, 2018 We've got a 12v house battery bank being charged by a 70-amp Progressive Dynamics charger. Our generator has a separate start battery from the coach but no alternator, so we are using a Xantrex Echo Charger to keep it topped off and to replenish it between starts. The Echo Charger draws from the house system whenever it is being charged and puts out up to 15 amps, which in theory should be enough to keep up with the generator's load while running (just a fuel pump and fuel solenoid.) Today I turned off the main 70-amp charger to test the current draw on our new fridge, and the battery monitoring system started beeping. The warning was because the generator start battery had dropped below 11.2 volts. Last week I was tweaking the idle and settings on the generator and started it multiple times. Probably enough to drop the voltage some, but I just assumed that the Echo Charger would bring it back up. Thinking that perhaps the voltage had dropped low enough that the Echo Charger won't work, I engage the bridge switch to charge the generator battery off the main 70-amp charger to bring its voltage over 12. After the voltage was over 12, I tested and confirmed that the Echo Charger is sending a charge to the generator start battery. Anyone have any experience with the Echo Charger? Is it possible that the low-voltage situation in the generator start battery caused it to not be able to charge? Any other thoughts on how the generator start battery would be at 11.2v after 4 days on the Echo Charger? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted July 1, 2018 Richard, Many smart chargers and inverter chargers have just such a safeguard-- they are programmed to NOT charge if battery voltage is low enough that it could indicate a dead battery or dead cell in a battery. That is done purposefully to prevent fires! This from the Xantrex manual: Starter battery is not charging (would also apply to your generator battery, as it is the "start battery" in this description). Check the difference in voltage between the house battery and the starter battery. If the difference is greater than 2 volts, the Digital echo-charge will reduce the charge current. If the difference is greater than 10 volts, the Digital echo-charge will shut off and the green LED will blink . 2. Check the connections to house battery bank and starter battery. Check the fuses. Check the ground connection. You can also check the LED light codes on the Echo charger to see if it indicates a problem. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richard5933 Report post Posted July 1, 2018 Thanks Brett. With that information, I may need to rethink my method for keeping the generator start battery charged. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
