I installed a Smart Battery Protect on my boat, to protect my Renogy Gel batteries, I have 2x 8D 200AH batteries, being charged by either my 120A alternator or my Multiplus 3000.
I installed the Smart Battery Protect inline with the Input coming from the batteries, and the output going to the main power switch on the boat.
What I did not do, was install a 2nd wire to the input coming from the charger or alternator, and the batteries are still charging.
Yet tonight when I was re-reading the documentation I saw that this is supposed to be a one way device.
What I am wondering is, is did I blow something in the Battery Protect, which seems to be functioning normally? Or is the unit defective allowing back current from the charger to charge the batteries?
The one thing I have noticed is that it feels like the batteries have been super slow to charge, at 96% output the 120A alternator is only pushing about 54 amps into the system. (I am running a Balmar MC-618 with the balmar shunt, as well as the Victron smart shunt)
I had felt like this alternator should have done a lot better in this situation, as right now it is taking about 5-6 hours of running the engine to bring it from 50% SOC to 100% and that is a lot of hours to listen to an engine, and my MPPT solar controller is telling me that I am putting out 0-130wh a day, which I had originally chalked up to being winter time and being north of 48°, however, with 2x 100w panels, I had thought I would see a bit more than that, as in a day during the summer these panels were producing around 700-1100wh per day before the Smart Battery Protect was installed.
I should also add that since the battery bank is in the bow of my boat under the v-berth bed, I did run two pairs of 2/0 from the main disconnect switch to the battery bank, and the voltage even under load is within 0.3 volts.
What I do not understand is that if this devices is supposed to be one way only, how could it have worked from the time that I installed it, and the batteries got charged? Is it that the unit was defective?
