I would like my shore power to keep a set of AGMs topped off. I have shore and solar charging a house bank and starter. I just added 2 AGMs for a bow thruster, off my starter bank with a DC to DC step up. The AGMs charge when the engine is running but id like it to keep my AGMs topped off when on shore power. Id like to have a full charge when I leave the dock. is this something that can be achieved via settings?
If you do not have a charger from shore power to your starter battery, then probably not. Any attempt to charge your bow thruster batteries from the starter battery without the engine running would only drain the starter battery. If you do have a charger on the starter battery, then the starter battery voltage may be high enough to trigger the DC-DC charger. Alternatively, you could use the remote on/off on the DC-DC charger based on shore power presence via a relay. But this assumes you are charging the starter battery from shore power at the time.
Charging the bow thruster batteries from the house bank via a second DC-DC charger might be an option.
I'd probably get an AC charger to charge the bow thruster batteries from shore power.
"remote on/off on the DC-DC charger based on shore power presence via a relay." could you give me a bit more info on this? What products would do this? Where would this be wired in?
I think all of the Orion DC-DC Chargers have a remote connector. Examples are in the manual.
A relay coil across the source power AC input with the contact going to the remote connector would do what I suggest.
BUT you need to insure the starter battery is charged from shore power at the same time. Otherwise, you'll just drain the starter battery.
