Wind turbine for charging starting batteries.

[JosieWhales]

I have installed solar panels on our 1983 Mainship Pilothouse 40.
We have 4 100 watt panels that charges a 200 ah lithium battery that we use for our 12v fans and 1500 watt inverter. Also it powers the fresh water pump and composting toilet and will soon be running a 6 watt refrigerator. When the sun is out we never touch battery voltage and are very pleased with this first small installation. We've notice that our starting batteries which are 4 years old now. 8d' two that starts our twin Perkins have a slow draw and voltage over time have dropped.
My question is has anyone used a wind turbine with a mppt charge controller to keep your starting batteries fully charged.
There may be a draw on them that should be chased down but their both at 12.46 volts.
Can you charge both at the same time with the turbine? Do they need to be balanced? (Same voltage before hook up.
Can you run cables from the charge controller to each battery or do you need two? Just getting into the rabbit hole and looking for any advice so I don't get to lost and just use the genny to charge when needed. Thanks so much.

 

[DavidM]

A starting battery takes very little amp hours to keep it charged. A normal start uses less than 5 Ahs. A wind turbine is overkill for keeping it charged up. Use a small 10A DC to DC charger powered by the house batteries to keep it up.

If you really want a wind turbine, connect it to the house batteries presuming that they have a Li battery setting.

David

 

[JosieWhales]

I was thinking a small turbine that's easily mountable ( low wattage). To run a dc to dc charger to the starting batteries from our solar house bank would be 20'.
The batteries have the standard batt 1-2- both
Switches. I don't think making the batteries run in parallel for one charger is wise? So do I need 2, one for each battery. Or will the charger take two wires from the pos and neg terminals to each battery separately?
Still balancing over the rabbit hole.

 

[JosieWhales]

I just realized I have a 60 watt shore powered battery charger that charges both batteries and can see where it connects. While using that it charges both batts at the same time.

 

[Comodave]

Are you mixing up watts and amps? I see you said a 6 watt refer and a 60 watt battery charger. Most likely those measurements are amps not watts.

One problem with wind turbines is the vibration that can be transmitted to the boat and can sorta echo throughout the boat.

 

[JosieWhales]

You are correct, it's a 60 Amp battery charger.
Good point on vibration.
Something I never thought about. I'm usually tuned up by any noise or smells. A vibration probably would be the end of me trying to find the source.
Thanks so much for that foreshadowing.