Autohelm Power Consumption

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   I have just finished a couple of longish trips cross channel - UK to France - in F5 and lumpy seas.  The auto helm drained the batteries after about 4 hours and I had to resort to putting the engine on tick-over to top them up.  Has anyone had a similar experience. Would fitting solar panels solve the problem?  I have looked at settings to reduce the auto helm workload but that has not had much impact.

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Mike58 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Lieutenant Joined: 07 April 2021 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 22	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike58 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Autohelm Power Consumption Posted: 04 June 2022 at 13:54
	I have just finished a couple of longish trips cross channel - UK to France - in F5 and lumpy seas. The auto helm drained the batteries after about 4 hours and I had to resort to putting the engine on tick-over to top them up. Has anyone had a similar experience. Would fitting solar panels solve the problem? I have looked at settings to reduce the auto helm workload but that has not had much impact.
	Mike L

High Time Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Vice Admiral Joined: 04 September 2012 Location: Portsmouth UK Status: Offline Points: 819	Post Options Post Reply Quote High Time Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Posted: 05 June 2022 at 14:29
	Hi Mike Are you sure it's not a battery issue, rather than the autohelm? How old are the batteries and what capacity is the service battery (bank)? Also, are you sure they were fully charged at the start of the channel crossing? The autohelm can take 5A or more when it is operating so if it was running continuously (which it shouldn't be in a well balance boat) it would consume approx 60Ah in a typical channel crossing. This should not flatten an otherwise good condition, fully charged AGM battery (165Ah capacity?) but it would reduce the voltage to the low 12s.
	Roger High Time (415 #038)

Mike58 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Lieutenant Joined: 07 April 2021 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 22	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike58 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 05 June 2022 at 15:19
	Roger - many thanks for the detailed reply. I picked up the boat new in May 2020. The boat is key alongside at an MDL marina permanently connected to shore power. I had therefore assumed that the batteries were okay. However what you say makes sense and perhaps either the life of the battery or having them permanently connected to shore power has degraded their performance.
	Mike L

Mike58 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Lieutenant Joined: 07 April 2021 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 22	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike58 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 05 June 2022 at 15:21
	Roger - following up on your comment. The battery level is falling to 10.7V from a starting point of 14V.
	Mike L

415 Singapore Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Vice Admiral Joined: 23 September 2013 Location: Singapore Status: Offline Points: 935	Post Options Post Reply Quote 415 Singapore Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Posted: 06 June 2022 at 07:41
	Hi Mike Assuming you have AGM batteries, I am sorry to say if your batteries weren't stuffed beforehand they certainly are now! How big is your battery bank and how old are the batteries? Being permanently connected to shore power shouldn't cause an issue as the battery charger should change to a trickle charge once they reach an optimum voltage. Our last AGMs lasted about 5 years but were losing their charge very rapidly towards the end. Good luck Paul
	Paul - Night Train - 415 #136

Mike58 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Lieutenant Joined: 07 April 2021 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 22	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike58 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 06 June 2022 at 14:00
	Hi Paul I took a read out from the battery manager Chargemaster 12/35-3 and looking at Amperage it was on the 2nd bar from bottom (40%) even after it has been attached to shore power for 48hrs. So it feels like it is the battery. The boat was delivered to me new in May 2020. But of course there is no telling how old the actual batteries are.
	Mike L

415 Singapore Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Vice Admiral Joined: 23 September 2013 Location: Singapore Status: Offline Points: 935	Post Options Post Reply Quote 415 Singapore Report Post Thanks(1) Quote Reply Posted: 06 June 2022 at 14:40
	Wow, they should last longer than two years, unless you have allowed the voltage to drop very low at some time. Maybe worth getting the charging system checked out at the same time. Good luck Paul
	Paul - Night Train - 415 #136

CrocDundee Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commander Joined: 12 December 2018 Location: Dundee Status: Offline Points: 88	Post Options Post Reply Quote CrocDundee Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 June 2022 at 16:48
	While your (newish) battery bank may be sub-optimal as discussed above, you may also be just seeing a genuine behaviour of running lots of electric while underway. We have new Victron service batteries on our H345 (320 AH) and extensive monitoring via a Victron shunt and a CCGX. When you add up the auto-helm, (following sea is hard work), instruments, fridge(?), add a few phone/computer chargers, radios etc, and the battery capacity can get used significantly. And we only have a usable capacity of 160 AH, at 50%. And yes solar panels (200W deck mounted) help a lot. We can run power neutral with the auto-helm, countless instruments, fridge etc, during the day in summer in Scotland. To test your service batteries charge them up then measure the voltage drop via a known load. Instruments + steaming light + all interior lights + VHF radio will probably use about 6 amps. Monitor battery voltage for 5 hours, 10 hours, 15 hours, 20 hours. Don't take the service batteries lower than about 11.5V when under this load (IMHO).
	Hanse 345 - Tenacious. Sailing on the Solent and now to the west coast of Scotland.

Mike58 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Lieutenant Joined: 07 April 2021 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 22	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mike58 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 June 2022 at 16:53
	Done the battery tests and sadly the batteries are done for. I suspect my own fault in running them too low when at anchor during the past season. Now investigating replacement and whether to bankrupt the savings with lithium batteries.
	Mike L

CrocDundee Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commander Joined: 12 December 2018 Location: Dundee Status: Offline Points: 88	Post Options Post Reply Quote CrocDundee Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 June 2022 at 17:20
	Oh dear. I have used both Tayna and BatteryMegastore for replacements. I see Tayna more reasonable at present, and the Victrons we purchased recently from BM have increased by £100 each (!). Forget Lithium I suggest, unless you wish to spend an awful lot professionally, or become an enthusiast with many hours of study and refitting a wide range of electrical components on the boat.
	Hanse 345 - Tenacious. Sailing on the Solent and now to the west coast of Scotland.



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