The Balmar works like a battery charger in that it will control voltage (bulk, absorption) for set periods of time. You can only reduce the current output by two methods. Belt load settings (controls the field coil) And a method called small engine mode which just halves the output current...at the expense of negating the alternator high temp control.
The original Ks2 brand batteries were intended to take a massive charge current...and fast! I think that's really what the Nations system was intended for. It would be good if a person had a large battery bank.
I'm not saying this is an ideal setup I have. Van came with this gear and I made it work for me when I replaced the Ks2's. If I was building my own system I might do something different.
I still think you need the AGM with the --Balmar-- regulator. I am not familiar with how much current any DC to DC unit can take directly from an alternator. I am not familiar with the Sterling so maybe that is a better option?
Wakespeed... Interesting. I've not heard of a regulator that works in conjunction with a BMS. I might look into that. Thx.
Correct. Balmar's are kind of considered "dumb" regulators since all they do is look at voltage of the battery and maybe the temperature of the battery. Newer smarter regulators also can install a current shunt to know about the battery current as well. This way the regulator knows how much current is going in or out of the battery and can limit accordingly. If you have a system with 200ah and the max charge current is 100 amps, while driving at night the regulator will tell the alternator it wants 100 amps. If you're driving during the day and you've got solar coming in at 30 amps, this regulator will know your max is 100 amps and derate the alternator to 70 amps to keep in line with what the battery wants. This can all happen
without bms integration.
To make things better, when integrating with a lithium BMS (rec-bms for DIY batteries, victron lynx bms, Lithionics as a few examples), it can look at
individual cell voltages and know when one cell might hit and over voltage limit and stop charging all together, or slow it down to give the BMS time to balance. It also doesn't require a shunt because the regulator will get that information directly from the BMS. The BMS will tell you how much current and voltage it wants at all times. As the battery gets closer to full, it can slow down the charge current as to not overcharge any individual cell.
As for your Ks2 batteries, sounds like you've got a roadtrek or hymer RV. Not sure what BMS they cobbled together, but my guess is it won't have any type of BMS integration as that requires CANbus. You could swap the BMS but as roadtrek did their batteries, each battery pack has it's own BMS so it'll get costly.
