DCDC charger outputs

[reefer]

Well, there you go!...straight from the guru he'self! ] ....like I said.."I think it cools a bit lower than what the specs suggest..not much. but a bit!"... and I'll often have 240v..through an invertor...at times...so..all I want is my 'solar' to.... tickle trickle a little And I'll be a happy ..chappy...so to speak!. And Mike H....THANKS FOR THE LINK MATE! :Y: :Y: :Y:
Cheers ter yu's all ..Rossco.

 

[mudgee hunter]

Is the redarc BCDC1225D an over kill? $460 and up....

 

[condor22]

Depends upon your specific needs Yes they are in the upper range of pricing, but, you get what you pay for.

Big thing to remember, particularly with solar panel input...... The Redarc BCDC range work from 9 V to 32 V (suitable for 24 volt installations as well.)

What does this mean, well, some other brands have a range of 23 V max and some panels can exceed this. (Also unsuitable for 24 v installs)

Regardless of what you choose, check the input max/min of the device against the rated input current of your supply.

 

[mudgee hunter]

Ended up just fitting the $200 redarc solenoid unit.
Fitted decent 40 amp fuses. One near the battery, one just before and after the solenoid.
And one just before each of the Anderson plugs in the boot of mates patrol.
Each has its own fuse just before the two plugs.
And also spliced another line with fused Anderson plug next to trailer hitch.
Will mostly be just used for running his fridge, or recharging his portable battery unit.
The solenoid kit I fitted offers a switch wire to help start a flat primary battery.
But I was told the slave battery needs very heavy amperage cable rating, and really needs to be fitted In engine bay close to p primary cranking battery.
Due to crankage amps being draw.
I used 8 cable to rear of patrol.
Not to hard to do.
Also ran a spare 6mm cable from engine bay ( looped up) to boot quarter panel. Just in case we ever need another figure 8 cable, just in case ....
Beats ripping up the carpet and trims again for $15!!
The 12v accessory cigarette out put wires that he had been using to run the fridge was very stressed and hard from the power being through it.
Like coat hanger wire! Stiff as!

 

[Gem in I]

It is possible also to jump a flat cca straight from portable solar panels in 15-20 mins depending on how far gone the battery is.
Just a side note.

 

[mudgee hunter]

We discussed putting a bypass link via an isolator switch right next to the solenoid, allowing for a return voltage.
Turning it on when primary battery is flat.
Leaving it sit for a while for them to balance out.
But turning it back off again before cranking.

 

[Moneybox]

Is the redarc BCDC1225D an over kill? $460 and up....

It depends on how much money you've got and if you're happy to give it away. I don't have much and I don't like to give it away either but I did. I did it the hard way.

I started out with the two original N70 12v start batteries and the added 4 x 120A deep cycle batteries. I just did my usual 100A continuous relay that would throw in with ignition so that the auxiliary batteries would charge from the alternator while travelling. Then I fitted a 250W 24V solar panel through a Morning Star solar controller. It all worked quite well until we hit north Queensland in bad weather. We were camping for longer and travelling less and the solar input was poor.

I dropped into the battery place in Atherton, Bonzos Batteries I think it was called. He tested all my deep cycle batteries overnight and told me they were all stuffed. I told him to get stuffed, I'm not buying new ones. Then I forked out over $1000 to have him install an Intervolt DCDC charger. It made very little difference but it made me feel good to give some shyster $1000 of my hard earned cash.

By the time I'd returned to Capel in WA the Intervolt unit had fried. Intervolt are here in Perth so I sent it in just to be told that the warranty was void because the unsealed unit had been exposed to the elements and the fan had sucked in all the dust that then turned to mud when it got wet. The dick head in Atherton had installed it under the vehicle by the batteries. I tried unsuccessfully to claim against them. It was too hard.

I then went out and splurged too much money on a Projector 12/24V DCDC charger with solar input. It took me a while to install it because I did away with the Morning Star solar controller and the Intervolt wiring and put everything through the Projector. It didn't work. I mucked around testing and phoning for assistance from Projector and eventually I got onto a technician who knew his stuff.

What they don't make clear is that the Projector 12/24V DCDC charger will accept 9-32V DC but will only output 12V. My vehicle operates on 24V so I have another useless piece of junk sitting in the shed. I'd already shortened the cables and installed it so there was no chance of returning it.

Eventually I got smart, well I thought I did. I went out and bought a Redarc 12/24V DCDC charger and basically wired it in to the same spot where I removed the Projector.

Now you'd think my problems were over but no....it still wouldn't work. The Redarc 12/24v DCDC charger won't take a 24V solar input. The result is that I re-installed my good reliable Morning Star solar controller to handle the 24V 250W solar panel input and installed 2 x 150W 12V solar panels to feed the Redarc charger.

It was and expensive and painful process but it works and my 4 x 120Ah deep cycle batteries that were stuffed years ago are still going strong

 

[Ded Driver]

Moneybox, unfortunately a lot of auto electricians are trained to wire up 12V, know very little about 24V systems (except maybe truck sparky's), & dont have enough education/trainng in the basics of electricity to understand the fundamental principles behind what it is that they are installing.
Given that the majority of aftermarket Auto Electrical products are designed for 12V systems, I imagine it can be difficult to get the right parts for a 24V system.
I have seen products advertised &/or marked as 12/24V, then discovered that some of these are intended for installation in 12 OR 24V systems, but only output 12V for regular accessories.

 

[mudgee hunter]

24v set up info from redarc link
https://www.redarc.com.au/blog/12v-dual-battery-in-24v-vehicle

 

[davsgold]

These seem expensive, but are they any good?

Plasmatronics PL20 is a solar charge controller, that handles 20 Amps of solar for 12, 24 or 48V batteries, and has generator and load switching.

https://www.mpower.com.au/products/...gpl20pla-plasmatronics-pl-20a-solar-regulator

 

[Moneybox]

24v set up info from redarc link
https://www.redarc.com.au/blog/12v-dual-battery-in-24v-vehicle

Thanks mudgee hunter, there're some good tips in there and I should have gone that way but we're 5 years down the track now so nothing's going to change. I went with 24v auxiliary batteries mainly to reduce current flow and therefore smaller wiring. The problem is that most 24v accessories cost a lot more and many items are just too hard to find in 24v. The fridge is 24v but the two air compressors for the airbags are only 12v and draw a lot of current. I power them from the 24v start batteries by having one wired to each battery. They run together cutting in at 120 psi and cut-out at 160 psi. Life would certainly be much simpler if everything was 12v. Some things have got easier in recent times with LED lights and some accessories operating on 9-32v.

 

[mudgee hunter]

Bit like choosing a health fund!
They all offer different packages...
Finding the right one to suit hey.
Ring that "Choosi" hotline number ! Ha

 

[mudgee hunter]

These seem expensive, but are they any good?

Plasmatronics PL20 is a solar charge controller, that handles 20 Amps of solar for 12, 24 or 48V batteries, and has generator and load switching.

https://www.mpower.com.au/products/...gpl20pla-plasmatronics-pl-20a-solar-regulator

The problem essence issue was the redarc $550 unit can accept 24V e.g. in, but only put out 12v out (no good for running a 24v set up)
They have a built in solar reg etc that can handle the larger Volt range, but also turns that into 12v.... ( I think)
The Redarc $200 unit I fitted to a mates patrol for running a removable battery in the back , has an extra wire that you can fit a momentary switch to that allows for dual battery cranking.
But don't use this option when fitted in my case unless you run about 1000amp cable down the entire length to the second battery!
Or you will see sum serious smoke !

One emergency doable way around it would be to fit a kill switch next to the solenoid, linking 12v in to 12v out post on solenoid, and turning on (NO CRANKING MOTOR WHILST ON!) and letting the two batteries get a balanced float level between them over a period of time, then off on the kill switch, and you might get enough power to crank your motor over to start.

As this units option is really meant for dual batteries set up in the engine bay in close approximately using battery size cable as fitted to primary battery.
If you have a battery that h as a crank rating of 800amps....... you want a cable that can handle at least 1000amps I think.
Could be wrong.......