AGM in confined spaces

[FatBoy89]

Are you still running an isolator Russ?

 

[RustyNav09]

Nope. Running a 40amp auto reset breaker at the starter battery and also again just before the ctek 250.

 

[FatBoy89]

Nope. Running a 40amp auto reset breaker at the starter battery and also again just before the ctek 250.

So does this mean even whilst the car is off it will attempt to charge the other battery? But it knows not to discharge the starter?
Or does the Ctek not turn on until it sees 13.8 v?

 

[RustyNav09]

Na the ctek doesn't start charging till it sees the main battery is charged. Which doesn't take long, then it switches to charge the agm. When the car turns off the ctek waits till the battery gets to 12.8 or somethin it switches off so there is no back current. But it doesn't allow back current from when the car switches off

 

[sparra04]

^
what he said
the redarc dc/dc 1220 does the same thing
thats why they call em smartchargers
a little dearer than a simple isolater
but well worth it

 

[FatBoy89]

^
what he said
the redarc does the same thing
thats why they call em smartchargers
a little dearer than a simple isolater
but well worth it

I'll think about it when i put an agm in.

 

[RustyNav09]

Yeh a little more pricey but work a lot better. Also allowing 100% charge not 80% that isolators give you.

 

[FatBoy89]

Yeh a little more pricey but work a lot better. Also allowing 100% charge not 80% that isolators give you.

Yeah I've heard all the speels

 

[Craig09]

if you are using a ctec d 250s you dont need an isolator
it wont charge till it sees correct voltage at cranking battery

just going to leave it in there coz its already there and it has a digital managment in the cab.
the ctek D250S looks like a wicked system.

 

[Craig09]

you say you are going to make your aux easily removable "just in case". Has any one seen or used one of these

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Porta-Jump-Emergency-Car-Battery-Starter-/200809330878?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2ec12b38be#ht_1687wt_1139

I have had one for the last few years, it has got me out of trouble quite a few times without having to lift a heavy battery/battery pack get out jumper leads etc. I know it takes about 10 mins to charge your main battery before you can start your vehicle again, but would be about the same time as removing the aux battery starting the vehicle and replacing your aux battery. plus its a lot smaller and easier to store.mine lives in my glove box.

there a good idea,never had one but probably wouldnt 100% relie on one,might get 1 to sit in the glove box though.
i think im going to build some jumper leads like old.Tony is.will make them long enough to reach my starter from my deep cycle so i can just rip the terminals of and hook it up if needed.but with the solar panel and 120ah AGM unless there is a few days cloud (even so ill just run the car on idle for a bit) or something goes wrong in the system i shouldnt run flat.

 

[Old.Tony]

I'm not sure I'd jump at one of those. I just read the reviews on this page for the product and there aren't many good reviews - in fact every single review on the front page said the product failed to work at all.

Supercheap sell them for $70 - I think you'd have more chance of getting your money back from them than you would from an eBay seller.

 

[Craig09]

thats one thing ill give supercheap,they pretty much take anything back,my mate used one of there snatch straps to pull out another mate (didnt use a big enough strap clearly) and they replaced it then did same thing on the same car (dont know why) and they replaced it again that same day, ive also had a few things break from there and they always replace or refund.

 

[Krankin]

Not electrically isolated = potentially dangerous.

Might be worth them updating their web site if the units are isolated and if they aren't ... choose something else for a mobile solution. Household units generally don't need to be isolated because the houses have to have RCDs and usually don't have multiple independent supplies, unlike in a caravan, where you could conceivably run two or more small inverters to perform different tasks.

.

Have all your 230V outlets RCD protected.....

WHY would'nt one have RCD protection in a mobile installation has me beat..

REGARDLESS wether the inverter is isolated or not...RCD protection should be the minimum standard.

 

[Old.Tony]

Have all your 230V outlets RCD protected.....

WHY would'nt one have RCD protection in a mobile installation has me beat..

REGARDLESS wether the inverter is isolated or not...RCD protection should be the minimum standard.

That's absolutely right. My caravan has two separate 240V inputs and both are protected.

The issue is the inverters themselves - I don't think they have built-in RCDs (although that's a hell of an idea - why not build them in?).

Non-isolated inverters have been known to leak through the neutral line to the vehicle chassis. It's not an issue when there's a single inverter, but only when there are two inverters.

 

[Krankin]

That's absolutely right. My caravan has two separate 240V inputs and both are protected.

The issue is the inverters themselves - I don't think they have built-in RCDs (although that's a hell of an idea - why not build them in?).

Non-isolated inverters have been known to leak through the neutral line to the vehicle chassis. It's not an issue when there's a single inverter, but only when there are two inverters.

yeah, I've not seen any inverters yet with built in RCD and for that matter the bigger gensets neither.