Search results

Well I just started researching the smart alternator thing. At this point it looks like it's a European car thing but I really don't know. As to the age it's a 2014 so yes it has fuel injection so I guess I'm in the 80 mA draw category. I do know that if I let my truck sit for 30 days the...

Well folks I was looking at the spec for the DC-DC chargers and it looks like there is a constant draw on the system of some sort. The Renogy model has a standby draw of .4 amps and the Victron something less but still a draw. This won't work. I need -0- draw if the engine is off as there...

Thanks!!!

Let me make sure I've got this right. A 30 amp dc to dc charger will only pull 30 amps from the alternator leaving about 125 amp to charge the house battery assuming I have 155 amp alternator. Will it also isolate the batteries when the alternator is not supplying power? I think it will but...

From what I can see the DC to DC charger or an isolator doesn't prioritize anything it simply charges 2 batteries from one source. A VSR prioritizes the starting battery over the aux bank which is something I very much want. Is this true or am I missing something?

Here's the story guys and gals. I have an F150 that has an auxiliary battery in the bed, actually 2 auxiliary batteries (2 100 AH AGM batteries). Anyway, I need to be able to charge these batteries from the alternator of the truck. The truck has either a 155 or 200 amp alternator (I'm...

Just a couple of points. There is a guy that has a sailing forum that is an electrical engineer. He was doing some consulting with these folks and he suggested the misspelling of the name so it didn't get confused with electric fence batteries so what looks to be a misspelling is actually a...

The momentary contact switch is manually operated by the driver when the chassis (starter) battery is weak or dead. It has nothing to do with charging.

Not pulling from your starter battery is a difficult thing to do these days. Even though the OP has a 1997 Ford chassis I'm pretty sure it has various computers that will pull from the starter battery unless you disconnect the battery every time you stop for a few days. What a pain. I use a...

Guys, before you say that mixing SLA and Lithium is not a good idea you should probably look at the video linked above. The Bank Manager is designed to be able to mix lead and lithium, that is its purpose in life, and pretty much nothing else. Clark is an electrical engineer and seems to be...

I'm not planning on running the genny all the time for A/C. If it's that hot I'm likely moving, but it will happen at times if I'm not plugged in. My plan so far is to get a Victron 100/50 charge controller and power that with 2 REC 350 panels or similar 350 watt panels so I don't have to run...

Yep I'm hip to good equipment. There's an old saying, the bitterness of low quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price is gone. Right now I'm looking primarily at Victron control equipment. It's pricey but good stuff ain't cheap. I've already got an Onan genny and a Magnum MS2000...

Yep, I know that I only really have 100 AH of battery available. My goal is to probably get a 300 AH LiFePo battery with a waterproof case. My battery compartment is not enclosed so I may need to get a heater pad for it but I really don't plan on spending a lot of time in cold weather. I've...

Ya, I'm not poor but I'm not swimming in money either. The payback for putting in that much solar would be would be sometime into the next decade and I couldn't fit it on my roof. All I'm really looking for is enough solar and batteries to run the normal stuff in an RV (no A/C) without having...

Not unplugging the shore power is a self-correcting issue, but costly. No I've never done it and I hope I never do.

I realize that the batteries are the weak link in the system right now. I have plans to upgrade them in the future, but right now I have what I have. As to running the Air Conditioner from batteries, that's never going to be in the cards. It would take a system of some 43,200 plus watt hours...

The motorhome is a Super C with a 160 Amp alternator, or so says the build sheet I have. If you want to think of it as a Class A for this purpose you wouldn't be wrong. I realize that the batteries are a weak link in the system but I'm trying to build out the system piecemeal, thus the small...

So I see said the blind man, the various charge controllers control the current and the voltage. Is this correct?

I understand that the chargers will supply the correct voltage, and will stop when full charge is reached, all of them. I'm not so sure about the amperage. The inverter/charger can supply 100 amps, the solar charger can supply up to 50 amps, but I can regulate that but I'd rather not and I...

You are right I won't be plugged into shore power when I'm driving but I will likely at times have the genny running while driving down the road which is functionally the same thing.

I don't know how much charge current the alternator or the solar charge controller can provide but I will likely buy a Victron 100/50 so I can control the charge current. I also don't know the charge current of the inverter/charger and it doesn't seem to be in the specs, but I've only looked...

Ok guys, here's the deal. I have a motorhome with a Magnum MS2000 inverter/charger and alternator charging. I want to add solar but I'm somewhat concerned about supplying too much amperage to my 2 100AH AGM batteries with a charging limit of .3C or 30 amps. I can see situations when I will be...

I just bought a 2017 RV with a MS2000 inverter charger. The two AGM batteries that came with it are junk. I'm looking at probably building a 270 AH battery per on of Will's videos. I realize I will probably have to relocate the battery but I don't want to have to swap out the inverter at this...

Just something to think about if you really want to do this. 25,600 watts is about 40 hp when you allow for generation losses, belt slippage etc. Do you really NEED to do this?

Just a couple of thoughts on the "coming attractions" batteries, or anything else for that matter. There is always going to be something "coming down the pike" that is better, cheaper, smaller, faster or whatever quality you are looking for. If you always wait for the next best thing you will...

Well guys and gals the 4 month test gives the solar maintainer a big thumbs up. I was out of town working, this came up kinda sudden and I had to leave one of my trucks at the airport for 3 weeks. Got home battery DEAD, wouldn't even light up the dash. The truck at home with the 1.5 watt...

Ya I don't want to get too involved, this is a short term solution until spring when I should start driving the truck full time and sell my old one. I just don't want to get my new-to-me salt free truck exposed to salt and start the rusting process. I guess the worst thing it could cost me is...

Yep the "lighter" socket is hot when the key is off and yes there are some loads but not too much. The problem with putting the panel outside is how do you get the wire inside without going through the window or door which would create a path for rain/snow. I think I'll just put it in the...

Well I just drove it 600 miles from Virginia to Michigan so if it ain't charged now it ain't gonna get charged. I actually found a solar maintainer at Home Depot that is a little smaller but it's weather proof so I think I'm going with that one because I have another mission for it in a few...

Gas truck Oops my bad it was only a 1.5 watt charger so I'm probably good. I just don't want to ruin a battery by letting it discharge and freeze.

Ok guys I'm a little gun shy here. I ruined a brand new battery a few years ago (actually about 3 decades ago) by hooking it up to a 2 amp battery charger over the winter. I now have a truck I'm not going to be driving for a while and I'd like to put a cheap Harbor Freight battery maintainer...

Yep all the folks are right that you get the 30% credit for the system "placed in service" in 2019. So if it ain't up and running yet you've got 4 days to "git er done" or the credit drops to 26% in 2020, still not a bad deal. The other option is you could commit tax fraud and lie thereby...

I'm trying to stay under the $7-8000 range, I can just buy stuff from Northern Arizona Wind and Sun and hook it up for that kind of money. I have a Kill-a-watt I got from my Mother-in-law's second husband so I can monitor my usage. The motor home I'm going to buy will have a 6-8000 watt gennie...

I'll probably just lurk and learn for a while. I plan on moving into a motor home in the spring or summer and have been looking at ways to add a reasonable amount of solar for less than the $7-8000 it costs for 1,000 watts & 4 Battle Born batteries. I think I found the place to do that. I...