Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

[leachy_9 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close leachy_9]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

bilo33prado,

The large "jumper lead" cables serve two purposes on a solenoid system:

1: the larger diameter cable reduces voltage drop, supporting faster more complete charging of the aux. battery.
2: Most solenoid systems have a manual over-ride which can be used to enable cranking off the aux. battery, in which case the heavy gauge cables are required to support the high currents during cranking.

When a DC-DC charger is used, voltage drop becomes a non-issue (the whole point of using the DC-DC charger) and it is not possible to crank off the aux. battery through the DC-DC Charger (This can be achieved with a bypass circuit). So there is no need to have the very heavy gauge cables. The cables simply need to be able to carry the DC-DC supply current which is usually around 30A.

Leachy

[01Rod Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 01Rod]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

Glad to hear you got it sorted...
So what do you think?? you happy with it??

What battery did you end up installing with it?

Rod

Rod,

Yes it is all working, I hooked it up and it works it's way through boost, absorption and float and then shuts down when the ignition is off.

I put a Supercharge Allrounder into the rig, a number of folks here seem to use them and give them good reports.

Thanks for all your assistance.


Cheers OGG

Good to hear...
I think the SuperCharge Allrounder is a Calcium Calcium battery but it might not be marked as such...
I know I did some research for another forum member a little while ago...
When I phoned Supercharge and spoke to one of there tech guy's he confirmed it was a Calcium Calcium Battery..

Nothing wrong with the batteries... just thought I would mention it..

Rod

[OldGreyGuy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close OldGreyGuy]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

Good to hear...
I think the SuperCharge Allrounder is a Calcium Calcium battery but it might not be marked as such...
I know I did some research for another forum member a little while ago...
When I phoned Supercharge and spoke to one of there tech guy's he confirmed it was a Calcium Calcium Battery..

Nothing wrong with the batteries... just thought I would mention it..

Rod

Rod,

Thanks for the feedback.

I'm stuck at present, right now owing to some issues with accommodation at work my phone access (along with a lot of other people) has been cut, so I haven't called Supercharge to ask the question. There are a number of different opinions in this thread How long did you get from the OEM battery? and people are answering both ways.

I did note that one earlier poster in the thread above noted that their battery was marked with an indicator that the maximum charge rate was 14.8 volts and this is not marked on the one I picked up last week. It also does not indicate that it is Calcium, but then it also does not say Lead/Acid. Darn these vague product labels.

I have done some searching through other forums and there are a number of threads that discuss this with similar differing opinions, for example:

- supercharge allrounder/CTEK... NO-GO?? Note warning images of Patrols here
- supercharge batteries.. Can anyone get them cheap?
- deep cycle battery problem
- Battery recomendations please

A 10 minute search on the web gives me a large number of similar threads all of which are inconclusive.

So my options are:

1. Charge as a Lead/Acid, undercharging the battery if it is a Calcium Calcium and reducing it's effectiveness and lifespan; or

2. Charge as a Calcium type and if it is only a Lead/Acid then killing the battery through overcharging.

Is it likely that Supercharge have altered the structure over the years and now are supplying a Calcium battery where before it was not and this has added to the confusion?

Anyone with a better opinion than mine?

At this point I am inclined to think that Rod is correct and thta I should swap the wiring around to change the battery to a Calcium type.

Cheers OGG

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

I have an Allrounder and I am pretty sure when I called the tech guy said they were calcium

[01Rod Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 01Rod]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

Did anyone confirm that the Supercharge Allrounder was infact a Calcium Calcium battery Officially with Supercharge?

just curious..

Rod

[01Rod Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 01Rod]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

Did anyone confirm that the Supercharge Allrounder was infact a Calcium Calcium battery Officially with Supercharge?

just curious..

Rod

For anyone wondering the Supercharge Allrounder Battery is Calcium calcium.

Rod

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

Did anyone confirm that the Supercharge Allrounder was infact a Calcium Calcium battery Officially with Supercharge?

just curious..

Rod

For anyone wondering the Supercharge Allrounder Battery is Calcium calcium.

Rod

Thanks for the confirmation Rod. Since I changed the voltage cutout in my Waeco to LO from HI my charging issues seem to have gone away.

[Boomslang Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Boomslang]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

Has anybody compared the Redarc with the CTEK?
http://www.ctek.com/PDF/D250S_Flyer_UK_low.pdf

[LiveFreeAndRoam Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LiveFreeAndRoam]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

I stumbled on a video that nicely explains the "why and how" of these sorts of products. Whilst the video is for a Projecta DC20, it provides a good general introduction: http://www.projecta.com.au/dc20/.

Although the video focuses on overcoming voltage-drop caused by long cable lengths, the same principle applies to the D4D, where the smart-altenator is responsible for the low-voltage.

Cheers,
LFaR.

[andrewh Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close andrewh]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

Has anybody compared the Redarc with the CTEK?
http://www.ctek.com/PDF/D250S_Flyer_UK_low.pdf

A pretty important difference is that the Redarc is suitable for under bonnet installation. The CTEK isn't.

[Boomslang Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Boomslang]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

As far as I know the Ctek D250S can be used under bonnet. It has an IP65 rating.

[andrewh Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close andrewh]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

Hi Boomslang

The IP65 rating covers water and dust, but not heat. Heat is the problem. I have spoken with the Australian distributors and they say it is intended for caravan fitting, not under bonnet.

[Boomslang Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Boomslang]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

If heat is the problem then I doubt it if the Redaec will perform any better. At the end of the day you have to get about 30W of heat (20A x 14V @ 90% efficiency) out of the unit. The Redarc is no bigger so it will have the same power density. I guess the fact that the Redarc is made from metal, will help to conduct the heat out.

Anyway, it is too late for me now, I have one on order through the Landcruiser club at $259 and will install it under the bonnet. I can only hope that the the 30W will get lower quickly as the unit reaches the 14.2V and change to voltage mode while the current drops.

As discussed elsewhere, the Ctek will be no good unless it is close to the main battery, the 12.8V dropout voltage is too high. The voltdrop between the main battery and the caravan will be too high.

[01Rod Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 01Rod]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

If heat is the problem then I doubt it if the Redaec will perform any better. At the end of the day you have to get about 30W of heat (20A x 14V @ 90% efficiency) out of the unit. The Redarc is no bigger so it will have the same power density. I guess the fact that the Redarc is made from metal, will help to conduct the heat out.

Anyway, it is too late for me now, I have one on order through the Landcruiser club at $259 and will install it under the bonnet. I can only hope that the the 30W will get lower quickly as the unit reaches the 14.2V and change to voltage mode while the current drops.

As discussed elsewhere, the Ctek will be no good unless it is close to the main battery, the 12.8V dropout voltage is too high. The voltdrop between the main battery and the caravan will be too high.

I have not had any issues with Heat and the Redarc unit...

Did you order a CTEC or Redarc Boomslang?

The other thing people should check is the amount of ripple voltage put out by the different units.. (Multimeter set to AC Volts)
I have played with Four different DC-DC converters and the Redrac was definatly the best for Ripple Voltage..

I also think the CTEC's output voltage is not high enough for Calcium Calcium Batteries... IMO
Rod

[Boomslang Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Boomslang]

Re: Redarc BCDC-1220 20amp DC-DC 3 Stage Battery Charger Install

I have ordered the CTEK. The price difference was just too much for me. At $259 the CTEK is good value, unless it doesn't work......