Dual Battery Charge Rate

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

Re: Dual Battery Charge Rate

What is the advantage of the Redarc over the ARB?

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

Re: Dual Battery Charge Rate

What is the advantage of the Redarc over the ARB?

The ARB solenoid isn't charging my aux battery sufficiently, the Redarc will.

[ozwapet2 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close ozwapet2]

Re: Dual Battery Charge Rate

Have a look at this one

http://www.traxide.com.au

I use one of these for five years on my old Disco, and find it works pretty well on the Prado. No boost voltage, but it sort of works in reverse to normal controllers i.e. it keeps both batteries in parallel until it senses the voltage dropping below that required to start the car, then it isolates them. This means you get to use charge from both batteries for your fridge etc which gives a bit more time.

There's many theories on this dual battery charging I don;t know the answers but I look for something that is as hassle free as possible.

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

Re: Dual Battery Charge Rate

Gday all,we have just put the redarc bc dc in our 120 d4d also.We had the normal redarc isolator also but charge rate just wasnt high enough for camping with Engel.I actually found that towing our van with fridge on 12v +running engel we would arrive at destination with less volts than we left home with! :cry: :cry: :cry: .My only questions to others with this new set up are :
Where do you have it mounted?
How long does it take to go to float mode?
It seems to get very hot ,has anyone considered a heat shield so it doesnt retard its charge rate?

[BARRLIND Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close BARRLIND]

Re: Dual Battery Charge Rate

Hi All
Anyone buying a Redarc BCDC 1220 try Ashdown - Ingram brought one last week for $396 retail.

As for mounting location Redarc suggested at front of engine bay behind headlight I think for air flow.

[KevinD4D Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close KevinD4D]

Re: Dual Battery Charge Rate

Gday all,we have just put the redarc bc dc in our 120 d4d also.We had the normal redarc isolator also but charge rate just wasnt high enough for camping with:
Where do you have it mounted?
How long does it take to go to float mode?
It seems to get very hot ,has anyone considered a heat shield so it doesnt retard its charge rate?

Mine is mounted in the only spot I had which is on the guard panel immediatedly opposite the ABS (Brake) controller.
Two self tappers hold in in place. Watch out for the bonnet strut if mounting here. Keep as low as possible so it does not hit it.
Float mode will depend on battery drain but one days fridge use would see 1 - 2 hours driving to float mode unless its a 3 way fridge. A normal Engel/Waeco you should see two days with no driving with no problems if you have 90 - 110 AH aux battery (not going below 50% SOC).
Yes it does get hot at times but does not seem to affect output. Its got 20 amps to output so its going to produce a bit of heat. Shields would stop any air circulation so I would not go down that road. The guard should absorb a fair bit of the heat if bolted there. It has thermal protection so if it gets too hot it will shut down to protect itself.

[KevinD4D Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close KevinD4D]

Re: Dual Battery Charge Rate

Mine is as per this install (not my post originally) http://www.pradopoint.com/viewtopic....a&hilit=redarc

30A fuse at main battery. 6sqmm cable (+ & -) along back firewall to redarc unit bolted to panel
25A fuse to aux battery (6sqmm cable).
Fuses as per Redarc recommendations.