It is quite common for D4D prado to charge at 13.8V at an ambient of 20C, they usually start off around 14.2V~14.4V and settle down to around 13.8V.
You also have a vested interest, as you wrote you don't sell normal isolators so one would therefore assume you only sell/install DCDC charger setups as it suits your business setup ie quick and convenient for you.
In the following scenario which is not uncommon ie three batteries tell me how a DCDC charger setup could be justified as economical?
I have decided I need a beer fridge Prado, so I’ll get a 120A aux and a 20A Ctek to charge it. Great now I have cold beer!
Hang on the wife now wants a freezer for the food, dam, looks like I need another 120A battery, but if I connect it to the one I’ve already got it going to take me around 7 hours driving to charge them from 50% SOC, got it, I’ll install another charger to charge it. All fixed!
Hang on again, I want to be able to free camp for a few days, hmm better install another 120A to give a bit of reserve, dam, no good having capacity if I can’t charge it, have to put another Ctek in to charge it.
Just read, shouldn’t connect the fridge to the battery while its being charged as it will upset the smart charger programming, ok I’ll install some sort of bypass system to bypass the charger when the alternators charging. Good now all done.
Forgot the winch, I’ll connect that to the cranking battery, but hang on the alternators only putting out around 13.8V, going to take the battery awhile to recover after winching, got it! I’ll install a booster diode, that’ll speed up recovery no end.
Come to think of it if I had of installed a normal isolator to start with and a booster diode I could have simply connected my second aux battery across the first aux and my third across second.
Hmm as the DCDC my chargers are only around 70% efficient that would have an left an extra 30A or so going into the batteries instead of going up as heat. The batteries would have charged faster and my winch problem would have been solved and I could have simply connected the fridge across the aux's too.
Dam why did I spend that $600 on those chargers for a system that’s less efficient and more complicated!!
Yes I could have started out with a lot bigger charger but then few would go down that path due to the cost.
As for being biased, there are plenty of members on this forum who have dealt with me and can confirm if I don't believe they require a booster diode or would be better off with a DCDC charger I will advise them so. What's the point in pushing a system that doesn't work on a forum like this, members will soon let others know if it doesn't perform as Chipit found out.
The big advantage for non vendors is you can come along and make statements such as you can only charge a battery to 70% off an alternator, can't charge an AGM with an alternator, takes longer to charge off an alternator etc and go on your way. This is blatantly untrue and can have seriously affect on a manufactures businesses. If you feel a particular setup is better, then fine raise the good points, but don't use other manufactures biased and blatantly untrue sales propaganda to bag other manufactures products or push a quick and neat solution for yourself.
Simple fact is there are a great many many more users out there using simply setups with very good results.
As has been written many times before there is no one stop solution for all, users need to:
* Look at their individual requirements.
* Make allowance for possible expansion of the system if required, ie how easy to expand, what will it cost etc?
* Do their own research and don't believe all the sales glossies, they are there to convince you to buy their product.
Hopefully then you will then find the solution that suits them best.
That's my last words on this subject, perhaps someone can post up a Lithuim version for members to also consider?
LeighW PS I love traction control too, though as with all technology could have been better thought out and not overheat if you actually use it etc.
You also have a vested interest, as you wrote you don't sell normal isolators so one would therefore assume you only sell/install DCDC charger setups as it suits your business setup ie quick and convenient for you.
In the following scenario which is not uncommon ie three batteries tell me how a DCDC charger setup could be justified as economical?
I have decided I need a beer fridge Prado, so I’ll get a 120A aux and a 20A Ctek to charge it. Great now I have cold beer!
Hang on the wife now wants a freezer for the food, dam, looks like I need another 120A battery, but if I connect it to the one I’ve already got it going to take me around 7 hours driving to charge them from 50% SOC, got it, I’ll install another charger to charge it. All fixed!
Hang on again, I want to be able to free camp for a few days, hmm better install another 120A to give a bit of reserve, dam, no good having capacity if I can’t charge it, have to put another Ctek in to charge it.
Just read, shouldn’t connect the fridge to the battery while its being charged as it will upset the smart charger programming, ok I’ll install some sort of bypass system to bypass the charger when the alternators charging. Good now all done.
Forgot the winch, I’ll connect that to the cranking battery, but hang on the alternators only putting out around 13.8V, going to take the battery awhile to recover after winching, got it! I’ll install a booster diode, that’ll speed up recovery no end.
Come to think of it if I had of installed a normal isolator to start with and a booster diode I could have simply connected my second aux battery across the first aux and my third across second.
Hmm as the DCDC my chargers are only around 70% efficient that would have an left an extra 30A or so going into the batteries instead of going up as heat. The batteries would have charged faster and my winch problem would have been solved and I could have simply connected the fridge across the aux's too.
Dam why did I spend that $600 on those chargers for a system that’s less efficient and more complicated!!
Yes I could have started out with a lot bigger charger but then few would go down that path due to the cost.
As for being biased, there are plenty of members on this forum who have dealt with me and can confirm if I don't believe they require a booster diode or would be better off with a DCDC charger I will advise them so. What's the point in pushing a system that doesn't work on a forum like this, members will soon let others know if it doesn't perform as Chipit found out.
The big advantage for non vendors is you can come along and make statements such as you can only charge a battery to 70% off an alternator, can't charge an AGM with an alternator, takes longer to charge off an alternator etc and go on your way. This is blatantly untrue and can have seriously affect on a manufactures businesses. If you feel a particular setup is better, then fine raise the good points, but don't use other manufactures biased and blatantly untrue sales propaganda to bag other manufactures products or push a quick and neat solution for yourself.
Simple fact is there are a great many many more users out there using simply setups with very good results.
As has been written many times before there is no one stop solution for all, users need to:
* Look at their individual requirements.
* Make allowance for possible expansion of the system if required, ie how easy to expand, what will it cost etc?
* Do their own research and don't believe all the sales glossies, they are there to convince you to buy their product.
Hopefully then you will then find the solution that suits them best.
That's my last words on this subject, perhaps someone can post up a Lithuim version for members to also consider?
LeighW PS I love traction control too, though as with all technology could have been better thought out and not overheat if you actually use it etc.
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