Duel Battery Selection Question

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

I know everyone talks about the mod that increases the alternator output by 0.5v, however I haven't been able to find any instructions on how to preform this mod. Can anyone point me to a post on the mod?

The instructions come with the Diode, very simple, basically pull a fuse, replace with diode (which looks like the fuse you just removed) then a couple of simple checks with multimeter and you are done.

Is the diode, resistor, whatever mod to increase output really necessary?

I've run an sbi12 for 3 weeks and 10,000 km now, running my fridge, freezer, radios and work lights etc off it, and it's charging fine?

If you are running the engine that much then (10k in 3 weeks is a lot of running time) then the diode won't make much difference, If you have shorter running times; then the extra half a volt helps out. For $35 and 5 mintes for the install it seems like a good idea to me, no one has reported it causing any issues that I have seen and it does put the Alternator voltage in the "butter zone"

Cheers Andrew

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

Clarification. The Amp Tech brand of batteries are made by Supercharge. They are a wet cell deep cycle battery. They are great if you are using a unit that boost the charge rate, eg. Ctek 250 Dual or the Redarc BCDC 1220. If you are just going with an isolator, eg. SBI12, etc., go with the more expensive deep cycle batteries like the Optima D34.

Why? ignore stupid padding for stupid 10 character limit

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

The instructions come with the Diode, very simple, basically pull a fuse, replace with diode (which looks like the fuse you just removed) then a couple of simple checks with multimeter and you are done.

Where do you get the diode from?

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

Where do you get the diode from?

Ebay or ABR Sidewinder

[ondaboat Coopers Pale Ale Find all posts View Profile Close ondaboat]

Where do you get the diode from?

PM LeighW he is a member on here, I have one as well. The main thing that I found was even after doing a bit of driving around it would take a while for my ctek to swap from bulk charge to trickle (eg top up) charge. This time has been reduced due to the higher output due to diode thingy(technical term). Or follow the link below he is on myswag as well
http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=18607.0

Regards Adam

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

Where do you get the diode from?

Hi Ryzz and I posted this here in an other thread a couple of days ago.

The Alternator Voltage Booster, which was designed in Australia and the original product is available from the Australian manufacturer at the link below.

Again Ryzz, I have no connection with this manufacturer but I am a staunch supporter of Australian developed and manufactured products and this is one.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Alternato...ht_1802wt_1398
Or PM LeighW

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

just my 2 cents several of my mates have these types of voltage boosters and they are great for charging battery systems. I found that lower voltages kill batteries and having the higher voltage helps them greatly

[Bigben Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bigben]

The original post was to help me sort out that I'd done my research right.
I love the passion of PP's to take on all sorts of issues.

I HAVE CHOSEN TO GO WITH MY BCDC1220 & OPTIMA D34.
Which I'm happy will serve me well for what I will need.

Soon I will post my intro & my build for my 150 Series GX Storm Blue Machine !!

Thank You all for your Help.

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

Hi Bigben, but you are wasting money on either the DC/DC device or the battery.

The reason I say this is because the DC/DC device has such a low charging current, you can use any battery, including a standard flooded wet cell battery and they will all charge at the same slow rate.

Or if you go with the Optima Yellow Top, using a DC/DC device with one of these batteries will defeat one of the batteries main advantages, which is being able to take full inrush currents.

I have measured up to 63 amps going into a low D34 and I have a customer in the UK with a comprehensive battery monitoring set up in his vehicle and after leaving a fridge on all weekend, which pulled his D34 down below 10.5v, he measured over 90 amps going into his battery.

So you loose the high current charging ability of the Optima if you limit it’s charging by using a DC/DC device.

You would have a far better set up if you had the Optima and one of LeighW’s Alternator Voltage Booster. This would not only give you much faster charging than a DC/DC device could ever do but it would be heaps cheaper to set up.

Simple math will show an Optima D34 at around 20% SoC will fully charge off the alternator in under an hour while a DC/DC device will take around 2.5 hours of driving.

It just doesn’t make sense to spend around $400 to slow down a battery that can safely be fast charged!

[ondaboat Coopers Pale Ale Find all posts View Profile Close ondaboat]

Howdy Bigben,

I agree with drivesafe, just put a normal isolator in.

Regards Adam

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

Hi Roo, yes and no.

You can go the expansive charger and one cheap battery set up for a single battery solution or you can go with one of LeighW’s fuses and cheap batteries and you will have a vehicle system wide solution.

If you are content with spending large amounts of money to try to improve the charging of ONE battery, so be it, but for a fraction of the cost you can fit LeighW’s fuse and improve the charging for ALL your batteries.

I have pointed this out before and a few have jumped on me for promoting my products but the facts are facts, if you are after the system that gives you the greatest return for you money, including the fastest battery capacity replacement possible, then the ultimate set up is one of my isolators and one of LeighW’s Alternator Voltage Boosters.

There is no other set up that will allow you to replace more used battery capacity in a short driving time, and thats fact, not advertise hype.

And an added bonus is, they are both made in Australia.