Redarc SBi12 on 2018 Prado

[Vanders Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Vanders]

Sorry if this should be in the sticky thread.

With a new 2018 2.8lt I'm waiting on picking up my understanding is that it's not suitable for a voltage boosting diode, can I still use the Redarc SBi12 isolator I have to feed charge to the second battery (planning on a lead crystal) or do I require some other solution?

[freebug Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close freebug]

Sorry if this should be in the sticky thread.

With a new 2018 2.8lt I'm waiting on picking up my understanding is that it's not suitable for a voltage boosting diode, can I still use the Redarc SBi12 isolator I have to feed charge to the second battery (planning on a lead crystal) or do I require some other solution?

Hi Vanders, I’m planning the same thing here with my 2018 VX. The information I’ve got from Redarc Website was the 2018 Prado is still using temperature compensation alternator solution, so a voltage booster diode would be working as it did before on older models, but I haven’t checked out myself under the hood. If the diode trick won’t be an option, we may have to go for DC DC chargers.

The SBI12 will still charge the Aux battery anyway, but it will be unlikely a full charge ever. External battery charger will be needed for certain period time.

Cheers,

[120D4D Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close 120D4D]

If the '18 model alternator is unchanged (temp compensating) then yes you can use any traditional isolator.

There is no voltage booster for the 2.8 nor likely to be apparently.

Some 2.8's alternators appear to perform worse than others. Mine always runs between 13.65 - 14.00 volts and so I run an isolator for my AUX and dont need a DCDC.

The comment about full charge is more a reflection on drive times. Using an isolator, You can charge an AUX to nearly full much quicker than a DCDC, a DCDC can get from nearly full to full quicker than a 2.8 alternator. They both still fully charge the AUX though!

[freebug Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close freebug]

Mine always runs between 13.65 - 14.00 volts.

Agree, if I could get that volts from my alternator, I would go isolator for sure. That’s the thing I will need to find out first.

Cheers,

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

Lead crystal don't like high charge rates so I would re-think a VSR setup unless you take steps to limit the current.

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

Hi LeighW, not sure where you got your info from, but I sell Lead Crystal batteries, ( and I am not trying to sell anything here ).

I have been in this business for nearly 40 years and have never been interested in selling batteries. Then nearly 2 years ago, after hearing what I suspected to be nothing but advertising B/S about Lead Crystal batteries, I bought a few to test NOT TO SELL, just to test, to see how real the hype was.

I caned the guts out of a hand full of these batteries and to date, I have not succeeded in damaging any of them.

My tests include repeatedly SLOW discharging and charging them from 100% SoC down to 0% SoC.

I have also carried out high current charge and discharge tests.

The limit of my charging current was 70 amp, as this is the largest charger I have, but how many 55Ah batteries do you know of that can be continually charge with and absorbe 70 amp charge currents.

Acording to the manufacture, you can charge a Lead Crystal battery with 800% of the marked Ah, and I have no idea how you could achieve that sort of charge current.

I’ve been so impressed with the performance of these batteries, that I now sell them.

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

Hi drivesafe,

Were you testing them when subjected to under bonnet temperatures?

I have been following conversation on various forums, information from Sth Africa where they have been using these batteries
for sometime indicates they don't like being charged directly off an alternator when mounted under bonnet.

Here is a picture of a Lead Crystal that was charged using a REDARC 40A charger over a six week period

https://imgur.com/HynPcFr

Another with the same vehicle using 25A charger have not experienced the same issue.

I just looked at the specs for a typical 100Ah battery and the maximum recommended charge rate was 30A?

Time will tell I guess

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

Looks like they better strap 'em like Lithiums . I WISH I had the charger to put 70A into my 60 & 100 AH Li.

Wonder how many cycles you will get at high DOD, anyone tested them to death?

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

I believe Tim has done some deep cycle testing, I'm sure he will come back shortly. Be nice if they will
handle under bonnet and high charge rates though the weight is probably still an issue for the cardboard
mud guards on the Prado, though I do have an Optima as the starter at the moment, it was starting to
crack the inner guard but after fitting a proper battery tray with top stabilser that seems to have stopped
the cracking travelling further on my 120, have still fitted the re-enforcing liner though.

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

Google Betta lead crystal batteries, plenty of data available for these. My own experience since changing to lead crystal has been very postive (!) Both in the 150 and the Tvan but neither they nor the BCDCs are under the bonnet.

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

I believe Tim has done some deep cycle testing, I'm sure he will come back shortly. Be nice if they will
handle under bonnet and high charge rates though the weight is probably still an issue for the cardboard
mud guards on the Prado, though I do have an Optima as the starter at the moment, it was starting to
crack the inner guard but after fitting a proper battery tray with top stabilser that seems to have stopped
the cracking travelling further on my 120, have still fitted the re-enforcing liner though.

If only LiFeP04 could hack underbonnet temps I would be a happy little vegemite....

[t303 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close t303]

If only LiFeP04 could hack underbonnet temps I would be a happy little vegemite....

12.5kg for a REAL 100AH would be lurvly!

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

Hi Leighw, I personally would only fit Optima Yellowtops under any bonnet.

It’s not just the heat resilience but while I have found Lead Crystal batteries charge faster than most AGMs, Yellowtops will charge at at least twice as fast as Lead Crystal batteries, and with lower voltage vehicles, Optima will reach a 95+% state of charge way before any other battery. Their small capacity is their only drawback.

When you move the auxiliary battery away from the bonnet, unless you run huge cabling, the rapid charging benefit of an Optima diminishes.

I am in the process of testing Lead Crystal batteries in a STOP/START vehicle and I am repeatedly discharging the cranking battery down to 50% SoC ( 12.0v ) and a 55Ah Lead Crystal battery down to either 0% SoC ( 10.5v ) or 20% ( 11.6v ). The LC battery is located in the cargo area, at the end of 8m of 6B&S twin cable.

I’ll let you know my findings when I finish the tests but so far the results are way better than you could get using a 25 amp DC/DC device.

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

Looks like they better strap 'em like Lithiums . I WISH I had the charger to put 70A into my 60 & 100 AH Li.

Wonder how many cycles you will get at high DOD, anyone tested them to death?

Hi t303, Sterling make 180 amp Battery to Battery hagers ( their version of DC/DC ) and these come with the ability to be set to charge lithium’s.

If you google Sterling Australia, you with get the importer’s web site.

[Vanders Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Vanders]

Lead crystal don't like high charge rates so I would re-think a VSR setup unless you take steps to limit the current.

Hi Leigh, sorry for the uneducated questions but what are you suggesting here? What do I need? I was only hoping to use the SBi12 as I already have it but no big deal if it's not suitable.

I basically want the following:

* Run a fridge in the cargo area
* External located anderson plug for input from solar panel to charge aux when stationary
* External located anderson plug output to feed basic led light system around camp and occasionally an inverter

I'm happy to locate the aux in the cargo if need be or under the bonnet, but based on what I've read on these lead crystal I'm thinking they're worth a try.

P.S. Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate the feedback.