A new SPIN, on auxilliary power...

[BMAN]

So, I've been thinking of the dual battery/aux. Power setup for the 60 series lately. For those who don't know, I have done a GM TBI small block/700R4 conversion in the truck and am running a stock GM serpentine setup.

My plan has always been to run a homebrew on-board welder setup as outlined here: http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/on-boardwelder/index.html

That, along with all the other self-sufficient goodies that we dream about like, OBA, OBS, GPS/laptop, 2meter, CB, fridge freeze, way too many aux lights, yadda yadda yadda…

I have purchased my Ford alternator for the welder and will be picking up the rest of the items required for the welder in the next week or so. I will be mounting the Alternator down low on the passenger side of my block and will run a v-belt over to my hybrid (serpentine/v-belt) water pump pulley. Since the Ford alternator will be constantly hooked into the system and generating power I had the idea of splitting my “Dual Battery system” into a “Dual Power System”.

My basic thoughts, in not so many words, would be to run the “stock” systems off of my Red top, and wire ALL of my auxiliary systems to the Yellow top. I would keep the Yellow top completely separate from the stock system yet keep it charged with the secondary alternator.

Any thoughts, comments, problems with this system I'm not seeing?

 

[PCRover]

This seems like a sound concept to me. You might want to provide some sort of cross-over switch to interconnect the two so if one system dies, you can run everything on the system still working. You should meter the axillary system so you can monitor it's health since it won't be part of your main systems guages etc.

 

[pwc]

One question: You run down the aux system running stuff.....and you left the dome light on.....now what?

 

[rusty_tlc]

One question: You run down the aux system running stuff.....and you left the dome light on.....now what?

Start the engine from the main power and charge the aux system?

 

[BMAN]

All interior lighting (dome lights) will be changed over to LED per the stuff George sells at TaskLED.com so the drain will be minimized. While it is feasable that both systems could accidentaly be drained, My hopes are that it would be unlikely. I would be no worse off than if I were running just a single battery and made the same mistake. The hopes are that the redundancy would allow for that but it seems that Mr. Murphy will always rear his ugly head at the worst time.

I had thought about crossover redundancy but haven't figured that one out other than cables that are long enough to hit both batteries so I could switch over if needed.

 

[BMAN]

Thinking more about your question PWC, and the only "accessories" that should be running, for any amount of time, when the truck is shut down would be the fridge and possibly a DVD player if the kids are with me. There will also be 3 interior lights added to the system for use when camping, but these will run off the deep cycle aux. battery. The hope is that the use of these lights will keep me from using anything while camping that might drain the ignition battery.

But now that you've put the idea in my head I might just add a battery disconnect switch to the primary side and get in the habit of shutting down the primary battery when camp is set for the night. This "should" ensure that no matter how much I drain the Aux. battery, I will always be able to start the rig in the morning.

 

[Rubi-Khan]

I made an on-board setup based on the Ford alternator a few years ago. It has been used on the trail several times.

I started with the concept from the Pirate forum but ultimately all I added to make it work was the alternator and a surplus welding reactor. The latter is the ticket to making the arc more consistent and not using up your alt brushes too quickly.

It's a very simple and basic setup, but in being so it is not idiot-proof.

 

[david despain]

just wondering out loud here and i have not read the pirate stuff yet but, would anyone forsee any problems using the frame and other traditional ground points for both systems? like maybe radio or other electronic noise?

on second thought the second alternator is already using the eng and block and frame for its case ground so i guess you might have to. or does this ford alternator use a seperate stud for ground? all the ford and chrylser alternators i have ever worked on have been on airplanes and those all had a seperate stud for ground if i recall corectly. none of those dual alt setups ever had those kind of problems but they were also always feeding a single batt type of setup. just some thoughts outloud

 

[Rubi-Khan]

just wondering out loud here and i have not read the pirate stuff yet but, would anyone forsee any problems using the frame and other traditional ground points for both systems? like maybe radio or other electronic noise?

It's common practice to use the same ground in my experience. On my setup, I use the same alternator so it goes without saying.

 

[BMAN]

I made an on-board setup based on the Ford alternator a few years ago. It has been used on the trail several times.

I started with the concept from the Pirate forum but ultimately all I added to make it work was the alternator and a surplus welding reactor. The latter is the ticket to making the arc more consistent and not using up your alt brushes too quickly.

It's a very simple and basic setup, but in being so it is not idiot-proof.

So you used a single alternator for both the charging system and to power a seperate welder? Please elaborate.

 

[Rubi-Khan]

So you used a single alternator for both the charging system and to power a seperate welder? Please elaborate.

Correct.

I changed my OEM alternator to one of the older style, externally regulated Ford alternators in a higher output version. The normal configuration for this Jeep was for the output of the alt to tie to the hot side of the fender-mounted starter solenoid. I replaced this wire with some heavy gauge welding cable.

(As I mentioned before, this is low tech, low budget solution. It requires a litte work on my part when I need to use it and it isn't idiot proof.)

When I need to weld, I disconnect the alt output cable from where it ties to the Jeep's electrical system at the solenoid and swung it over to my fender-mounted welding reactor. (This thing is the ticket.....smooths out the arc significantly) I hook the stinger welding lead to the other side of the welding reactor. I hook the welding ground to the engine block at a convenient location.

I then take the field wire that comes from the alt and connect it directly to 12v+. This turns the alternator wide open. This is the point where I start the engine and adjust the RPM with a locking hand throttle to get the needed amount of welding 'heat'. I think I'm able to get about 75v with no load.

During this time the vehicle will be running off the battery. I've never had a problem because we rarely needed to weld over about 10 mins.

I always intended to make it a little more sophisticated, but I used it so infrequently that I was satisfied like it was. I was a hero on the trail more than once!