Ark Pak - Questions and Queries

[dstock]

He has a wet cell battery, while yours is an AGM. That might make the difference.

Ah, thought it was AGM when I looked it up but maybe I looked up the wrong one. Regardless, he's got a good resting rate!

 

[Brett From Ark]

Hi to all

Just wanted you guys and girls to know that Ark will be at the Overland west Flagstaff event from May 15 2015, we will be sharing a stand with a company called Kakadu Camping INC, we will be located at stand 49, so if you want to see the Ark Pak in action out in the field this is your chance.



hope to see you there

Regards

Brett from Ark

 

[Baoser]

Is there any easy fix for my broken USB port as stated on page 2?

 

[mep1811]

I received my new ArkPak and so far so good..................Until I tried to plug in the Anderson plug. As I tried to plug in the plug the plug on the ArkPak just pushed into the housing. I was able to pull it back out but there is no way to plug in an Anderson plug.

 

[mep1811]

Ark Pak

Here are some pictures of the Anderson plug.

 

[Srpat]

I'm also having my own issues with the Anderson plug. I just finished wiring up my Anderson plug to go to the arkpak. When switched on, it reads 12 volts, like it should. However, when plugged into the arkpak it doesn't recognize it and does not switch to charge mode. It feels like it is pushed in all of the way. Is there a way to check if the arkpak is getting the 12 volts from the plug? Are other people having this problem?

I had a nightmare of a trip to Colorado last year with charging problems. I was constantly pulling over to make sure the dc-to-dc charger was actually charging. It wasn't always, so for the back half of the trip, I had to use the 120v charger through my truck's inverter. PIA. In an attempt to not idle my truck at camp for literally 6 hours to get the battery charged back up I spent a decent chunk of money to put the Anderson plug in. I need this to work. I leave for another trip next week. Ideas?

 

[crusaderJK]

The "Argh"-Pak...

 

[mep1811]

What does the battery switch actually do ? I get voltage at all the terminals whether the switch is on or off. Once again, Brett from ArkPak is absent .

 

[Srpat]

Here's a little more information. I have the 30 amp fuse, relay and switch from the battery ran to the back of the truck where I have an anderson plug. From there, I have a 5 foot cable I made with anderson plugs on both ends. When switched on, I read 12 volts from the battery to the first Anderson plug. When I plug in the 5 foot cable, I also read 12 volts when on. So no problem so far with my set up. The Anderson plug attached to the Arkpak reads 12 volts. And when I have the 5 foot cable plugged in to the Arkpak, the other end of the cable also reads 12 volts. BUT, when I plug it all together, and leave it for several minutes, the arkpak continues to display discharge cycle.

I don't get it. If the arkpak's Anderson plug is registering, and my truck 12 volt wires are correct, why isn't the arkpak charging?


I will clarify that the problems I had last year with my trip were partially my fault and were resolved by Brett by sending a new 12 volt plug for my car charger. My wiring job to connect the plug was faulty and I was relying on the 120v charger that I brought as a backup.


My two biggest complaints are that the car chargers 5 amp charge is not sufficient for my use if the stay is over 3-4 days. The amount of driving I do just doesn't keep the battery charged enough. Which brings me to the second complaint of this Anderson plug not working. At least not yet. Help please?

 

[mep1811]

is the isolator switch in the on position ? According to the manual page 15, the switch should be in the "on" posistion. The manual also says that when using the Anderson plug the smart charging circuit is bypassed


http://www.arkcorp.com.au/images/arkpak-manual-issue7may2014.pdf

 

[Srpat]

With isolator switch on, I cannot run anything off of the arkpak (run my fridge while charging with the Anderson plug) correct? And can anybody confirm what the readout is when plugged into the Anderson plug? Does the lcd screen say discharge or charging? Thanks for the help.

is the isolator switch in the on position ? According to the manual page 15, the switch should be in the "on" posistion. The manual also says that when using the Anderson plug the smart charging circuit is bypassed


http://www.arkcorp.com.au/images/arkpak-manual-issue7may2014.pdf

 

[Brett From Ark]

Is there any easy fix for my broken USB port as stated on page 2?

Hi Boaser

there is no fix if you have snapped the USB port you would need a new inverter to fix your problem. if you want a new one send an email to brett@arkcorporation and i can give you a cost.

look forward to your reply.

Regards

Brett from Ark

 

[Brett From Ark]

I received my new ArkPak and so far so good..................Until I tried to plug in the Anderson plug. As I tried to plug in the plug the plug on the ArkPak just pushed into the housing. I was able to pull it back out but there is no way to plug in an Anderson plug.

Hi Mike

i would like you to do something for me to determine the exact cause and breakage location, the information i need to give to you i will email it as it is not for the general public.

Regards

Brett from Ark

 

[Brett From Ark]

What does the battery switch actually do ? I get voltage at all the terminals whether the switch is on or off. Once again, Brett from ArkPak is absent .

Hi Mike i have just sent you an email with instructions on how to inspect the Anderson plug, please let me know how you go inspecting the Anderson plug.

when you turn the isolator from on to off yes you are correct the terminals will hold what is know as a residual charge untill a load is applied to drain this residual charge, this residual charge does not affect the operation of the Ark Pak.

on a side note about me being absent from this thread i think that is a harsh comment as i was the one who start this thread as well as several others i look after in my own personal time, and it may suprise to some people but i do have a wife and family and enjoy family time after i finish work.

if people are looking for an ASAP response then it is best to send it thru to my work email which is brett@arkcorporation.com

Regards

Brett from Ark

 

[Brett From Ark]

I'm also having my own issues with the Anderson plug. I just finished wiring up my Anderson plug to go to the arkpak. When switched on, it reads 12 volts, like it should. However, when plugged into the arkpak it doesn't recognize it and does not switch to charge mode. It feels like it is pushed in all of the way. Is there a way to check if the arkpak is getting the 12 volts from the plug? Are other people having this problem?

I had a nightmare of a trip to Colorado last year with charging problems. I was constantly pulling over to make sure the dc-to-dc charger was actually charging. It wasn't always, so for the back half of the trip, I had to use the 120v charger through my truck's inverter. PIA. In an attempt to not idle my truck at camp for literally 6 hours to get the battery charged back up I spent a decent chunk of money to put the Anderson plug in. I need this to work. I leave for another trip next week. Ideas?

Hi Srpat

the Anderson plug on the Ark Pak is wired directly to the battery, and when the smart charger in the Ark Pak senses the external current coming thru the Anderson plug in the bottom left hand corner it should come up and say charge cycle on the LCD screen.

you need to ensure that your car is running and turned on, you must have your battery isolator in the ON position to accept the external charge thru the Anderson plug

please let me know how you go with the above information if you need additional help and support ASAP it is alwats best to email me direct at my work the email address is brett@arkcorporation.com

look forward to your update

Regards

Brett from Ark