Battery Management

[1987FJ60]

I am working on my dual battery system
I currently have a blue Sea isolator but I think I want to do something different. I was looking at redarc stuff but nor sure what to do. Is there a way to be able to charge with ac/DC and Solar. Basically I want to be able to plug in the vehicle at the house to the wall and charge the batteries and then on the trail charge with alternator and solar. What would be the best way to achieve this. Thanks for the help, this is like speaking a foreign language to me.

 

[DiploStrat]

OK, I'll play. First question: Why do you want to replace the ACR? What is it not doing? What is the problem you are trying to solve?

Beyond that, many (most) of us have setups that support charging of both camper and starter batteries from any combination of alternator, shore power, and solar. To me, this is a basic system.

There are many ways to do this, but typically it requires:

-- Connection to the alternator. Depending on many elements, this can be a manual switch, an ignition controlled switch, a voltage sensing system (your ACR), or a battery to battery charger. Depending on the batteries involved and the alternator/regulator, one is probably better for your needs than others.

-- A shore power charger. This can be mounted on the truck as a converter or an inverter/charger, or in your garage as a classic battery charger.

-- A solar controller. This can be a free standing unit, usually the best idea as it has the potential to give the highest charge, or incorporated into a battery to battery charger.

Finally, there are all in one units, like the REDARC Manager 30, which put all of these functions into one unit. These tend to be smaller and there is some viewing-with-alarm that this gives you a single point of failure.

None of this is hard, but it can become complex. The good news is that it is very doable, but meaningful advice will require a lot more detail about your rig and intended use and loads.

All the best.

 

[1987FJ60]

I just want to make sure my batteries are being charged correctly and fully. After reading some more it looks like I can jeep the ACR and get a dc to dc charger. That way the batteries are charged correctly. I will have a bigger battery for the aux battery.

Looks like the redarc 1225D is a dc to dc and solar controller. Just trying bot to spend money doing to twice.

I will be running 73 dual zone fridge, I have a 100 watt portable solar but will be adding more in the future. This is going in a FJ60 with an LS 5.3 in it. This will be an overlanding rig. Thanks for the advice.

 

[GSWatson]

Get a quality laptop power supply and wire to the solar charge controller. Plug into that in the garage; the CC thinks its a sunny day all the time, and you aren’t spending money on two different chargers.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[1987FJ60]

That's a good idea

 

[4000lbsOfGoat]

The big advantage of the ACR is that, in a pinch, if your starter battery is dead you can use the secondary battery to start the vehicle. However, the caveat with the ACR is that the batteries need to be *identical* (same manufacturer, same model, same age) to ensure proper charging from the alternator. In my mind anyway, this is a "dual battery setup" - identical batteries linked though an ACR (or similar device). While the secondary battery may be used as a source for accessories it can also be used to start the vehicle.

If you want a "bigger" battery for the secondary then I would call this "adding a house battery". In this case you can use any type of battery that you want (and you'll want a deep-cycle battery, not a starter battery) and it should be charged through a DC-DC charger. It will get charged according to it's own needs and profile but can't be used as a backup starter battery (without using jumper cables).

Basically I want to be able to plug in the vehicle at the house to the wall and charge the batteries

You'll never really need to do this as long as you drive the vehicle regularly for extended periods - the batteries will stay charged. The only time you would really need this is if you're out for a few days and there is not enough sun to charge you up so you need to plug in somewhere for a while. If you need it, Noco makes great quality, compact AC chargers.

The Redarc Manager is an amazing unit but it's rather large and rather expensive. It's probably overkill for your usage.

 

[4000lbsOfGoat]

[QUOTEthe caveat with the ACR is that the batteries need to be *identical* (same manufacturer, same model, same age)

The ”matched batteries” is only required for a battery array what stays always connected. (Actually not required,but matched adds greatly to efficiency and service life)
A system of house battery and starting battery only need to be matched as far as voltage general type of battery. Lead acid for example.
One can be a starting battery, the other a deepcycle and of different size and capacity.
[/QUOTE]
You and I seem to go back and forth a lot about electrical issues!

Yes, while it is not "required", OPs original concern was about proper charge and the health of the batteries. Any modern vehicle is not going to simply pump amps from the alternator into the system. It is going to gauge the battery properties and set the charging profile accordingly. If the batteries don't match, at least one of the batteries is not going to see the profile that it needs to charge effectively and it's lifespan will be decreased.

 

[1987FJ60]

Ok so ot does sound like I want a house battery. Sounds like a dc to dc is what I need.

 

[4000lbsOfGoat]

Ok so ot does sound like I want a house battery. Sounds like a dc to dc is what I need.

That would be optimal. Seems like you've already looked at Redarc, can't really go wrong there.