Does anyone know about ARK Portable battery boxes and where to buy them

[Corey]

Nice to hear from you too Brett.

Oz, I run an AGM battery in mine, and since getting the new replacement mine has been plugged into 110V power at home full time and never goes into alarm.
The only time it was taken off the mains power charging it was when we had a power outage as seen earlier in this thread.

 

[OzSprinter]

Thanks Corey, appreciate your input.
When you say "replacement", did you return your original unit under warranty for replacement?
Was that at the retail outlet you purchased the ArkPak from or from Arkcorp directly?

 

[Corey]

Yes, I was having issues with mine and I was sent another one.
Transferred my battery to it and plugged in the charger and it worked like it should.

I bought mine direct off of the USA online store.
Sent the first one back in the new box, and UPS picked it up from me the next day.

 

[OzSprinter]

Once again Corey, thank you for such a prompt reply.
Well it is nice to hear your problem has been resolved with a replacement unit.

Considering the same problem is occurring with both my ArkPak units, i am wondering if a replacement would solve the issue?
Unless of course, if newer ArkPak units have been slightly modified?

I know ArkCorp made this unit to be used, not stored, but the reality is, it is being stored 90% of the time until we next go away.
Just like our fridges etc.... I'd just like to best protect and maintain my expensive batteries during these times of storage.

On another note, those charging mobile phones, you will get a much faster charge using your car charger in the ArkPak cigarette outlets than the USB outlet.
USB outlet is limited to 500mA, you will attain a full 1amp (or what ever your charger is rated at) using the 12V cigarette.
Considering most smart phones are quite power hungry and can use 300mA when the screen is on full brightness and 3G connection is being used, at 500mA, you are only tipping in 200mA, making it a very slow charge.
Using the 12Volt cigarette outlet and your vehicle charger, you can achieve 700mA of charging current while the phone is in use, turned on.

This has been tested with the Samsung Galaxy S3 4G, Iphone 3gs and Iphone 4.
Some products are more or less sensitive to available charging currents, the Samsung range of phones and tablets and very sensitive to charging currents.
Hopefully this may help anyone suffering slow charging of their mobile device.
This is not specific just to the ArkPak, it is the same across many charging platforms, including the 240V/110V main power chargers.

 

[Brett From Ark]

Thanks Brett,

Ok, so sounds like a work around, more than a solution.
Is there a newer firmware for the ArkPak that might solve this problem with AGM batteries and ArkPak being left on 24/7?

Both units were purchased via Fishing/Camping retailer, both act in a similar way.
Its a shame, i was thinking i could add a 240Volt timer, but i would then need to push the buttons on the ArkPak is it reboots, so that isnt really a solution either.

Maybe if i want to leave it plugged into the mains voltage full time, i should use the CTEK charger on the external terminals?
What do others with AGM batteries do?

Thank You

Hi OzSprinter

did you purchase these units from a BCF / Rays outdoor store ? and if so what state are you located in ?

will await your reply

Regards

Brett From ARK

 

[OzSprinter]

Hi OzSprinter

did you purchase these units from a BCF / Rays outdoor store ? and if so what state are you located in ?

will await your reply

Regards

Brett From ARK

Interesting question? Did different units go to different locations?

I left my ArkPak's turned off for 24hours. Turned them back on this morning, they seem to run correctly, 3 hours later, they were back on Alarm (Open Circuit)
Rang a friend that purchased an ArkPak before i purchased both of mine, and asked him what he does, he said he suffered the same Alarm fault when left plugged into a mains power. So he just leaves it turned off now, he got sick of resetting it. He has the same 100Ah battery too.
He has used his ArkPak more then i have, taking it on a 3 day camp, running a fridge and charging everyones phone, which he was very impressed with, came home still with 85% Charge with no power going back into the unit.

So it seems what you are suggesting may resolve the Alarm for a while. I did take my battery's down to 20% once after a long duration unplugged.
Which concerns me, as i had been told NOT to take a AGM battery below 50% as a habit, and if i did, for it to be for a very short time frame.
But once the ArkPak's have been plugged back into mains and left ON (Charging) for a period of time, this Alarm is re-occurring.
If this helps in any diagnoses, the Alarm Fault is worse now then when they were new, as in, now it happens all the time.

Units were purchased in Melbourne.

Thanks

 

[Brett From Ark]

Interesting question? Did different units go to different locations?

I left my ArkPak's turned off for 24hours. Turned them back on this morning, they seem to run correctly, 3 hours later, they were back on Alarm (Open Circuit)
Rang a friend that purchased an ArkPak before i purchased both of mine, and asked him what he does, he said he suffered the same Alarm fault when left plugged into a mains power. So he just leaves it turned off now, he got sick of resetting it. He has the same 100Ah battery too.
He has used his ArkPak more then i have, taking it on a 3 day camp, running a fridge and charging everyones phone, which he was very impressed with, came home still with 85% Charge with no power going back into the unit.

So it seems what you are suggesting may resolve the Alarm for a while. I did take my battery's down to 20% once after a long duration unplugged.
Which concerns me, as i had been told NOT to take a AGM battery below 50% as a habit, and if i did, for it to be for a very short time frame.
But once the ArkPak's have been plugged back into mains and left ON (Charging) for a period of time, this Alarm is re-occurring.
If this helps in any diagnoses, the Alarm Fault is worse now then when they were new, as in, now it happens all the time.

Units were purchased in Melbourne.

Thanks

Hi OzSprinter

Thanks for confirming you purchased the units in Melbourne Victoria Australia. This thread has been open to help our customers in the USA with Technical questions about the Ark Pak and to help them with Trouble shooting issues.

as you have purchased the units in Australia please contact me direct on my email brett@arkcorporation.com or via phone on 02 9678 9036, and we can work how best to move forward.


Regards

Brett From ARK

 

[OzSprinter]

Thank You Brett,

I am i bit bemused as to why you might not wish these issues discussed on a public forum?
I thought that was the idea of a forum. As it may serve as a solution for current and future ArkPak users.
I joined up as i could see there was a Rep here to give advise, which is rare these days.
But more importantly as i saw another member had posted what seemed to be the exact same problem i was suffering.


I will follow your directions
But i must say the product does not work for me (and my friend) as portrayed in the videos. In regards to its behaviour on Mains power charging and battery conditioning.
This might be a Battery/ArkPak compatibility issue.
In which case, maybe the ArkPak should come with a list of recommended batteries (that have been tested to work without Open Circuit Alarms) as it seems it has happend to others.
Or maybe the charging circuit should not be time based?

Honestly i don't know, it is really not my job to say, i am just an end user trying to use the product as describe.
I really can not see the harm in discussing these points to hopefully make a better ArkPak or at least prevent future users suffering these same issues.

 

[Ed B]

I spent a long weekend out at Anza Borrego and am extremely happy with the performance of the Arkpak. Fridge, phones, iPads etc, no problems.

I picked up the Solar Blvd 120W kit today. This will be the next test. Just want to confirm the procedure for using the solar. I connect the controller to the positive and negative posts on the side of the Arkpak with the battery isolator in the on position. Good to go after that? Actually, just confirming that the only time the battery isolator would be in the off position is with nothing plugged in and charging on house power. Otherwise with anything plugged in and discharging, it would be on. Another one. Is the manual online anywhere?

Thanks

 

[Corey]

Ed, that is the way to hook up the solar.
I hooked mine up that way when I got my Solar Blvd 100 watt kit awhile back.
And isolator off when not powering anything.

Not sure if the manual is online, but all of that info is in the paper manual.

 

[Brett From Ark]

I spent a long weekend out at Anza Borrego and am extremely happy with the performance of the Arkpak. Fridge, phones, iPads etc, no problems.

I picked up the Solar Blvd 120W kit today. This will be the next test. Just want to confirm the procedure for using the solar. I connect the controller to the positive and negative posts on the side of the Arkpak with the battery isolator in the on position. Good to go after that? Actually, just confirming that the only time the battery isolator would be in the off position is with nothing plugged in and charging on house power. Otherwise with anything plugged in and discharging, it would be on. Another one. Is the manual online anywhere?

Thanks

Hi Ed B

your explanation of how to use solar is correct and also about the isolator switch is also correct, in relation to the instruction manual if you email me i can email you a PDF copy of the instruction manual my email is brett@arkcorporation.com

if you need anything else please ask.

Regards

Brett From Ark

 

[Ed B]

Thanks Brett. Email sent.

Ed

 

[Brett From Ark]

Thanks Brett. Email sent.

Ed

Hi Ed B

no problem at all, i hope the PDF went thru ok, best wishes for the Christmas and New Year

cheers

Brett From Ark

 

[Brett From Ark]

Christmas shut down period for Ark

Hi to all

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a safe Happy New Year.

Also i wanted let everyone know that Ark will be closed from Friday 20/12/2013 till Monday 06/01/2014.

so if you do post a question we may not reply to it after the 06/01/2014, i may have a look to see if there are questions posted while i am on leave but that depends on mobile phone signal out in the bush.

take care everyone and have a safe happy holiday.

Best wishes from all the team at Ark

 

[Corey]

Thanks Brett, and you have a Merry Christmas and happy New Years too.