National Luna copy?

[roamingaz]

OK I am thinking of buying the one in the current ebay auction but wanted to check it out first. Looks to be almost exactly the same as the National Luna dual battery system for a lot less money. Anyone heard of this company?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160404857595&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

[Martyn]

Jesse, it an unashamed reproduction of the original National Luna product, they almost package it the same.

One of the issues you face is "Durable Living", should you buy this unproven product and face having to replace it a couple of times as it's life span may be short. Or buy the "original" National Luna product once, and use it for a life time.

Another issue is that a dual battery system is set up so you can power your needs for an extended period of time. The joy of saving some cash upfront is soon extinguished when you have electrical problems 2 days into a two week Baja trip.

Apart from the questionable parts and quality control, there will be no Paul May on the other end of the phone working out how to get a replacement unit down to you in San Carlos.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Its come up here on ExPo in the past. Lower quality cables and hardware, solenoid is a no name unit (National Luna is the reliable Cole-Hersee), doesn't include all the components the Luna kits does. Hard to say what the quality is on the rest of the kit. I beleive it was reported to be a Chinese made copy of the South African National Luna system. Its possible some components come from the same manufactures but given the fact 'most' doesnt I'd assume its just a copy.

Here is one thread I found in a quick search:
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7486&highlight=Luna

 

[roamingaz]

I guess passing on this unit and buying a quality dual battery system would be a better idea as I do like top quality stuff. I was just wondering if it was a actual unit without the national luna logo.

 

[dieselcruiserhead]

Jesse if you want to save some $$ but don't need "intelligent" (if you're OK with just a switch) and don't need their gauge monitor (which really is pretty slick) this is the best continuous duty relay out there supposedly at 200 amp. This and $30 in cable and you could wire up your own setup that would be rock solid...

http://shop.ebay.com/sis.html?_kw=STINGER+SR200+HIGH+CURRENT+RELAY+ISOLATOR+DUAL+BATTERY

The relay is about $50 on ebay or so... Basically the same as a starter relay but rated for continuous duty so they last. These also fit in Warn Winches that have lots of issues with relays. And are cheaper than their replacements...

 

[ginericLC]

Another cheap solution along the lines of what Andre is saying is the kit offered by www.12voltguy.com Same solenoid solution but in a kit. I've used it and it is nice quality.

 

[Equipt]

Hi Jesse,

I thought I would chime in here as well and let you know a couple other items about the National Luna system. The electronics used in the Dual Battery Kit for the Intelligent Solenoid and the Dual Battery Controller are both manufactured in house. They build these themselves, and will never sell those technologies to another manufacturer. Each electronic system is personally tested by one of the partners of the company prior to leaving the building. Field malfunctions are in most cases more expensive to handle than the original cost of the product, so they take extra precautions to ensure that doesn't happen. Does It? Sure, but it is absolutely rare. And is usually a case of a mishap in install where something shorts or water is involved.

The fuse links and hardware in the kit is all MTA, a division of Hella. Solid stuff. The solenoid is a Cole Hersee. Quite reliable and readily available for replacement. We haven't had a solenoid fail in the US to date. We also offer the 200 amp solenoids if you choose to add that to your purchase. The 85 amp solenoid has a short term high amp rating of 400 amps. Plenty for most applications.

The cable is a high strand count silicone core cabling to ensure high efficiency current transfer. Most of the battery cabling in the US utilizes a standard plastic protective covering.

A more economical option to the entire kit would be to get the Intelligent Solenoid by itself. That in and of itself is a dual battery system. You can do the cabling yourself and you are done. It will automatically manage your battery charging for you, indefinitely. Then when you want to add the controller to the system, simply purchase that component and plug it in.

If you have any other questions on the National Luna System, please let me know.

cheers,

 

[bmonday]

I have a rule that goes something like "Don't skimp on ******** that can cause your vehicle to burn to the ground"

So far, it's served me pretty well.

BMonday

 

[ginericLC]

Paul,

That is some good info. So buying the $140 intelligent solenoid and some cables locally would get you set up with a basic dual battery system charging both batteries and isolating them? That doesn't seem so bad. My wallet has a heart attack when I see the price of the whole kit. I understand that it provides quality components and a monitoring system but for my simple system I really don't need all of that and I'm already strapped for dash space.

Eric V.

 

[Equipt]

Yep. That is the case. The Intelligent Solenoid is the brains behind the whole thing. A really good place to start, and not too bad pricewise. You hook it up according to the instructions (grounds and little black wire to the main battery last) and close the hood. Done. It is fully automated.

A. It senses the incoming current when you start the truck
B. charges the main battery for 5 minutes to recoup for the discharge of starting the vehicle
C. Connects to the second battery, charging both
D. Isolates the batteries from each other when battery voltage is less than 13.2. This is usually when you turn off the truck.
Batteries remain isolated until incoming current starts the whole process over.

You don't have to ever touch it again.

Cheers,