Ultimate Goal Zero In-Car charging

[sampep]

Yeah 600w would be sick
All input source are cap at 240w max on the Yeti 1250 and 160w per 8mm port.
Witch is pretty good already, 20amp charge rate is fast enough for me.

So you let your cigarette plug control the charging or you wired it to a fuse panel?
I purchased a blue Sea ACR last week, not sure if i really need this, i don't think a cigarette lighter connection can output 20amp
I wanted to connect straight to the back chaining port at first and get max power from the inverter but i really like the fact that you can use the mppt charger to get a real good controlled charge to the battery vs letting my car do that.

Do you know what happens if it gets too much power from your 12v feed? Will it just dump it or not accept it and then the wire will heat?

Sam

 

[snowblind]

So you let your cigarette plug control the charging or you wired it to a fuse panel?
I purchased a blue Sea ACR last week, not sure if i really need this, i don't think a cigarette lighter connection can output 20amp
I wanted to connect straight to the back chaining port at first and get max power from the inverter but i really like the fact that you can use the mppt charger to get a real good controlled charge to the battery vs letting my car do that.

Do you know what happens if it gets too much power from your 12v feed? Will it just dump it or not accept it and then the wire will heat?

Sam

I HATE cig plugs. Damn them all to hell! ;-) My power is hardwired off the alternator positive output with 8AWG wire and a 30amp inline fuse. "Power supply" is controlled by the vehicle alternator. "Charge control" is provided by the Yeti 400.

The Yeti will only charge at voltages from 14-29V. That means it WILL NOT suck any power out of your 12v system if the car is not running.

Once the vehicle is running the alternator will provide as much 14-15V power as the Yeti's charge controller requests. The Amperage and Watts go up as the Yeti demands and taper off as the Yeti dictates. When the battery is full the charge drops to zero. I don't think the Yeti actually bleeds that much power to ground. It is actively reducing the amount of current drawn.

FYI I have noticed that when using solar panels to charge the Yeti I can maintain higher input voltages at the end of the charging cycle by introducing a power drain. EG: Yeti is at full charge and solar panel input is at 0Watts but when I charge a phone @ 5Watt draw the input voltage goes to 15Watts. Makes me think that if you have enough solar panel to keep the Yeti topped up you should maybe run inverter accessories, charge other batteries, etc. at times of peak solar input to capture those otherwise wasted watts.


Matt

 

[sampep]

We all hate those cig plug then that's for sure

Great finding on the charge controller not charging bellow 14v.
Man, goal zero should list all that info somewhere.
That means you technically could just wire it to your starting battery. No need for a diode switch or alternator run.
Ive looked on there website and they say it will drain the starting battery. But that could be them thinking they will use the chaining port vs mppt.

Will try your trick on the solar top up

Sam

 

[snowblind]

Great finding on the charge controller not charging bellow 14v. Ive looked on there website and they say it will drain the starting battery. But that could be them thinking they will use the chaining port vs mppt.

Well... when connected directly to a source lower than 14V the Yeti registers "Low" input and does not charge. I suppose it could still be pulling a little juice from the battery and would maybe kill it over time. To be safe you should connect to an "ignition hot" source.

That means you technically could just wire it to your starting battery. No need for a diode switch or alternator run.

Not sure exactly what you mean by "diode switch" and "alternator run" but overall you are correct. It's just like wiring a car stereo amp. Run a wire capable of transferring the desired current off the positive battery terminal. Fuse it close to the battery for safety then connect the other end to a relay activated by an ignition hot source. With that setup the Yeti is disconnected from the battery when the ignition is off.

My setup is a little more complicated because I have an auxiliary battery in the engine bay.

Here is a photo of my Aux battery. The black beercan on the firewall is a Stinger SPG32 battery isolator. The terminal on the left of the isolator is a direct connection to the Primary battery positive terminal. The terminal on the right connects to the Aux battery positive terminal and also connects two 4AWG wires (for stereo amps) and one 8AWG wire (for fridge, and GZ power). When the vehicle is running both batteries are connected in parallel. When ignition is turned off the Primary battery is removed from the equation.

View attachment 289835


Matt

 

[sampep]

Attachment is not working.

My issue with my battery isolator at the moment is that it needs to see 10v+ on the low side and 13.6v+ on the charging side.
When i run my car i get 14.3v witch is fine, but on the yeti side it get's 0v since it's an import port only.

I might have to buy a different battery isolator for this to work. Something that just turns on when 13.6v is reached on either side.
Also, if the alternator only puts out 14.3v our yeti will never reach 100% charge?

I'm hoping to get this sorted out, worst case i can connect straight to the back connector but i would of like to be able to monitor the charge coming in and even more to get the mppt controller to manage the charging vs my start battery.

Sam

 

[snowblind]

Attachment is not working.

My issue with my battery isolator at the moment is that it needs to see 10v+ on the low side and 13.6v+ on the charging side.
When i run my car i get 14.3v witch is fine, but on the yeti side it get's 0v since it's an import port only.

I might have to buy a different battery isolator for this to work. Something that just turns on when 13.6v is reached on either side.
Also, if the alternator only puts out 14.3v our yeti will never reach 100% charge?

I'm hoping to get this sorted out, worst case i can connect straight to the back connector but i would of like to be able to monitor the charge coming in and even more to get the mppt controller to manage the charging vs my start battery.

Sam

Sorry but I'm missing some info here Why do you have a battery isolator? Sounds like there is just one battery in the vehicle.

A vehicle with a healthy alternator runs at 14v+ If the vehicle is running it will charge the Yeti.



Matt

 

[sampep]

Sorry but I'm missing some info here Why do you have a battery isolator? Sounds like there is just one battery in the vehicle.

A vehicle with a healthy alternator runs at 14v+ If the vehicle is running it will charge the Yeti.



Matt

Hey Matt, yes my alternator run's at 14.3v, and i need the battery isolator so power from the vehicule dosen't get drained.
The solar charger port monitor power and drains slowly the battery (How slow? No clue , might be marginal.)

I just figured out 20min ago why it's not working for me at the moment.

Yeti 400: charging port (input, 8mm, blue, circle):14-29V, up to 10A (120W max)
Yeti 1250: Power Pole charging port (input): 16-48V, up to 20A (240W max)
I just can't reach such high Voltage so no charging on that port.

All those tests to finally figure it out... too bad it takes 16v man i wish i could charge straight to the mppt controller.

Will have to use the back connector to go straight to the battery.

Sam

 

[spikemd]

The Yeti 400's Anderson port is ONLY for chaining additional batteries. It is a direct connection to the internal battery and bypasses the charge controller.

I think it is very important to remember that these max charge rates are only possible when the battery is at 60% reserve or lower. For many users there is no need for such a large "bulk" charge rate because they keep their batteries topped up. 120W of solar is roughly double my current camping needs.

Matt

I am trying to determine if the Anderson connector on the Extreme350 also bypasses the charge controller. GZ made a cigarette adapter to plug into the plug on the Extreme but not for the Yeti. The documentation states to not power a device from the Anderson plug on the Yeti, but I can't find the documentation for the Extreme. I have been running my ARB directly off the Anderson connector and just replaced the battery after 3 years of abuse, but I also wonder if I damaged the battery by running it directly off the plugs.

I called GZ and the customer service rep said it was OK to power from the Anderson plugs, but not sure I trust her. I may call them back again.

Thoughts?

 

[spikemd]

Spent some time chatting with GZ technical support. They do not recommend discharging through the Anderson plugs on the Extreme. But the 12v plugs are horrible and I modified my ARB cable for Anderson plugs to connect to my Extreme and my fusebox in the rear of the rover. I am going to count on the battery protection built into the ARB to keep from discharging the Extreme completely. The main reason for my battery problem I think was from leaving the battery discharged for a few months which is not good for a lead acid. I will be more diligent about keeping it plugged in at all times. My ARB is a backup fridge at home on 120v and it has been running for 5.5 years.

 

[snowblind]

Hey Matt, yes my alternator run's at 14.3v, and i need the battery isolator so power from the vehicule dosen't get drained.
The solar charger port monitor power and drains slowly the battery (How slow? No clue , might be marginal.)

If I understand correctly you could just unplug the charge port from the Yeti to isolate the system. Not important if I've got it wrong

I just figured out 20min ago why it's not working for me at the moment.

Yeti 1250: Power Pole charging port (input): 16-48V, up to 20A (240W max)
I just can't reach such high Voltage so no charging on that port.

Interesting because GZ actual promotes car charging on their website!

http://www.goalzero.com/p/140/goal-zero-yeti-1250-solar-generator Car
Although not the most ideal recharge time, the Goal Zero Yeti 1250 can also be charged by plugging into your car 12V adapter in about 44 hours. You will need to purchase an 8.0mm to 12V Charger.

I wonder if you used TWO x 12v adapters... 24V input?

Another option might be a DC to DC charger like http://www.powerstream.com/DC-input-chargers.htm

 

[bigskypylot]

I HATE cig plugs. Damn them all to hell! ;-) My power is hardwired off the alternator positive output with 8AWG wire and a 30amp inline fuse. "Power supply" is controlled by the vehicle alternator. "Charge control" is provided by the Yeti 400.

The Yeti will only charge at voltages from 14-29V. That means it WILL NOT suck any power out of your 12v system if the car is not running.

Once the vehicle is running the alternator will provide as much 14-15V power as the Yeti's charge controller requests. The Amperage and Watts go up as the Yeti demands and taper off as the Yeti dictates. When the battery is full the charge drops to zero. I don't think the Yeti actually bleeds that much power to ground. It is actively reducing the amount of current drawn.

FYI I have noticed that when using solar panels to charge the Yeti I can maintain higher input voltages at the end of the charging cycle by introducing a power drain. EG: Yeti is at full charge and solar panel input is at 0Watts but when I charge a phone @ 5Watt draw the input voltage goes to 15Watts. Makes me think that if you have enough solar panel to keep the Yeti topped up you should maybe run inverter accessories, charge other batteries, etc. at times of peak solar input to capture those otherwise wasted watts.


Matt

Matt, would love to do the same thing as I hate the cigarette plugs just as much as you lol

Any insight to your setup would be much appreciated

Seth

 

[tuesdayfox]

I just got myslef a yeti 400

I think what Matt has done is to buy the Goalzero 8mm to MC4
and then purchase a set of MC4 plugs and wire the MC4 to the car 12v

I have been using Anderson plugs and have existing andersone plugs on my car
so I am thinking of getting a Goal zero 8mm to Anderson plug adapter

 

[Pensasmies]

Can anyone on this thread answer me this? Haven't been able to get a solid answer from goal zero.

I would like to use a yeti 400 (lead acid) chained to an additional 33-35ah battery to power my van. My question is what is the best way to charge off the car's alternator and how do I wire it? I will also have a 100W solar panel hooked up.

Matt- it sounds like you just wired directly off the alternator - how did you connect it to the yeti 400 (8mm or anderson connector spliced into your 8AWG wire)? Keep in mind I am completely new to wiring. Did you not need a battery isolator or have any issues with battery drain so far? As I understand it, the front ports all go through the charge controller, but not the side Anderson ports - which shouldn't matter if using an isolator I think.

If I do need an isolator then again how do I connect a positive battery cable into the yeti, or is it better/possible to connect it to the auxiliary battery which is chained to the yeti?

Thank you so much to anyone who can provide some guidance.

 

[snowblind]

Can anyone on this thread answer me this? Haven't been able to get a solid answer from goal zero.

I would like to use a yeti 400 (lead acid) chained to an additional 33-35ah battery to power my van. My question is what is the best way to charge off the car's alternator and how do I wire it? I will also have a 100W solar panel hooked up.

Matt- it sounds like you just wired directly off the alternator - how did you connect it to the yeti 400 (8mm or anderson connector spliced into your 8AWG wire)? Keep in mind I am completely new to wiring. Did you not need a battery isolator or have any issues with battery drain so far? As I understand it, the front ports all go through the charge controller, but not the side Anderson ports - which shouldn't matter if using an isolator I think.

If I do need an isolator then again how do I connect a positive battery cable into the yeti, or is it better/possible to connect it to the auxiliary battery which is chained to the yeti?

Thank you so much to anyone who can provide some guidance.

First off - I have a dual battery so I wired my system a little different. My instructions for you relate to a single battery.

The Yeti will only charge when the vehicle is running and making above 13.5V. It will not drain the 12.5V car battery.

The Yeti needs to be charged through the 8mm port. The Anderson Connector is NOT for charging. DO NOT BYPASS THE CHARGE CONTROLLER THROUGH THE ANDERSON PORT! Think about that for a second... Why the hell would "bypassing the charge controller" be a good idea?

You do not need or want an isolator in a single battery system.

You can connect the Yeti to any 12v source in the vehicle. Cigarette lighter plugs are common. Running dedicated wires off the battery allows for quicker charging of depleted batteries but won't pay real benefits unless you are using a fridge or similar.

What electrical items are you trying to support?


Matt

 

[Wallygator]

First off - I have a dual battery so I wired my system a little different. My instructions for you relate to a single battery.

The Yeti will only charge when the vehicle is running and making above 13.5V. It will not drain the 12.5V car battery.

The Yeti needs to be charged through the 8mm port. The Anderson Connector is NOT for charging. DO NOT BYPASS THE CHARGE CONTROLLER THROUGH THE ANDERSON PORT! Think about that for a second... Why the hell would "bypassing the charge controller" be a good idea?

You do not need or want an isolator in a single battery system.

You can connect the Yeti to any 12v source in the vehicle. Cigarette lighter plugs are common. Running dedicated wires off the battery allows for quicker charging of depleted batteries but won't pay real benefits unless you are using a fridge or similar.

What electrical items are you trying to support?


Matt

If you have a single battery system....could you have a dc to dc charger in the engine bay running to a blue sea fuse block in the back of the vehicle? Then from the fuse block to a Anderson connector plugged into the Yeti 400? Would this work? Thanks.

Because my vehicle has a "smart" alternator and if I get a AGM battery, I am thinking I need to get a charger anyway in order to properly charge the AGM battery. I have read that the smart alternator does not effectively charge AGM batteries.....There fore I would just get a dc to dc charger to accomplish this. Then could use the charger to charge the Yeti in the back of the vehicle through the Anderson connector. Will this work?