Gubbins to charge van battery

"One good reason to use the kemo m174,no other bits required and can be all sorted in half an hour. "

Does this replace the existing panel regulator, Trev? or is it supplementary?

Well young Trevor, is it ?
 
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I've looked at the kemo m174, but it only charges two batteries. I have two in the van, but it's a third battery, the started battery, that I need to charge.
I'm still a confused old fella
 
The leisure batteries are connected in parallel so the two batteries are only seen as one, plus your starter battery = 2 batteries
 
A diode and a relay.

The diode wired in series with the relay coil.

When the LB is more positive WRT the starter battery the relay will energise. (acknowledge that there will be a volt drop of about 0.7 volts across the diode)

When the relay contacts close the positive of the LB is connected to the SB via a suitable fuse according to the thickness of the link cable and the rating of the relay contacts.

But at home I would use a mains powered smart charger.
 
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A diode and a relay.

The diode wired in series with the relay coil.

When the LB is more positive WRT the starter battery the relay will energise. (acknowledge that there will be a volt drop of about 0.7 volts across the diode)

When the relay contacts close the positive of the LB is connected to the SB via a suitable fuse according to the thickness of the link cable and the rating of the relay contacts.

But at home I would use a mains powered smart charger.

I too am over the hill, sorry but I do not know what the initials you use refer to. As mentioned often in other posts, I'm a numptie and a northerner ( strong inth' arm, thick inth' 'ead), so what are :- LB, WRT & SB-------------------------------------Ah----Leisure Battery & Starter Battery, yes? but WRT ???????????????
 
I too am over the hill, sorry but I do not know what the initials you use refer to. As mentioned often in other posts, I'm a numptie and a northerner ( strong inth' arm, thick inth' 'ead), so what are :- LB, WRT & SB-------------------------------------Ah----Leisure Battery & Starter Battery, yes? but WRT ???????????????

WRT with respect to.

If the LB has more charge, ie higher voltage, the current will flow through a diode.

If current flows through a diode then you can energise a coil.

If the coil is the windings of a relay then it can operate the relay contacts.

If the relay contacts close then charge can flow from the LB to the starter battery.

But if you want to maintain the SB at home use a mains powered smart battery charger so it can be connected all the time, the smart charger will look after itself. (something like a Ctek or Halfrauds smart charger)
 
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WRT with respect to.

If the LB has more charge, ie higher voltage, the current will flow through a diode.

If current flows through a diode then you can energise a coil.

If the coil is the windings of a relay then it can operate the relay contacts.

If the relay contacts close then charge can flow from the LB to the starter battery.

But if you want to maintain the SB at home use a mains powered smart battery charger so it can be connected all the time, the smart charger will look after itself. (something like a Ctek or Halfrauds smart charger)

Thank you for that, the mush that I used to call a brain is a little less confused. I do have a couple of 'smart' chargers, a Gunsons one and a motorcycle one (which is now connected), but maybe at the Rutland meet someone will lead me by the hand and shew me how to twist the bits of wire together. But thanks again
 
I too am over the hill, sorry but I do not know what the initials you use refer to. As mentioned often in other posts, I'm a numptie and a northerner ( strong inth' arm, thick inth' 'ead), so what are :- LB, WRT & SB-------------------------------------Ah----Leisure Battery & Starter Battery, yes? but WRT ???????????????

strong inth' arm, thick inth' 'ead

No you were born before mobile telephones, personal computers and the internet, so really you are doing very well!
 
strong inth' arm, thick inth' 'ead

No you were born before mobile telephones, personal computers and the internet, so really you are doing very well!

Oh you are so kind, thank you. My uncle had a mobile telephone when I was a sprog, he had a socket in each room so that he could use it around the house and shop, he also had a car or rather a shooting brake. I was eleven when we got our first telly and seventeen when we got a telephone at home and I was the first to have a car at our house and that was in late '63.
Stuff with computers is left to our son. He regularly tells me off for putting stuff on it, like I said---a numpty
 
Any advice on a device to connect the starter battery to my solar panel? I went out to start it today after it being stood for a while and it refused point blanc----damned thing. So, as the leisure batteries are fully charged, is there a device that I can plumb in to the system that would give a controlled charge to the van battery?

THIS £25 ebay
 

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"One good reason to use the kemo m174,no other bits required and can be all sorted in half an hour. "

Does this replace the existing panel regulator, Trev? or is it supplementary?

Well young Trevor, is it ?

Use supplementary,I built my van only using it and it has worked well over winter,if you have no other means to split or regulate charge use it,if you want to just charge starter bat there are two pos outlets which you join together,you can wire this direct from solar output wires with in line fuse and then also fuse the joined outlets to starter battery,its very simple,it would have to be cause im simple.
 
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Yes, You told me this, Trev, but, as I asked, is it a replacement for my unit or a supplementary one ?

Use it suplementary or find the charge wire to service battery and split it with a simple switch so as to charge both when standing for a while.
 
I used a 140 amp Voltage Sensing Relay connected with 16mm cables with 60 amp fuses at each end. The Altec VSR cost £33. Seemed a very simple solution to me, and has the benefit that connecting a battery charger ( or solar charging) to either starter or leisure battery will charge both. On a previous vehicle I had used a very cheap 20 amp VSR which did blow the fuse if the leisure battery got too discharged. The current system seems to be working well.

Hi Dave, In both your posts, you appear to say that your VSR senses both domestic and engine batteries simultaneously. How do you do that without connecting them and thus creating a single bank?


I have a similar system, but use a single pole dual throw switch (SPDT) to change the sensing line to the domestic bank when I need to (solar) charge the engine battery.
 
Vsr

Hi Dave, In both your posts, you appear to say that your VSR senses both domestic and engine batteries simultaneously. How do you do that without connecting them and thus creating a single bank?


I have a similar system, but use a single pole dual throw switch (SPDT) to change the sensing line to the domestic bank when I need to (solar) charge the engine battery.
Hi Sinbad,
both battery positives are connected to the Voltage Sensing Relay and there is a common negative connection. The internal relay only closes connecting the batteries together when either positive reaches 13.3volts - so there is no permanent connection between batteries. They automatically disconnect from each other once both batteries voltage falls to about 12.7volts. Its like fitting a heavy duty switch to connect and disconnect the 2 batteries , but its done completely automatically. An led shows when the batteries are connected together. Some VSRs are single battery sensing, but you can get dual sensing ones which I think most of the better high current ones are. Altec and Durite are 2 makes for them.
 
Oppy

How did you get on with the battery charger, did it bring it back to life?

Yes, it's fine------thus far anyway, thanks for asking. I wonder if, seeing that the cigar lighter is live when the ignition is off, I could cobble up a lead that would allow me to charge the battery in an emergency via the lighter socket. It's something that we were able to do with cars a few years ago
 
Yes, it's fine------thus far anyway, thanks for asking. I wonder if, seeing that the cigar lighter is live when the ignition is off, I could cobble up a lead that would allow me to charge the battery in an emergency via the lighter socket. It's something that we were able to do with cars a few years ago
A 10/ 20 watt solar in windshield plugged in will do,point her into sun,it should give up to about 1 amps over about 3/5 hrs which will keep batt up.
 
Split charger

SPLIT CHARGE EASY FIT LEISURE TO ENGINE BATTERY CAMPER MOTORHOME BOAT 12V SOLAR | eBay

This will do it. It is an easy splice into the existing wiring. I had the same problem of a continually discharging starter battery if I didn't run for a while. On my van the leisure battery is charged from a solar panel via a charge controller but there is no facility to top up the starter by solar. This unit allows charging of the starter battery once the leisure battery is charged sufficiently. Both batteries remain topped up. I have had it fitted for two years now and all is well. Full fitting instructions are provided.

Scotch locks are very convenient to splice in the wiring 50 Scotch Lock SCOTCHLOK Splice Connectors pack of 20 Red 20 Blue 10 Yellow | eBay
 
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Yes, it's fine------thus far anyway, thanks for asking. I wonder if, seeing that the cigar lighter is live when the ignition is off, I could cobble up a lead that would allow me to charge the battery in an emergency via the lighter socket. It's something that we were able to do with cars a few years ago

Yes you could use the cigar lighter socket as an easy connection point although it will not provide the best electrical connection as they designed to be a cigar lighter, as could be ash etc could be inside.

If you look at the ctek accessories website that will give you some ideas.

www.ctek.com

I would use a dedicated connection rather than the cigar lighter, but that does not have to be complicated.
 

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