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 ???????????????
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)
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!
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
"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 ?
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 Sinbad,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.
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.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