split charge relay

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Rodeo

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Sorry for asking about this again!...
A while back someone on here recommended me a split charge relay.It was about £25 iirc.Does anyone remember? I cant find the info!
Thanks
 
Rodeo said:
Sorry for asking about this again!...
A while back someone on here recommended me a split charge relay.It was about £25 iirc.Does anyone remember? I cant find the info!
Thanks
Click to expand...

That sounds expensive for a split charger.
 
Really? I mentioned the price in my post, cos I thought that was a cheap one!
 
there's [at least] 2 ways to do a split charge
one is to just use a smartcom 40amp relay on its own ,using 4-6 mm wire to connect the leisure battery to the van battery

another,more effective way is to use the smartcom relay to operate a much more powerful 100amp relay,making it possible to connect the batteries with a 10mm wire,allowing more charge,quicker
 
Yep,

There are always 2 (possibly more) ways to skin a cat!!
 
Being as Im not going to be discharging the second battery( car batt, not leisure batt) a great deal (led lights, sink and shower water pumps),I think I'll only need the basic system, so the cheaper one should be ok? .....I was originally thinking I wouldnt even bother with a split charger, and just use a basic car batt charger when occasionaly on sites on ehu, but probably less worry with a split charger.
 
I would definitely have at least the simpler system,just means every time you move,you charge
have you got it sussed ? I'd suggest the 40a relay and 30a fuses on 4mm wire
 
Though cheap the ones on Farnells site will be OK but some stuff advertised as high amperage relays is just too flimsy.
With the single split charge and two secondary relays you can split the demand for the fridge too. What are you doing about the fridge?
If you just want to fit one unit and can't be arsed then this high amp split charger will handle all you need. Twice as expensive but proper kit. I might contact Durite direct to see if they have lists of approved retailers. Lots of hookey sellers about you don't want to end up buying a Duwrong charger

ebay ad DURITE Split Charge Sensitive Intelligent Relay 12V 140A 0-727-33 | eBay

Durite http://durite.co.uk/pdf/2012/5/05.17_Equipment_and_Accessories-Split_charger.pdf
 
Im thinking the Ring rct 460 relay (cost around a tenner)will be ok(sorry cant do links!).Its rated at 30 amps.
As said previously, Im using very little power and will be on the move a lot, so cant see the battery getting low enuf to test the limits of 30amps .Therefore I think it will be ok?? I will also carry a battery charger just in case for when/if we go on a site.
 
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I also move a lot,i'm just too nosy to stay anywhere for more than a day or two. I have a 30a smartcom connecting to a 110amp LB using 2.5 mm wire doubled up to make 5mm [because I had a load knocking about ],any way,works for me, but I do put the LB on a smart charger when we get back or to anyone's gaff.they charge up a lot better than a normal charger
 
Thanks for that NB.I was going to broach the subject of doubling up some 2.5, as got loads , (sons are sparks) but thought I may take a hit if I asked! are you using single core or flex?
Years ago we used to use that with a 30 amp (cooker switch) as a manual switch over, or maybe even push the boat out with some 6mm cooker cable, s/hand of course!
 
everyone advises against single core as vibration may break it. I suppose it's possible. anyway I got a few hundred metres of 2.5 conduit cable off a boot sale,that has about 6-8 strands. still pretty stiff. I use it for everything and fuse according to the load
 
If you must (or want) to use solid core cable make sure that near to where you terminate it you put a couple of loops in the wire to give it some flexibility about half to one inch diameter should do.
 
dr dave said:
If you must (or want) to use solid core cable make sure that near to where you terminate it you put a couple of loops in the wire to give it some flexibility about half to one inch diameter should do.
Click to expand...

Alternatively you could choose to terminate the solid core stuff and just use some flexible tails to complete? I know our engineers have done this where a main contractor has used SWA solid-core stuff as a generator output feed (to isolate the main cable run from the vibration as nbrown alluded to).

When I was moving my battery around in the van from under the sofa-bed to the rear storage I got lucky and a sparky mate bunged me a few metres of 5-core 4mm flexible (clear plastic sheath stuff with a silver reinforcing armouring lattice underneath, then a central insulation and 5-core individual mult-strand copper flexible cores - think its fire-retardant and all that as well. Its got a proper name in the sparky game but I cant recall what that is).

I used 3-cores for +ive (brown, black, grey) and the Blue and Green/Yellow wires for the Negatives. Terminated into 30A Choccy Block screwed to the wall, and then used one core for the battery charger input, and other for the heater circuit and also the DC Dis board. All seems to work alright!

I also blagged a redundant Computronic Controls 5A Intelligent panel charger out of a scrapped panel in work and installed that next to my Webasto - so on Hook-up outside the house the LB is getting maintained automatically. These are decent quality little chargers (not cheap to buy new either) and (as nbrown says) keeps the battery tip-top.
 
Wheres the best place to site the fuses for the smartcom relay? Near the batteries or near the relay?Im siting the LB immediately behind the driving seat, so thinking the relay can go there too, or is it better sited near the van battery?
 
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