duel battery setup

[browny_x]

any tips on putting duel batt system in a hilux????

i have all the gear, just wondering the best way to go about setting it up,
should i use a switched system or just wire them in paralell????

any advice would be great
thanks

[me3@neuralfibre.com]

The answers you seek

http://neuralfibre.com/paul/?p=37

Check the spreadsheet for $$$

Real short

Best $ for results (BIG time)
Parallel 2 std batts
OR
1 Std Batt + 1 AGM + 1 Traxide Isolator.

If you want to spend more $$ and get 1/2 the useable capacity
1 St d Batt + 1 Isolator + 1 Deep Cycle Wet Cell

Paul

[Cossie]

Just ineterested...

Your page states:

VR Isolated with Lower Cutout than Cut-in.
Traxide does this really cool VR Relay isolator. By setting the cutout to the mid 12v, it lets you use 50% of your primary battery

Isn't this what the ARB and Redarc ones do? only they're listed under a seperate section on the speadsheet?

[chimpboy]

Just ineterested...

Your page states:

VR Isolated with Lower Cutout than Cut-in.
Traxide does this really cool VR Relay isolator. By setting the cutout to the mid 12v, it lets you use 50% of your primary battery

Isn't this what the ARB and Redarc ones do? only they're listed under a seperate section on the speadsheet?

No, they cut in/out at a higher voltage, more like 12.8/13/13.2 volts.

There's a bit of power to be had in those 0.5 volts of extra drop. That's my take on the data anyway.

[drivesafe]

Hi folks, first off, I manufacture the Traxide products and if there are any specific questions I can help you with please ask away.

As chimpboy pointed out my controller operate differently to the run of the mill solenoid type Dual Battery Controllers but there are advantages and disadvantages with either mine or the standard types.

Now before anyone decides on what type of DBS to use, you really need to know what you want a DBS set up for and how you intend to use it and then see what DBS features best suits your intended needs.

Anyway If there is anything I can help with?

Cheers.

[Cossie]

what voltage does the traxide cut out/in at?

and do you know the same for the ARB/Redarc ones?


Also whats your take on winching? If the winch is connected to the main battery, when you start winching the voltage will drop and you will only be using one battery to winch. Obviously this means you can still start the car if you turn it off or stall it after a heavy winching session but will it make difference to the power available to the winch?

thanks

[PJ.zook]

If you choose to winch off youre main battery, when the voltage drops it will isolate both batteries from each other, then if you winch so much that you flatten the main battery, you just use jump cables to join the 2nd and main battery to jumpstart. The traxide manual specifically discusses this.
I recieved mine the other day, have yet to install it.

[drivesafe]

Hi Cossie, winching first. The accepted way to winch these days is to have the motor running at high idle and have the winch connected to the cranking battery.

You should only winch for 60 seconds and then rest, with the motor running for 90 seconds, then repeat.

If you want to use both batteries then first off, the auxiliary battery MUST be an other cranking type battery and you should use a marine battery switch to both parallel the batteries and bypass the isolator, while cranking.

The two main Traxide Dual Battery Controllers are the SC40 and the SC80. These two units cut-in at 13.25 and cut-out at 12.0

I believe Redarc are in the process of changing the cut-in voltage setting at the present time.

ARB and TJM use the Surepower units and these have setting around the 13.5 cut-in and 12.8 or 12.9 cut-out.

I also make some special variants for the Discovery 3 and Range Rover Sports. These were developed at the request of and with the assistance of Land Rover Australia because many of the DBSs on the market were causing incompatibility problems with these new vehicles.

Cheers.

[drivesafe]

If you choose to winch off youre main battery, when the voltage drops it will isolate both batteries from each other, then if you winch so much that you flatten the main battery, you just use jump cables to join the 2nd and main battery to jumpstart. The traxide manual specifically discusses this.
I recieved mine the other day, have yet to install it.

Hi PJ.zook, here is a new diagram I am about to post on my web site but it may be of some help to you.

Cheers.

[MUD EMPIRE]

drivesafe..........sideline question..?? Why should the earth straps be thicker than the positive cable..?? I've asked this Q. before and haven't had a satisfactory answer........

[drivesafe]

Hi MUD, when upgrading the cable for setting to do winching, many people fit nice fat red positive cables but forget that the positive goes down the red cables and has to return via the negative cables and/or earth straps, so unless the negative cables are of the same or bigger size, the fitting of the thicker positive cable is pretty well a waste of time.

Cheers.

[MUD EMPIRE]

Thanks for the answer....I have run large cables for earth on my GQ and didn't quite know why I was doing it....!! I knew it couldn't be a bad thing tho. Bad earth, alone, causes the worst electrical problems of all............................