REDARC In Vehicle Battery Charger for 130 Puma

Put it this way. If I was able (and I'll explain why not in a sec) I'd buy the Traxide unit for you to trial, and if you were not happy just send it back to me. If happy keep it and send me what you think it's worth in the long run given it's features. I have one of Tims USI-160 units and it's faultless. Even after I dismantled it, cut and extended wiring and changed switches and LEDs to suit the installation it just works and does everything you want and more.

Now reason I'm not exactly financial ATM is I have just acquired a new toy (see image below). The elec system is quite good but I'll be documenting it and talking to Tim about what may or not be necessary to make it as good as it could be. I have recommended his Sterling units to a few others and they've been blown away by the specs and then the performance.

Toy.

http://www.justsail.com.au/wp-conten...g&w=1200&h=900

I think most people get DC to DC to allow full charging of dissimilar batteries that have different requirements for both charging steps and max charge. I was attracted to this. I was also attracted to the fact that the red arc seamlessly handles solar as an MPPT solar reg. it is a gr8 system. Good support too. I understand the rover alt drops off volts as the vehicle gets to full operating temp

Cheers

Nice new yacht clubagreenie.



Mick

Hi Cracka and try selling it on any site where there are Ford Ranger owners.

These vehicles need the LV versions.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ozscott

I think most people get DC to DC to allow full charging of dissimilar batteries that have different requirements for both charging steps and max charge.

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Hi ozscott and when charging with any DC/DC device, you have to set the device for the type of battery you are charging.

But you can still charge dissimilar batteries with a DC/DC device, you just need to set the device’s maximum voltage setting to be no higher than the battery with the lowest maximum voltage.

Now this is totally unnecessary when charging with an alternator.

DC/DC devices are constant current chargers and the final stage charging voltage has to be manually set as posted above, but because all alternators are constant voltage chargers, they not only do not require any voltage adjustments, they actually work very well at charging any number of dissimilar batteries at the same time and they charge EVERY battery at that battery’s optimum charge rate.

There are lots of mythical claims made about DC/DC devices being “SMART” chargers and alternators supposedly being dumb chargers. The exact revers is the case.

Alternators are far smarter than most of these “SMART” charging device, and add to this that while the alternator is charging all your batteries, it’s also power your vehicle’s needs and running all your accessories.

Many DC/DC devices are causing problems for the battery being charged by them if a fridge is being power from that battery at the same time.

As above, no such problem with alternator set-ups.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ozscott

I was also attracted to the fact that the red arc seamlessly handles solar as an MPPT solar reg

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Hi again ozscott and the solar charging “extra” feature found on many makes of DC/DC device is in many cases a waste of time.

With many caravans, motor homes and even a small number of camper trailers now having solar panels fitted to their roofs, the solar part of these DC/DC devices is only available if the motor is NOT running, because these devices can only draw input power from one source at a time.

Whereas, if you fit nothing more than a solar regulator, you can be charging the batteries from the alternator and the solar panels at the same time, giving you an even more powerful charging system.

So once again, just another example of how these “SMART” charging devices are not so smart, especially when compered to what an alternator can do.

Thanks mate. In my situation I use only portable panels that charge after the van in parked and vehicle is disconnected. I have a 3 way in the van. When towing the power fir the van fridge comes from the vehicle alternator and when disconnected it's either 240v or LPG - never house battery. The Fullriver is only for van lights, fans etc not fridge. Good setup and works very well. Would work very well for a compressor fridge also off the house battery. I get 13.4 volts at the back of the 3 way fridge with the d2 idling - I like big wiring...

Others may have a different set up but the dc to dc works well for mine. It was recommended to me by my brother who has been fitting them for years and with 2 dissimilar batts being charged directly by the alt his point was that the van batt would never be properly and fully charged. This made sense to me as the Alt can not discriminate - it cannot sense more than one voltage. I'm not going to get into the Traxide v dc dc debate - it's good to have choice.

Cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ozscott

with 2 dissimilar batts being charged directly by the alt his point was that the van batt would never be properly and fully charged. This made sense to me as the Alt can not discriminate - it cannot sense more than one voltage.

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Hi again ozscott and sorry mate but this is the crap put out by the sellers of DC/DC devices as a means of tricking people into thinking their alternator can’t charge batteries.

Unlike DC/DC devices, which must be MANUALLY set to the correct charge voltage of the battery being charged, alternators automatically charge ALL battery types correctly.

I have many customer with as many as three different types of batteries in the set ups and their alternators charge all their batteries correctly.

Furthermore, an alternator does NOT sense battery voltages, this is just more mythical crap. Alternators charge in such a way that they do not need to sense any of the batteries, yet an alternator still charges all the batteries properly.

Again ozscott, sorry but you and your bother have been lead to believe these devices can achieve thing results they really can't, by all the MISLEADING advertising hype and as most people still use alternator direct charging and don’t have problems, the evidence contradicts your “beliefs”

Its a wonder no one has taken on Redarc for false advertising....a redundant product then...its all very odd...to much for me but thanks for your take on it mate. Good to get views of vendors of different charging systems!

Cheers

Cheers

Hi ozscott, the sellers of these devices are not using “FALSE” advertising as such, they just imply their devices will do better then an alternator, with out ever showing how their device will achieve this.

As I have posted many, MANY times, DC/DC devices “can” full charge batteries, and alternators rarely fully charge batteries.

The problem with the advertising is that an alternator “can” also fully charge batteries but usually fails to do so because people rarely drive long enough to allow the alternator to have the time to full charge batteries.

DC/DC device suffer from the very same problem but this is NEVER covered in the advertising hype.

In Silenceisgolden’s case, because of the size of the DC/DC device he now has, he will charge his battery quicker, but look at what it has cost him, and in his case, he was driving long enough for his alternator to achieve full battery charging but he had/has a problem with his set up, which negated proper charging.

I have posted repeatedly that a simple graph, comparing how a given DC/DC device will charge a battery compared to how an alternator will charge the same battery would give potential buyers a genuine idea of what does what.

The reason no DC/DC seller posts up comparative graphs is that once they did, no one in their right mind would by a DC/DC device.