Thread: REDARC In Vehicle Battery Charger for 130 Puma

I am setting up a 130 2008 Puma with a Trayon Camper and am looking to put a separate deep cycle auxiliary battery in the camper matched to the same type of battery in the 130 as an auxiliary.

I will also have a separate crank battery in the 130.

I am looking to install a REDARC 25A IN-VEHICLE BATTERY CHARGER/MPPT REGULATOR (BCDC1225) unit as I have been told by a couple of Auto sparkies that this will provide a more efficient way of charging the batteries than the usual battery management systems and can also boost the efficiency of solar panels in recharging as well.

Any feedback or information from the Aulro crew would be greatly appreciated

Originally Posted by Silenceisgolden

I use the BCDC40 from Redarc, absolutely brilliant. Modman, with a simple solenoid type 'charger' you might get 100 amps but it won't be for long before your battery reaches a surface charge and the current drops right back. My Redarc charges at a full 40 amps right up until the battery has the full bulk charge, which a simple solenoid system cannot do.

Hi Silenceisgolden and this is the problem with sales people who “THINK” they know how these devices work and give customers the wrong advice.

( Chenz this should answer your post as well )

Your DC/DC device like all DC/DC devices, bulk charge the battery(s) until the battery is about 80% SoC and then the charger tapers off as the battery continues to charge.

This final 20% of the charge is done at no quicker time than what your alternator can do, with or without an isolator.

As for isolators not being able to equal what a DC/DC device does, yep you’re right their, just look at my systems for example.

If you are just topping of your battery, a DC/DC device will work fine, but whats the point, your alternator will still top up batteries.

But the advantage is not like your batteries will end up at a 20% higher charge state, at best it might be a 5% higher state of charge and even that is just for a short window, as your alternator will soon catch up.

But if you need to use a fair bit of power while camping, then you are backing the wrong device if you think your DC/DC device can do a better job at charging than on of my systems can do.

All modern deep cycle batteries can be safely discharged down to 20% SoC and if you have a 100Ah battery that your have discharged down to 20% SoC

It will take a 40 amp DC/DC device 1.5 hours to get that battery up to 80% SoC, while using the same amount battery capacity with my systems, you will have the batteries up to 80% SoC in about an hour and from the 80% mark, the charging time for both systems is about the same.

So with a 40 amp DC/DC device, you gain nothing over what your alternator and one of my isolators can do.

If you have a smaller DC/DC device you are going to take hours longer to fully charge the battery over the time it takes one of my system can do.

Now here are some advantages my system provides that NO DC?DC device can offer.

For no extra cost, you get about 50% more usable battery capacity.

Even when using the same amount of battery capacity as your set up offer, you will discharge and charge the batteries in a MUCH gentler way, helping to extend the operating life of the batteries.

With my system, you will not only charge the auxiliary battery but you will also keep your cranking battery in a much higher state of charge, again, something no DC/DC device can do.

But the most important thing is that my system not only does a better job of charging and looking after your batteries and does so at a fraction of the cost of your set up.

As posted above, as for isolators not being able to equal what a DC/DC device does, yep you’re right, my isolators actually do a lot better!