SC-80 and three batteries

**weeds** · 12th May 2011, 07:34 PM

well five actually

my current set up is

1 x start battery
2 x aux batteries in cargo space
1 x SC-80

my plans are two install 2 x aux batteries in my camper trailer in addition to the above setup

all batteries will be lead acid 80 - 100amp/hr

i had a quick look at the traxide website and it indicates the SC-80 will do the job..........however, i only have two cables coming out of the SC-80, one to the main battery and one to the aux, i was expecting to see two on the aux side

do i need to open up the SC-80 controller to wire in the second cable?

anybody else running more than 3 batteries off there SC-80, is 4 aux batteries going to be an issue

my main loads will be a 40L engel in the 110 and a 32L fridge in the trailer along with two fluros and a led light or two. will be camped in the one place for 4-5 days, the 110 will be driven to some extent most days

**Larry** · 13th May 2011, 05:55 PM

[QUOTE=weeds;1479633]..........however, i only have two cables coming out of the SC-80, one to the main battery and one to the aux, i was expecting to see two on the aux side

do i need to open up the SC-80 controller to wire in the second cable?......../QUOTE]

The plug that goes to the aux battery has two pins in it. If you have one aux batt, the cable connects to both pins, if you have two aux batts - eg one in the car & one in the trailer, one pin connects to each battery (clear as mud??)

I'm sure drivesafe can explain it better!

**drivesafe** · 13th May 2011, 06:39 PM

Hi Kelvin, with what you are now planning to do, the best configuration for the SC80’s output cables is to connect the two together and let the load for all batteries be spread evenly over the SC80’s two circuits.

The number, type and size of batteries is not important, the maximum output of your alternator is.

With the set up you will have, and if all your batteries are low, you will easily exceed the maximum output current of your alternator but this is not a problem and is a common occurrence.

What will happen if you do have low batteries ( 5 of them in your new set up ) you will need a lot longer driving time to fully charge them, but you will still replace the bulk of the used battery capacity in just the 2 to 3 hours driving time.

Don’t forget to put 50 amp auto resetting circuit breakers at each bank of batteries positive cable.

**weeds** · 13th May 2011, 09:37 PM

Originally Posted by Larry

The plug that goes to the aux battery has two pins in it. If you have one aux batt, the cable connects to both pins, if you have two aux batts - eg one in the car & one in the trailer, one pin connects to each battery (clear as mud??)

I'm sure drivesafe can explain it better!

i don't have a plug with two wires, one thick red lead for aux

Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi Kelvin, with what you are now planning to do, the best configuration for the SC80’s output cables is to connect the two together and let the load for all batteries be spread evenly over the SC80’s two circuits.

Don’t forget to put 50 amp auto resetting circuit breakers at each bank of batteries positive cable.

tim, no sure why but i only have one cable for aux not two.........would you have joined them inside the SC80?

so you are saying keep this as is and run a + and - from current aux batteries through anderson plug to batteries in the trailer?

**drivesafe** · 13th May 2011, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by weeds

so you are saying keep this as is and run a + and - from current aux batteries through anderson plug to batteries in the trailer?

Yep thats the best way to do it.

You should have a circuit breaker somewhere near the auxiliary battery, you can use this as the junction point for the positive cable.

Make the junction on the cable side of the circuit breaker, not the battery side.

Run your negative directly from the auxiliary battery’s negative terminal.

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