Crap "dual" battery system

I have a Pirahna one and it works ok as far as I can tell. If I was you I would buy one from the person that supports this forum. I have one of Drivesafes units as well but as the Pirahna one still works I have not fitted it yet. I like the way the Drivesafes units can keep the batteries connected down to a preset voltage. The only question I have about that is that I usually run accessories from the second battery (power tool chargers etc) and I have a voltage sensing alarm.

Ian

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Originally Posted by amtravic1

I have a voltage sensing alarm.

Ian

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Hi Ian, any idea of what the setting is in your voltage sensing alarm is.

Cheers.

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Originally Posted by 97discotdi

I have a Redarc battery isolator seperates batteries when voltage drops below 12.5V and charges main battery first untill it reaches 13.2V then starts charging 2nd battery. Has a dash mounted switch to parrallel the batteries if required for starting. Cost $100 seems good:D

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I've got a similar set-up with a marine voltage sensitive relay. Tough, no voltage drop (like a diode isolator), simple and designed to withstand marine environments, and only about $100 from BIAS boat shops.

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Originally Posted by joel_nicholson

I've just had a decent examine of the dual battery setup in my disco and its simply a great big heavy lead joining both positive terminals, and an earth strap on the 2nd battery. Whoever set it up was insanely stupid.

What is the recommended dual battery controller, sensibly priced and works effectively?

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When deciding on an isolator you need to decide what you will be using it for and also the battery type and size.

The Redarc, Piranha, Sidewinder and Trackside all have their place.

The more advanced units will take the alternator charge and direct it to the battery that requires the charge. Like my friend drivesafe has said, spike protection is included in most circuits and isolators now have it as well but is a double up in protection.

I don't know what mine is. It's a maze of wires and there is a red flashing LED:). It starts and the LED makes me feel good when I look in there and wonder what it all is.

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Originally Posted by joel_nicholson

I've just had a decent examine of the dual battery setup in my disco and its simply a great big heavy lead joining both positive terminals, and an earth strap on the 2nd battery. Whoever set it up was insanely stupid.

What is the recommended dual battery controller, sensibly priced and works effectively?

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Nothing wrong with that setup... It just depends what you want it to deliver.

Wiring the batteries in parallel, like that, is quite common if you're doing a lot of winching. However, if you want to run things like fridges while camping, the split charge is definately the way to go.

M

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Originally Posted by camel_landy

Wiring the batteries in parallel, like that, is quite common if you're doing a lot of winching. However, if you want to run things like fridges while camping, the split charge is definately the way to go.

M

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Hi camel_landy, I’ll just do a bit of interpreting for you. ;)

For the non British amongst us, Split Charge is the pome name foe a dual battery set-up.

Cheers

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Originally Posted by drivesafe

Hi camel_landy, I’ll just do a bit of interpreting for you. ;)

For the non British amongst us, Split Charge is the pome name foe a dual battery set-up.

Cheers

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Yeah, I'm familiar with the terms...

I was just pointing out to Joel that his statement:

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Whoever set it up was insanely stupid.

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...Many not actually be the case as there are legitimate reasons why you may want to wire a pair of batteries in series. :p In fact, IIRC the old RaRo TurboD used to have just that. 2x batteries, wired in parallel, just so there was enough grunt to start the fecker!

Maybe he was a little bit silly for assuming that just coz there were a pair of batteries in the car, they were isolated from each other. There's not enough information in thread to gauge. ;)

M

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Originally Posted by camel_landy

Yeah, I'm familiar with the terms...

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You would be but I think you will find most over here would not be and the info was for their benefit.

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Originally Posted by camel_landy

...Many not actually be the case as there are legitimate reasons why you may want to wire a pair of batteries in series. :p In fact, IIRC the old RaRo TurboD used to have just that. 2x batteries, wired in parallel, just so there was enough grunt to start the fecker!

Maybe he was a little bit silly for assuming that just coz there were a pair of batteries in the car, they were isolated from each other. There's not enough information in thread to gauge. ;)

M

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Yep, a lot of yotas come with two paralleled starting batteries but none of the discos sold here came with dual starting batteries as standard.

I think Joel’s suspicions are pretty well on track, that it was a sus attempt at doing a dual battery set-up.

Cheers

Drivesafe, what wold the characteristics be if you had a standard cranking battery in parallel with a deep-cycle? Would you get high CCA with a "tail" of charge from the deep cycle? OR would you just wreck both of them?

Not planning on doing it, just wondering.