Redarc BCDC1225
Submitted: Sunday, Dec 01, 2013 at 19:37
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cobes
I have a couple of questions to ask re the above dc to dc charger.
I have a Toyota Prado and tow a caravan and I am considering purchasing the above charger to charge my van batteries. (2x100 amp agm batteries)
Should the charger be installed in the Prado or in the caravan battery compartment?
I understand that it will charge from both alternator and solar inputs.
I have 150 watts of portable solar which I would like to connect when I am camped for extended periods of time.
Is it just a matter of unplugging an anderson type plug from the car to caravan and then plugging in my solar panels to the van anderson type plug?
Does the Redarc unit recognise the input change or is there something that needs to be done manually?
Thanks
Chris.
Reply By: Brian 01 - Sunday, Dec 01, 2013 at 21:59
Sunday, Dec 01, 2013 at 21:59
The device needs to be positioned as close as practicable to the battery that is being charged. This is so that any voltage drop that takes place in the wiring occurs in the input side and can then be compensated for in the output side.
Whilst the charger will compensate for input voltage drop, you still need to provide sufficient cable size between the car and van to minimise this.
It will charge from both solar and alternator, but not at the same time.
You can do it the way you suggest by swapping the anderson plugs, or via separate inputs and a relay.
If using the anderson plug swap method, you will connect the red wire to the positive and the black to the negative, you will also need to either install a switch that will connect the blue wire to the red wire when charging from the car and break that connection when charging from the solar, or run the blue wire through to the car (via the regular 7/12 pin plug) and connect it to the accessory terminal of the ignition or to the alternator feed on the car side of the anderson plug.
The relay method is better in that it does this automatically.
The blue wire can be connected to an ignition/accessory source on the car, whereupon alternator charging will be the default with solar taking over when the ignition is off
OR, it can be connected to the 12v alternator input from the car.
If connected to the 12v input from the car, then the solar will not operate unless the Anderson plug is disconnected from the car (or you have some other method of disconnection of the car battery from the van such as a solenoid or VSR).
Terminate the
orange separately for charging your AGM battery.
Suitable circuit diagrams are supplied with the charger.
Don't use 24v solar panels as the Redarc is rated to only 32v and a 24v panel has an Ocv in excess of that.
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Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Thursday, Dec 05, 2013 at 12:53
Thursday, Dec 05, 2013 at 12:53
Chris,
I was looking at getting either the 1225 or 1240, but decided against it because of the need to wire in a relay, for latching between alternator power and solar.
Instead I bought a Redarc BMS, which has DC/DC charger, MPPT solar reg and a 240v 15 amp multistage charger. Doesn't need a changeover relay, and has a remote display to keep track of power use etc. Bit exxy(>$1K), but the cost of seperate, good quality items would be almost same cost.
Bob.
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522592