Date:         Thu, 21 Aug 2003 02:33:05 -0400
Reply-To:     Chris Earl <vw_traveler@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Chris Earl <vw_traveler@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Auxiliary Battery Installation II: Hawker Odyssey battery;
              need for higher amp relay

This is a followup to the auxiliary battery installation report I posted
July 2, 2003. As I suspected, the 12 gauge wire I used to provide charging
power from the alternator to the auxiliary battery allowed more current to
flow than the 15A Hella relay could handle. I replaced it with a standard
Bosch 40A relay (I believe Bus Depot calls this a "fuel pump relay") and
installed a 30A in-line fuse back at the opposite end of the 12ga wire, at
the connection to the main fuse block. This has worked successfully, even
with a deeply discharged battery.

One note: The Chargetek charger only works if the battery is holding 9.5
volts or more. Below that it automatically switches off because it doesn't
generate enough amps to recharge a deeply discharged battery. Since I'm
likely to be using the charger to top off the batteries only after I've
been driving for a while, this probably won't be an issue.

Chris