>>The fact that some people find the charging rate supplied by the small >>system adequate in no way means every one will. The amount of alternator >>current that flows to the aux battery terminal often needs to be greater >>than what the battery itself needs even for slow charging.
Another consideration is the maximum charge rate that the battery can accept without being damaged. I wired up my aux battery charging circuit to carry 50 amps, then installed a 33AH sealed deep cycle battery (only $60 and provides plenty of juice for a weekend camping trip). Turns out that the max charging rate this battery can handle without being damaged is 6 amps according to the manufacturer. So, I went out of my way to build a fairly rugged charging system, only to use about 10% of its capacity. All well, if my pockets ever get deeper I can upgrade to a larger battery and already have a good charging circuit built in. jake |
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