Yup, diodes would (mostly) work in this situation. Keep in mind that diodes have a voltage drop (.4 to .7 volts, depending on types) that you need to deal with in battery charging applications. Many of the cheap solar battery chargers have a built in diode. Jon
On Wed, 18 Jul 2007, Brendan Slevin wrote: > I am by no mean an electrical guru, but, might diodes work in this > situation? My understanding is they are one way streets for current. Seems > they would keep the charging from the alt. from getting back up the line to > the solar and smart charger. Also, you could hard wire everything in to a > selector switch, possibly a headlight-type, three way switch. OFF-no aux > charging reaching the battery (only alt;) Position 1-Solar Charging; > Position 2-Smart Charger. Let us know what works out. > > > > Brendan Slevin > 84 GL Totoro > I have measured out my life with coffee spoons. -T.S. Eliot > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of > Loren Busch > Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2007 9:52 AM > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: Aux Battery Charging Alternatives Question for the Electrical Gurus > > Right now I have wiring in place for three ways to charge my aux battery. > First, and permanently connected, is the alternator when engine is running. > The next two are wired right now so that only one can be connected at a > time: Solar charge controller (and solar panel) and an onboard 30 amp > 'smart' charger. > Question: What kind of problems, if any, would I encounter if all three > were connected to the battery at the same time? Assuming that only one > would ever be running at any time, would I expect problems such as the solar > controller seeing the voltage from the 110v ac charger and causing damage? > Or the solar controller seeing the voltage from the alternator and having > problems? Or any other combination that should be avoided? Just to be > careful I'm now set up so that the solar and the 110v ac charger can't be > connected to the battery at the same time but the ideal system would be to > have them permanently wired in. > |
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