Date: Mon, 7 Oct 96 17:21:00 UT
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "Scott Allred" <Scott_Allred@msn.com>
Subject: RE: 78 aux battery
While looking to install an aux battery in my '71 I was reading through
my West Marine Catalog and they have a unit called a "Battery Combiner"
which their write up says is better than an isolator. Anybody have any
experience with these?
The technical write up about the battery combiner is also on their web page @:
http://www.gsn.com/bin/fishing.exe?/sports/boating/westmar/advisor/electrical/
page708.htm&graphics&guest
-Scott
Jeff Carver wrote:
>Go with the switch. I've tried both the isolator set-up and relay
>set-up. The relay won't work when the battery driving the relay is
>dead, thus effectively eliminating the usefullness of the device (had
>to use jumpers between batteries to get relay to work).
>Isolators still have a drain problem and a charging problem. After
>the primary battery is charged the system quits charging and won't
>fully charge the secondary.
>
>Geta a switch. A or B battery or both. I also bought an Amp meter,
>so I can check on the battery condition. Only problem is that I never
>hooked this stuff up. The Amp Meter needs to be REALLY close to the
>alternator to work. Great for front engines but . . . Haven't found
>a good location for the switch, that sucker is BIG. Haven't found an
>acceptable location for the secondary battery(s). '80 westi. One of
>these days.
>
>> David Schwartze wrote:
>> Forget the isolator/alternator setup and wire a high-power relay which
>> connects the + on your aux batteries to the + on your starting battery.
>> These relays are silver canisters that are available at RV stores for about
>> 10 bucks. Cheaper than the "isolators" and work better too.
>>
>> So I wrote:
>> So what's the deal as you understand it Dave? Why is a relay better than an
>> isolator? My dad, the old boat guy, says that the most efficient solution
would
>> be to have a big marine switch to toggle back and forth from A to B battery
>> combined with a memory good enough to switch it regularly. The diode
isolator
>
Scott and Maggie Allred
'71 Westy, the Wayback Machine --
Seen at http://coyote.accessnv.com/wayback
from Las Vegas, NV
