Help on dual batteries please (1 Viewer)

[bkgiii]

Phase one of Aux battery completed today (Battery tray from Dan, Washer relocated, Hellroaring isolator / combiner ordered). I'm looking for a little educated guidance on Phase I.A:

On Christo's site, it mentions that the PS battery tray will fit with a little 'trimming of the battery tray'. My question is this: where, exactly would one trim the tray? I'm a little nervous about trimming unnecessary areas, so any help y'all could give me would be greatly appreciated!

Sidebar: Hey Christo...I really appreciate the customer service over there...I'd forgotten how wonderfully pleasant it is to talk with y'all. I mentioned that you should open a 2nd shop down here).​

OK...You who have done this....gimme some guidance. Thanks....

 

[NorCalDoug]

When I bought mine from C-Dan he stepped through the process with me.
For the sake of simplicity, might I suggest that you stick it in place and see where it snags? It's minor trimming as I recall (I was told this tray was made out of fiberglass, so take appropriate precautions).

 

[bkgiii]

OK...y'all need to hurry up...I'm dying to get the tray in since I 'overnighted' the Hellroaring'.......it's been 4 minutes already!

 

[sleeoffroad]

Pretty much on the lip that sits againts the radiator. If you put it in place, then you will see. About 1" or so, but start with less.

 

[bkgiii]

Thanks....I'm off to the Dremmel....

Great packaging, Christo, as usual. And the Slee OffROad vinyl sticker was a great surprise!

 

[Rookie2]

Great packaging, Christo, as usual. And the Slee OffROad vinyl sticker was a great surprise!

Just don't stick it on backwards... D'oh.. I guess I'm going to need to find something else to order from Slee.

 

[Junk]

changed the title to something more meaningfull

 

[bkgiii]

yes, you did. good job.

 

[Brentbba]

Semi-hijack. Does anyone offer the complete, and I mean complete package for dummies (me). By complete package, I mean everything except the damn battery?

Right now from research and threads, PS battery box from Cdan, washer bottle relocation kit from Mr. Christo and everything else source local or internet.

After plenty of reading, I still don't understand the nuances of the different set-ups.

With all the misc. crap I've added, I no longer have room on the + terminal to add anything else! I'm only looking for a basic set-up. One to connect all the misc stuff to and act as a battery back-up to self jump in an emergency.

Is there a thread I've missed that's a 'Different choices for Dummies on Dual Battery setup's' I've missed.

Thanks experts!

 

[Cruiserdrew]

With all the misc. crap I've added, I no longer have room on the + terminal to add anything else! I'm only looking for a basic set-up. One to connect all the misc stuff to and act as a battery back-up to self jump in an emergency.

!

You have not missed anything. If you just want to declog the + terminal, buy a fuse block from Napa ($12) attach it to the side of your battery box. Then run 1 jumper of 8ga wire to the fuse block, and all your accessories from fused terminals. It works great, and is cheap. The real advantage is that it is safer as well because all the accessory wiring is protected by fuses. If you really want overkill safe, make the jumper out of 12 ga fusable link wire.

For step 2, the closest plug and play is the Hellroaring Isolator/Combiner. After buying the battery tray and relocator, the Hellroaring system works mostly in automatic mode, and comes with everything you need except the heavy guage wire (It looks like you need about 5 feet of 4 guage wire). I am in progress with this now and it seems like a clean install and well thought out. For custom set ups, Christo's looks hard to beat-study his posted diagrams. I am curious how the Blue sea relay set ups will work as referenced on that other thread. Too complex for me.

 

[Pskhaat]

Trimming may be easily done with a small metal blade (don't use a wood blade on the glass/plastic) from a jig saw or hack saw. I don't use an isolator as has been vehemenently suggested to me but instead took Christo's advise way back when and just used a triggered coil/relay. I have had the dual battery in since 1999 or so and have had zero issues, one regular starting battery and a deep-cycle marine that are connected at the positive terminals given the alternator good signal.

The worst thing about this mod is just the cost. The rest is really cake. Do it simple first, then add as you need what you need.

 

[RavenTai]

Brentbba, no one offers a complete kit for dual batteries, there are a bunch of different ways to go about this, all have their pro’s and cons from cost, complication and electrical standpoints, if you do not have a winch and just want to power accessories with the truck off and self jump in an emergency I think the simplest is a solenoid and a second fuse box off of the second battery, the hellroaring is simple also but I don’t like the diode isolators because of the volt drop

I am curious how the Blue sea relay set ups will work as referenced on that other thread.

So far mixed with the blue sea solenoid, well built unit that draws very little power to operate, 0.130A (except for inrush), I think by Monday I will have it where I want it and be happy with it.

Did not go to my original plan, when I first hooked it up I got a new noise on AM channels from the “pulsing coil optimizer” this is on top of the engine noise on AM channels I already had. The blue sea rep I talked to before buying said this was a possibility. built a filter made from a 470 μf capacitor and a choke, noise now gone except very faintly on one weak channel, I may try a 220 μf or 1000 μf cap (the other 2 sizes I have on hand) to see if it changes.

But now that leads to another problem. it will not close from the alternator good signal, I think the combined inrush of the capacitor (?A, capacitors have a very high sharp inrush that tapes off to 0A very quickly ) and the solenoid (3.8A for 130milli seconds) piss off the alternator IC regulator as its output drops to 2v when I try to close the solenoid from it. Could also be a problem in my rebuilt alternator. Works just fine in manual mode but I keep forgetting to turn it off when I shut down (the reason for auto in the first place)

I think the fix is going to be a very small mini relay rated at 10A that is closed by the signal and then powers the solenoid, this adds 0.030A power consumption to the circuit, for a total of about 0.180A constant (relay + solenoid + LED) , that would take more than 46 days to kill the 2 batteries if left on by accident, total inrush unknown. I think this will also give me a chance to power the LED’s in the switch for an “ON” and position indication instead of just switch position indication.

The relay, capacitor and choke all fit in a 35mm film canister, the filter (capacitor & choke ) alone fit in a 12ga shotgun shell.

BTW you will need a lot more than 5’ of primary wire, it took that just to go from one positive post to the other, even if you reuse the main battery wiring you still have to provide a good ground for the aux battery, I replaced the stock wires also took about 19’ total, 90 degree lugs could have shaved several feet off, used 1/0 gage cable defiantly overkill but 4ga is a little light IMO, especially if you get a hung starter.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

the hellroaring is simple also but I don’t like the diode isolators because of the volt drop


I replaced the stock wires also took about 19’ total, 90 degree lugs could have shaved several feet off, used 1/0 gage cable defiantly overkill but 4ga is a little light IMO, especially if you get a hung starter.

The voltage drop with the Hellroaring unit is 0.001 volt-that seems hardly signigicant. Relay systems tend to have voltage drops as well. It looks like they have addressed this issue electronically. Their website is fairly complete and is good reading on all of these issues.

I was measuring wire runs yesterday, and you are right. It looks like about 8 feet of 4 guage, perhaps a bit more, and 4-6 feet of 2 guage with the unit mounted where I plan. I was at West Marine yesterday-they have tinned copper wire in the appropriate guages, with marine guage connectors and heat shrink. It is a bit pricy-roughly $3 per foot of 4 guage wire, but it seems very high quality.

 

[RavenTai]

The voltage drop with the Hellroaring unit is 0.001 volt-that seems hardly signigicant.

You are quite right, 0.004 or 0.001 v is not significant at all, if that unit has such low resistance then what is the big heat sink for? on their site they give a partial internal diagram, they show 2 diodes and 2 switches but call is solid state, diodes take at least half a volt and switches are not solid state, does not add up

 

[alia176]

Brentbaba,

I got a complete second batt kit from CDan and it came with ALL nuts/bolts and such.

Then, you can get a choice of multiple dual battery setup - mine came from wranglerpowerproducts.

Then it was a visit to a welding store for some mondo #1/0 and #4 gauge wires and crimp/solder lugs.

Then it was a matter of plug and play.

Maybe I ought to start putting a complete kit together and sell it?