Redarc Alpha

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KLF

KLF

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I've been using a Blue Sea ML-ACR to manage my dual battery system in my '15 200 LC since 2018, but lately it's been acting up. The relay latches at random times when the truck is parked, and I've also had it unlatch and isolate while the engine is running. Time to upgrade to something else, which leads me to Redarc.

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I figured I'd just go with their usual BCDC unit, but now they have the Alpha. One of the things I really liked about the ML-ACR is I can manually latch the batteries in parallel with the switch on the dash, should the starting battery go dead, effectively jump starting myself, without even having to get out of the driver's seat. The Alpha has a "Start Battery Recovery" function, not quite the same thing, but similar results.

Has anybody installed one yet? Not cheap. Also not sure if I need the 50A, seems like the 25A would do what I need.
 
jgranthevagrant said:
I have one, but not installed yet. I had to change plans and reconfigure my setup. Will be going in my 1990 Pickup under the hood. (1 year younger than your old one, I believe.)
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My "old" truck was an '87.

Which size did you go with? The 25 or the 50?
 
Not what you're asking about, but directly related.
I've had one of the Blue Sea ACRs since '19 or so. I've long preferred the BEP Marine VSR but I couldn't get one when I was building Snowball's dual battery system. Nearly the same function, never had an issue the VSRs that I've in place far longer.

By default I run them in parallel with a marine battery switch. Have to open the hood to switch them, but that also allows me to turn the battery off when the vehicle is going to sit for a while. Battery switches can handle more amps than an ACR or a VSR and allow me to flip which is the starting and which is the 'house' battery.

ETA: I was pointed to the BEP products specifically and "blue water marine" components in general by a guy on Expi who is in Australia and who is employed building complex electrical systems in large, expensive Outback vehicles. He said something that really resonated with me. Deep water marine components have a far higher reliability expectation than does "Overland" components. For that reason I've used the logic of if the part is commonly available and used in the marine sphere in my selections. If it isn't, that isn't necessarily an indictment against it, but it does make me a whole lot more cautious about deciding to use such a product. I use availability on pkys.com, westmarine.com, defender.com, & fisheriessupply.com as the vendors for these parts. If they're not carrying the part that I think that I want to use I ask myself why?
 
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The Alpha 50 will provide some “future proofing” should you choose to upgrade to a LiFePo4 aux battery under the hood or in the vehicle. If you are dead set on keeping your existing dual AGM setup under the hood, you won’t be gaining much with the Alpha 50 and instead, a BCDC1225D would work just fine to properly charge your second battery.
 
IMO all the fancy switch gear is over rated. 200 watts of solar, a 50 dollar solar controller, 2 lead acid batts wired together. After watching many of these battery management device systems give folks headaches over the years I decided to KISS and carry a jump box which comes in super handy on the trail and just run 2 batts, no switch. I have a Moroso master cut between them so if I really wanted to isolate start batt so I could sit at camp for days without worry I can. But with 145 watts of solar I can sit stand alone with fridge, lights, Starlink indefinite with sun.
 
I tried that with my second dual battery rig (first had a diode bridge <shudders> because it was all that was available at the time). Bought the OEM diesel second battery tray and wired it how GM wired it originally. It didn't work. Partly because the batteries weren't as identical as I could get, but also because of GM's poor design for the wiring. I had to fail a set of batteries and then do a bunch of research to figure this out. What I found is that the ONLY way to wire two batteries always in parallel and have them live a long life is + to +, - to -, and then ground one battery and pull power off the other battery's + terminal. The connector cables should be as identical as you can possibly make them, any tiny difference in resistance is a long term problem.

The real problem are these so-called "smart alternators." They force the owner into a position where the KISS approach will not work. Neither will an ACR or VSR. Those require a DC-DC converter.

I'm entering my third cumulative decade using the BEP parts without any problem.
 
peesalot said:
IMO all the fancy switch gear is over rated. 200 watts of solar, a 50 dollar solar controller, 2 lead acid batts wired together. After watching many of these battery management device systems give folks headaches over the years I decided to KISS and carry a jump box which comes in super handy on the trail and just run 2 batts, no switch. I have a Moroso master cut between them so if I really wanted to isolate start batt so I could sit at camp for days without worry I can. But with 145 watts of solar I can sit stand alone with fridge, lights, Starlink indefinite with sun.
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I think you're probably right, which is why I liked the Blue Sea ACR, but this one has now totally failed, I have to engage it manually every time I drive the truck.

Still not sure what I'm gonna do, but I have to decide soon, I have some trips planned later this summer.
 
ntsqd, FWIW, I have a Batteries Plus AGM and an Optima, both have chassis ground & terminal to terminal. I have power supply coming off both + terminals.
A 2001 LS with stock alt, recharge wire to + of AGM and a 145 watts of solar coming thru a very simple ( idiot light) controller. 18 years, no problems save when I rip a panel off on a tree. Not sure but I would guess the alt only comes online when system has been depleted overnight and I start truck. Just letting solar go it brings it up to voltage by the time coffee is ready.
 
The world is full of anecdotal examples that contradict what has been determined to be the Best Practice methods. Doesn't mean that they're wrong or that the Best Practice is wrong. Best Practice aren't Scientific Rules where one contradictive result invalidates the Rule. It just means that what wasn't done best practice happened to work fine in that particular case. Can not expect to repeat it in a different set of conditions and have it work correctly again. It may and it may not. Best Practice is usually the result of many installs and has been chosen to give the best results regardless of the conditions.

In my case grounding both batteries to the engine block at different bolts caused a system failure in that it see-sawed the charge in the batteries until it had kilt both dead. Had I grounded both to the same bolt it might have been fine, and it may have still failed.
My FSB has a marine battery switch and jumpered across that is a Blue Sea Systems ACR. Both batteries are grounded to the same bolt, but being that they're usually separated by the switch when not charging it's not likely to be a problem.
 
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