Remote Battery Shutoff, Switch for HJ60 (1 Viewer)

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Aug 31, 2003
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British Columbia
Sorry if this has been discussed before, I could not find info I need using search. Anyways, I have a 1987 HJ 60 Canadian model that I only drive during the spring to fall and even then I may go weeks without driving it. I have a Solar in equalizing mode but even then I find my batteries may die after a few weeks of not driving it. Until I can get my electronics to where they should be (an electronic engineer I am not), I want to be able to switch/disconnect power from the batteries without having to pop the hood and remove the cables from the battery posts.

This must be pretty simple, but I need expert help. My "battery switch" would be a marine grade switch mounted under the dash. What I need to know is: What gauge of wire do I need to go from battery to interior dash (about 4 feet) and how to I hook up the wires to the batteries.

I guess I would also need a remote to the Solar system to switch it off before I switched the batteries off? I have Greg's excellent write up on this.

Thanks

Bob
 
Most of the battery switches tell you what size wire to use in the diagram. But one thing you need to know is that they often lose a volt going through the switch.
You can also get lockable switches.
 
the " remote " feature it's gonna require some " power " to make it work .. that or just route your wiring to the cabin and back to your engine bay / battery ..

having the switch at the engine bay close to the battery seems to be more reasonable
 
We put these battery master switches [narv / cole hearse / britax] on our vehicles that get left at airports for months on end. Encourages the locals to find an easier vehicle to steal also
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All converters will have a small draw all the time when it's powered up. Coupled with any other small loads (clocks, etc), this will take down the batteries over time. With my 24V trucks, if they are not going to be run for a week or so, I take the converter out of the system or hook up a charger/maintainer. Which means popping the hood.

No two batteries are ever exactly the same and when in load balance mode the converter will keep trying to equalize them. End result being...if left in load balance mode and not being run daily you will come back one day and they will be nicely balanced...below a useful voltage. My suggestion is to only ever run the converter in balance mode when the truck is running. On my BJ74 I have that wire through a key powered relay.

You are correct in that leaving the converter hooked up and using a battery switch would make for an unhappy converter. When taking the Solar Converter in and out of the system (if its the one I think) it has to be hooked up and unhooked in sequence (hook up = neutral, 24V, then 12V...unhook = 12V, 24V and then neutral) or you will pop internal fuses. So there is not a simple one switch disconnect that would work. You could leave the neutral hooked up and have two switches: one for the 12V and one for the 24V sides.

Do you have shore power where the truck is parked? If you are intent on leaving it in convert mode 24/7 then install an onboard charger in the engine bay to the low side battery and have the plug at the front. Then simply plug it in when home and you are not going to run it for a while. Alternatively, you could run the load balance wire through a ig powered relay, then get a two bank on board battery charger. With either, when you are done for the season then just disco everything as usual. If you don't have shore power, consider solar. A small panel on the roof through to a 24v charge controller would keep things good long term.

hth's
gb
 
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