Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2007 11:01:54 -0500
Reply-To: Mike Collum <collum@VERIZON.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike Collum <collum@VERIZON.NET>
Subject: Re: was fav 12 V acc, now 2nd battery relay system
In-Reply-To: <45DC6A98.5030400@gmail.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Mike,
The 1315 actually will connect a hosed aux battery ... but not until the
starting battery (the one primarily connected to the charging source in
this case) reaches 13.2 volts. It's still a relay albeit a "Smart" relay.
I posted earlier that I continued to use my van with a totally bad aux
battery (wouldn't even take a charge) using the old fridge relay to
connect the batteries. Of course, the bad aux wasn't brought online
until the alternator was putting out and the bad battery didn't affect
the starting battery one bit.
Mike
Michael Elliott wrote:
> Hi Frank, I'm not seeing any normal conditions where my relay system is
> at a disadvantage when compared to the 1315. My starter battery is
> always connected to the charging source, just like in a system using the
> 1315. My aux batter is connected to the starter battery/charging source
> under only two conditions:
>
> 1. The alternator is putting out enough voltage to extinguish the dash
> ALT lamp. What's that -- 13 volts or more? Bridging the aux battery to
> the starter battery under these conditions is appropriate unless the aux
> battery has suffered a major failure, in which case all bets are off
> with my system.
>
> 2. I have operated a switch to manually bridge the aux battery to the
> starter battery/charging source by applying voltage from the aux battery
> to the relay coil. This would be done in the case where the starter
> battery is low and I need to steal some power from the aux battery to
> pump up the starter battery. There also should be no problem unless the
> starter battery has suffered a major failure.
>
> I did use the phrase "normal conditions" in my opening paragraph, and I
> noted above two unusual conditions which involve the near or total
> meltdown of one or both batteries. In the situation where the aux
> battery was hosed, the 1315 would allow a fellow to keep driving because
> it would refuse to connect the bad battery, whereas my system has no
> such safeguard. If the starter battery is low, both systems allow a
> fellow to bridge the aux to it for starting, but if the starter battery
> was massively failed neither system would help.
>
> The 1315 does not require metering: it appears to be smart enough to not
> connect ugly-dead batteries to the system. So that's an advantage -- but
> to me, not much of one because I like meters -- even with a 1315 I'd
> monitor battery voltage.
>
> So, unless I'm missing something, the 1315 only provides two advantages
> over the relay system: no-brainer operation (always useful when you have
> a squirrel's brain) and it refuses to connect a hosed aux battery. Those
> two may be advantages enough for some folk to recommend the 1315 to
> them, but to say that "relay systems work but not well," is a bit much.
>
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
> KG6RCR
>
>
>
> Frank Condelli typed:
>> In a message dated 20/02/2007 3:11:46 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>> LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:
>>
>> Using the Sure Power 1315 Battery Separator solves all your
>> problems. The
>> batteries are NEVER, NEVER, EVER, connected to one another. That's the
>> whole
>> point of using the Sure Power device ! We've been over this a
>> gazillion
>> times if not more ! Relay systems work but not well, isolator systems
>> work a
>> little better but still not correct.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> OOPS ! Big screw up here ! Now's it's me giving out false
>> information. My
>> good friend Mike brought this to my attention. After re-reading the
>> document that comes with the Sure power 1315 I see that the two
>> batteries are indeed
>> connected together under two circumstances. One, when the aux start
>> feature
>> is connected and the main battery is found to be below the level of
>> the aux
>> battery at starting then the aux battery is connected to the main
>> battery to
>> aid in starting the vehicle. Two, when both batteries reach a charge
>> of 13 ~
>> 13.5 volts, both battery banks are connected together. Sorry for
>> propagating false information.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Frank Condelli
>> Almonte, Ontario, Canada
>> '87 Westy, '90 Carat, '87 Wolfsburg (Forsale) & Lionel Trains
>> (_Collection
>> for sale_ (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/trainsal.htm) )
>> Vanagon/Vanagon Westfalia Service in the Ottawa Valley
>> _Frank Condelli & Associates_
>> (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/busindex.html)
>> _Vanagon Stainless Steel Exhaust Systems_
>> (http://members.aol.com/Fkc43/stebro.htm)
>> _BusFusion_ (http://members.aol.com/BusFusion/bfhome.htm) a VW Camper
>> camping event, Almonte, ON, June 07 ~ 10, 2007
>>
>
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