| Author |
Message |
FAST FRED
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 10, 2006 - 6:17 am: | |
At times folks want to split the house batts from the starts.
This is a great idea for any boondocking.
The hassle is how to combine when charging underway.
My favorite is a solenoid as its EZ to hookup and troubbleshoot.
Cole Hersee # 24143 Is listed as 200a at 12V.
Another marine item that could be of use fore some applications is #24200 .
This is a "latching solenoid" ine touch of curent (3.5A) to close the contacts , a second to open them.
110 amps cont carry rating.
Shop these , if you just go to West Marine , you will pay doubble!
FAST FRED |
Brent Coursey
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 10, 2006 - 7:25 am: | |
I used a Hellroaring battery isolator on my F700 Toterhome and it worked great. It tied the house and starting batteries together when running down the road, but as soon as I shut the machine down, it isolated the batts. If you have ever had your starting batteries drained by the house in a scary area, you will get one of these. We came out of a conference at 11PM at night, pouring down rain in downtown Kansas City to find the truck would not start. As soon as I got home, I got the Isolator installed.
Brent |
Jerry Liebler (Jerry_liebler)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 10, 2006 - 8:25 am: | |
I 'recycled' one of the solenoids and the 150 amp circuit breaker that once fed the huge HVAC blowers. I also reused the heater switch on the driver's panel, with a little rewiring. Now if the switch is 'up' and the coach generator is charging the batteries are paralleled. If the switch is down and AC power is present, either from the shore cord or generator, the batteries are paralleled. If the switch is in the center off position the batteries are always seperate.
Regards
Jerry 4107 1120 |
all2go
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 10, 2006 - 5:25 pm: | |
Hey Jerry,
Will that work on a 4905 that has 24v. system. I took out my A/C and heat and have all these parts I want to use...and am currently trying to sort out an electrical system. If it will work on 24v. could you explain how it is wired please? I would like to move the starting batteries to the back of the bus where the old A/C unit was also, are there any threads or advice on that? If the '07's came that way there must be an advantage.
Thanks,
Andrew. |
Jerry Liebler (Jerry_liebler)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 10, 2006 - 9:02 pm: | |
Andrew,
It certainly would work on an 05 but you'd want to make your house bank 24 volt and use an equalizer and battery tap for few things you can only get in 12 volt, like fantastic fans. GM wired these busses so the HVAC blowers would only run if the alternator was 'putting out'. There was a 3 position switch on the driver's console that selected heat, off, AC. It is a DPDT switch and in the heat position only worked one solenoid and blower while in the AC position it ran both. I rewired the switch so one pole chooses the power source and the other the ground source for the solenoid. I used the two wires that used to feed two solenoids to feed both ends of one. The hot side is fed from the 'generator relay' and the ground is ground when the switch is in the 'engine charge' position. While the hot side is the 'coach battery' and the ground is not connected at the switch end in the 'shore-gen charge' position. In the old HVAC bay are my house batteries, genset, inverter and transfer switch. The inverter (Trace SW series) requires a neutral ground connection when no external power is being supplied but this connection must be broken if external power is supplied. I used a SPDT relay to accomplish this in my transfer switch. By placing ground on the common contact in the relay and neutral on the NC side I was able to use the NO contact to supply ground to the solenoid. If this isn't clear send me an email, off board, & I'll clear it up but it may take a week before I get back to you as I'll be out of touch for a few days.
Actually the 4108 is the bus that had the start batteries where the AC compressor usually is. The 4107s had them in the rear bay on the left side. I've relocated my start batteries to where they are on stock 4108s. I mounted heavy duty drawer slides to the bulkhead with spacers and built up mounts for the rear slides. In the slides I have stainless 'boxes' that the two 8D's sit in. Relocating my batteries took about 10 feet out of the starter cables.
Regards
Jerry 4107 1120 |
john david lebrun (Davidlebrun)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, February 10, 2006 - 9:12 pm: | |
If anybody has a need for 24V latching relay's, I got a line on a few here at work. If anybody is interested I'll get the model number and tech info. They aren't junk manly simens equipement, and he told he'll let them go at a good price.
Just pasing it along.
david |
Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 12:18 am: | |
The simple way to do it is to have master switches on both battery systems so one can be cut off while the other is being used or both can be connected together.
All it takes is a master switch on each. This way you can leave the bus DC system intact. |
FAST FRED
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, February 11, 2006 - 5:55 am: | |
"All it takes is a master switch on each."
In boats we have found this is a really poor practice.
First it requires someone to REMEMBER every time to split the systems and recombine them again when underway.
Its EZ to forget , and S+++ happens , you go for a visit that should only be an hour & it stretches to 7 hours and something ate your batts.
Fine if its only the house , sucks when the starts are dead too.
LONG Wire runs are the enemy so the switch may be in a bay , not great fun when its raining to keep opening & playing with switches.
Another hassle is the BEST marine rotary switches are not able to handle a 6-71 or 8-71 starter loads with much reliability.
.
You will be running 400% of the rotary switch rating or more starting in cold weather.
Finally should you inadvertantly switch the batts to OFF while the engine is running , its time for a new set of diodes
The simple RV setup , key switch and solenoid is seamless , no thinking , no action required from the driver, the perfect KISS.
Which explains its continued use after 40-50 years on most RV's.
Do it Your Way.
FAST FRED |
motorcoach1
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2006 - 10:52 am: | |
Fred i put a solenoid in each battery..and on the control panel a switch and a bargraf LED from radio shack to show condition of charge. not all battries charge at the same rate when in use and the battries are isolated untill needed. The soleoids came out of old blue bird flasher boxes (school bus)and are almost indestructable.and one charge master switch used on accasion to operate all the selonoids turning on all the bank. I,ve seen a test switch installed that was a push buttion that would drop out the charge leg and show the battry voltage. |
FAST FRED
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2006 - 11:32 am: | |
"I,ve seen a test switch installed that was a push buttion that would drop out the charge leg and show the battry voltage."
This tells nothing as batt measurement by voltage is usually done many hours (even a day) after the charge is finished.
A dead & useless battery can show a "flash" charge that looks great , when measured just off the charger.
But wont light a lightbulb the next day.
"not all battries charge at the same rate when in use and the battries are isolated untill "
The batts (if the same species like floded or AGM) and they all charge at the same Voltage.
The ones that are low will accept more , the "full" ones a lot less.
Stick them all together and you will be charging the fastest , with a large enough alternator.
FAST FRED |
Rob King
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2006 - 3:19 pm: | |
Hey Fred
Source for the Cole Hersee? Several internet sites list them but not the number you mentioned.
I liked Bruces idea but none of the Hellroaring are big enough to handle the bus alternator.
Rob
91 LeMirage XL
Missouri |
t gojenola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, February 12, 2006 - 4:18 pm: | |
One such place:
http://www.sandiegomarine.com/Solenoids/id/33/gr/39
tg |
FASAT FRED
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 13, 2006 - 6:41 am: | |
A CHJ dealer is a CH dealer . The demand for these is minimal , so just ask if its not listed , and most dealers will happily accomidate you.
Ask Defender Ind in Waterford Conn, they have an 800# and are cheap & great on "special" orders.
Or FROOGLE
FAST FRED |
Gus Causbie (Gusc)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, February 13, 2006 - 11:30 pm: | |
I own something like 18 vehicles, mostly antiques, and I have battery masters on all ever since I had a stuck starter solenoid that almost burned up the starter.
It is not a really big mental task to remember to open or close only two masters on a bus??
Any battery or bank should have a master regardless just for safety and it is really great for doing maintenance on the DC electrical system.
Quick and simple. |