TheBeastie Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 I am proposing to try to go to double battery setup to allow radio (and ultimately a winch and perhaps even caravan) to be run off secondary battery but need some of your patient help to let me get my head round it all. I reckon X-Charge split charge relay looks the thing for the job and I already have FIA in place (even if not fully wired up yet) I need to see if I can squeeze my "new" spare battery into the battery box. Both will be full size so, assuming they will fit, I will have to move the electrics I have in the box out onto the rear bulkhead - but that might help me to get a better organisation of relays and fuses etc. I think I can see how the split charge relay setup works. Presumably I run fused cabling from the second battery to the radio (and ultimately winch etc) with the cabling off the main battery staying unchanged. On my radio course they said you need to fuse both +ve and -ve supply to radio - why would this be, or is it an RF thing? How do I do the FIA switch - i.e. do I only cut the main battery feed - or do I need a second switch for the second battery? I don't think I do but who am I to say!!! I also wondered about fitting an anderson plug at the front to make it easier to hook in compressor for tyres and jump leads if needed. Saves faffing around with the passenger seat. I presume it would again make sense to pull this off the second battery rather than the main one??? Sorry so many questions but that seems to be how I very slowly progress my projects. If anyone happened to have a sort of circuit diagram for such a sort of setup that would be wonderful!! I guess I am going to have quite a few heavy duty cables running around in that box so better make sure they are all well insulated Thanks Malcy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 All my radio's are fused in both lines, it is a good protection measure for expensive bits of kit. a anderson connector off one battery is a good idea for jump leads/compressor, 2 standard size batts should fit, I've 2 large Odyssey batts in my batt bay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBeastie Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 Thanks western Am I right in thinking andersons and everything not essential for running The Beastie should come off the auxilliary battery? I am contemplating a Yeasu FT-897D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 doesn't really matter all my kit except the winch runs of the vehicle battery, winch has a dedicated battery & also used for my jumpleads, I never had any problem of the radio's loosing power. FT-897 nice kit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandyManLuke Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 I'd run the winch off the engine battery, that way your draw less current through whatever split charging relay you use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 split charge wiring with relay another one I'm using the LR split charge relay system & the matching wiring loom as per this diagram, I haven't used the parts 7 to 12 as the cables go to each +ve battery terminal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Badger Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 doesn't really matter all my kit except the winch runs of the vehicle battery, winch has a dedicated battery & also used for my jumpleads, I never had any problem of the radio's loosing power.FT-897 nice kit Ive got the same set up, my aux has the winch and anderson connected to it, it is also a deep discharge battery, where as the other is a starter battery. The solenoid im using is an albright one, and it is a Genisis system, but it don't have to be, I just liked it because it gives me a display showing how much v is in each battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 I have 2 x VDO vision voltmeters to monitor the batteries, the winch voltmeter is wired via a relay, so the meter goes off when the ignition is off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBeastie Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 Thanks A big help. One of the drawings shows putting the cut off switch on the negative earth side rather than the positive live side of the circuits. I always had it in my head better to cut live side off but I can see how from the drawing it might be easier to cut off the earth in the switch. Does it make a big difference which one you wire into the FIA switch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Train Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 Good thread. I have an inverter in the back of my work car for powertool batteries and light power tool use and I have been thinking of a small local battery to support it. This has solved how I do it. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 fit the cut-off switch to the live +ve side, if you were to fit it to the -ve side & work on the vehicle, there's always a chance the tools could complete the earth path & cause problems for you, if the +ve side is cut then it's no worries unless your actually working at the battery or live side of the cut-off switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBeastie Posted March 14, 2008 Author Share Posted March 14, 2008 Thanks Good to know my logic on +ve was right - mind you I had a 50:50 chance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Badger Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 yep, my cut off switch is between the live and the rest of the thruck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted March 14, 2008 Share Posted March 14, 2008 ThanksGood to know my logic on +ve was right - mind you I had a 50:50 chance wouldn't want a LR bonfire now would you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie D Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Should / could I use a 110ah lesuire battery for the winch - my logic tells me that the high current draw may fry it. Perhaps just connect the winch to the main starter battery as suggested above? Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tris Cocks Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Should / could I use a 110ah lesuire battery for the winch - my logic tells me that the high current draw may fry it. Perhaps just connect the winch to the main starter battery as suggested above?Steve The problem with using a Lesuire type battery is that it is designed to give a low output for a long time, if you are winching for example you will need to draw in excess of a couple hundred amps. This is why i went for a 100Ah traction battery for my aux system to power the winches, becasue of the high rate of discharge. HTH Tris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie D Posted April 11, 2008 Share Posted April 11, 2008 The problem with using a Lesuire type battery is that it is designed to give a low output for a long time, if you are winching for example you will need to draw in excess of a couple hundred amps. This is why i went for a 100Ah traction battery for my aux system to power the winches, becasue of the high rate of discharge.HTH Tris I thoght that would be the case - just checking - Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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