
Fully sealed against dust and water, it can handle all the under-bonnet heat and deep-water crossings any trip can throw at it. If you’re after a charger that can be mounted under your bonnet, the BCDC Classic is the way to go. In addition, quality DC to DC battery chargers are designed to also work with any type of alternator or vehicle voltage as it can operate and sense a wide voltage range. Which is becoming increasingly common in modern vehicles.
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An In-vehicle battery charger applies the correct voltage level to achieve a full state of charge, while controlling the amount of current flowing into the battery, so that it doesn’t charge too quickly and cause unwanted damage.Īn In-vehicle battery charger may also be necessary when you have to install the secondary battery away from the alternator due to space restrictions under bonnet, as a DC-DC battery charger can overcome voltage drop from long distances. Therefore, a DC-DC battery charger is recommended as it is designed to effectively charge a secondary battery to 100% ensuring the prolonged life of your secondary battery.

You wouldn’t use diesel in your petrol engine and on the higher end of the scale you would be better off supplying high octane fuel to a performance petrol engine. Providing the correct charge to a battery is a bit like filling your tank with the correct fuel for your engine. Deep cycle batteries, which are predominantly used as secondary batteries, generally require charging at higher voltages which mean if they are being charged solely by the alternator they're often left undercharged. The problem with using your vehicle’s alternator as the main charging source for a secondary battery is that a majority of vehicle alternators after 2010 do not put out more than around 14V after driving the vehicle for 10 – 25 minutes.

Some even accept additional power sources such as solar. Generally, a DC to DC battery charger is going to offer more flexibility for your dual battery setup, not only in terms of correct charging for your specific battery, but also suitability for different alternator types, installation location, and amp size. If your setup meets none of these criteria, the next level up is an In-vehicle battery charger, also know as a DC-DC battery charger.

This type of setup is recommended for vehicles that have a fixed vehicle alternator, can be installed under the bonnet and if you’re on a budget. Therefore the pump feeds both batteries at the same time. Once the pump (alternator) fills the start battery to a point (13.2v) the isolator detects this and turns on, allowing the feed going into the first battery to pass onto the secondary battery. This will stop any loads connected to the auxiliary battery from also draining the battery.Ī good analogy for this is to think of the Battery Isolator as a tap between the batteries and the alternator is a pump feeding the start battery. When the engine is turned off, and therefore the alternator is no longer running, once the start battery drops below 12.7 volts the isolator will disengage the secondary battery. The Smart Start SBI REDARC's Smart Battery Isolator It will do this by sensing battery voltage, and when the start battery reaches 13.2 volts on a 12-volt system, it will connect and start charging the secondary battery. Its job is to also protect the start battery from going flat by isolating it from the secondary battery when the engine is turned off.Ī battery isolator will recognise when the vehicle engine is running and charge is going to the starting battery via the vehicle’s alternator. Smart Battery Isolators have been used for a number of years and offer an effective approach for using your vehicle’s alternator to charge the second battery whilst the vehicle is running.

We'll talk a bit more about the three main types of battery chargers on the market Smart Battery Isolators, Dual Battery Chargers, and Battery Management Systems. In this blog, we’ll delve a bit deeper into why these factors are important and as a result, will help you decide the best dual battery system for your setup.
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Last week we covered the things you should consider for your dual battery setup in your vehicle such as the type of vehicle, alternator, electrical accessories you want to run and the length of time that's going to be spent free camping.
