Blue Sea Battery Isolator Questions

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by Flux

My plan right now is to go stock alternator (135 amp), Blue Sea 7622, Lifeline 4D, and a 200 Watt solar system. Not sure what solar controller yet, maybe a Midnite solar KID, but an MPPT charger for sure. My house loads shouldn't exceed 20Amps.

Your plan is very sound......that would be a nice setup...

I've got two house batteries (Lucent Alctel AGM-available from 619battery.com for $125/ea) that are each slightly smaller than a 4D (175ah each), about 300W of solar, and a Samlex SCC-30 PWM controller and the stock alternator. The setup works fine even with my electric hot water heater. Previously I had a single 120W panel on the roof and that was reasonably sufficient without the water heater load.

I've also recently added a Xantrex LinkPro battery monitor, and I'm using it's alarm output to have pseudo-diversion load capabilities. Battery monitors are really handy.....didn't realize how much until I got one. The Kid has a fair bit of battery monitor functionality built in but you will need to buy their shunt to make it work.

If I was doing it again I'd probably consider the kid controller for it's diversion load capabilities, only because I have an electric water heater. IMO, the kid is not as aesthetically pleasing as other panel mount types...it's kinda big and has some cooling fins on the front.

Member 1der is still getting his setup dialed in and we have both chatted with Midnite Solar tech support about using the diversion load to heat water...so time will tell.......there is at least one guy on another forum (TechnoDave) using this feature in his off the grid house.

[Flux]

That's a smoking deal on batteries!! I'll have to breeze that site. I am kind of stuck on the lifeline made in USA quality thing. . I was originally just gonna go with about 100 watts, but the cost is in the battery and controller and such and adding a panel isn't a big expense. Then I considered that these lay flat so they rarely get max radiation so......add another panel. My laptop takes a 200 Watt charger, so there's that too, in case I want to work "remote".

I have to lock up my electrical anyway, three year old twin boys will find the controls, press puttons, throw switches.......yeah, it's gotta be on lockdown.

[boywonder]

The Lucent-Alcatels may not be on the website but call them...they usually have them.......they may be USA made, can't remember. There are a number of us on the forum using these.

As far as solar panels go, plan on getting about 70% of the rated power out of the panel on average......more on a freezing cold showy morning with the sun shining directly on the panel..that's when they are most efficient....maybe 80% then.

[Flux]

Might have to drop in there for a battery when I take the van down to Agile. I will make it a very expensive week!

[daveb]

I wish my battery rack would lower similar to the way the spare tires lower via some kind of crank down system. I'd go with cheaper batteries myself if pulling them in and out was easier. At that price you can replace every couple of years if you have to w/o too much hurt on the wallet.

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by Flux

Might have to drop in there for a battery when I take the van down to Agile. I will make it a very expensive week!

Ask John at Agile about the batteries.....I recall Ramsey saying that they were getting them for installs.

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by daveb

I wish my battery rack would lower similar to the way the spare tires lower via some kind of crank down system.

I've been thinking about that........

[MountainBikeRoamer]

Originally Posted by daveb

I wish my battery rack would lower similar to the way the spare tires lower via some kind of crank down system. I'd go with cheaper batteries myself if pulling them in and out was easier. At that price you can replace every couple of years if you have to w/o too much hurt on the wallet.

daveb ----!
Hey that would be cool --- and couldn't it be pretty easily accomplished?

If you (like most people who end up with an Aluminess rear spare tire mount) don't have a spare tire mounted in the original location underneath the van any more....then why not utilize that very spare-tire winch-up/winch-down mechanism you're referencing?

Couldn't someone fab up a simple battery tray/basket that would hook onto the end of the cable (that's meant to lift the tire up/down into its storage well) such that you could do exactly what you're describing?

All that would be needed to access your batteries would be the long jack-handle, to spin that original lower-the-tire winch that's underneath the van already, and raise/lower the batteries up and out of the way.

Perhaps once it's raised into location, a second series of latch-hooks could be incorporated (that hook between the battery rack and some points on the frame) that would do the true, final "securing" of the battery-rack into location (and better support the weight.) But the OEM spare-tire winch would do all the up/down heavy lifting (and locating) of the battery rack as it went in/out.

Just seems like a sweet idea!

[Flux]

Nah, just carry a transmission jack everywhere you go, good for pulling fuel tanks as well.

[daveb]

My batteries are on an angle iron type rack jammed up against the XL storage box. Even if the battery rails tilted down it would be nice. I've just never got round to it.