Van wouldn't start from house battery (via isolator) today.

[Angel]

Here is my summery of the info from the forum and the BlueSea site. I think I want a separator that works like my Sure Power did except I want to be able to turn it off with a switch I can easily see and get to.

The BlueSea #7622 is ML (magnetic latch) series=whatever that means.

Jage's is a L-series #9112 with Coil Economizer-what ever that is. #9112 info says "automatically combines battery banks during the charging cycle and isolates under discharge." And "Override for emergency engine paralleling to start an engine."

The # 7622 has a "manual control switch...allowing control with or with out power, and offering LOCK OFF capability for servicing."

#7622 includes remote control switch #2146 with LED to "indicate when batteries are combined, isolated, in voltage lock out, or in Start or Engine isolation."

Just got e mail from Peter @ SMBW. He said "we use BlueSea #7620B." This does not have a manual control or a remote control switch.

Does the #7622 and the #9112 work like what Badger is referring to when he says "a 3-position switch set up for never join, join always and join on charging."

How do I decide which one I should get?

Angel

[Scalf77]

Angel,

I would go with the 7622 as it uses minimum power while connected (That is the advantage of the Magnetic Latch) The only power being consumed is by the voltage comparator. The 9112 has also been discontinued, but I am sure you could still find one for purchase. The 2146 Switch will do what Badger is refering to, it also has the led indicator built in. You will most likely need to get the battery cable lugs changed to 3/8 as that is what the 7622 takes, the surepower was 5/16.

-greg

[daveb]

Angel there are a couple of reasons SMB does not use the 7622 with the override switch. It's more expensive and if you leave the batteries connected overnight or when the van sits there is a possibility of waking and not being able to start the vehicle. Just think if your kid hit the switch and you didn't realize it. Then there is the "I forgot to switch it back" screw up. I guess you could always mount the switch in a secure spot, out of view but If you ruin a set of batteries it can be very expensive.

The only problem that I've had with the sure power is when it is not connecting. I could have added a manual switch to open (bypass) or jumper (manually connect the batteries) the sure power relay but I just want to get rid of it. It has a problem of sticking open from time to time and I'm sick of it. Besides, like Scalf notes, the power drain it uses to work is very low.

[Angel]

I told Peter @ SMBW to order # 7622 for me and he said he would. My Sure Power that did not work was still under warranty.

My trouble was when the batteries were not connected and I had a bad starter battery. I will keep an eye on the starter battery, now. The easy way I can do that is not have the batteries connected overnight and plug the volt reader SMB gave me into the cigarette lighter. The solar keeps the house battery charged.

I talked to BlueSea. They said they should have the parts in to make it by the end of the month and have SMB get their order in the cue. BlueSea only makes to order. They have been having trouble getting parts from their suppliers as some suppliers have shut their doors due to the economy down turn last year. Nobody was ready for the upturn, thus the delay.

Western Marine quoted me $197.45 for #7622 and $199.99 for the #7620. It doesn't make sense. They have none in their warehouse anyway.

Angel

[daveb]

Once again I'm gonna be SMB's beta tester. Mine will be installed next week. Hopefully it will work out. Right now I can't even make the sure power connect using the jump button.

Here is how it's supposed to work:


For specific troubleshooting help with SI-Series PN 7610 and ML-Series PNs 7620, 7621, 7622, and 7623 ACRs, click on the following links: SI-Series ACR Diagnostic Flowchart or ML-Series ACR Diagnostic Flowchart.


What is an ACR, and how does it work?

What is an ACR?
An ACR parallels (combines) batteries during charging, and isolates them when charging has stopped and after battery voltage has fallen. An ACR is intended to keep a load from discharging both of the batteries.

How does an ACR work?
An ACR senses when the voltage of either of the batteries rises to a level indicating that a charge source is active (13.0V for 2 minutes). The ACR?s contacts then connect and the ACR applies the charge to both batteries. If the voltage on both of the batteries subsequently drops to 12.75V for 30 seconds, the ACR will disconnect, isolating the batteries.

Why do I need an ACR?
An ACR allows two battery banks to be connected so that they can share the output of a single charge source, allowing the user to charge more battery banks than the number of charging outputs. For example, an ACR can be used with a single-output charger, resulting in a simpler system at lower cost than a dual-output charger.

How many ACRs do I need?
To combine two battery banks, one ACR is needed; to combine three battery banks, two ACRs are required.

What are some features of ACRs?

What does “Dual Sensing” mean?
A dual-sensing ACR will sense an active charge source on one or both batteries and not solely on a designated battery. The ACR will operate if the measured voltage on either of the terminals is of a level to initiate a connection or disconnection.

How does an ACR differ from a battery isolator?
Battery isolators use one-way electrical check valves called diodes that allow current to flow to, but not from, the battery. ACRs use a relay combined with a circuit that senses when a charging source is being applied to either battery. ACRs are more efficient than battery isolators because they create little heat and consume minimal charging energy.

Will an ACR manage the charge of my individual battery banks?
An ACR does not direct the charge to the battery that “needs it the most” or has the lowest terminal voltage. If there is a charge present on either battery, indicated by a high enough voltage, the ACR will combine the batteries.

What Charge Sources will an ACR work with?
An ACR will work with all charge sources, including an alternator, AC charger, or solar panel. However, low current charge sources might not produce the voltage rise required to force the ACR to combine.

What else do I need to know about my ACR?

What are the minimum number of connections I need to make my ACR work?
Three: One wire to each battery, and one for a ground (GND) connection. For safety reasons, remember to disconnect the negative battery connections before beginning any ACR installation. See this article for more information on selecting the right fuses for Blue Sea Systems ACRs: See Selecting the Appropriate Fuse Rating When Installing the 120A SI ACR

What does “Undervoltage Lockout” mean?
As a safety feature, some ACRs prevent combining into a severely discharged battery. A dual-sensing ACR will monitor the voltage on both batteries and will not connect if either battery is below the undervoltage lockout level. Use caution when combining into a battery with extremely low voltage, because this might represent a faulty battery or a problem elsewhere in the system.

Why doesn't my ACR automatically combine every time my engine is running?
For an ACR to automatically combine the batteries, voltage and time thresholds must be reached. Although these numbers vary somewhat from one ACR product to another, if ACR terminal voltage is greater than 13.0V for 2 minutes, the ACR should combine.

Why didn't the ACR disconnect when my engine was turned off?
The ACR will not disconnect until the low voltage threshold is reached to isolate the circuit. It may take several minutes for the voltage of the batteries to drop to this level. Since the ACR incorporates a delay, additional time (up to 2 minutes) is required before the ACR disconnects.

Where can I get more troubleshooting information?
For specific troubleshooting help with SI-Series PN 7610 and ML-Series PNs 7620, 7621, 7622, and 7623 ACRs, click on the following PDF links:
SI-Series ACR Diagnostic Flowchart

ML-Series ACR Diagnostic Flowchart

Dave

[etbadger]

For those who are using a Surepower that isn't connecting:

After about 6mo of full-timing we found that ours was not joining the batteries even though the relay would make the audible thunk as it switched over. I disassembled and found that the contacts inside the relay were covered in corrosion. After cleaning them it returned to functionality. I then added it to the periodic maintenance list and cleaned it every few months.

It is quite possible that with less usage it would take some more time for this to occur to others.

-e

[daveb]

Good tip...I'll keep the old one.