Battery Charging Confusion

Submitted: Thursday, Jul 31, 2014 at 22:12
ThreadID: 108967 Views:2093 Replies:4 FollowUps:2
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Hi Everyone, hope this has not been covered before but I am a little confused. I have a 4.5Lt 105 series Landcruiser which is fitted with dual (Lead Type) batteries with a Rotronics charger. I wish to install my 40 Lt Engel fridge with a 130 amp Deep Cycle (Gel) battery and solar panel. I have an C-TEK 250s DC-DC Charger from my previous set up. Can I also connect the C-TEK to the main battery to run the fridge and solar or will the two chargers (Rotronics and C-TEK) confuse each other as they are on the same circuit?

Thanks, Gordonk
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Reply By: Andrew D7 - Thursday, Jul 31, 2014 at 22:38

Thursday, Jul 31, 2014 at 22:38
Forget about the Rotronics. Rotronics is lousy last century technology.
AnswerID: 536927

Follow Up By: Gordonk - Thursday, Jul 31, 2014 at 22:44

Thursday, Jul 31, 2014 at 22:44
Hi Andrew, may be old but it seems to be working well, been getting 12.8 readings on both batteries after min 5 hours rest. If I remove the Rotronics and fit the C-Tek will it be able to charge all three batteries?
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Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Friday, Aug 01, 2014 at 07:38

Friday, Aug 01, 2014 at 07:38
If you run a separate twin core cable from the Main battery to the Ctek D250S (assumingly in the rear) and then to the deep cycle battery, you will have no problem with the two dc chargers confusing each other. Only if the chargers were connected "in series" would you have an isue.
Bill


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AnswerID: 536935

Reply By: Mal58 - Friday, Aug 01, 2014 at 09:28

Friday, Aug 01, 2014 at 09:28
Hi, Is the Rotronics device a MH10? If so it's not a charger per se but a switch that connects the second battery in parallel with the main only when the engine is running. The MH10, while at least 15 years old in design is still considered by many as the benchmark even today.
If you use the CTeck and solar panels on the main battery and your Gel battery, it will only charge / discharge from the main battery and your Gel battery.
AnswerID: 536940

Reply By: HKB Electronics - Friday, Aug 01, 2014 at 10:04

Friday, Aug 01, 2014 at 10:04
Contrary to written above, Rotronics made an excellent product, I'm using one of his charge independent units performed and it gives much superior performance to a DCDC charger. It's a very sad that he has recently had to shut up shop due to illness.

The Rotronics unit can be considered a VSR, there will be no interaction between the Rotronics and the Ctek assuming the total load is not great enough to cause the alternator voltage to drop below the minimum start voltage for the alternator and the kick in voltage for the Rotronics unit.

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AnswerID: 536947

Follow Up By: HKB Electronics - Friday, Aug 01, 2014 at 10:17

Friday, Aug 01, 2014 at 10:17
Correct that to minimum start voltage for the DCDC charger, and kick in voltage for the Rotronics unit.

Other thing is where are you intending to install the fridge and the gel battery, as you already have an aux in the car what will it be used for?

If your going to use both to run the fridge and the gel battery charge voltage is similar to the present aux then maybe you could just connect the gel cell to the present aux?

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