BCDC1220-IGN
Submitted: Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 14:00
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Bigfish
Just purchased the Redarc unit for my dual battery set-up. Question. As I installing my 2nd battery in the rear of the vehicle and mounting the redarc very close by. Fed by good gauge wires from main battery. Do I have to connect the blue wire(for vehicle ignition) to a wire that is alive after ignition is on OR can I simply twist the blue wire to the red wire(input from main battery) ? This would save me having to splice or join onto a live wire and the unit will work(in my opinion) when the alternator fires up.
Reply By: jdpatrol - Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 14:14
Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 14:14
Bigfish, why not give redarc a call - they are helpful, might still be answering calls today
AnswerID:
543337
Reply By: HKB Electronics - Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 14:14
Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 14:14
You need to connect the blue wire to the ignition or other 12V source that is only active when the vehicles ignition is on. If you connect it to the vehicles main battery the charger will run all the time and flatten the cranking battery.
AnswerID:
543338
Follow Up By: Bigfish - Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 14:39
Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 14:39
Redarc are closed for xmas holidays. The other reason I ask is that I have read on another
forum that someone had it on all the time and doesn't affect the main battery as it cuts off at 12.7 volts. Hence no flat main battery.
Could this be correct?
cheers
FollowupID:
830294
Follow Up By: HKB Electronics - Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 16:14
Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 16:14
From the manual:
Unloaded:
Turn ON above 12V with Ignition ON
Turn OFF below 11.9V
Loaded:
Turn OFF instantly below 8V
Turn OFF after 20 secs below 9V
FollowupID:
830299
Follow Up By: Bigfish - Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 16:47
Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 16:47
Thanks for taking the time to help.
cheers
FollowupID:
830304
Follow Up By: Nomadic Navara - Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 20:21
Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 20:21
Quote "The other reason I ask is that I have read on another
forum that someone had it on all the time and doesn't affect the main battery as it cuts off at 12.7 volts."
That applies to the BCDC1220 and not the BCDC1220-IGN.
FollowupID:
830313
Follow Up By: Bigfish - Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 20:40
Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 20:40
Thanks Nomadic Navara. The chap on the other thread didnot stipulate which model he had.
I will also run an earth with the positive wire from the main battery to the redarc. This will also be earthed to the body. Seems that a really good earth is important. Naturally!
FollowupID:
830315
Reply By: Bigfish - Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 15:36
Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 15:36
It seems there is a power skt that is in the rear. I will tap the feed from this and connect the skt to the aux battery.
Thanks for the replies. Appreciated
AnswerID:
543340
Follow Up By: Member - knight44 - Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 at 08:14
Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 at 08:14
G'day Bigfish,
Don't wire the Redarc up to the power socket as this will be live when the ignition switch is in the "Accessory" position, your two batteries will be interconnected and you could flatten your starter battery. You need a feed that is live only when the ignition switch is in the "On" position. I know this, because this is the mistake I made when I wired up my Redarc, and I had to correct it after I talked to Redarc themselves. I had to find an unused fuse socket in the fusebox under the bonnet into which I plugged the blue wire from the Redarc. And like you, my second battery is in the rear of my 4WD.
Cheers
FollowupID:
830327
Follow Up By: Bigfish - Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 at 08:44
Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 at 08:44
Thanks knight44. Good to hear from someone who has the device and had issues themselves. Now to find that fuse box socket.
Cheers and Merry Xmas
FollowupID:
830329
Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 18:26
Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 18:26
Biggie,
Was going to put one of the 1220's in our slide-on camper, but baulked at it once I read you have to run a ign wire to the blue wire.
Instead purchased a Redarc BMS unit, which gave us MPPT solar, 240v charger and battery isolater. No ign wire needed, but you pay for the privilege. :-((
For long term, reckon you'd be better running the blue wire through to an ign activated source. Don't think it'd need to be too heavy?
Bob
AnswerID:
543346
Follow Up By: Bigfish - Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 18:53
Wednesday, Dec 24, 2014 at 18:53
The only reason I went with the redarc is because of the "smart" alternator. Always had Toyota before the Pajero. As I said, I will disconnect the aux power point in the rear and plug the redarc into this. Putting battery in rear tub of car as up front there is no room for a 130amp agm battery. The additional Donaldson fuel filter takes up the space when installed. I have solar but have a good regulator so only needed the redarc without solar function.
cheers
FollowupID:
830310
Reply By: vk1dx - Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 at 07:25
Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 at 07:25
If people will allow me a slight divergence, I will have a question that I believe is related and please don't let me steal the thread.
We have a dual battery system under the bonnet with a redarc 200 amp isolator between them. Well actually there is a single crank on one side and two batteries as accessory supply. All three are identical Allrounder 105AH batteries and have kept the
camp, including two Engel fridges, running for three days without any charging.
I noticed the mention of an isolator in the description for the BCDC1220 but I don't think that if accessory current was required to aid cranking, if the crank was flat or faulty, that 30 amp would help much.
Would it be to our advantage to add a BCDC1220 to our setup?
Merry Christmas
AnswerID:
543355
Follow Up By: vk1dx - Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 at 07:26
Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 at 07:26
Please forgive me if I don't respond today. We will soon have a house full of grandchildren.
FollowupID:
830326
Reply By: Bigfish - Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 at 09:23
Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 at 09:23
One other question. The positive wire from the main battery...does it need to thick (as in running for an aux battery) or will a thinner wire do? As both batteries will never be connected unless by bcdc1220 I dont understand why a heavy wire would be needed as I am of the understanding the redarc charges from the unit.
Am I totally off track?
I,ve only ever had simple solar and isolator setups so am feeling my way. Bloody smart alternators!!!
cheers
AnswerID:
543359
Follow Up By: Member - knight44 - Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 at 09:52
Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 at 09:52
Have a look at the wires already attached to the Redarc - that'll give you a clue :-). Like you, my second battery is in the back (of my Challenger) and the Redarc is beside it. I ran heavy wires from the front to the back, from memory slightly larger than the ones coming from the unit. It doesn't hurt to have heavy wiring, the less voltage drop you have the better.
Cheers & Merry Xmas
FollowupID:
830331
Follow Up By: Bigfish - Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 at 10:13
Thursday, Dec 25, 2014 at 10:13
Cheers mate. I did something out of the ordinary for me...I READ THE INSTRUCTION BOOKLET!!!
All good now...hahaha....I,ll never learn..
FollowupID:
830332