Saturday, Oct 29, 2005 at 09:03
The Honda Gennie only has a 12v 8A DC output which is good for nothing really. The voltage is about 12.5v which is insufficient for battery charging as the batteries need 14.2v for a bulk of the charge and then float at 13.5v. There is no better way to charge a battery than a 3 stage smart charger.
You don't have to spend an arm and a leg either. My system cost $400 for 4 batteries (2 years old but from a mainframe UPS system so
well looked after - life of these are 7 years), $370 for a 3 stage 30A 240v battery charger from eBay (Durst Brand - New - Australian made with warranty), $120 for a 3 stage 20A solar regulator from eBay (Manson Brand - New - with warranty - works great so far) with the solar panel being the dearest at $770 as a web special from Solar Panel Express. The Honda gennie was a swap for a PDA phone. Good quality, high amperage cabling was around $100 including connectors and anderson plugs (which are $12 on eBay for a pair).
Design what you want for the type of
camping you do and also the space you have to install it all. Then
shop around and ask people what brands they use and how it all perfoms. Buying my system with new items and
well known brands would cost around $4000+. The good thing about buying from eBay is that you have other customers there that have purchased the goods before you and you can message and ask how the product is.
The only thing I would be careful with is buying secondhand batteries. I was lucky with
mine as I got to thoroughly check one before buying plus I knew the history.
My last (first) bit advice would be to buy a book on the subject. The best by far is Collyn Rivers book, Motorhome Electrics & Caravans Too!
Regards
David
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