Battery chargers

Ross,

The Thumper does a little more THUMPING than what you have indicated.
The 75Ah thumper although rated as a AGM deep cycle battery pack also provides a high amount of cranking amps, enough in fact to start my diesel.

The case contains multiple arrays of cell packs, so in effect it has several small batteries inside the case.
A very versatile portable battery system in fact.
I am in no way associated with Blue Apple (the manufacturer), just a satisfied customer.

I have a 100Ah auxiliary battery system in the back of the vehicle and run my fridge off this while travelling.
I use the Thumper when I take the Tent, instead of the camper, but usually carry it anyway for a portable supply for "emergencies".

Hello Bill,

...The 75Ah thumper although rated as a AGM deep cycle battery pack also provides a high amount of cranking amps, enough in fact to start my diesel.

The case contains multiple arrays of cell packs, so in effect it has several small batteries inside the case. ....

Eh, what's so special about a 75Ah AGM being able to crank a diesel?
Any half decent AGM of similar capacity achieves the same thing.
In fact, we have a 70Ah rated AGM which is specced 750CCA with good cyclic properties.

Splitting the total capacity over a bunch of smaller batteries in the same box has only one advantage namely better flexibility in the layout (fill factor).
But there's also a major downside: cost of labour and materials wiring up all the batteries in the array - the buyer pays.
Needless to say that the $/Ah figure rises with smaller batteries because the manufacturing cost per battery (labour, plastic container manufacture, sealing, plate formation, testing etc) hardly decreases when you go down in size.

cheers, Peter

G'day Sandman
If the diesel you are referring to is a 3litre Colorado then a normal car battery will crank it very easily. It has a geared starter and uses mechanical advantage of the electric starter to crank the engine. This is very common nowdays and big starter amp currents aren't involved.
I have a Dmax and it takes very litle current to start it, the diesel 4lt 12ht LC I had also had a geared starter and it too didn't require any thing more than a car battery. It just had a big battery for back up by design.
I agree with Peter, the Thumper while it is a good bit of kit costs more than an equivalent battery size, it is just convenient and is used for that reason.

I prefer to buy a bigger but cheaper battery and just run a small wire size 12 v extension lead to tents and outdoor areas for lighting etc.
All the heavy use stays in the vehicle.

Peter & Ross,

I hear what you guys are saying and would agree that the equivalent size Ah battery may be obtained cheaper.

But, I am still an advocate of both the Thumper and the Sidewinder Flyer battery packs for several reasons.

When I purchased the Colorado, there was just no room in the engine bay to consider mounting an auxiliary battery, even if I wanted to.
I already had the 75Ah Thumper but considered it a little low for a "full time" auxiliary to run the fridge in the back of my vehicle.
I would consider the 75Ah Thumper to be at the top end range of a truly portable battery system as far as weight is concerned.
Not only does it come with a set of jumper leads that plug into a 150Ah Anderson connector, but also has multiple plugs for accessories and it incorporates a digital volt meter to see at a push of a button, how much voltage remains in the battery.

Like the Flyer, both battery systems come with an in-car charging kit incorporating an isolator to protect the starting battery.
My Flyer contains a 100Ah Remco and is just too heavy to contemplate using as a portable system like the Thumper. The Flyer however is a great all encompassing solution for a dual battery system for dual cabs, or any other vehicle for that matter. Having the battery in the rear of any vehicle provides a much more non-alien environment that mounting one under the bonnet even if one has room and especially so for AGM batteries which are heavier and have a larger footprint than a standard wet cell battery.

As for the Thumper, it has proven useful to be able to jump start other vehicles and run things such as portable compressors, lighting, etc. whilst also being available as a backup to the Flyer, should I need it. It is a truly portable battery system that is not "tied" to any one vehicle.

Both systems can be recharged from the vehicle's alternator.

I like the flexibility and practicality of both the Thumper and the Flyer battery systems. Yes, their may be cheaper alternatives, but at the cost of much less functionality.

Hi All,

A google search shows the Projects ic1500 charger to be a seven stage 15 Amp charger suitable for batteries in the 85 ~ 300Ah range. Although its a bit dearer, the Ctek MXS15 by comparision (also 15 Amp) is an 8 stage charger suitable for batteries in the 30~400Ah range so it would have been a better choice for you.

I currently use a Ctek M300 (25 Amp) charger to charge 2 x 100Amp batteries and it does a great job. It will handle batteries in the 40 ~ 500 Ah range which well and truely suites my needs (fast charging).

Your Projects ic1500 would probably be ok with a 75 Ah battery provided you don't leave it connected for too long however I think it would probably cook/boil your smaller battery.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Sn00py2

Forgot to add....

According to the specs, the Projects ic2500 is a 7 stage 25 Amp charger suitable for batteries in the 14~500 Ah range. I don't know if that is a miss pint but if correct it is a better charger than the ic1500 for your needs.

All the best,

Sn00py2