- Charging solar batteries with smart battery isolator install#
- Charging solar batteries with smart battery isolator portable#
- Charging solar batteries with smart battery isolator free#
While this option is certainly cheap, simple, and effective, it is the 21st century and we don’t have to remember to turn switches any more, or have a degree in electrical engineering to install a battery system. Most dual battery systems operate this way, regardless of the style of relay you choose.
When the vehicle is turned off, the relay will open, disconnecting the batteries from one another, and effectively “isolating” them from one another. This means that when the vehicle is running the batteries will be connected and thus charged together. The most common form in years past has been the simple high amperage relay wired to an “ignition hot” source. They range from simple marine-style dial switches that need to be turned on and off manually, to high amperage relays that need to be wired to your vehicle’s ignition, all the way to micro-processor-controlled “smart relays” that will automatically manage your battery system for you. These switches are available in many different forms. This allows us to choose which battery we are draining at any given time.Īn example of a battery isolator and relay This switch simply breaks the connection between the two batteries when isolation is desired. We do this via an inline switch, commonly referred to as a battery isolator, solenoid, or relay.
Charging solar batteries with smart battery isolator free#
This way, we are free to drain one battery while the other remains unaffected. To combat this, we simply separate or isolate the batteries from each other when the vehicle is not running, or a charging source is not available. The downfall of this system is that, left unattended, any accessory tied to either battery can totally drain both batteries, which is not the most ideal feature for extended backcountry trips. It is a cheap and reliable way of increasing your available power. This doubles the available amperage and amp-hours (Ah) while keeping the voltage the same. Both batteries will charge together and discharge together. Doing this effectively makes one large battery. The simplest form of a dual battery system is two batteries wired in parallel (negative to negative and positive to positive). Read on as I explain the many ways of accomplishing this.Īnother example with both batteries running parallel to each other. Now that we have two batteries, we must find a way to charge them with one charging source, your alternator. It is an additional battery placed in the vehicle with the intended purpose of powering your auxiliary accessories. But what is it? How does it work? And, how do I know if I need one?Ī dual battery system is exactly what it sounds like. You hear a lot about it in the off-road and overland community.
So, what do we do about it? Enter the dual battery system. In a similar way, after adding multiple accessories to your battery, it is taxed as much as your tires are in off-road conditions. Our tires take abuse in these situations and losing one would mean the end of the trip. Another reason could be that designing and installing a proper power system isn’t really the most exciting upgrade.Ĭonsider this: You wouldn’t head out on an epic road trip, off-road adventure, or overland adventure without a spare tire, would you? Of course not. Why do we choose to add all these fancy electronics without paying attention to what’s powering them? Simple oversight could be one reason. At the most, it can make for a dangerous situation.Īn example of a dual battery system cleanly laid out by utilizing the vehicle’s open space under the hood. At the very least, a dead battery is a major inconvenience. In Issue 20 of OutdoorX4, Brian Wurts of Overland Solar provided an overview on the various types of batteries to power your vehicle-based adventures and let’s be honest: Having additional accessories can enhance and maximize functionality and self-sufficiency while traveling, until your one and only battery source dies…in the backcountry… by yourself. What do all these accessories have in common? They need a power source.
Charging solar batteries with smart battery isolator portable#
These accessories could include a portable fridge, additional lighting, CB and/or Ham radios, air compressors, winches, etc. You may already be preparing for these adventures by adding accessories to your vehicle that will make your trip more comfortable or enjoyable.
It is safe to say that anyone reading this likes to venture into the backcountry from time to time, or is planning to do so at some point. Dual battery systems and how they benefit your overland vehicle
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