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Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Re: [GMCnet] Smart Battery Isolator/combiner
Re: [GMCnet] Smart Battery Isolator/combiner [message #328318] Tue, 16 January 2018 20:09 Go to next message
James Hupy is currently offline  James Hupy   United States
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Registered: May 2010
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Senior Member
There is really nothing much wrong with the good old isolator. Easy to
check, durable, no moving parts. Tried and true.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Or.

On Jan 16, 2018 5:49 PM, "Justin Brady" wrote:

I've had very good luck with these:
http://shop.pkys.com/Victron-Energy-Cyrix-ct-1224V-120A-
Intelligent-Battery-Combiner_p_6769.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4oG15-_d2AIVwpd-
Ch395QDaEAQYASABEgKjevD_BwE
--
Justin Brady
http://www.thegmcrv.com/
1976 Palm Beach 455

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Re: [GMCnet] Smart Battery Isolator/combiner [message #328319 is a reply to message #328318] Tue, 16 January 2018 21:31 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Tomtom   United States
Messages: 20
Registered: June 2017
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Karma: 0
Junior Member
James Hupy wrote on Tue, 16 January 2018 18:09
There is really nothing much wrong with the good old isolator. Easy to
check, durable, no moving parts. Tried and true.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Or.





I agree. Keeping the chassis battery charged on the existing solar panel is what started this for me.

Tom


Tom 77 Kingsley. Mostly Stock, 455, Quad bag, tachometer, 16"wheels, Macerator. Southern California, huntington beach
Re: [GMCnet] Smart Battery Isolator/combiner [message #328324 is a reply to message #328318] Wed, 17 January 2018 06:55 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Richard Denney is currently offline  Richard Denney   United States
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Registered: April 2010
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Senior Member
True, but an isolator does not fulfill the same set of requirements that
the combiner does.

It's the same with the buzz box, which is also quite simple and reliable.
But it is also noisy and will sulfate batteries with its constant voltage.
A newer converter/charger will use a multi-stage charging plan to keep the
batteries charged without sulfation, and to charge them more quickly in the
first place.

And, with that greatly improved converter/charger, it's now reasonable to
want to charge or tend all the batteries if charging any of them. The
isolator charges the house battery when running the engine, and that's all.
With a combiner, that fancy new converter/charger will also tend the engine
battery while the coach is plugged in.

The Yandina combiner will connect the two batteries any time there is over
13.2 volts present on one of the two banks. It will isolate the batteries
when there isn't. It does not use a big diode, and does not get hot. It's
potted in epoxy, so no worry about critters making a home in it. It's quite
easy to install. It remembers its there, unlike Ken Burton's $1 combiner (a
wire with two alligator clips), which is subject to advanced CRS. Finally,
it's no more expensive than an isolator, especially if you wait for the
occasional deal--It's significantly less expensive than the BlueSea.

Rick "a few things have improved in the forty years since the coaches were
new" Denney



On Tue, Jan 16, 2018 at 9:09 PM, James Hupy wrote:

> There is really nothing much wrong with the good old isolator. Easy to
> check, durable, no moving parts. Tried and true.
> Jim Hupy
> Salem, Or.
>
> On Jan 16, 2018 5:49 PM, "Justin Brady" wrote:
>
> I've had very good luck with these:
> http://shop.pkys.com/Victron-Energy-Cyrix-ct-1224V-120A-
> Intelligent-Battery-Combiner_p_6769.html?gclid=
> EAIaIQobChMI4oG15-_d2AIVwpd-
> Ch395QDaEAQYASABEgKjevD_BwE
> --
> Justin Brady
> http://www.thegmcrv.com/
> 1976 Palm Beach 455
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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>



--
'73 X-Glacier 230 "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
Offlist email: rick at rickdenney dot com
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Re: [GMCnet] Smart Battery Isolator/combiner [message #328325 is a reply to message #328318] Wed, 17 January 2018 07:38 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Justin Brady is currently offline  Justin Brady   United States
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Registered: April 2015
Location: Bell Buckle, TN
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Senior Member
Except that it won't charge the engine batteries from the house batts Smile

I like plugging the coach in for the winter (or a month or whatever) with a 30a cord and being finished and knowing when I go to start it the engine and house will be 100%. Same with solar. If I sit in the sun for a few hours I know both batteries are topped up. It's very convenient, and it eliminates the need for the boost circuit.

There is nothing wrong with an isolator, but they also don't serve the same purpose.


Justin Brady http://www.thegmcrv.com/ 1976 Palm Beach 455
Re: [GMCnet] Smart Battery Isolator/combiner [message #328329 is a reply to message #328318] Wed, 17 January 2018 07:57 Go to previous messageGo to next message
jhbridges is currently offline  jhbridges   United States
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Registered: May 2011
Location: Braselton ga
Karma: -74
Senior Member
I'm with Jason. And it doesn't take a 30 amp circuit unless you're running the A/C units and the water heater. I'm in the process of putting up some plastic conduit and an outdoor box with a 50 Amp plug. The extension cord out the window looks tacky.

--johnny


Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons. Braselton, Ga. I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell
Re: [GMCnet] Smart Battery Isolator/combiner [message #328334 is a reply to message #328318] Wed, 17 January 2018 09:22 Go to previous messageGo to next message
RF_Burns is currently offline  RF_Burns   Canada
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Registered: June 2008
Location: S. Ontario, Canada
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Senior Member
I've got a couple 30amp RV receptacle in the shop, but I just plug into a 15A with an adapter and leave the large cord in the coach. That way I don't trip over the large cord when working in the shop.

The worries about the 0.7V drop across the isolator is a non-issue because the voltage sense line to the alternator is connected to the engine battery. The alternator will output a slightly higher voltage to make up for this. There is likely more voltage loss across the #10 wire from the alternator to the isolator than there is across the isolator itself.

I did the combiner across the isolator installation. It makes for a quick and clean installation, and takes some load off the combiner.

Unless it was a high amperage rate combiner, I would not use the Start boost function in them.

The GMC holds the beer fridge for the shop so I need to keep the fridge going too Smile


Bruce Hislop
ON Canada
77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.
1 ton front end
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that
Re: [GMCnet] Smart Battery Isolator/combiner [message #328335 is a reply to message #328334] Wed, 17 January 2018 09:49 Go to previous message
Justin Brady is currently offline  Justin Brady   United States
Messages: 769
Registered: April 2015
Location: Bell Buckle, TN
Karma: 11
Senior Member
RF_Burns wrote on Wed, 17 January 2018 09:22


The GMC holds the beer fridge for the shop so I need to keep the fridge going too Smile


A man that knows his priorities.
I like it.


Justin Brady http://www.thegmcrv.com/ 1976 Palm Beach 455
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