Next Project - Inverter and Dual Battery Setup...few questions.

[ree]

Paragon,
I personally agree that that's the way to go.

I was just trying to answer what I thought was necessary if Jesse really wanted to run he stereo off of the second (deep-cycle) battery. I think he wants to beable to crank up the stereo and run the dish+TV on the second battery possibly draining it, then when he's ready to go home, expect the primary battery to start and power the entire car.

But it makes just as much sense, or more, to swap the primary battery with two hybrids, run everything off of the primary batter, and keep a second hybrid completely isolated from discharge except when wanting to start. This is the brain-dead approach. You don't have worry about accidentally draining both batteries.

Trying to wire just the inverter and stereo to one battery and running everything else off of the other battery is, in my opinion, a more complicated way to achieve a similar ends provided Jesse uses the system the way Jesse says he will and doesn't accidentally run something off of the main battery at the same time.

[ree]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Alec W:
Glad I read this thread.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

At the risk of thinking you're actually serious

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Can one of you add your thoughts to something I think I need

My problem is that I don’t drive mine much and the battery tends to loose charge after a couple of weeks, I know this is not great for the battery but such is life. After jumping it in sub zero temperatures recently and reading this tread I am thinking about a better solution.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
One solution. Drive it more. I take it you've worked with a dealer to try to find the source of the problem and haven't yet.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
Get one of these: http://www.toolking.com/productinfo.aspx?cid=481&productid=6682
Secure it (not sure how but that’s just a detail) in the back of the truck so it can be removed fairly easily but wont fly around.
Plug it full time into the DC socket back there (so it is always charged).
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Just make sure you get the model that can charge from DC. Some of them only charge from AC power.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Cut the crocodile clips off and put a connector in the cables.
Extend a set of cables to connect directly to the truck battery and add the same connector used for the crocodile clips at the back end.
Basically I would connect the cables to the battery when I need to jump it and disconnect when I am done, and can also still use the regular crocodile clips when I need portable power source.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
According to Clore, you can actually jump using a double-male dildo cigarette adapter thingy that you plug into jump starter and a power outlet in the car. I'd be really wary of trying this, but if it's frigging cold, I might give it a try for a couple seconds. BTW, it says this on the box not in the manual.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
This is the basic setup. One improvement would be to have the cables always connected to the main battery and a switch on the dash to activate. This would save my lazy ass from having to get up and open the gate to connect the cables. I have no clue how to wire something like this improvement or if it can even be done.

Excuse my layman’s terms I am not good with this electrical stuff.

Thoughts? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You definitely can't keep it wired to the battery all the time. The alternator current will overcharge and damage the battery in the jumpstarter. SO you'd have to do as you suggest, either connect it by hand or wire in a switch. You'd need to run fairly heavy guage wire to ensure you can safely carry a starting current load. But that sounds like a lot more work that hefting the jumpstarter around the front and hooking up the cables every once in a while. It really isn't nearly as much work to jump from a portable jump starter as it is to jump from a second car.

Regardless of whether you want to try to wire it in somehow, getting one that you can charge from a DC outlet definitely offers nice peace of mind.

[PARAGON]

You don't want all of that, I don't think. The DC outlets are powered all of the time. So the add-on thingy would be draining down along with the stock battery assuming that it's a simple circuit that charges the thingy's battery which many of these thingies are.

A better solution would be to buy a solar panel and have it wire to trickle charge the battery. You could also wire in a plug that would allow you to plug in a trickle charger and charge it from your home's outlet.

[ree]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by PARAGON:
You don't want all of that, I don't think. The DC outlets are powered all of the time. So the add-on thingy would be draining down along with the stock battery assuming that it's a simple circuit that charges the thingy's battery which many of these thingies are. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Dohhhh! I vaguely recall going through this thought process a while back and concluding the same thing since the outlets are always hot.

Then promptly forgetting apparently. I hate my memory.

Dohhhh! I vaguely recall going through this thought process a while back and concluding the same thing since the outlets are always hot.

Then promptly forgetting apparently. I hate my memory.

Paragon, good thing you remembered. Saved Alec some money and some enragement at me

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">A better solution would be to buy a solar panel and have it wire to trickle charge the battery. You could also wire in a plug that would allow you to plug in a trickle charger and charge it from your home's outlet. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The solar approach might be nice if it's outdoors a lot.

The jump-n-carry guide says to charge it once a month in summer months and at least once every three months in the colder months. I just charge it one weekend a month overnight or for a day until the charge is up to 14V on the built in meter. Yes a pain, but better than having to jump car to car or getting stranded.

[kodiakz]

Fot those that want the security of never having a dead battery, just add a heavy duty 200 amp isolator to my setup and only one of the 2 could be made live when the ignition is off.