Split charging

[crampercamper]

Hi

I have been looking at the split charging relays, will a 70amp split charging kit be OK for normal use, no fridge? Is it best to use a 140amp? I hate sparky stuff!

Cheers,

Dave

[crazymilk]

I'm using a 30amp kit so I hope so!!
This the one I have got

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-Volt-split ... 3369e5d8bf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[crampercamper]

Thanks, that's quite cheap too!

[crazymilk]

be careful thou, a lot of people on here would recommend a higher amp'age kit. I woudl have as well if I had known at the time that a 75amp kit would have better.
However mine has been flawless so fingers crossed it stays that way.

FYI I have my Head Unit/Amp, Two LED Lights and a Cigggy adapter hooked up to a 100 battery

[MidLifeCrisis]

It doesn't really matter how much 'stuff' you are driving off the leisure battery as the split charger just connects the leisure battery to the starter battery;
Some folks recommend higher amp relays (and wiring) in the split charger as when the leisure battery charge is very depleted there can be a very large initial current from the starter battery to the leisure when the split charge activates.

[CovKid]

I think my split cables are rated to 120amp and an 80 amp regulator although a 40amp regulator is about right. Better really to make up your own kit as it works out about same on cost but should be slightly better quality.

[California Dreamin]

In my own personal experience.
With a relatively 'run down' single leisure setup there can be an 'Initial' amp draw in the mid 30's, quickly dropping to low 20's.

Therefore it makes sence that anything under 40 amps 'long term' isn't going to last. Plus...given a rule of thumb plus 50% as a sensible buffer, then reliable wire/connection and relay ratings should be 50 amps plus.
Most fuse at 30 amps although can blow on occasion...not an issue and better to be safe than sorry and besides, any more than 30 amps and you're going to maxi and strip fuses.

I suppose this is all coming down to the fact that your 70amp relay is more than adequate but make sure the wiring is rated at 40 amps minimum and the fuse is always the lowest denominator.

Martin

[crazymilk]

Sorry to hijack this thread but rather than make another I was wondering if somebody could tell which amp fuses I should be using in my fuse box.

I am using this direct from the leisure battery:


What amp fuse should I be using for:
Stereo HeaD Unit
400W JBL Amp
2 x 3w LED Spots

[California Dreamin]

Sorry to hijack this thread but rather than make another I was wondering if somebody could tell which amp fuses I should be using in my fuse box.

I am using this direct from the leisure battery:


What amp fuse should I be using for:
Stereo HeaD Unit
400W JBL Amp
2 x 3w LED Spots

Large thick wire going in...40 amp should do it (this should easily cover the TOTAL amperage of ALL of your anchillaries combined) SEE NOTE REGARDING JBL AMP which should be fused seperately.
Individual fuses are rated according to the consumer that they are feeding.

For example: if one was a fridge drawing 8 amps then the fuse ideally should be the 'rating' (8amps) plus 50% so.. 12amps. Obviously as there isn't such thing as a 12 amp fuse so you rate upwards to the first size available, so that would be a 15 amp fuse.

A lot of anchillaries might only be 1 - 4 amps so double up on these.

The important factor in choosing fuses is: that they are ALWAYS rated lower than the wire being used to supply that consumer. This way if there was a dead short, it would be the fuse that blows first and not the wire burning out.

To work out the amps in each circuit its a simple case of dividing 'WATTS by Volts'.
For example: 2 X 60 watt spot lamps = 120 watts in total, divided by 12 volts = 10 AMPS...so this would be fused using a 15 amp fuse (a 10 amp fuse would just blow)....remember +50%

400watt amp is 33.3 amps and might need its own seperate inline fuse because of its high rating (look on the back of the unit for amps input) on the face of it needs a 50 amp fuse.
Head unit...not very much, usually 7.5 amp fuse but again check its input rating.
6watts is miniscule at 0.5 amps (one amp fuse)

Martin



Martin

[crazymilk]

Awesome

Thank you m8

The Amp seems to have a separate fuse on it? Does that mean I need another one?

So one from the fuse box, one inline form the fuse box to the amp and the the one that is integrated on the amp already?

[ghost123uk]

Should really have another one close as poss to the battery. The reason is that if the wire feeding the amp (or any other wire feeding any other thing) gets chaffed through on a bit of metal (like running under a carpet or through a hole without a grommet ( ) etc), without a fuse it might catch fire.

[California Dreamin]

Awesome

Thank you m8

The Amp seems to have a separate fuse on it? Does that mean I need another one?

So one from the fuse box, one inline form the fuse box to the amp and the the one that is integrated on the amp already?

Well it calls me a liar and thats why I said look at the amp draw on the sticker...it should give you the input value rather than basing ratings on the spurious amplified output.

Martin

[ghost123uk]

The way they label these amps is VERY misleading and gives no real idea of the actual power output in the way that "proper" home Hi-Fi equipment does. 400 Watts my ass. 400 Watts peak, (as in can produce a millisecond spike of 200W per channel, via it's internal caps). I bet it's actually around 100W per channel RMS. They mark car speakers in the same very misleading way.

[California Dreamin]

What it does mean though, is it can take a feed (fused at 25 amps) from the type of fuse box you linked to.

Martin

[crazymilk]

wow now I'm lost!!