Posted by jdemaris on May 12, 2014 at 11:19:59 from (70.194.0.253):
Note that this is NOT about a tractor. It IS about electronics that I guess -might get used in one for certain uses.
Getting my 1988 Toyota Minicruiser ready for a trip (small Toyota motorhome). The OEM rectifier-based battery isolator was bad. It's purpose it to separate the engine cranking battery from the rear "camper" battery. I removed it and wired in low-draw, 150 amp relay along with some #2 copper cable that runs from the front to the back. My other RV has a relay for isolation but is wired to the ignition circuit. So when the IGN is "on" -the cranking battery and house (camper) battery are hooked together in parallel. When the key is "off" they are isolated. Works well enough but . . . I don't like all batteries charging at once when I first start.
So - I got a so-called "Smart" relay-controller from Powerstream. Several companies sell them. Main idea is - they sense the voltage of the cranking battery and keep it isolated from the "house" until it gets fully charged first. Once it gets to 13.5 volts - it closes the relay and starts charging the "house" battery. Sounds great in theory? I have the same setup on my Chinook and it works great BUT it's a different brand (Cole Hersee). I chose Powerstream this time mainly because they will sell you just the control module if wanted. Since I already had a relay - that was my choice.
Here's the problem. I installed it last week. I later discovered that once I start the engine -and it closes the relay - it won't turn the relay back off when I turn the engine off. I assumed I had a defective unit -but I was wrong. Just has bad engineering (in my opinion). I called the company to verify. Seems that unlike the other "Smart relays" on the market . . Powerstream set their's to shut off at 12.6 volts. That makes NO sense to me at all. The tech guy I spoke with seemed to agree with me. Note that a fully charged battery at rest is 12.7 volts. That means this "Smart relay" will not turn off the relay until the batteries get run down a bit. Mine was on for 4 days and still had not shut off. Keep in mind that once the relay is engaged - both batteries, front and back are tied together. So there are two fully charged batteries that must be run down a bit before they become isolated. Somewhere around a 95% charge before it shuts down. Like I said . . . mine was on for 4 days straight until I got disgusted and disconnected it.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - Usin Your Implements: Bucket Loader - by Curtis Von Fange. Introduction: Dad was raised during the depression years of the thirties. As a kid he worked part time on a farm in Kansas doing many of the manual chores. Some of the more successful farmers of that day had a new time saving device called a tractor. It increased the farm productivity and, in general, made life easier because more work could be done with this 'mechanical beast'. My dad dreamed that some day he would have his own tractor with every implement he could get. When he rea
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
2022 John Deere 5045E, 4wd, front end loader and 3rd function with grapple. 120 hrs, 55k new, must sell
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
