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aeromech
Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006
Posts: 16959
Location: San Diego, California
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 Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 12:13 pm Post subject: |
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New avatar? I miss the one with the nose picker. It suits your personality better 
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound |
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babysnakes
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Joined: August 19, 2008
Posts: 7106
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 12:23 pm Post subject: |
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grandpa pete
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2008
Posts: 6426
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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AEROMECH; I put the fuse block next to the battery for the tutorial ,it isn't even hooked up. I didn't wan't to confuse the issue by showing how i ran 3/4 inch flexible conduit through the rear tire wheelwell to a custom made box inside with the inverter and the fuse pannel. The inverter is hard wired direct to a double outlet box in the wall with the faceplate painted orange so you know it is inverter voltage and not shore power like the unpainted one next to it. The pump for the sink works now too
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63 two fold rag
66 sedan delivery Type 6
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569619&highlight=sedan+delivery
Last edited by grandpa pete on Tue May 22, 2012 12:29 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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aeromech
Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006
Posts: 16959
Location: San Diego, California
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 3:35 pm Post subject: |
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Okay okay sooooorry I said anything.
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound |
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porschpow
Samba Member
Joined: May 21, 2005
Posts: 1256
Location: Hamilton, NJ / Flanders, NJ
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 3:42 pm Post subject: |
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This is awesome! I have been looking for this
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-1973 Volkswagen Bus Westy (Weekender)
1.8 liter from 1.7(original)
-2011 Subaru Outback
-1986 Honda Magna |
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bugger101
Samba Member
Joined: September 04, 2010
Posts: 1559
Location: orlando
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hiwaycallin
Samba Member
Joined: May 07, 2008
Posts: 356
Location: Salmon Arm, BC
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| Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 6:28 am Post subject: |
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| WhirledTraveller wrote: |
Personally I spent the money and bought a really fancy ACR...this one which you can find for around $150 if you search.
...
The magnetic latch function also eliminates one of the main drawbacks of the other ACR, which is that the ACR draws about 350ma when it's combining. For my solar setup, this was not acceptable. the magnetic latch version draws only about 10ma or can be manually combined so the draw is zero. |
Hi WT, can you please expand a little on this statement? I would like to eventually go solar as well and would like to understand why the other ACR is not acceptable. Thanks. |
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Mountain Minstrel
Samba Member
Joined: September 03, 2009
Posts: 979
Location: Sonora, CA
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| Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 7:02 am Post subject: |
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Nice job Pete! I have considered doing this, but to be honest I have not found the need for a second battery. When we took the bus camping last Christmas, we ran Christmas lights off of inverters and watched a movie on the laptop and the battery still had plenty of power left to start the bus the next day. I suppose if I didn't drive the bus somewhere everyday I would need the second battery, but for now I will run just the one.
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Ken
69 Westy
99 S-10
04 Miata (Sold)
| Desertbusman wrote: |
| Maintenance doesn't mean repairing it when it breaks. That's called repair. |
| miniman82 wrote: |
Don't listen to him, people from Fresno are retarded.  |
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WhirledTraveller
Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2008
Posts: 1399
Location: Cambridge, MA
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| Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 7:14 am Post subject: |
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| hiwaycallin wrote: |
Hi WT, can you please expand a little on this statement? I would like to eventually go solar as well and would like to understand why the other ACR is not acceptable. Thanks. |
Sure.
When I added a solar charger to my bus I wanted the charger to charge both batteries, but to charge the camping battery up first since that's the one most likely to be drained during camping.
The normal VW relay design only combines the batteries when the engine is running, so that was out.
A normal ACR is basically a voltage sensitive relay... it combines the batteries when either battery is above a certain voltage (13.2 volts if I recall). This ensures that the batteries only combine when they are receiving a charge, and when they are discharging they are separate. So far so good, does what I want.
The problem with an ACR is that internally it's a really heavy duty solenoid type relay, and it takes power to run the solenoid. You can think of it as a momentary switch. It takes power to keep it pressed. Remove the power, and the solenoid is off. Just like your starter solenoid. When the alternator is running 350ma is not a big deal. But when you're trying to trickle-charge with a solar panel in shady light, that 350ma is fighting against you.
The magnetic latch ACR is internally not a momentary switch, it's more like a two-position switch. It uses power to "throw the switch" but once it's there, it stays either on or off. So when the solar panel is charging, it will charge the camping battery first. When the voltage gets above 13.2 volts, the ACR will "throw the switch" combining the batteries, and allowing the start battery to charge as well. But won't continue to draw much power so it won't be a vampire sucking power.
It also is heavy duty enough to pass the full start current, it's rated for 500amps continuous which the regular ACR is not. And it contains a manual switch which enables me to combine or disconnect the batteries manually.
It even comes with a remote switch which I could wire up in the dash somewhere to combine or disconnect the batteries remotely. I haven't done that, though.
This theoretically allows me to "jump" the bus by combining the batteries. With the normal ACR, the limit is 100amps so you need to either use jumper cables or a separate manual switch to have that function.
I should note that there is another option for a dual-battery solar setup. They make solar charge controllers that are designed to charge two batteries. But for various reasons, I felt this ACR was a more useful and elegant solution.
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1977 Westy, Automatic. Big Valve heads, CS Cam. |
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hiwaycallin
Samba Member
Joined: May 07, 2008
Posts: 356
Location: Salmon Arm, BC
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| Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 7:24 am Post subject: |
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| WhirledTraveller wrote: |
| hiwaycallin wrote: |
Hi WT, can you please expand a little on this statement? I would like to eventually go solar as well and would like to understand why the other ACR is not acceptable. Thanks. |
Sure.
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Excellent explanation, thanks! |
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grandpa pete
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2008
Posts: 6426
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
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| Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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mountain minsterl; I am setting up this bus for my retirement days ; one of my interests is civil war re-enacting. I f you have the time you can go friday morning through to monday morning...3 days can drain the start battery,now i never have to worry.
_________________
63 two fold rag
66 sedan delivery Type 6
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569619&highlight=sedan+delivery
Last edited by grandpa pete on Sun May 20, 2012 8:23 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Desertbusman
Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2005
Posts: 14655
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 8:30 pm Post subject: |
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| grandpa pete wrote: |
| I am setting up this bus for my retirement days |
Are you hurrying? And did you check out the June Hot VW's issue?
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71 Superbug
71 Westy |
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grandpa pete
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2008
Posts: 6426
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
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Desertbusman
Samba Member
Joined: June 03, 2005
Posts: 14655
Location: Arizona
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| Posted: Sun May 20, 2012 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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| grandpa pete wrote: |
| what's in the june issue? |
Hadn't I recently sent you a PM about the June issue and our mutual friend?
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71 Superbug
71 Westy |
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grandpa pete
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2008
Posts: 6426
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
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aeromech
Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006
Posts: 16959
Location: San Diego, California
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 11:15 am Post subject: |
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| grandpa pete wrote: |
| yea...you know ,,,old guy,,,forgets stuff...thks |
Thank God I just turned 55 and became an old guy. I've been looking for a good excuse all these years and now I have one.
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound |
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Mal evolent
Samba Member
Joined: March 31, 2009
Posts: 2912
Location: San Antonio, Nuevo Mexico
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| Posted: Mon May 21, 2012 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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the rest of the RV industry says "House battery" and "coach battery"
electronic technician since LBJ lived in government housing. I will use a Blue Seas ACR to power bank of ham radios in my retirement home.
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73 Beetle Baja, Ghia front brakes, Type 3 rear brakes, 2220 ( 94 X 80 ), Weber Progressive, Bosch SVDA, '97 Mustang seats
Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Index |
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Greg in GA
Samba Member
Joined: April 12, 2011
Posts: 436
Location: Georgia
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| Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:50 pm Post subject: |
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I've been doing some reading about how to add a 2nd battery etc and I have a question. What would be the down side to moving the entire vehicle electrics over to the 2nd battery except for the starting circuit? IE: the only thing on the main battery would be the starter.
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1969 Beetle
1974 Westy 1800cc FI conversion, L62H
Need a really good mechanic for your VW bus? Consider making an appointment with Colin (Amskeptic) next time he passes thru your area. |
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aeromech
Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006
Posts: 16959
Location: San Diego, California
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| Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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What would be the down side to moving the entire vehicle electrics over to the 2nd battery
Just more work
_________________
Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound |
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grandpa pete
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2008
Posts: 6426
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
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| Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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greg; the reason for the second battery is to have enough stored energy in a (CAMPING BATTERY) to use any electric item that you want (within peramiters) for a day, weekend or week that you could even run down to nothing without worrying about having a charged (STARTING BATTERY) to start your bus and drive home...Connecting any electricals necessary to start or run your bus would defeat the purpose of having a CAMPING battery separate from your STARTING battery.....and it would be; just more work
_________________
63 two fold rag
66 sedan delivery Type 6
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=569619&highlight=sedan+delivery
Last edited by grandpa pete on Fri Jul 06, 2012 8:03 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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