12v only

Nissan 4x4 Owners Club Forum

Help Support Nissan 4x4 Owners Club Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
and looking at their instructions the penny has dropped, the 12v bulb lit :doh

I've been missing the blindingly obvious.

To trigger the relay the feed or trigger voltage is taken from the back of the alternator. ie theres only 12v there once its running so the leisure battery doesnt "join in" until theres juice available for it irrelevant of the current drawn during cranking over/starting ............:doh :jump


Maplins tomorrow...........................:thumbs
 
to avoid all the potential 'issues' both real and products of our own anxiety, I use the smart com relay! it trakes away all your potential issues regarding charging! and they work very well for around £13 I think cant be bad.


http://www.towsure.com/product/2973-Self-Switching_Combination_Relay_Wiring_Kit

you can also get a plastic battery mounting box and the quick release terminals in the smae place :thumbs

but to be honest for a weekend you normal leisure battery should be more than enough!
 
Thanks Plank, that looks good :thumbs

Youre right we would probably survive for one weekend on one battery but the realisation that theres CL sites for £4 a night which we prefer , near to "grockles" sites that are £20+ a night in an area we love ;)

I can feel a loonnnggg stay coming on :thumbs
 
daved said:
and looking at their instructions the penny has dropped, the 12v bulb lit :doh

I've been missing the blindingly obvious.

To trigger the relay the feed or trigger voltage is taken from the back of the alternator. ie theres only 12v there once its running so the leisure battery doesnt "join in" until theres juice available for it irrelevant of the current drawn during cranking over/starting ............:doh :jump


Maplins tomorrow...........................:thumbs
Click to expand...

But as soon as you turn the ignition on there is voltage at the alternator. Alternators are not self starting they require exciting. The good news is though that as you crank the engine over the voltage drop should be sufficient to drop the relay so you won't pull big currents under cranking - that said I have found that if I flatten the primary batery on my van that it blows the split charge fuse when I try to start it - presumably it is pulling from the secondary battery.

On the Terrano I have 2 batteries but they are linked using a big relay 180A so that I can run high currents in either direction but that is a totally different set up. The installation is temporary at the moment I am awaiting the trial model of a new high current split charge relay that I will be testing.
 
or just take a fully charged spare battery with you and a battery charger, when you frst one is flat, throw your self on the mercy of the site owners for a recharge, job done :thumbs
 
I don't know if you were joking Plank but that had crossed my mind :lol

I'm going to pursue this 12v business it'll keep me out of a certain amount of bother ;)
 
Terranosaurus said:
But as soon as you turn the ignition on there is voltage at the alternator. Alternators are not self starting they require exciting. The good news is though that as you crank the engine over the voltage drop should be sufficient to drop the relay so you won't pull big currents under cranking - that said I have found that if I flatten the primary batery on my van that it blows the split charge fuse when I try to start it - presumably it is pulling from the secondary battery.

On the Terrano I have 2 batteries but they are linked using a big relay 180A so that I can run high currents in either direction but that is a totally different set up. The installation is temporary at the moment I am awaiting the trial model of a new high current split charge relay that I will be testing.
Click to expand...

afaik (most) alternators are self exciting,dynamo's are not (rb 340's etc)
ssteve
 
If you want any cheap solar gear or camping bits Maplin electronics have got a sale on at present some good bits quite cheap :thumb2
 
i dont know if its just me but i find led lights not suitable to read a book by, they dont seem to be a good quailty of light, what does everyone aelse think?
 
PLANK said:
i dont know if its just me but i find led lights not suitable to read a book by, they dont seem to be a good quailty of light, what does everyone aelse think?
Click to expand...


Too dim:thumbs
 
i reckon 110amp battery + 240volt inverter + decent battery charger~~connect inverter to battery, plug in battery charger, bingo, battery charges itself. :clap :nenau

tezzer
 
Willow, and Dave d I agree the led lights are not good, they dont seem yellow like a dim normal bulb though and the 'whitness' of their light tricks you into thnking they are better than they are, but I wouldnt try and use one as a reading light again.

People are selling led replacments for the reading light bulbs in caravans and I dont think i would bother trying them at all!

I like Tezzers idea, and a benefit would be, -you could keep your hands warm on the invertor while the battery charged istself, brilliant, I am convinced, I wil have to put an invertor on my next letter to Santa as i believe in him too :lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Lazy-Ferret
A challenging problem.
Replies
19
Views
7K
Lazy-Ferret
Lazy-Ferret
Lazy-Ferret
For sale, Small 2 stroke Generator
Replies
5
Views
5K
terranosaurusdoug
T
Lazy-Ferret
It's coming up to MOT time again.
Replies
13
Views
4K
Lazy-Ferret
Lazy-Ferret
Banshee
Banshee's gone Vigilante
2
Replies
34
Views
13K
jims-terrano
J
P
old van/new van
Replies
15
Views
27K
micktheshed
M

Latest posts

Back
Top