DC to DC charger
Thinking of installing a Victron charger for those days on the road when solar is not available. Can the charger be used in conjunction with an inverter (2000 watts) to run the refrigerator on electri...
Forum Discussion
pianotuna wrote:
The lead acid were replaced with telcom jars, and whoops there was no charging from the alternator to the house unless I was running the microwave or other heavy draw. In fact it regularly sent power to the alternator. I replaced the starter battery with an AGM. No improvement.
No idea what you mean by "telcom jar batteries", perhaps they have particularly high voltage.
Anyone interested in house battery charging from the alternator, or mixing battery types, needs to do some basic measurements: voltage and current with batteries fully charged and engine running well above idle, and voltage and current with house batteries discharged at least 50%. Measurements done at truck engine compartment (say at the start battery) and at the house battery. This is important in some cases to insure there is actually a charge, and in some cases to prevent a fire from overcharging. From those two measurements you can determine if the wiring is adequate, if you are getting sufficient charge, and if you are overcharging.
There is a range of trucks here spanning 30+ years, charging strategies and regulation have changed in those 30 years and between brands. A DC-DC boost-buck charger can cover a lot of sins in a charging system, but may not be necessary, or may not be the only thing necessary, or may actually be detrimental. You need measurements to know.
