Red arc battery isolator

[stano]

I am looking at purchasing a red arc bcdc 1225 battery isolator. Does anyone know a good place to buy from at good prices? Has anyone heard of any complaints with these units?

Cheers.

[Cuppa]

I have a BCDC 1240 & am happy with it.
Be careful where you buy from. Redarc will only honour their warranty if purchased from an authorised Redarc seller, which some ebay sellers are not.

This ebay seller (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/REDARC-BCDC1225LV-DUAL-BATTERY-ISOLATOR-SYSTEM-DC-TO-DC-MPPT-SOLAR-4X4-4WD-AGM-/400401912410?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5d39d0525a&_uhb=1#ht_2539wt_1324) is an authorised Redarc seller & I had no problems buying from them. Others may be authorised sellers too, but I encountered some evasive ones who mumbled about returning any warranty issues to them. I gave them a wide berth. Redarc have an excellent technical & after sales service, & if any of their products are faulty you would want to deal direct with Redarc, not the seller.

Cuppa

[threedogs]

X 2 REDARC AUSSIE product well priced cant go wrong IMO

[kevin07]

I have a BCDC 1240 & am happy with it.
Be careful where you buy from. Redarc will only honour their warranty if purchased from an authorised Redarc seller, which some ebay sellers are not.

This ebay seller (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/REDARC-BCDC1225LV-DUAL-BATTERY-ISOLATOR-SYSTEM-DC-TO-DC-MPPT-SOLAR-4X4-4WD-AGM-/400401912410?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5d39d0525a&_uhb=1#ht_2539wt_1324) is an authorised Redarc seller & I had no problems buying from them. Others may be authorised sellers too, but I encountered some evasive ones who mumbled about returning any warranty issues to them. I gave them a wide berth. Redarc have an excellent technical & after sales service, & if any of their products are faulty you would want to deal direct with Redarc, not the seller.

Cuppa

x2 cuppa i have purchased over 10 times from these guys they got the goods service and price

[Tonks]

Yep, that ebay shop are good.

[stano]

Thanks guys ill check it out.

[BigRAWesty]

Would have loved a red arc, but the missus bought a projecta :(

Kallen Westbrook
Owner of
Westy's Accessories (http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/showthread.php?15134-Westy-s-Accessories.-A-small-back-yard-builder.)

[kabar]

Guys, there is NO ONLINE authorized seller of Redarc products. I don't care who you are or what you think. I just got off the phone from Redarc today, and they made it very clear that there is ZERO NONE authorized online sellers. Another thing; Warranty will only be honoured if purchased from an authorized seller, and fitted by an auto electrician. Period.

Don't like this? Take it up with Redarc yourself.

However, Redarc are happy to assist in troubleshooting over the phone if purchased from non authorized sellers (depending how you treat them and how they feel at the time).

autoelecau = IS NOT AN AUTHORIZED REDARC SELLER (even though they are a great seller - I buy some stuff off him).

[kabar]

P.s. I also use the Redarc BCDC1225 DC-DC charger, and it is fantastic (purchased from non authorized seller above). Works a treat with Solar.
I highly recommend it.

[scotty83]

1225 are great. no problems here. had installed behind passenger plastic cover.
Not a very good picture but i will take another tomorrow
32922

[Cuppa]

Hi Kabar,
Not saying you are incorrect ....... but, you might like to re-check with Redarc & ask them if Bairnsdale Electrics are authorised resellers. As I understand it Bairnsdale Electrics (a well established Bairnsdale bricks & mortar company) are also autolecau on eBay. when I was checking I was clearly informed that they WERE authorised Redarc resellers.

Cuppa

[kabar]

I got mine in Engine bay (Patrol GQ) right up next to inner guard where main cranking battery goes. Also installed duel DC fans to circulate air there. Blocked off the radiator fan air coming in around the washer bottle. Will install side vents soon to help remove heat. So far with non contact thermometer the area right next to main crank battery on driver side doesn't go above 50 Celsius in winter (either idling stationary or pulling over straight after long run). Apart from being mounted directly at the front to receive cooling, I don't see anywhere logical in engine bay of a patrol GQ to mount the thing.

I have a triple battery setup in engine bay (2 x Century Ultra High Performance 620CCA and 1 x Fullriver AGM 120A Deepcycle).
Gas install.
TB42S
Turbo just about to be installed (just got my Garret T28 ball bearing from Post yesterday). However, I am doing something different; I am making a fail safe if turbo fails or if I just don't want to have turbo on by bypassing it via an actuator and switch that will direct airflow from intake and exhaust - technically twin plumbing).
Plus a few other mods none of you seem to have, mainly as my troll is setup for rescue. About 90% there.

Anyway, just wanted to clear up about the authorized redarc seller stuff above.

[kabar]

Cuppa, I forgot they have real shop down there. I will ask Redarc again. Good point.
Begs the question though, will the warranty still be honoured if purchased via the online identity instead of the bricks n mortar shop. Hmmm, I have suspicion the warranty will not.
The online seller mentioned above (great seller) did send me an invoice with the following information on top of invoice:
------------
Bairnsdale Electrics Sales & Service
ABN: 29 312 283 758
259 Main Street
Bairnsdale Victoria 3875
Australia
0351523201
------------

[kabar]

Guys, has anyone tried out the new "REDARC SBI12D" (note the letter "D" on the end of model number), which is marketed as being "Duel Sensing". If any of you have tried or use this could you please give feedback pros n cons etc.
I'm buying another Redarc isolator, but whether the SBI12 (for $88 AUD to the door) or SBI12D (for $149 AUD to the door) is the question. The newer 'SBI12D' is nearly double the price of the older proven reliable 'SBI12'. Hmmm.

[Cuppa]

Guys, has anyone tried out the new "REDARC SBI12D" (note the letter "D" on the end of model number), which is marketed as being "Duel Sensing". If any of you have tried or use this could you please give feedback pros n cons etc.
I'm buying another Redarc isolator, but whether the SBI12 (for $88 AUD to the door) or SBI12D (for $149 AUD to the door) is the question. The newer 'SBI12D' is nearly double the price of the older proven reliable 'SBI12'. Hmmm.

Yup, I have a 24v 'D' fitted in our bus, it replaced a 'standard' SBI after it went belly up following about 5 years service. The 'D's' are not new, Redarc have had them available for a number of years, but for some reason did not promote them, & only sold them to special order. Basically I used one in a dual bank system where the crank batteries are connected to the alternator, and the aux batteries are connected to solar. Having the 'D' allows the solar to charge the crank as well as the alternator being able to charge the aux. Dual sensing means that instead of the relay connecting/disconnecting the batteries when the crank battery rises or drops to X or Y voltages, connection/disconnection is determined by the voltage of either battery. This still prevents you flattening your crank battery, whilst allowing charging input to either.
Unless you have a specific need for a 'D', there is no advantage in spending the extra money.

Cuppa

[kabar]

You are right Cuppa, didn't realize they have been around for a while till after the post and researching more.

Found out about another assumed Aussie brand, "InterVOLT" and their Solid State Isolators; particularly this one for $199 via eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/300650227885?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com.au%2Fsch %2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D3006 50227885%26_rdc%3D1). Can't find much in the way of user reviews online, whether positive or negative experience. I'm going to check them out more (i.e. the company), I am favouring this unit over the Redarc offerings )even though Redarc are proven) for the smaller form factor, friendlier mounting, obviously user programmable, no moving parts, and the usual offerings as found with Redar lineup (incl. in cabin remote override). Sure it is 'risky' in the way of a name brand (i.e. not as known as Redarc), but if they truly are Aussie made, and Aussie company, and been around for a few years, etc etc, then I don't believe the risk is as high.

Would be nice to have something that just isn't a damm big mechanical isolator.
Was entertaining one of them Projecta 150A isolators, but I am put off how there is no in cabin override remote option via switch (maybe there is but I have not heard of it being the case). Pitty, I actually like my Projecta smart charger and Pure Sine Wave Inverter (1000W) I use for when cloudy and need to start gennie (this has nothing to do with my patrol BTW). Just expressing how I actually like Projecta is all. If Projecta had the remote feature on their isolator I would snatch it up pronto. Damm shame.

So, since Projecta falls short, looks like I got to support an Aussie company (till they make their billions and become multinational is that how it goes?!?!).

Thoughts and opinions guys/gals.

Yes, I already have a Redarc BCDC1225 (and love it), but I want an isolator for the other cranking battery to be used for emergency jump starting and obviously winching. Comes handy.

Three batteries under bonnet.
1) Main Cranking Century Ultra Heavy Duty Lead Acid
2) Another identical Cranking Century Ultra Heavy Duty Lead Acid (only connected to one 40W solar via MPPT for keeping topped up and is hardly used apart from emergency jump start and/or winching).
3) Auxiliary Fullriver AGM 120AH (which has the Redarc BCDC1225 connected up to it getting input from Main Cranking Battery and 240W Solar).
I do not want the AGM deep cycle to have anything to do with winch or jump starting.

Cabin is and has to be battery free, I am not putting batteries inside cabin area, and neither do I need to since I have them in the engine bay nice and snug fit.

Need isolator for batteries 1 and 2 (the identical Century Batteries).

P.s. still have not contacted Redarc back yet, ran out of phone credit, will ring them this Monday coming (re: Autoelect seller and brick n mortar store).

[kabar]

Funny thing is...

Patrol GQ cost me $4000 factory stock (apart from LPG install and spotties).
Electric upgrading and general electric additions has already cost me near $4000, with more to come.

$1000 solar panels
$340 redarc bcdc1225
$340 agm deep cycle battery
$340 (2 x century cranking batteries)
$200 relays
$1000 cable/wiring conductors, conduit, busbars, fuse blocks, circuit breakers etc.
$200 carling rocker switches
$100 battery trays (I made two up and had to customize to cater for three batteries under bonnet).

As you can see, electrics alone is nearly the cost of the damm patrol gq. Well, at least I did it in such a way it is reversible/removable (still have factory wiring and relays etc), and can be ported/migrated over to any other patrol gu/gq petrol or diesel.

Still spinning out though just how it all adds up. I tell you what, you would never know from looking on the outside the gear under the bonnet. Just looks like an old 4wd that should be in museum. :P

Love the patrols.

P.s. No, I am not 'upgrading'. I bought the carby version for very good reasons. It suits MY NEEDS for MY LIFESTYLE, and is EASIER FOR ME TO FIX OUT REMOTE. However, when she dies I will drop in a TD42 engine and call it a day (doesn't look like it anytime soon).

Love the patrols.

[Cuppa]

Found out about another assumed Aussie brand, "InterVOLT" and their Solid State Isolators;

Thoughts and opinions guys/gals.


.

Can't help with the solid state isolator, but I do like the sound of it being solid state & adjustable. As far as InterVolt goes I don't think you would have any problem with their quality. When a Redarc Charge Equaliser I inherited & had installed to tap 12v from a 24v bank gave up the ghost I did a minor rewire & replaced it with a 20 amp InterVolt switch mode 24v to 12v converter. http://www.intervolt.com/products/voltage-converters/svc-maxi-series.aspx several years ago now, & have never had any dramas with it.

Cuppa