In "good enough for the bush" terms - 10 AWG (Amer Wire gauge) is also 10 B&S is also 6. something mm2 is also about 8mm auto cableOriginally Posted by bishbashbosh
The smaller the number in AWG or B&S the thicker the wire
Given the distance you will be running 10 gauge is plenty big enough, 11 is OK and 12 at a pinch.
I would use 10 if I had to buy it... or... 11 or 12 if I had some lying around 'cause I am a tight arse
Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.
bishbashbosh (18th November 2014)
thanks TET.. they don't make it easy do they with the sizing standards..
but 10 AWG it shall be!
Last edited by bishbashbosh; 18th November 2014 at 06:06 AM.
There are lots of comparison charts in google images
bishbashbosh (18th November 2014)
one last question - what level should i not let my battery drop to - on the baintech it has a volt lcd screen and that states 13.2V when the car is switched off and goes up to 14.2V when the car is running..
what do i need to keep my volts at when camping?
Lot of answers to that question as it depends a fair bit on the battery and the load.
14.2 is the regulated output of the DC DC converter
13.2 is the surface charge of the battery which doesn't mean much really
The important voltage is the "resting voltage" which is the voltage after the Battery stabilises
12.5 to 12.7 is considered fully charged on a lead acid
That reading should be taken after you have loaded the battery for an hour or so if you are only running a fridge and an LED strip or two.
If you have a good quality deep cycle AGM running a small constant load then 11.75 is about the lowest you want to see on a regular basis.
11.5 will be OK occasionally but definitely charge the battery at first opportunity.
It will take several hours to recharge from around 11.75 so best idea is to keep the voltage up whenever you get the opportunity.
Remember, the resting voltage is the key. Even a dud battery well down on capacity will show 13.0 to 13.2 immediately after charging
Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.
bishbashbosh (26th November 2014)
thanks ET!
its a brand new fullriver 105AMP AGM - do i need to pre charge after installing?
also can i just run the engine to charge the aux or do i need to drive?
will connect the fridge and iPhone up tomorrow without engine on and run for an hour to monitor the charge..
It will be fine, save your fuel lol
If you want to give it a boost with the car running hit the idol up button if you have one.
Do you plan on using the solar reg feature of the ctek?
The problem with using voltage as an indicator of a battery’s state of charge (SoC) is that as ET says, it needs to be a ‘rested voltage’, & the reality is that this is a condition rarely achieved in a camping situation if a 12v fridge is being used because it regularly cycles on & off. The best way to use voltage as an indicator (only) of the battery’s SoC is to become as familiar as possible with what the ’norms’ are for your system/usage. That way you know if something is ‘different’. I found what worked best for me was to take note of the voltage reading several times a day, but at much the same times each day. Pre-dawn when getting up for a leak was my most consistent.
I’m going to suggest a bit different to ET as to what a reasonable low voltage to keep above should be. (Bearing in mind this is the unobtainable ‘rested voltage’ - it may be that ET’s 11.75v is a minimum voltage whilst appliances are running, if which case I would concur, voltage will rise again when the appliance is switched off).
The following table gives voltages/SoC for rested batteries. Usually advice is not to take AGM’s below 40%. However keeping to a higher minimum will ensure longer battery life.
The Fullrivers in my bus are still giving good service, with as yet no noticeable reduction in capacity at over 8.5 years old. They have been down to 12.3v once, but have generally been kept to 12.4v+. This is possible by virtue of having a larger bank of batteries. The ‘cost’ is extra weight & storage space, not something that is generally desirable (or possible) in 4wd’s. Therefore the batteries get a greater flogging & don’t last as long. For this reason I don’t generally believe it is worth buying the more expensive/high quality deep cycle batteries for single aux batteries in a 4wd. Cheaper brands will likely give similar lifespans. Anyway just remember that the lower you discharge a battery & the longer you leave it in a discharged state the shorter it’s life will be.
Running the motor without driving will charge the battery, but I have never done this having been advised that running a diesel for long periods without putting it under load will end up glazing the bores.
Last edited by Cuppa; 26th November 2014 at 08:26 PM.
2006 4.2TDi ex-Telstra Remote area Camper. Patrol Sold after 11 years of ownership Replaced with 2006 OKA NT Expedition Truck. Cummins, Allison & lots of goodies
A Nomadic Life (Blog)
Mega - that'll be my next step once I saved some more pennies!
Cuppa - thank you for that - I'll have a proper read when home and translate it to what I'm wanting to achieve in my truck!
🙏
I have a dual battery bank using the same batteries and Cuppa has the same as well from recollection.
They are manuf in China but are world class quality.
They are spec'd at something like 600 cycles to 60% discharge and still having 95% capacity or some such.
My suggestions are as follows;
-The CTEK charge voltage is not high enough for AGM so every 3 months or after some extended camping make sure you wack an AGM charger on the battery that will give it around 14.8 float.
-11.75 on the Baintech is as Cuppa mentioned under a small constant load with at least the fridge and a few lights etc running.
-Agree with Cuppa on resting voltages altho I feel 12.25 is quite OK but, yes, the higher the better
-Agree with Cuppa in that you get used to what "your" system voltages should look like.
Mine are a bit younger than Cuppas at 5 to 6 years old but don't even look like they have lost anything when I do the annual capacity tests etc.
Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.
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