With the sustainability of our planet a concern to a large percentage of the planet, many recreational vehicle owners have made the switch to solar power in their RVs. This has led to use of deep cycle RV batteries by the battery bank load. Batteries for RV use come from many manufacturers, but they are [...]
Regarding batteries used for a boat’s bow or stern thrusters: Most electrical engineers agree that a boat’s bow thrusters would ideally not be connected to the house bank of batteries and especially not when using Lithium-Ion Batteries that are protected by a BMS, Battery Management System. Why is the case? Combining bow and stern thrusters [...]
Everyone knows how important it is to charge your AGM battery. Without this very important step, you’ll end up in the middle of nowhere with no battery charge to power your electronics on your RV or boat. That being said, charging your AGM battery in the wrong way can lead to some serious problems, including [...]
In this article, we’ll explain how to program your Blue Sky Energy solar charge controller for use with Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries. First of all, we strongly recommend asking for specifications and/or the recommended charge profile from the manufacturer. If manufacturer specifications are unavailable, the charge profile below we find is compatible with most [...]
The main difference between single and multistage charge profiles for LiFePO4 batteries has to do with the chemistry of the battery. Unlike lead-acid batteries, once a LiFePO4 cell achieves its charge voltage, it is nearly fully charged. Since various cells within the pack can charge at different speeds, a short balancing time is needed at the end of [...]
What many RV owners don’t know is that their vehicle actually has two batteries. The first is the starter battery, which is in many ways the same as the battery found in your car. It is used to give the engine a quick burst of energy to get it started. The second battery type is [...]
Those new to the boating world, or even seasoned boaters, may wonder at times why they should spend the extra effort and extra bucks on a marine battery instead of using a good old car battery. Although car batteries are not necessarily designed for the task, what's the real harm? A car battery could potentially [...]
Marysville, Washington – Balmar LLC, the leading manufacturer of onboard DC charging systems for cruising sail and power boats today announced enhanced support for the charging of lithium batteries. Balmar’s MC-614, MC-624 and MC-612-DUAL smart regulators have all been equipped with an additional standard program specifically designed for LiFePO4 charging. The new standard lithium program is [...]
This video from REDARC shows how easy it is to install a DC/DC In-Vehicle battery charger to charge your auxiliary batteries with a standard vehicle alternator. REDARC BCDC1240D Installation Video:
The REDARC BCDC1240D is a 12V, 40A output In-vehicle DC to DC Battery Charger designed to keep your auxiliary battery charged when driving or with portable solar panels when parked. This DC-DC battery charger with solar input has been proven to work in all types of terrains, including deep water crossings, and stands up against [...]
