[canuck4everr]

Hello i need some help making a few connections Will be hooking up a house battery with alternator charging to start only , solar will be added later .
Using a Projecta IDC25 http://www.projecta.com.au/site/Def.../PowerManagement/IDC25_Instruction_Manual.pdf

Couple questions
1 The Projecta IDC25 has 8mm wire , which is about 8 awg.....whats best way to extend connect to another wire that might be 1 or 4 awg ? or could i use 8 awg for about a 4 foot length?
Im putting the house battery right behind the drivers seat.

2 On grounding .....Of course ground starter and house battery and Projecta IDC25 , but in instructions it says to connect house ground to Projecta IDC25 ground(black wire) , is this needed ?

3 On fuses/breakers ...i will fuse/breaker on positive wires close to starter and house battery , Projecta IDC25 instructions call for 50 amp fuse at these locations , would say 80 or 100 amp be better?
maximum input current on the Projecta IDC25 is 40 amps .

Any help would be awesome on wire sizes or fuses

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

I have 80 amp fuses and have not had one blow in 2 years. > BTW I’d return the Projecta IDC25 as it is unnecessary and just use a simple solenoid which will be fine for charging your AGM batteries as the van has AGM already. I know you don’t want to hear this so go ahead and use what you bought. If you did return it you could use what you spent to have 200 watts of solar and a 20 amp solar controller for that money. For those that read this and haven’t yet spent the money perhaps rethinking this would be good idea.

 

[canuck4everr]

Thanks for the info

 

[emat]

Hi canuck4everr, I too have a Projecta which I have no intentions of returning. I hope you post more about your installation. I'l have about a 8'-9' run from the house battery.

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

Gee you took that well, I am continually impressed how civil and calm our neighbors to the north are! I’m giving you thanks for being a great poster in this situation. I really don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade and I do see why some are attracted to this sort of device and the Battery Doctor. I want those who don’t have a lot of confidence in things electrical to realize there is a nearly free way to make the battery interconnection if they want to. It is a proven and perfectly fine way that has been used for a couple of generations. Do these black box interconnects offer an advantage? The folks who sell them say so but I hesitate to believe the Hype. I also want those who are budget limited to have a way to get a better system by investing in solar which can be had with a PWM controller for about $250. My opinion is a bit old fashioned but 50 years of living with this sort of battery interconnect has shown the battery does get filled, has a long life if not over discharged, and the solenoid is a lifetime device.
Please report back on how the Projecta IDC25 works out.

 

[emat]

I want those who don’t have a lot of confidence in things electrical to realize there is a nearly free way to make the battery interconnection if they want to.

I truly would be interested in reading all about your methods RD. How about starting a new thread? The OP's question, and the purpose of this thread however, was how to connect his Projecta. Hopefully we can keep it on point.

 

[proeddie]

> Counterpoint:

I bought a Battery Doctor...$60... a simple solenoid?... $15. So for about $45,

I got automatic charging with switchable bypass, not "leave it on, and remember to turn it off", or "leave it off and remember to turn it on".
I got conditional charging that prioritizes the voltage of the van battery before charging the aux batteries
I got pushbutton jump starting that auto-resets after use
I got indicator LEDs that tell me what's going on
I got electronic resettable overload protection

And, if a solenoid is a "lifetime device" why are they always getting replaced for open coils or burnt contacts?

The way I see it (and I'm sure you do too), we certainly enjoy the differences in how we do our projects, and get to learn from the exchanges here on the forum. I'd like to hear more about the Projecta implementation!

It's like pitching solar to a guy whose van is always parked under a carport!

C4E,

a 50A breaker (fuse) with 8AWG for 4 feet sounds reasonable to me...

Consider using circuit breakers instead of fuses... a lot easier to deal with when the power's not working and you can't find your fuses!
Like these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12v-Car-Aut...150040?hash=item3ad9db96d8:g:abQAAOSwx6pYnOZv

Plus, they can be used as a switch, without having to add one to the circuit!

 

[canuck4everr]

Gee you took that well, I am continually impressed how civil and calm our neighbors to the north are! I’m giving you thanks for being a great poster in this situation. I really don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade and I do see why some are attracted to this sort of device and the Battery Doctor. I want those who don’t have a lot of confidence in things electrical to realize there is a nearly free way to make the battery interconnection if they want to. It is a proven and perfectly fine way that has been used for a couple of generations. Do these black box interconnects offer an advantage? The folks who sell them say so but I hesitate to believe the Hype. I also want those who are budget limited to have a way to get a better system by investing in solar which can be had with a PWM controller for about $250. My opinion is a bit old fashioned but 50 years of living with this sort of battery interconnect has shown the battery does get filled, has a long life if not over discharged, and the solenoid is a lifetime device.
Please report back on how the Projecta IDC25 works out.

Good to know there is a cheaper way to do alternator charging of the house battery , im here on the forum daily read/learning helping if i can .
Im wonder if some sticky threads could be made of the different high/low cost systems with links to components could be made , would be useful for new PMers .
Anyways all is good RDinNHandAZ , you are a great help on this forum .

 

[canuck4everr]

>


C4E,

a 50A breaker (fuse) with 8AWG for 4 feet sounds reasonable to me...

Consider using circuit breakers instead of fuses... a lot easier to deal with when the power's not working and you can't find your fuses!
Like these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/12v-Car-Aut...150040?hash=item3ad9db96d8:g:abQAAOSwx6pYnOZv

Plus, they can be used as a switch, without having to add one to the circuit!

Ty proeddie your post here was my next question lol , i was wondering about using a breaker at the starter positive , i have seen pictures of fuses at the starter positive , but none of a breaker there , got a pic ? Also the link u provided show a different type of breaker , you have a link for a 80 amp breaker that is pictured? I have looked but am sure of exact type to get.

So these breakers can be used as a on/off switch , good because i want to put a on/off switch in the positive line between the starter and projecta.

 

[KNDLKSTMS]

I prefer the Battery Doctor as the old tried and true solenoid has no "Start" button (which I've had to use twice now). Nothing like using your finger to self jump your van. And that was worth the extra 45 clams.

 

[Josh Cissell]

Ty proeddie your post here was my next question lol , i was wondering about using a breaker at the starter positive , i have seen pictures of fuses at the starter positive , but none of a breaker there , got a pic ? Also the link u provided show a different type of breaker , you have a link for a 80 amp breaker that is pictured? I have looked but am sure of exact type to get.

So these breakers can be used as a on/off switch , good because i want to put a on/off switch in the positive line between the starter and projecta.

I used breakers and fuses. I used breakers on the positive line coming in from the solar panels and the line going to my batteries from the solar controller to enable me to isolate that system easily.

I used fuses on the positive post going to my dc panel and my inverter/charger. I would prefer a breaker on the positive line going to my dc panel but for the sake of space I went with the fuse.

I haven't installed the battery doctor yet but with the limited space around the van battery, I think the best approach is a fuse on the battery terminals and then put a switch on the ground so you can turn it on and off.

Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

 

[proeddie]

C4E,

This eBay seller has a variety of amperages!

https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odkw=&epid=1617784001&_ssn=audiopart&hash=item2edb63901d%3Ag%3AIeAAAOSwKtVWxsAc&item=201249230877&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR11.TRC2.A0.H0.Xbreaker.TRS1&_nkw=breaker&_sacat=0
hit "see other items" for this seller...

I'm not sure why you would put a fuse/breaker at the starter? Power to the aux battery is usually tapped from the van battery positive terminal

 

[Charger7022]

Hello i need some help making a few connections Will be hooking up a house battery with alternator charging to start only , solar will be added later .
Using a Projecta IDC25 http://www.projecta.com.au/site/Def.../PowerManagement/IDC25_Instruction_Manual.pdf

Couple questions
1 The Projecta IDC25 has 8mm wire , which is about 8 awg.....whats best way to extend connect to another wire that might be 1 or 4 awg ? or could i use 8 awg for about a 4 foot length?
Im putting the house battery right behind the drivers seat.

2 On grounding .....Of course ground starter and house battery and Projecta IDC25 , but in instructions it says to connect house ground to Projecta IDC25 ground(black wire) , is this needed ?

3 On fuses/breakers ...i will fuse/breaker on positive wires close to starter and house battery , Projecta IDC25 instructions call for 50 amp fuse at these locations , would say 80 or 100 amp be better?
maximum input current on the Projecta IDC25 is 40 amps .

Any help would be awesome on wire sizes or fuses

Sorry I haven't been around for a bit canuck4everr but I did respond to your PM . unlike RD I have used both the battery doctor and now the projecta and the first thing I noticed is my AGM battery tops off at a higher voltage with the Projecta by .2-.4 volts. the drop to the float charge seems to top the battery off better than just a constant 14.1 volts i got with the battery doctor.

I don't think solar is for everyone, for me I'm not full time in the van. mostly weekends and a few longer trips throughout the year. (Heading to Myrtle Beach Next week for 9 Days!) right now i have one 105 amp AGM battery and it has proved to be more than enough for my use. we have a 19" TV and Maxx Fan as a biggest amp draw and so far have never wished i had a second battery yet. Next summer we will most likely get a fridge freezer and maybe than ill find the need for the 2nd battery but so far so good.


The only time i am not driving the van and charging the battery daily is when we are setup in a campground and at that point I'm plugged in so power is not a problem. other than that when we dry camp we find ourselves driving and exploring daily and the battery is toped off in no time at all and same goes for my hunting/fishing trips in the winter.

Now if you ever want solar the projecta has that option to, up to 400w which is almost more than you can fit on the roof. so to say at $260 buck you threw your money away i think not i say you got more than your moneys worth in the tiny box. And i will tell you from experience that i first hand notice a difference in charging and i think its well worth it just for that. RD also says hes trying to save people from wasting money and just by solar. I'm thinking totally different on this i say get this unit and later if you feel you need solar just hook the green wire to your solar panels and now you have 2 ways to charge your house batteries and its 100% fully automatic all in a little box 4"x6"


To each there own and everyone needs to decide what will work for them. This is just my 2 cents on the projecta.

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

I was making a somewhat different point that may have been missed. I’ll try in a different way as best I can. I know we need an interconnect but I don’t think we hardly ever need to use it if we have solar. When you don’t travel or camp the solar will charge your batteries very well. When you do camp solar will charge your batteries back if there is some sun. ProEddie’s battery will get SOME charge even under his carport and so his batteries will be ready and fully charged when he does camp, however seldom he will do that. I don’t argue against Projecta cost, just that a similar investment of solar instead of the Projecta is better. I won’t suggest the Battery Doctor is not a good device either (and it is reasonable I admit) but it really needs to be manually controlled to get the best sort of charging so why not just use a solenoid which is automatic or manual and can be closed with a switch to start the van from the coach batteries? It begins charging your coach batteries as soon as the van starts too. Or delay it if needed. The solenoid switching 50 amps once in a while will be a lifetime device used as I suggest instead of switching 400 amps on a starter where they last almost the life of a car. Much different use! If you don'
I think part of the attraction to these is they are set and forget devices. Solar is too. Just consider it and realize it is about $400 for a good sized array with an MPPT controller. $260 for an adequate set up with PWM. If you do that your batteries will be properly charged, last longer, and be ready if you run the van or not. The argument for Projecta as a device to properly charge the batteries when one does not have solar has merit but it's purchase has misdirected money to an alternative that cannot do what the solar can- charge the batteries when the van is not running.
Please don’t harden your opinion against solar due to having purchased a Battery Doctor or a Progecta. The fact it has a solar controller built in should encourage you. I do believe every van with an auxiliary battery should have solar. If you don’t have much height like ProEddie glue down flex panels, they are then “Stealth” too.

 

[Charger7022]

so what your comparing at price point is not even close to equal in charge ability and power. at $260 I have 40 amps of charging at the turn of a key with also having the ability to hook up a panel or 2 or 4 . at $260 for solar you'll be lucky to get even close to the charge capacity with a whole day of sun that I get with the projecta in about an hour or less.


Also I do not think every van should have solar cause like I said everyone's situation is different and for you it works and you love it and for me i have never come close to saying man I need solar. THE ONLY reason i am considering a panel is because the projecta allows me to easily and 100% automatically add it. If i had to add another system and have a manually switch back and forth it wouldn't even be in my mind to have solar. I'm not gonna lie every time we have this argument i go and look at solar panels, than think about holes in the roof and having them up there all the time and my curiosity quickly fades. Now if i boon docked for days at a time without moving than **** yeah i would have 400 watts on the roof but for me it just seems like a waste and its not fun sitting in one place for to long anyway!


All in all i think these little arguments are what help people learn and form there own opinions. How boring would it be if every van in here was exactly the same!


Oh and BTW i don't see much benefit of the diesel over the gas i get 23mpg Highway in my gasser!>

 

[Josh Cissell]

so what your comparing at price point is not even close to equal in charge ability and power. at $260 I have 40 amps of charging at the turn of a key with also having the ability to hook up a panel or 2 or 4 . at $260 for solar you'll be lucky to get even close to the charge capacity with a whole day of sun that I get with the projecta in about an hour or less.


Also I do not think every van should have solar cause like I said everyone's situation is different and for you it works and you love it and for me i have never come close to saying man I need solar. THE ONLY reason i am considering a panel is because the projecta allows me to easily and 100% automatically add it. If i had to add another system and have a manually switch back and forth it wouldn't even be in my mind to have solar. I'm not gonna lie every time we have this argument i go and look at solar panels, than think about holes in the roof and having them up there all the time and my curiosity quickly fades. Now if i boon docked for days at a time without moving than **** yeah i would have 400 watts on the roof but for me it just seems like a waste and its not fun sitting in one place for to long anyway!


All in all i think these little arguments are what help people learn and form there own opinions. How boring would it be if every van in here was exactly the same!


Oh and BTW i don't see much benefit of the diesel over the gas i get 23mpg Highway in my gasser!>

How the heck do you get 23mpg in your gasser? If I averaged 17 I'd be happy. And I try to baby it.

Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

 

[RDinNHandAZ]

Thanks for the added comments on solar. I do get it. Although I maintain that a simple solenoid in your case would do the same charging rate, would never have to be manually switched off so it would meet your needs. I have used one for many years to do just what you are doing with the Projecta. If you ever get to the solar side I think and hope you would see why I feel that any auxiliary battery should get it. Holes! Yes- fan, two awning windows, battery vent, power inlet, screws for solar and a junction box. The Vent is the biggest on the roof and has the best chance of future leaks. The screws and the cable inlet are insignificant. Some here have avoided both.
I hope no one thinks of this as more than two (or many) sides of information.
OFF TOPIC REPLY CAUTION! The diesel is great for both mileage (I am suddenly getting 30mpg nearly all the time! How can that have happened?) and diesel is 10% cheaper here! But if you go back (far back) and look at my origional and I hope consistent, comments about the diesel option, it is its performance and drivability that got me to buy one. In fact before I ordered it many here were saying it would NEVER pay for itself. They were very wrong but that is not the point for me. It hauls the van like a midnight freight engine- pulls uphill with no downshifts, powers you into headwinds like they weren't there. The manual transmission is closer to what I drove for 50 years than any automatic and I like that. It may not be for everyone either. I am the outlier here I know.

Now back to hooking up a Projecta!

 

[Charger7022]

How the heck do you get 23mpg in your gasser? If I averaged 17 I'd be happy. And I try to baby it.

Sent from my SM-P900 using Tapatalk

josh I know it seems far fetched but last year on our trip to the OBX we averaged 22.9 MPG. the key is to keep the van under 65. When I'm loaded up with the family and our gear on a trip I don't push the speed at all I keep it under 65 and it does really well. this was with all our stuff and a full hitch box heading to the beach for a week. Speed is key! PS this was calculated at the pump to not just trusting the dash. We are headed to myrtle beach next week so ill have to report back if we get the same or better.

 

[canuck4everr]

C4E,

This eBay seller has a variety of amperages!

https://www.ebay.com/sch/m.html?_odkw=&epid=1617784001&_ssn=audiopart&hash=item2edb63901d%3Ag%3AIeAAAOSwKtVWxsAc&item=201249230877&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR11.TRC2.A0.H0.Xbreaker.TRS1&_nkw=breaker&_sacat=0
hit "see other items" for this seller...

I'm not sure why you would put a fuse/breaker at the starter? Power to the aux battery is usually tapped from the van battery positive terminal

Thanks Proeddie i was referring to the van/starter battery , sorry about that

 

[canuck4everr]

Sorry I haven't been around for a bit canuck4everr but I did respond to your PM . unlike RD I have used both the battery doctor and now the projecta and the first thing I noticed is my AGM battery tops off at a higher voltage with the Projecta by .2-.4 volts. the drop to the float charge seems to top the battery off better than just a constant 14.1 volts i got with the battery doctor.

I don't think solar is for everyone, for me I'm not full time in the van. mostly weekends and a few longer trips throughout the year. (Heading to Myrtle Beach Next week for 9 Days!) right now i have one 105 amp AGM battery and it has proved to be more than enough for my use. we have a 19" TV and Maxx Fan as a biggest amp draw and so far have never wished i had a second battery yet. Next summer we will most likely get a fridge freezer and maybe than ill find the need for the 2nd battery but so far so good.


The only time i am not driving the van and charging the battery daily is when we are setup in a campground and at that point I'm plugged in so power is not a problem. other than that when we dry camp we find ourselves driving and exploring daily and the battery is toped off in no time at all and same goes for my hunting/fishing trips in the winter.

Now if you ever want solar the projecta has that option to, up to 400w which is almost more than you can fit on the roof. so to say at $260 buck you threw your money away i think not i say you got more than your moneys worth in the tiny box. And i will tell you from experience that i first hand notice a difference in charging and i think its well worth it just for that. RD also says hes trying to save people from wasting money and just by solar. I'm thinking totally different on this i say get this unit and later if you feel you need solar just hook the green wire to your solar panels and now you have 2 ways to charge your house batteries and its 100% fully automatic all in a little box 4"x6"


To each there own and everyone needs to decide what will work for them. This is just my 2 cents on the projecta.

No problem , replied to your PM .