Battery Combiners

[KevinE]

One of my winter projects this year will be to overhaul my electrical system which has fundamental charging problems because of the use of diode based isolators.

I am going to replace this with combiner and am looking for a product recommendation. One of the things I'm wondering is whether all combiners are solid state or do some use mechanical solenoids?

The few I have looked at include Hellroaring Technologies, Yandina and Hearth Pathmaker.

I am running 4 golf carts on the house side with separate starter battery, Link 2000 battery monitoring / charge control with Zantrex inverter / charger. Does anybody have any tips / tricks / traps I should watch out for with this arrangement?

Thanks in advance.
Kevin

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by KevinE

One of the things I'm wondering is whether all combiners are solid state or do some use mechanical solenoids? ...
... The few I have looked at include Hellroaring Technologies, Yandina and Hearth Pathmaker (sic: Heart, now Xantrex)...

Hellroaring Technologies uses solid-state relays.
Hellroaring Technologies, inc., Manufacturer of Solid State Dual Battery Isolator / Combiners

Yandina uses a mechanical relay.
Combiner Information

Xantrex PathMaker uses a mechanical relay. Xantrex Technology Inc. - FAQ

[Maddog]

Look at the Blue Sea system. I installed one last spring and I am very happy. Battery configuration is similar to yours.

[S/V Antares]

I just installed the Blue Seas 7650 Add a Battery - Blue Sea Systems

I am using it for House /Starting system and it appears to work fine. Check out the literature first as it has limitations on the charging side.

Vetus had some MOSFET designs that were priced right. Lots of stuff out there. Happy hunting!

Will Heyer

[jdoe71]

I don't understand the advantage to using combiners. I charge the house bank direct from the alternator and use a Xantrex echo charger which bleeds off a bit of current from the house bank to charge the starting battery. Starting battery is wired direct to the engine through its own switch and cannot be flattened by house loads. Simple system and so far it is working well.

[stevemac00]

Another reason not to use combiner is if battery banks are different or have different charging needs (which is usually the case).

If you have a Xantrex Freedom it already has an echo charge.

I'd get a charge relay and replace the isolator switch with something like Blue Sea 8080.

[Maddog]

Originally Posted by jdoe71

I don't understand the advantage to using combiners. I charge the house bank direct from the alternator and use a Xantrex echo charger which bleeds off a bit of current from the house bank to charge the starting battery. Starting battery is wired direct to the engine through its own switch and cannot be flattened by house loads. Simple system and so far it is working well.

This is the ticket and wire it like stevemac00. All sunshine and happiness.