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Technical  Battery Master

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Technical  Battery Master

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its a motorhome battery charger, so when the van is on hookup or has a solar charger connected to the leisure battery it detects when that is charged and puts some charge into the vans actual battery. tbh 1 amp feed sounds a bit rubbish. think i would look at the cheaper knock off ones.
 
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brokendonkey said:
its a motorhome battery charger, so when the van is on hookup or has a solar charger connected to the leisure battery it detects when that is charged and puts some charge into the vans actual battery. tbh 1 amp feed sounds a bit rubbish. think i would look at the cheaper knock off ones.
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It is only meant to be a trickle charger to keep the starter battery topped up when the vehicle is laid up. I seem to remember that a charge rate equal to 1% of rated capacity should suffice to maintain a FLA battery in good condition. However there may be an alarm draining the battery.....
 
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I have one and it’s great.

Usually wired by the B2B charger where all the cables gather anyway.

More than 1 amp just means both batteries end up flat, so it’s ideal and exactly how it’s designed.

I haven’t ever heard of one playing up or breaking, get a cheap one by all means but be prepared to do it twice.
 
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Communicator said:
It is only meant to be a trickle charger to keep the starter battery topped up when the vehicle is laid up. I seem to remember that a charge rate equal to 1% of rated capacity should suffice to maintain a FLA battery in good condition. However there may be an alarm draining the battery.....
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Totaly agree there are many Battery master owners would also agree, me I haven't got one but a Votronics duo MPPT solar charger that has a default FLA second battery charge at 1A, irrelative if the primary is set to Li as has been sufficient for over 5 yrs. But as suggested if a real parasitic draw (alarms and Pioneer radios a favourite) it may not be enough.
 
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Googlebot said:
I have one and it’s great.

Usually wired by the B2B charger where all the cables gather anyway.

More than 1 amp just means both batteries end up flat, so it’s ideal and exactly how it’s designed.

I haven’t ever heard of one playing up or breaking, get a cheap one by all means but be prepared to do it twice.
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Hi,
I have an Autotrail Imala 730HB motorhome and looking to fit the battery master. Do you have any photos of the connections please. Thanks in advance.
 
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Joe Anderson said:
Hi,
I have an Autotrail Imala 730HB motorhome and looking to fit the battery master. Do you have any photos of the connections please. Thanks in advance.
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Hi,
Given the value of your moho and the potential for causing a fire if you dont know what you are doing get it fitted by a professional.

You havent given any info about your current battery controller system which also worries me regarding ability to alter electric system.

Maybe a stand alone trickle charger connected to starter battery would be more viable for you?

Regards
Jack
 
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jackwhoo said:
Hi,
Given the value of your moho and the potential for causing a fire if you dont know what you are doing get it fitted by a professional.

You havent given any info about your current battery controller system which also worries me regarding ability to alter electric system.

Maybe a stand alone trickle charger connected to starter battery would be more viable for you?

Regards
Jack
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Thanks for your concern but I am more than capable of fitting the battery master to my PSU. Just wanted to see where others have fitted them.
 
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Joe,
I am sorry but you have perhaps unintentionally been economical with the facts. My research informs me that your Imala is probably fitted with Sargent electrical distribution systems. I have extracted the appropriate diagram from the manual and attached it below. As you should be aware you need to connect to fused starter, and habitation batteries. Sargent are consistent with their wiring colours, with brown/green (NG) being the vehicle or starter battery, and brown/blue (NU) being the habitation battery, and white/orange (WO) being earth. The only places where these circuits are presented together are at the EC176 PSU, which has plug in connections, and at the Solar option if fitted. If the solar option is fitted and connects with the starter battery, then why do you need a battery master? However the solar option unit shown above the regulator may be the best option for making tidy connections to a battery master. I am wondering whether if you do not have the solar option fitted, provision may have been made for it in the wiring? If so, then you should be exploring a suitable location in the immediate vicinity.
 

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  • Autotrail 12V Power Circuits.pdf
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Joe Anderson said:
Hi,
I have an Autotrail Imala 730HB motorhome and looking to fit the battery master. Do you have any photos of the connections please. Thanks in advance.
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Hi, I am afraid not. I am not familiar with that system.

You might get someone who can help over on Motorhomefun or Communicator has given you a head start. 👍
 
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Communicator said:
Joe,
I am sorry but you have perhaps unintentionally been economical with the facts. My research informs me that your Imala is probably fitted with Sargent electrical distribution systems. I have extracted the appropriate diagram from the manual and attached it below. As you should be aware you need to connect to fused starter, and habitation batteries. Sargent are consistent with their wiring colours, with brown/green (NG) being the vehicle or starter battery, and brown/blue (NU) being the habitation battery, and white/orange (WO) being earth. The only places where these circuits are presented together are at the EC176 PSU, which has plug in connections, and at the Solar option if fitted. If the solar option is fitted and connects with the starter battery, then why do you need a battery master? However the solar option unit shown above the regulator may be the best option for making tidy connections to a battery master. I am wondering whether if you do not have the solar option fitted, provision may have been made for it in the wiring? If so, then you should be exploring a suitable location in the immediate vicinity.
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Communicator,
Thanks for your input and the drawing.
The solar option is there however it is manual, either charge the starter battery or charge the leisure battery and off so no charge. The battery master is auto from the leisure battery to the starter battery.
 
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Joe Anderson said:
Communicator,
Thanks for your input and the drawing.
The solar option is there however it is manual, either charge the starter battery or charge the leisure battery and off so no charge. The battery master is auto from the leisure battery to the starter battery.
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As you have the Solar Option, as I previously suggested the possibility of mounting/concealing in the vicinity, and tapping into existing connections would seem to be the way forward.

Looking at the attached photo, it seems that the ends of the connecting tails (wires) may have had solder applied. This is not a good idea, if used in a terminal where the wire is either crimped, or held under pressure as in a screw terminal block. Over time the solder flows under pressure and the result is a loose connection.
 

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Joe Anderson said:
Hi All,
Has anybody fitted a Van Bitz battery master to a Fiat Ducato Autotrail Imala 730HB motorhome.
Click to expand...

Have you asked Van Bitz? I have always found them very helpful on the phone, their workmanship looks good from what I've seen on a mates van.

I think I'm reasonably well qualified to judge a good electrical/electronics job when I see one.
 
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Hi Guys,

Sorry about the delay, this is the update to the fitting of the battery master to my Autotrail. Yes it has solar but it is a manual system either charge the leisure battery or the starter battery. If I leave it selected to charge the starter battery, the leisure battery gets no charge and often get text and emails from Sargent saying low battery charge as the tracker etc run it down in storage. So fitting the battery master to my EC176 PSU hopefully will stop this happening as it is an auto system which will hopefully keep the starter battery topped up when the leisure battery is selected. Please see photos attached of the battery master fitting under the EC176PSU. I have a removable tray under the unit which made things easier and then stuck the battery master on the left hand side of the PCU. It has been mentioned about charging the batteries when on hook up, you have to select the battery on the Sargent EC363 control panel above the hab door. Thanks again for all your input.
 

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