isolator

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capacitor12v

Member - Posts: 3

Joined: December 31, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: January 01, 2004 at 12:29 AM / IP Logged

I'm looking for someone that can take me step by step through an isolator set up. I have a capacitor, two batteries,two amps. and they do what they"re suppose to do but my problem is with battery drainage.

rod2

Durwood

Copper - Posts: 126

Joined: November 30, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: January 01, 2004 at 2:41 AM / IP Logged

What kind of "drainage" are you getting? An isolator won't fix any electrical problems like shorts or amplifiers that stay on with the car off. All an isolator does is allow your alternator to charge two (or more) batteries, while allowing the car's stock electrical system to drain power from only one battery. The other battery is dedicated to your stereo. This way, you could run your stereo with the car off until the second battery was completely dead, and the other battery would still be fresh, allowing you to start your car.

In its simplest form, an isolator is just a large diode between the alternator and your dedicated "stereo battery". This will allow current to flow from the alternator *into* the "stereo battery" to charge it, but things like your car's starter, ignition system, headlamps, etcetera would not be able to pull power *from* the "stereo battery". The only things that could draw power from the "stereo battery" would be devices connected directly to it, like your caps, amps, etcetera.

Scott Gardner

capacitor12v

Member - Posts: 3

Joined: December 31, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: January 01, 2004 at 9:12 AM / IP Logged

Well first let me thank you for answering my question, as you can tell I'm no audio especialist but to be honest the questions i ask are really answers that a close friend of mine seeks. As far as battery drainage goes, It only drains it completely when it's at a stand still. I dont't know if the problem has to do with any electrical failure, But any suggestions or ideas you can provide me with would be of much use to me. what would you suggest I check first as a sort of a preliminary test?

rod2

auex

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Joined: December 23, 2002

Location: Arizona, United States

Posted: January 01, 2004 at 10:42 AM / IP Logged

Define stand still, parked in the garage or stopped in traffic?

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capacitor12v

Member - Posts: 3

Joined: December 31, 2003

Location: United States

Posted: January 01, 2004 at 11:22 AM / IP Logged

I have a dual battery isolator with four terminals, one goes to the car battery,the other goes to the auxilary battery

my problem is i have two smaller terminals, I need to know where these other wires belong.

rod2

Teken

Gold - Posts: 1,492

Joined: August 04, 2002

Location: Aruba

Posted: January 01, 2004 at 5:03 PM / IP Logged

The way you have discribed your unit with (4) terminals. Based on what you have provided, this is not a battery isolator.

But a soleniod based switch. The difference between the two are very big. The standard diode based isolator, will never bleed off, nor will it drain current from the primary battery upon activation. It is seperated 100% of the time.

Whereas in a soleniod / relay based switching device, once the soleniod is engaged / activated. ALL the current from one secondary battery will draw down on to the primary battery.

This situation causes excessive current drain, simulating a cold start in the mornings. In time, this will reduce the life span of the battery, and will also cause plate failure within the battery grid.

As to your Q about what the terminals are for:

No. 1 terminal is connected to the main battery.

No. 2 terminal goes to the second battery.

The A terminal goes to the alternator output.

The R the remote sensing terminal goes to the regulator

I hope you understand that IF this unit is indeed a soleniod based switch, opposed to a diode based isolator that you will not reap the same benefits and protection that the other unit does provide.

Hope this clears the air as to what is, and what is not considered a battery isolator.

Regards

EVIL Teken . . .

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isolator

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