# How could I charge an additional Leisure Battery?



## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

Hello, Hope someone may be able top help?

I want to fit a battery for dedicated Inverter use. But how would I charge it?.

My Current setup is this.

2 x Leisure batteries 
1 x Starter Battery
Shcaudt Elctroblok 
Shcadut DT220 Controller.
Schaudt LRS1218 Solar controller
2 x 75w solar. (Also have another 80w BP Solar spare (not fitted))

The Shcaudt system looks after everything. Charges both sets of batteries when in EHU. The Shaudt controller looks after charging both the Leisure and Starter Battery. The Mercedes 220amp Alternator also looks after charging on the move.

So any ideas how I could charge a third (or maybe just use one of the existing Leisure batteries). I would want this battery to charge from all 3 options as stated if possible.

Any clever bods around?

TM


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## lgbzone (Oct 8, 2008)

Hi TM

I needed to be able to charge further 12v batteries and did it as noted in this topic

< here >

However; it charges from the 12v system and only at 4 amps, plenty for me, but i doubt would be enough for you if you're running an inverter off it.

Lee


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

Simple. Just put a second split charge system in.

Email me at [email protected] and I will email you back an example diagram

Eddie


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## ingram (May 12, 2005)

I am interested in that too.

My set up is different from and simpler than TM's but I was considering a separate battery to run my Eberspacher, to at least be charged from the alternator.

Harvey


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## wilse (Aug 10, 2007)

Out of curiousity... why wouldn't you wire up the the third battery to the current two leisures... and run the inverter from the shared 'three' batteries... wouldn't this be less of a drain as you'd be sharing the load?

Also you wouldn't have to muck around changing your current charging arrangement.

?!?

w


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Because*



wilse said:


> Out of curiousity... why wouldn't you wire up the the third battery to the current two leisures... and run the inverter from the shared 'three' batteries... wouldn't this be less of a drain as you'd be sharing the load?
> 
> Also you wouldn't have to muck around changing your current charging arrangement.
> 
> ...


Because the inverter is confusing the Schaudt system and causing it to shut down.

One minute I have 100's of Ah's according the the Schaudt DT220, next thing it shuts down and says 0ah.

I am only using the inverter for TV (Mainly). The system just seems not to like inverters attached. Having Spoken with Udo Lang at Shaudt, it seems the only way around this is to remove anything that is attached to the leisure batteries that is not part of the original system.

TM


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## lgbzone (Oct 8, 2008)

If i understand that correctly, then anything going in or out of the leisure batteries not through the schaudt system is a problem?

in which case i'd fit your 80w panel, through a cheap controller to the third battery as it's input, and the inverter for you to use. if it's mainly tv then the 80w could well be enough.

if it isn't a problem to fit a csb-2 to the existing leisure batteries, then i'd add the 80w panel to the current setup to charge leisure batteries, then use a csb-2 to charge the third battery which has the inverter on it. that way the third battery gets more charge (solar, ehu and alternator), but the inverter only draws from the third battery. again i would have thought that 4amps is plenty if it's anly for the tv.

Lee


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## lgbzone (Oct 8, 2008)

if you don't use your spare 80w panel, you could always give it to me


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## wilse (Aug 10, 2007)

Thanks for the input, I was going to get an inverter... I have the same system components... maybe I won't bother?! If you get an file from Eddie, let me know how complex it looks.

Cheers

W


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Idea*

I have had an idea :!:

What do you think?


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## lgbzone (Oct 8, 2008)

It looks to me that you have battery A and B connected in series when not isolated which would then up the voltage to 24.

possibly need to consider that if bats A and B are at very different levels, even if not in series, when the isolator is closed there could be a very large surge from one to the other.

i'd keep them separate except for the csb charger.

but wait for someone that knows better than i do

Lee


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*parallel v Series*

Thanks Lee.

I got confused by the Germans Using Brown for Negative and Blue for Positive in my Frankia wiring.

Version 2.......


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Approval*

Still awaiting the boards approval!

TM :roll:


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## lgbzone (Oct 8, 2008)

Well i'm not on the board, and not knowledge enough to be able to approve or not 

I'd still be concerned about the possible surge when the batteries are connected if one has far more charge than the other, it's just that there is no control over the surge, i'd want something other than an isolator (or as well as) that would "deliver" the charge from the backup battery to the primary. maybe i'm over cautious.

Possibly wiring the CSB in such a way as you can switch the direction of charge, although that would limit it to 4 amps. (again just thinking out loud).

what's happened to all the electricians?


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Suppose*



lgbzone said:


> Well i'm not on the board, and not knowledge enough to be able to approve or not
> 
> I'd still be concerned about the possible surge when the batteries are connected if one has far more charge than the other, it's just that there is no control over the surge, i'd want something other than an isolator (or as well as) that would "deliver" the charge from the backup battery to the primary. maybe i'm over cautious.
> 
> ...


I suppose I could wait until the batteries are both charged before pairing them back up.

That is, not use them as an Emergency.

The reason I am doing all this is that the Schaudt system does not like or take kindly to inverters being connected to the system. As don't the other systems.

With the two batteries I have, I don't think I would need the reserve in any case as the shaudt should work fine.

TM


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Hi TM

I am not an Electrician or know about the clever electronic stuff you already have. I do know that mixing up Clever electronic boxes can have unexpected effects on each other. My solar charger does not like my clever Calira EVS. Well one is American and the other German!


I have 3 x 110ah batteries but have separated them in two banks by a Clunk Click mechanical 1 2 or both marine switch. I can also separate the solar charge direction this way by a similar switch. I can therefore charge one bank by one means while leaving the clever boxes to take care of the other side. 

It may be very pedestrian but last night when one battery bank shut down the telly, I Clunk clicked to the other bank and let the solar sort it out in the morning.

Just a Low tech thought.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*wondered*



andrewball1000 said:


> Hi TM
> 
> I am not an Electrician or know about the clever electronic stuff you already have. I do know that mixing up Clever electronic boxes can have unexpected effects on each other. My solar charger does not like my clever Calira EVS. Well one is American and the other German!
> 
> ...


Wondered where you had been?

Is it like this Andrew?


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

Yes that will do it but mine is a much smaller neater job. When I have sobered up I will search and send you a link. 

regards Andrew
(currently on the island of Krk) It is raining with thunder and lightning so stay in the UK as I know you have a heat wave!!


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

check this site http://www.bepmarine.com/home-mainmenu-8/productcategory-76/battery-switches-manual

mine is 70mm x 70mm and probably the the 701s for switching the supply from the batteries. The input selector switch from the the solar does not need to be so heavy duty.


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*problem*

The only other problem I could foresee is that the battery Master may be an issues if you put battery A+B back in Parallel. As the Shaudt System/Shaudt Solar system would be charging.

TM


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Set Up*

Morning,

Well, I tried our setup with a CSB2.

It worked okay on EHU. Left it all day on 230w of solar in the sunshine. Came home at 9pm. Went to go in the motorhome and no power. Tried to switch on the Schaudt system and it would not stay on.

Connected to EHU and the Schaudt would switch on saying now 98% battery but was not displaying the remaining amps.

TM


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## donegal5 (Sep 11, 2010)

would it be an option to sell the spare panel and buy a 12V TV/DVD combo, thereby negating the need for an inverter? Ive seen them at 230euro in a dealer in Ireland last week so they would be cheaper on ebay?


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*240v*

We use 240v for other things.

Thanks for the reply.

I might consider an additional battery charger, unhook the Schaudt Solar Regulator from the Elektroblok and do the Split Charge as EddieVanBitz suggested.

Only downsides are cab battery will get no charge and no readings from solar panel output.

Thanks again.

TM


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## eddievanbitz (May 1, 2005)

*Re: 240v*



teemyob said:


> We use 240v for other things.
> 
> Thanks for the reply.
> 
> ...


Use the Battery Master to trickle charge your engine battery.

From your diagram your "extra" leisure battery will only be charged from the solar panel via the battery Master. So that will fail the first time you use the inverter.

Why do people seem obsessed with reading the output of a solar panel? What can you do about it anyway? if the voltage is up, it's charging and if it is not, the panel is producing nothing.

It's hardly as if we can do anything whatsoever about it after all :lol:

Eddie


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: 240v*



eddievanbitz said:


> teemyob said:
> 
> 
> > We use 240v for other things.
> ...


Thanks Eddie,

Pity you are so far away from us!

That Battery Master - Engine Battery was also on my idea list.

"Why do people seem obsessed with reading the output of a solar panel? What can you do about it anyway? if the voltage is up, it's charging and if it is not, the panel is producing nothing"

I am a Nerd!

Thanks for all your help.

Might even pop down to "The Farm".

Trev


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

The mind boggles at all this, I'd keep the fire extinguisher handy


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Boggles and Fires*



Kev_n_Liz said:


> The mind boggles at all this, I'd keep the fire extinguisher handy


Boggles and Fires

We have 3!

TM


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Re: 240v*



eddievanbitz said:


> teemyob said:
> 
> 
> > We use 240v for other things.
> ...


Upon Reviewing the wiring diagram, it seems that even if the input from solar panels is not via the Schaudt. The Schaudt LRS1218 can still be monitored by the Shaudt panel.

TM


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