Tom,
I know there are such things as low battery cutoffs... I think I may have
seen them in RV Shops.

West Marine is basically a retailer. I wouldn't be surprised if they had
Sure Power build their Battery Combiner and then slap the West Marine name
on them...

Anyway they're both great names you can count on.

Bill
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Moritz" <tmoritz@bmi.net>
To: "Bill Davidson" <wdavidson@thegrid.net>; <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, June 24, 2000 9:31 AM
Subject: Re: Auxillary batter - isolation device

> Bill,
>
> I checked out the literature available on West Marine's web site.  The
> combiner that is most similar to the Sure Power separator is the the 150A
> West Battery Combiner.  The West Battery Combiner is a bit smaller and
> would be easier to fit under the drivers seat.  Both seem to have a remote
> manual input so you could connect the batteries in parallel simply by
> pressing a switch.  Cost wise again they are similar.  I'm getting the
Sure
> Power drop shipped to me at $95.  West Marine is selling the 150A combiner
> for $110 plus shipping.
>
> I will let you know how it goes in and how well it works during a 1.5 week
> trip down the Washington and Oregon coast.  Right now I'm trying to decide
> on whether I need a low battery cutoff.  I will be hooking the fridge
> directly to the aux battery and I don't want to inadvertantly leave the
> fridge on and draw the aux battery too far down.  I'm thinking about
> building one myself unless somebody knows of an alternative.
>
> Tom
>
> At 10:34 PM 6/23/00 -0700, Bill Davidson wrote:
> >Tom,
> >
> >I think this Battery Separator by Sure Power looks like it might be the
best
> >answer to an auxiliary battery set up.
> >
> >It seems to me to be very similar to the West Marine Battery Combiner
which
> >I mentioned the other day. (www.westmarine.com  ... search on combiner).
> >
> >Seems like it would eliminate all the potential short comings of both the
> >relay and the isolator set ups. But then I wonder what will be the short
> >comings of this Separator? ... Seems there is always something... And, of
> >course, there is reliability... takes in the field testing to determine
> >that.
> >
> >Keep us informed how it goes.
> >
> >BTW, What was the cost?
> >
> >Bill
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Tom Moritz" <tmoritz@bmi.net>
> >To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> >Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2000 3:12 PM
> >Subject: Auxillary batter - isolation device
> >
> >
> >> I know that there has been extensive dialog about auxillary batteries
and
> >> methods of isolating the aux battery from the starting battery but I
> >> thought I should put this out there anyway.  As I was researching the
> >> suggestion for battery isolators manufactured by Sure Power Industries,
> >> Inc. I noticed they had a product they referred to as battery
separators.
> >> This is a device that is connected between the positive terminals of
the
> >> two batteries.  It evidently has some solid state electronics to
measure
> >> the voltage of the battery being charged.  Once this voltage exceeds
13.2V
> >> it closes the contact between the batteries and starts to charge the
> >> auxillary battery in parellel.  If the current requirements are greater
> >> than the alternator can produce the separator will disconnect the
> >batteries
> >> thus directing all the available charge to the battery directly
connected
> >> to the charging source.  The system will then reset and reattempt to
> >> connect the batteries once the voltage exceeds 13.2V.  Evidently it
even
> >> has a time delay to prevent rebounding either on connection or
> >disconnection.
> >>
> >> This separator also has a start assist feature.  This is an optional
input
> >> that allows the operator parallel the batteries for starting if there
is
> >> enough power available in the auxillary battery.  The contacts on the
> >> separator are rated at 400A momentary 100A continuous.
> >>
> >> I've just ordered the model 1315 battery separator from a local
> >distributor
> >> and will be installing it along with a recently purchased Optima D900M,
a
> >> 12V marine version of the D750S.  I plan to interconnect the batteries
> >with
> >> size 4 starter wire as I want to be able to use the start assist
feature
> >if
> >> necessary.  I plan to wire in a momentary lit rocker switch which will
> >> activate the start assist.  I plan to light the switch using the start
> >> assist lamp output which shows the auxillary battery has sufficient
power
> >> for starting assistance.
> >>
> >> If you want more information regarding these devices you can consult
Sure
> >> Power's web page at http://www.surepower.com .  If there is interest I
> >will
> >> report back regarding my progress as I make these changes.  Phase two
> >> involves installing a battery meter from Cruising Equip. Inc., fuse
block,
> >> extra interior lighting, and connecting devices like fridge, water
pump,
> >> lights, and stereo to the fuse block.
> >>
> >> I'll welcome your feedback.
> >>
> >> Tom Moritz
> >> ***********************************
> >> *                                       *
> >> *       From the computer of:   *
> >> *           Tom Moritz          *
> >> *                                       *
> >> ***********************************
> >>
> >
> >
> ***********************************
> * *
> * From the computer of: *
> *     Tom Moritz *
> * *
> ***********************************
>