Electrical Ctek D250S with factory solar

[Adjool]

Hi All,

I'm after some advice on how to best install a Ctek DC-DC charger to my 17.56-1 OB. I've got my hands on a Ctek D250s & Smartpass which I'm wanting to charge the 2x100Ah house batts as well as improve the supply to the fridge whilst towing. I have a factory installed 180W solar which is charging the HBs through the standard regulator. Can I just connect the Ctek d250s & Smartpass as per the manufacturers wiring diagram and effectively in parallel with the factory solar as it's currently wired? Or do I need to do away with the factory solar regulator and wire the solar panel into the Ctek d250s?

Any assistance is greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Adam

 

[Crusty181]

Hi Adam, i think the D250 is only around 20amp, so it wont run your fridge and put much charge in the batteries at the same time. Twood be one or the other.

 

[Drover]

Actually I wouldn't worry about using the Ctek to charge your van batteries, they are good for the aux in the tug but with 180 solar on the roof it should be more than enough, if you hook the solar up to the Ctek it will either shut down the solar or tug power, it will only use one system to provide a 12v source.........................It's also not designed to run appliances directly but to run a charge to a battery which then runs the appliance otherwise you could cook it.
A 3 way fridge should be run off a battery which is getting a constant charge or it will turn into a food warmer very quickly. A compressor fridge still needs to be run from a battery but doesn't require a constant charge but does need a regular charge.

I think I've got that right !!????

 

[Dean Anderson]

I'm in the process of putting a CTEK 250 and Smartpass in the back of the car (200W Solar on the car roof and 100A/Hr battery). For the Smartpass to run effectively in the van your going to need to run at least 2 B&S from the cars main battery all the way to the van. Good luck with that. I ran 3B&S (+ only) to the back of my car (picking up two earths at the back (one on the chassis and one on the body)) and that was a pain.

I think the manual states 3B&S for all distances over 5m or something similar. To the van is about 10m so by my calculations you need bigger if you want to take advantage of the full 80amp of the Smartpass for the rapid charge phase. The 250 doesn't need that sort of cable but if your not using the Smartpass.

If you have two different chargers working at the same time on the same battery your going to have problems. One of them is going to sense that your batteries are full because the charge voltage from the other will falsely indicate the battery is full. I would be running your solar through the 250.

I'm not worrying about trying to charge the van batteries via the car. I do have 2x6B&S going to the 3 way fridge and a socket for the Waeco in the van via a VSR in the back of the car. The VSR in parallel with the 250 and Smartpass prioritises the auxiliary battery in the back of the car (Engel) over supplying power to the van.