12v Charger For GPZ

[mn90403]

I have always charged my units with or without an inverter while I was going from one hunting ground to another.  It has never been a problem for me as long as the engine is running.  Some trucks like mine are set up with a power outlet which is different than the cigarette lighter.  Maybe that one has a better wiring but I don't know what the amps the old lighter required.  Perhaps it takes more for the lighter than for a computer?

[Norvic]

 

Here is photo of my vehicles power board, just a marine switch board and the two Clipsal polarised low voltage plugs below it. All is connected with 6mm2 cable direct to battery through a fuse. Cuts down on high resistance joints that are the bane of low voltage power, especially in vehicle use in dusty, wet conditions and I imagine even more so in your snowy conditions.

[Gold Hound]

Thanks Guys.

Dale, I noticed while visiting Oz that transport is set-up for being on one's own. Chargers, solar-power and freezers everything to provide for a long term stay in the beautiful vast spaces of OZ...you folks have it figured out for sure!

 

fred

We have to have it right as we live out of the car and rely on it to keep our fridge, freezer, detector battery's, lighting and heaps of other stuff running for extended stays that last months.

 

Nothing worse than coming back to your car and your freezers thawed, your fridge is hot and ya car wont start!

And to top it off ya cant roll start it because your on a flat!

 

Stuff up like that could kill you in the areas we go to.

[fredmason]

Thanks, I use the convenience 12v outlet that most new trucks have, not the cig lighter outlet. I could go direct to the battery but why would I want to lift the hood every night after detecting...that would be a pain.

I think I will just fix a charging port in my trailer with the deep-cycle and some solar chargers...and save the truck for when I am traveling as Mitchel does.

 

I must say this has never been an issue with any other Minelab 12v charger that I have ever used...oh well.

 

fred

[Ivansgarage]

If you are looking for a great battery warning alarm system this is it, they are very loud. I have been using one of these for the last seven years in my big truck.

 

http://www.voltminder.com/faq.htm

 

Ivan

[Norvic]

Thanks, I use the convenience 12v outlet that most new trucks have, not the cig lighter outlet. I could go direct to the battery but why would I want to lift the hood every night after detecting...that would be a pain.

I think I will just fix a charging port in my trailer with the deep-cycle and some solar chargers...and save the truck for when I am traveling as Mitchel does.

 

I must say this has never been an issue with any other Minelab 12v charger that I have ever used...oh well.

 

fred

 

 

By connecting direct to battery, and if it worked or not is simply a fault finding procedure.  i.e If it worked, than you know the problem is in conx somewhere if it didn`t work and your battery is good, the problem would be in the charger. I manufactured portable 12v fridges for 20 years, most of them to customers 1000s of miles away, it is a very effective method of isolating the problem. A lot of vehicle wiring even in new vehicles is not up to the job of supplying such, in fact to solve future problems I always recommended a separate new cable run direct from battery to appliance.

 

I suspect Minelab is well aware of this thus the extra cable that comes with the GPZ that has alligator clips on each end for direct conx. Just giving this extra info to clarify, Fred certainly would be a pain to lift bonnet just to charge. Like Dale says, in remote areas these things have to be working AOK, we rely on charged batteries especially in our Sat Phones, that can be a matter of life or death Apologise for not being clear in my original post, Norm in his post also illustrated this.

 

Solar & deep cycle batteries have been a big boon to prospecting, also to my life, wife and I live totally off-grid using solar and wind to charge a battery bank that weights a wee over 1 ton, have been doing so since 06-07. People used to ask me about the solar cells I had permanently mounted on my Troop Carrier back in the 80`s, used to tell them "its a solar powered troopie"

[fredmason]

Thanks Norvic;

Now i understand the process and the reasoning...

 

fred

[Norvic]

Should you require further info on this matter, solar etc. just ask Fred, I`m no expert, learnt the hard way but have found it is the way to go for us prospectors. Solar is really easy, a lot of my gear is US made, eg have a Morningstar regulator in current vehicle, purchased back in 80`s, A large Outback regulator on off-grid system both perform faultlessly.

[Steve Herschbach]

My old 2005 Toyota only had one 12V outlet for all the stuff I wanted to charge and the key had to be on for it to operate. The next time it was in for a tuneup I asked them to add a new wire off the main harness to another outlet in the dash that was always on. It worked great.

That is what got me in trouble last time. I was plugged into the cig lighter outlet on my 2008 4 Runner, and again had to have key on for it to work. I turned the key switch one notch too far, and heater kicked on at low level and I did not notice.

Separate battery all the way from now on!

[fredmason]

Norvic;

you are being very patient with my questions. Thank you and here are some more that relate to my problem.

 

If i have done my math correctly and if I understand correctly then...

 

7.2 volts devided into 72 watthours should mean I am burning most of 10 amps out of my truck battery everytime I recharge the gpz.

 

My new ford f150 truck battery has 650 cold cranking amps. It does not say what the reserve is...

 

If that is correct;

1. how long would the alternator take to replace those amps at idle?

2. What size solar charger would I need to replace those 10 amps everyday?

 

I almost always start my truck in the morning but now I wonder if that running time is enough?

 

please use small words cause I ain't very smart

thanks

fred