nextalcupfan
Well-known member
- 348
- 506
- 93
- Location
- NW Missouri
Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!
I have now installed the same NOCO charger on my MEP003A genset with Optima Red Tops. It works great and there is no need to disconnect the battery cables.I'm currently using a NOCO Genius GEN5X2.
View attachment 862011
I hooked the charge cables to the unused side terminals on the Optima Red Tops.
It's plugged in 24/7, so I'm not sure why in question 2 you say you need to unhook the batteries for a dual 12V bank charger.
I use the dual Noco 12V chargers on my 831A. I was concerned about disconnecting the batteries to charge and was advised by Kurt that if the plug doesn't have the ground prong you don't have to disconnect. If my memory is wrong I'm sure Kurt will correct me.I have now installed the same NOCO charger on my MEP003A genset with Optima Red Tops. It works great and there is no need to disconnect the battery cables.
I may have mistakenly understood that I needed a 24V charger for the gen set. Basically and dual bank 12V charger will work?I'm currently using a NOCO Genius GEN5X2.
View attachment 862011
I hooked the charge cables to the unused side terminals on the Optima Red Tops.
It's plugged in 24/7, so I'm not sure why in question 2 you say you need to unhook the batteries for a dual 12V bank charger.
Actually I've had this exact thing happen with my NOCO on my unit.If you want to go with one of those NOCO 12V dual bank units, they stay wired up all the time. The only thing I was told when I called NOCO is that you just want to unplug the charge pack on them, before running the machine. With this pack running, and the alternator producing voltage... you can get into a battery overcharge scenario.
What I do on the machines that come and go is to install (1) of these on the outside of the machine: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009ANV81S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
From this, you can plug a NOCO or similar into it inside the enclosure. All you have to do is run an extension cord to your genset, to get power to it... and unplug the same extension cord when you are about to turn the machine on. Easy.
One thing that I've learned over the years is that alternators should not be used as battery chargers. It's very hard on them. Most of us will jump-start a vehicle or a piece of equipment when the batteries are too low to start the engine and then just rely on the alternator to replenish the batteries. I like this thread because it has a preventative measure to it. I have battery maintainers on just about everything that I own also. I'm not sure if these generators have any "parasitic draw" on the batteries when they're not running. But, many of the vehicles that I've worked on over the years can have a pretty good draw on the house batteries with the vehicle turned off. These maintainers will significantly increase the life of the alternators IMO.Actually I've had this exact thing happen with my NOCO on my unit.
Didn't seem to hurt anything though, The NOCO just stopped all charging and maintaining on that battery until the voltage dropped.
Can't remember if I had to unplug it to reset or not.
I also want to mention I leave my plugged in all the time and with the unit running and I've only run into an overvoltage once.
Been thinking about installing a contactor that will disconnect the charger automatically when the unit runs though.
"days at a time" isn't really enough for the batteries to drain down. Unless you have something in it like the remote start/ auto start unit, then that comment wasn't really aimed at you.I wouldn't want to disconnect the alternator on my MEP003A because it is trailer mounted and I occasionally and sometimes frequently move the genset temporarily to remote areas of my property for temporary power, sometimes for days at a time. I find it no real inconvenience to simply pull the NOCO plug from the wall receptacle when I fire it up when it is located at my house.
FleabayDumb question but what is the big auction site?
I’ve heard that some of the cheaper units can actually have “unplanned thermal events “Those Pulsetech units are crap in my opinion. I've had about a 10% GOOD rate on machines with them.