Secondary Battery

[ejaz89]

I saw another thread under Protege Electrics but wasn't able to reply to it so i figured i'd just start a new one.

I have a Optima Yellow Top that i'm using as my main battery with 620 CCA
and as my secondary battery i have a 1400W/1500Amp battery in the trunk.

I'm temporarily only running 1200W RMS worth of amps. I know the 1400W secondary battery is an overkill but i got it for an insanely cheap price so i ended up sticking with it.

My question is regarding an isolator. I know i need one so that i don't end up draining my stock battery. My question is, how big of an isolator do i need.?

80AMP, 200AMP, 500AMP? how is this determined?

[Brian MP5T]

Well, the stock charging system is only rated to 80 Amps, So regardless of what you do, I see you burning through alternators like crazy.

[midnitehour]

the isolator is rated by the number of amps your alt puts out, so 80-90amps would be prime.

Make sure you wire it in properly, alternator only! to isolator and then to each battery, as the stock post includes the starter wire.

as far as burning through alternators, it'll depend on load, either way weather using one battery or two, the amount of power used (amps) will be the biggest factor in the alt dieing, not dual batteries or isolators.

I had 3 yellow tops hooked up for over a year and didn't kill the alt.

[ejaz89]

I've always thought it was

main battery --> isolator --> secondary battery.

their both of different power so i definitely don't want to run them parallel.


Like in this diagram i was planning on going for,

http://www.stingerelectronics.com/images/pdfs/SGP32-35%20Installation.pdf

[midnitehour]

What type of battery is it?

If the voltage is the same then it doesn't matter about " power ratings" also are you sure those a battery ratings and not some marketing ploy?

the way you've described won't work, the second battery will still drain the first one

[ejaz89]

I have a Optima Yellow Top that i'm using as my main battery with 620 CCA
and as my secondary battery i have a 1400W/1500Amp battery in the trunk.

Quoting my original post; those are the two batteries i have.
the 2nd one is a "Kinetik High Current Power Cell"


I figure the ignition wire is so that the second battery only charges when the ignition is on. I never really play music when the car off is anyways.
My main concern is it dieing over night.

I assume the ignition wire cuts off power supply to the second battery. And the isolator itself prevents charge from the second battery coming back to the first causing it to overload.

[Brian MP5T]

Ever thought of just using a large single battery,

That is a Butt load of weight to add to a tiny car.

Even similar cells need to be isolated, one will be stronger than the other and eventually they will both be damaged without an isolator.

[ejaz89]

I was thinking of going with just the kinetik as my main battery and ditch the yellow top just didn't think it would be enough if I upgrade my amps which I'm planning on doing.

Weight doesn't bother me too much, I know it kills gas mileage, speed and many other things but my sub and box are ~120lbs.

So I think I'm going to go with the 80 amp isolator and hook it up like in the pdf I posted in between the main and secondary.

[Brian MP5T]

Post Results please.

[midnitehour]

I was thinking of going with just the kinetik as my main battery and ditch the yellow top just didn't think it would be enough if I upgrade my amps which I'm planning on doing.

Weight doesn't bother me too much, I know it kills gas mileage, speed and many other things but my sub and box are ~120lbs.

So I think I'm going to go with the 80 amp isolator and hook it up like in the pdf I posted in between the main and secondary.

make sure you get the stinger isolator if you plan on going the way you've posted,

that is more of a relay rather than an isolator.

http://image1.dhgate.com/upload/20107/1/ff808081292a052d0129489d686079dd/productimg1278062584953.jpg

as that is a real isolator.

also with what you've posted you run a risk of depleting both batteries if you don't run the alt long enough.

having both batteries wired up essentially in parallel means that both batteries wil charge at the same time as in they will both have the same voltage at the same time. run one low the other will run low as well.

as for not running the stereo when the car is off is silly.

the whole point of a dual isolated battery set up is for you to run the stereo forever and still be able to start the car.

The whole dual battery isolation thing is meant for trailer homes and campers, you charge a second battery, run your appliances when hard parking and then drive off in the morning.

Correct me if i'm wrong but i feel that you think that running your massive amps, while the car is running, will deplete the second battery and not effect the main?

if that is the thought process it is flawed and it should be researched more.

[ejaz89]

My only point of confusion was the actual "ignition wire". But after re-reading the diagram i realized it's a "true ignition" meaning that it's not a remote wire that works with the deck but actual ignition for only when the key is in the "on position" correct me there if I'm wrong.

From research I've read that it's only good to run the batteries in parallel if both batteries are the same that will draw the same amount of current at the same time.




Correct me if i'm wrong but i feel that you think that running your massive amps, while the car is running, will deplete the second battery and not effect the main?
as for this, i figured if the car was running, it would maintain the voltage in the second battery and if it dropped, it would slowly put load on the main one not affecting it too much. but i get what your saying that the system will have no effect on my car starting no matter how long i have it playing.

Most likely i'm going to end up getting the stringer 80Amp relay and isolator
http://www.woofersetc.com/images/products/SGP38.jpg
http://www.toprotege.com/forums/Correct%20me%20if%20i%27m%20wrong%20but%20i%20feel%20that%20you%20think%20that%20running%20your%20massive%20amps,%20while%20the%20car%20is%20running,%20will%20deplete%20the%20second%20battery%20and%20not%20effect%20the%20main?

[midnitehour]

honestly you're missing the point.

I don't know how else to explain it.

1) all that fancy expensive piece of plastic will do is open up a path of electricity between the two batteries once "ignition source" is achieved.

Now how does it tell if the car is running vs if the key is in the "on" position?

2) there will be no Bias between the "main" and "second" battery once the relay is on.
Imagine this:
when the key is not in the on position there's no wire between the two batteries,
now the key is in the on position and there is now a wire between the two batteries

when your stereo puts a load across the second battery it will be equally be putting a load on the main battery as long as the relay is "on"
The kinetic battery probably has a lower internal resistance than the yellow top, but probably not enough to be your saving grace.

either way.. if you want to connect it using a relay have fun and as Brian said; report back.

[midnitehour]

as for this, i figured if the car was running, it would maintain the voltage in the second battery and if it dropped, it would slowly put load on the main one not affecting it too much.

This is exactly what won't happen, because magically the first battery will not get power from the alt.

[ejaz89]

i completely understand what your saying, i guess i just was explaining myself differently.
thanks for clarifying everything else.

as for this happening.. it'll happen sometime over the winter while i'm redoing my trunk.

[Mr_Sinister]

Odyssey Batteries my friend