DC to DC chargers mount location

[Simi 60]

So I have my 2 X 24v 35amp Sterling chargers on order
Along with all the wire, lugs, crimper etc to do the job.

Trying to figure out best spot for chargers.

Can mount them within 1 metre of starts and then a 5 m cable run to the house bank
Or can mount them 1m from house bank with a 5m cable run to starts

Also the pic from instructions shows black and red to battery terminals on house bank
Our setup has same length cable from terminals of each battery ( X 3) to a common bulkhead mounted battery post.

Surely I can put the charger lugs to that same post?

Thanks

 

[Delta Riverat]

I would mount them to favor the bank with the most need.

 

[twistedtree]

How do they do voltage sensing? Is there a separate sense wire? If no separate sense wire, I'd keep the output cables as short as possible. If there are separate sense wires then it's less important.

 

[Jeff F]

How do they do voltage sensing? Is there a separate sense wire? If no separate sense wire, I'd keep the output cables as short as possible. If there are separate sense wires then it's less important.

Temperature sensing may be another concern.

Voltage drop is more critical on the output side. Lots of good reasons to mount them close to the battery being charged IMO.

 

[Simi 60]

Temperature sensing may be another concern.

Voltage drop is more critical on the output side. Lots of good reasons to mount them close to the battery being charged IMO.

So that's a mount in the old cold room close to the house bank.

 

[Simi 60]

How do they do voltage sensing? Is there a separate sense wire? If no separate sense wire, I'd keep the output cables as short as possible. If there are separate sense wires then it's less important.

Just the pos and neg wire plus a temp sense

 

[O C Diver]

I would choose the house bank location as it's cooler than where the start battery is located. That should be better for the charger.

If the battery charger has a variable charging rate (rate diminishes near full), the location probably matters less. If the charge rate is all or nothing, depending on your wire size, it might be better to have it close to the house bank. This would provide more accurate sensing of the bank voltage.

Ted

 

[RobertLeatch]

On a similar setup (but using Enerdrive DC 2 DC charger) I ended up putting the charger closer to house because that was where the house Soc monitor was located. If low, I could then switch to 'priority' mode (similar to Sterlings 'manual' mode) by accessing a switch on the charger. Tedious to have to go back to the starter location to access or run a switch cable from the starter to house location.

 

[Simi 60]

On a similar setup (but using Enerdrive DC 2 DC charger) I ended up putting the charger closer to house because that was where the house Soc monitor was located. If low, I could then switch to 'priority' mode (similar to Sterlings 'manual' mode) by accessing a switch on the charger. Tedious to have to go back to the starter location to access or run a switch cable from the starter to house location.

Ours is the opposite
SOC monitor is in Saloon or on app
Starts are just inside ER door with full standing headroom

House is through ER
Through a very squeezy doorway into a void area where the old AGM bank was
Then through another very squeezy doorway into the old cold room where the house bank is stored.

 

[Simi 60]

All parts arrived yesterday
Project starts today.

Wiring and lugs are a bit of a cockup
The job calls for 6mm2/10awg wire, which I got - twin core tin platted solar wire
The terminal posts are 8mm dia and the smallest lugs I could get that accepted an 8mm post were 6mm dia - all good I thought, 6mm wire.

But it turns out the actual wire is 2.8mm dia
So the crimps, whilst they work fine if using the smallest 4mm die in the hydraulic crimper, don't look as nice as expected
Wire Size - Area to Diameter Converter