• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

Battery tender and disconnect switch

IDVET

New member
5
3
3
Location
Wendell Idaho
Im sad to say that the TM is easier to me to navigate than these threads… I’m looking for any posts or information on how a guy would wire in a battery disconnect switch and a battery tender to this system. Im electrically impaired, I know it’s a dual 12v/24v system so I’m sure there’s got to be special considerations with the wiring… thanks in advance
 

M934flatbed

New member
22
11
3
Location
OH
Im sad to say that the TM is easier to me to navigate than these threads… I’m looking for any posts or information on how a guy would wire in a battery disconnect switch and a battery tender to this system. Im electrically impaired, I know it’s a dual 12v/24v system so I’m sure there’s got to be special considerations with the wiring… thanks in advance
This is something i scratched together after going through maintenance manuals and having to blindly replace all batteries after getting one at an auction, it was a 2004 so i don't know how different they range but on mine they came out of a battery box to another box to the right side and it had a disconnect and a "safety box" and those were split voltages, you'll have to look at your cables going out to double check voltages but looks like i had top left 24v+ and bottom right 24v- / top right 12v- and i can't remember 12v+ off of the top of my head but if your batteries are still wired you should be set


Sent from my SM-G998U1 using Tapatalk
 

IDVET

New member
5
3
3
Location
Wendell Idaho
This is something i scratched together after going through maintenance manuals and having to blindly replace all batteries after getting one at an auction, it was a 2004 so i don't know how different they range but on mine they came out of a battery box to another box to the right side and it had a disconnect and a "safety box" and those were split voltages, you'll have to look at your cables going out to double check voltages but looks like i had top left 24v+ and bottom right 24v- / top right 12v- and i can't remember 12v+ off of the top of my head but if your batteries are still wired you should be set


Sent from my SM-G998U1 using Tapatalk
Hey thanks! I appreciate it
 

ramdough

Well-known member
1,554
1,729
113
Location
Austin, Texas
I have two battery bank Noco charger in mine. I connected one bank to each set of paralleled batteries. It was a bit freaky to connect the positive of one charger bank to the negative of the other charging bank. It works great! I still need to connect the disconnect.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

ramdough

Well-known member
1,554
1,729
113
Location
Austin, Texas
Here a my thread on similar questions topic




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

BERZERKER888

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
414
892
93
Location
Daytona, FL
disconnect your neg cable

remove NATO plug/cables

there will be a hole where the NATO plus cables went into you battery box after removing the cables .

cut the negative ground cable at the center point of the hole

solder your cable lugs. ( don't forget the shrink tube)...make sure of the lug orientation to the disconnect posts...test fit 10x before soldering.....there is very little "twist" in the cables if your orientation is off..

I made a backing plate for the disconnect switch out of 16 or 14 gauge steel...

drilled 4 holes , used stainless socket head bolts, nylock nuts and washers..the box is plastic and drills easily..just becareful..to much drill pressure and you may bust through and hit the battery..

mount the disconnect switch, mount the plate.. install the cables....one on each post

don't forget to remove each battery terminal clamp, clean, treat with Dielectric grease and tighten them real good..

if any battery cables are damaged ...replace them !!!!

sit back and marvel at you work...

any vampire draw will no longer be a factor in draining your batteries once the disconnect is operational....plus the disconnect acts as a "key" of sorts killing all power to the truck deterring Prius owners from joyriding..lol

..and no the red "key" will not fall out when you power up the truck and drive...


as a side benefit..your LMTV will go 6 mph faster and get 9 miles per gallon more
GL

PS..install a Battery Tender....I used thier 24v model..2 wires and your done
 
Last edited:

ramdough

Well-known member
1,554
1,729
113
Location
Austin, Texas
Can you share your exact setup? I’d really like to make this happen on my truck.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
There is what I use….. not the same , but I am very happy with it.

NOCO Genius GEN5X2, 2-Bank,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08G3STB1N?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

You hook up one bank to one set of batteries and the other bank to the other set. In essence the red from one bank is connected to the black of the other….. but Spence the outputs are isolated, the charger does not care. Way cheaper than a 24v unit and an equalizer! I can also repair both sets as well using all charger features.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

ramdough

Well-known member
1,554
1,729
113
Location
Austin, Texas
There is what I use….. not the same , but I am very happy with it.

NOCO Genius GEN5X2, 2-Bank,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08G3STB1N?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

You hook up one bank to one set of batteries and the other bank to the other set. In essence the red from one bank is connected to the black of the other….. but Spence the outputs are isolated, the charger does not care. Way cheaper than a 24v unit and an equalizer! I can also repair both sets as well using all charger features.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
By the way, I also have a 100a equalizer, but when the tender is on, the equalizer will be disconnected if my battery disconnect is disconnected. That way I don’t put extra hours on the equalizer just to charge when maintaining. Also, the 2 bank Noco was half the cost of a 24v Noco. Also, the dual bank charger analyzes each bank separately so it was a win , win, win, etc….have not found a downside yet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Ronmar

Well-known member
3,847
7,478
113
Location
Port angeles wa
For maintenance, it doesn’t have to be a fancy equalizer. A basic 2-5A unit is $25-$35. A basic maintainer/float charger, about the same. Even a small unregulated panel will work, the battery mass will regulate the output of a small panel, as it simply doesn’t have the energy to override/overcharge the battery.
one small step of refinement would be a simple buck converter to adjust the output. I use a 15W panel someone was giving/throwing away, a $5 buck converter set to 13.2V and I think it was $21 balancer… keeps the batts within .2V of each other… I hooked it to the 0-12V battery as that is where the 12V vampire on mine used to be… the equalizer fed the other battery. Saw an interesting equalizer on Amazon today, had a pair of digital voltmeters built in to observe the balance.
 

jtcawrse

Member
48
72
18
Location
Mexico
There is what I use….. not the same , but I am very happy with it.

NOCO Genius GEN5X2, 2-Bank,... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08G3STB1N?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

You hook up one bank to one set of batteries and the other bank to the other set. In essence the red from one bank is connected to the black of the other….. but Spence the outputs are isolated, the charger does not care. Way cheaper than a 24v unit and an equalizer! I can also repair both sets as well using all charger features.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Now I just need to find a solar version.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

coachgeo

Well-known member
5,147
3,463
113
Location
North of Cincy OH
Now I just need to find a solar version.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
this is a list I put together for ideas on building your own version of a "charging" pulse tech w/balance ability. Not all the products on the list are still on Amazon but they would lead you to ideas on what to search for.

 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks