RanOx DC-DC(non 240v) 3 stg charger: **Install pics added**

[Crammy]

(I've posted this in the 120 section but same goes for the 90 series, or any car for that matter.)

Well I was doing some research yesterday and came across this 3 stage charger which is a true DC-DC 3 stage charger. This means that it doesn't run off 240v but accepts input voltages from 9-14VDC and will charge your batteries to 100% using the same techniques as a 240v 3 stage charger does. It's mainly aimed at vanners/camper traileries wanting to charge up the caravan/CT batteries to 100% while on the road (rather than 80% or whatever they are able to get to. It'd be very rare to see an alternator charge to 100%).

It's also able to transfer charge from one battery to another, for instance if you've setup your camper for a few days but doing trips in the Prado, you can transfer charge from your auxillary battery to your camper batteries. Not a bad idea if you haven't got solar panels or a Geny.

Now it is also quite suitable for running soley in the car as charger for your auxillary battery under the bonnet or where ever you've got them. Given that the D4D charging system is a bit hit and miss, it's probably not a bad option if you're keen to get every last usable AH out of your battery.

I have contacted the manufacturer and asked a few questions about the system. I was sent a very comprehensive installation manual and specs. It is fully adjustable to suit your battery charging voltage and has a whole bunch of features (probably well beyond what most people need but hey!)

Here's the specs:

Input Voltage: 9-14VDC
Input Current: 30-40A
Output Voltage: Adjustable up to 16VDC (depending on battery requirements of course)
Output current: Up to 25A
Charging method: multistage, bulk - absorbtion - float
Battery types: Flooded (wetcell), GEL, Deepcycle, AGM
Warranty: 12 months
Weatherproof rating: Not waterproof or dustproof, in car job.
Price: $465 (including temp probe) plus freight.
Website: http://www.ranox.com.au


If I can get permission from the manufacturer to post the specs I'll do so, in the meantime I can email them to anyone interested. Just PM me your email.

I also asked the fella if they can do discounts for club/forum members and he said depending on the level of interest.

I rekon it's a cracking price for what it can do considering isolators are around the $100 mark and a similar setup using a decent 240V 3 stage charger plus inverter could cost any sum of money depending on which way you go. The only catch is that I haven't found much info on it in regards to it's abilty, reliability and general user feed back. I was sent this link from the manufacturer in regards to feedback but it's only really one post on a forum.

http://forum.candm.com.au/showthread.php?t=204&page=2

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a convert from the isolator setup to this. I'm just posting up my findings and think it's a great kit.

It is pretty complicated though and will require some additional wiring to run gear of the battery while it's being charged. When charging with a 3 stage battery charger and running a load off the battery at the same time, the charger see's the load as if the battery is asking for it so there is the potential to overcharge and damage the battery.

If you want to run this way (which most people would) you'll need to install a "change over" relay which switches the supply to your required loads from either the main battery or aux battery, depending what state the charger is in. For example: if you're running your fridge in the car with the car off, the relay will supply it from your aux battery, when you start your car and the charger fires up, it will change over to your main battery. All this is done automatically by the charger. There will be some addtional costs here with a relay and wiring (approx $9 for 60A relay from Jaycar, wiring??).

I know leachy_9 has done some research on these so it'd be good to hear his thoughts and also anyone else who knows anything about them.

If there are some guys keen to look into this unit there may be a goup by option to get it cheaper, obviously depending on interest.

Sorry if it sounds complicated!!

Cheers,

Crammy


***********************UPDATES SECTION***********************

Go here for more detailed information on the Ranox http://www.pradopoint.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=4117&p=79519#p79517
Price increase to $465 including temp probe.
Group buy saving on freight.

[Grey Nomad]

Hi

Sounds like a great unit. I really like your comments regarding installation. I will keep my eye open for more forthcoming information on this device. If there is a PP bulk buy, I would be very interested.

Cheers - John

[leachy_9]

Like Crammy I can only find limited reviews and feedback about the RanOx units.
The principles behind the unit are sound and this technology is used extensively in similar applications. It is just a matter of how well these units are engineered and manufactured.

For those seeking optimal aux. battery performance (especially in a D4D), but not wanting to go the inverter /charger route this unit is a possible solution. It is more complicated than a simple voltage sensing solenoid, but would provide significantly better battery performance, recharge rate and lifespan.

I guess in order to keep the price down they produce a simple base unit and allow the user to tailor the setup to their needs via the use of external relays. As such the RanOx unit is just one component of an Aux. battery charging system and not a complete system itself. This means the entire system would need to be properly designed and installed to ensure reliable / correct operation, adding to the cost.

While there are those Pradopoint members with the ability to install and maintain a RanOx based system themselves, there are many others who would be reliant on “professional” installation.

Personally I would install one of these in a D4D over any of the simple solenoid systems (Redarc, ARB, Piranha etc). But my needs call for optimal battery performance and I have the ability to install and maintain the system myself

Leachy

[Grey Nomad]

Hi all

Yes, Leachy has summed it up by stating that not everybody wants to install their own dual battery system. However, there are many helpful sources if you ask around and are a bit handy. These units look like the way to go on a D4D and I wouldn't bypass them just because some salesman tried to sell me something else that he is more familiar with.

Cheers - John

[Grey Nomad]

Hi all

Ordered my RanOx yesterday. There are no agents as yet. Just transfer funds into their bank account and they send it immediately by registered post from Cobram - Vic. I expect to get mine tomorrow.
Alan Ransley answers any questions very promptly. The 18 page manual is well written.
I will provide more info when installed but it looks very easy and the factory default settings are correct for most applications.

Cheers - John

[Crammy]

Good stuff John, I'll be interested to see how your install goes. I had an email from Alan today to say he's going on leave for 4 weeks so no sales untill he gets back.

I have spoken to him re the PP discount and really it all depends on the amount of interest from you guys. So if you're not in a hurry, state your interest here if keen.

Cheers,

Crammy

[AlanR]

Gents,

although I will be away on leave for 4 weeks any correspondence can be forwarded to info@ranox.com.au

this will be handled by our electronic engineer

regards

AlanR

[Crammy]

Welcome to Pradopoint Alan,

Can you tell us any more about the charger?


Cheers,

Steve

[AlanR]

Crammy and Colleagues
While Alan R is having a break, we at RanOx are still happy to answer your questions and give you advice on charging circuitry for the Prado. Our RanOx battery booster is ideally suited to provide excellent auxiliary battery charging (particulary deep-cycle with higher charge voltage requirements) with the D4D ECU controlled alternator. It will provide up to 25 Amp CONTROLLED regulated voltage and current in a sophisticated multi-stage charge sequence. Voltages (boost and float) are set in 0.1 volt increments, with maximum current set in 1 Amp steps. Also provides low-voltage DISCHARGE protection. All voltages and currents are shown on 2 line LCD, with LED indications for quick info. You don't need a Redarc or any other voltage sensitive "smart" relay. Neither do you need a low-voltage cut-out protector. RanOx does it all, in one convenient sized easy to use unit. Thus it will thoroughly charge and protect your expensive batteriers in ALL conditions, including battery temperature compensation. We have designed RanOx to suit this market and are glad to offer an Australian designed and manufactured product to you. There are many mentions of us on www. but have a look at http://forum.candm.com.au/showthread.php?t=204&page=2.
Please visit our web-site www.ranox.com.au or email us at info@ranox.com.au.
Happy charging.

[LiveFreeAndRoam]

Feature-wise, it sure has all the goods and it gets all the points from me on that front.

For caravans etc, I see it is a great unit, albeit at the pricey end of the spectrum. For in-vehicle I have a few reservations; if I may say and I hope this is taken as constructive feedback ...

The issue (for me at least) is she's a pretty big unit (120Lx105Wx55H @1kg) for in-vehicle mounting and seemingly gets quite warm. It requires ventilation room around it and an internal fan will kick in to help cool it as needed. That also raises the concern of fan noise.

Again, none of this matters if it's going in a caravan or similar. But for in-vehicle installations... I'm not so sure.

Can Aussie ingenuity be put to the task on this?? Smaller, better, cooler

LFaR.

[Crammy]

Hey LFaR,

Good points you've raised. I guess it depends on which way you're going to go with your battery setup. If you're going to run with an AGM you really should have an isolated charging system. This could be the rotronics (which I think still charges off the alternator??), Inverter + 240v 3 stage charger, or DC-DC 3 stage charger.

If you think about the pros and cons of each unit, the DC-DC charger seems to come out on top.

- Rotronics:

NEGS:

Still limited by alternator charging (I'm not 100% sure on this), cost = $700 odd dollars.

POS:

Different type of batteries can be charged without possible damage to each other.

- 3 stage 240v charger and inverter:

NEGS:

Cost, physical size of inverter AND charger (and where to mount), both may still run hot and use fans, efficiency not the greatest, additional relay logic to setup for isolating loads off battery when charging.

POS:

Batteries charged to 100%, charger can still be used on 240v when car not running. Can charge all types of batteries.

- DC-DC 3 stage (RanOx)

NEGS:

Can not be used other than when a 12v supply present (so can't be used off 240v), Can get more costly depending on how complicated you set it up. Can't be located under the bonnet.

POS:

Charges batteries to 100%, relatively cheap for 25A 3 stage charger that does not need a redarc style isolator. IMO the physical size is quite small for features compared to an inverter/240v charger setup. Can be fully adjusted to suit all battery types etc. Can automatically control loads on and off when charging with relays. Australian Made

When I was up the cape I took my second spare battey (90AH AGM in box) and it took all day of driving to charge to 100% off my 7A CTEK and inverter from a SOC of about 50%. If you were to go this route definately go higher than the 7A CTEK.

A dustproof/water/vibration proof would be the ultimate setup in the DC-DC chargers, they then could be mounted under the bonnet. Mounting this unit under one of the front seats maybe the go?

I have permission to post the information supplied from the manufacturer. I'll also say that I do not have any affliation with RanOx, my personal opinion is that this is a great unit for anyone wanting to overcome the D4D charging system and for the guys charging AGMs in a mixed battery situation.



Crammy

[AlanR]

Crammy,
- thanks for your honest evaluation
- in answer to your negative point copied below

Some Users have the RanOx as their ONLY charger, as it has all (if not more than most) mains chargers features. When at a powered site, they use a "dumb" 13V power supply to feed the RanOx (for battery charging), with any 12V loads driven by the power supply. Use relay operated by RanOx. Saves having 2 sophisticated chargers for the one set of batteries.
Alan, for RanOx P/L.

- DC-DC 3 stage (RanOx)
NEGS:

Can not be used other than when a 12v supply present (so can't be used off 240v), Can get more costly depending on how complicated you set it up. Can't be located under the bonnet.

Crammy

[Grey Nomad]

Hi all

I have completed the RanOx installation in my caravan boot. I was going to mount it in the back of my vehicle and run substantial leads into the caravan but finally decided to install it as it was intended. This now means that if I want to add a second battery to my vehicle, I need to buy another RanOx unit.

The RanOx is the ultimate solution to charging batteries from a vehicle's alternator, particularly the D4D and other similar modern vehicles. The only drawback is that it hasn't really been designed to be mounted in a harsh environment such as under the bonnet of a vehicle. So when I buy my second one, it will go in the back along with an AGM battery near the fridge.

Here is what the installation look like. The two relays are driven by the RanOx outputs. One operates when the car is started and the other operates if the caravan battery is low on charge. The circuitry is very similar to that published in the RanOx manual (available via download).

Note that the RanOx CAN be installed without any external relays. Just like a smart solenoid but better.





Cheers - John

[LiveFreeAndRoam]

Very impressive installation John. It looks like a power substation.

LFaR.

[Crammy]

Looks great John. You've done a nice neat install job on the electrics.

How does the unit perform? Does it bring the battery up fairly quick?

I have just ordered myself one this week. After swapping my wetcell for an AGM I think this will be the way to go. I actually have 2 AGM's so now I'll be able to retire my inverter and ctek setup from the car and have the Ranox look after both of them for me when required.

Like you John I will mount my AGM's in the back when needed. I have just recently removed my dual battery system ready to start again! Best of all I'll be able to reuse most of my wiring and I've sold my old setup!

Let us know how it goes.

Cheers,

Crammy

[Sprocket]

Hi Just ordered mine as well. When I mentioned I'd seen it on Prado Point Alan from RanOx mentioned that Crammys was about to be sent out today.
Cheers,
Rick

[Crammy]

Awesome! Thanks for the heads up rick

[Grey Nomad]

Hi all

Just got back from a caravan run to Milmerran for the camp oven festival last weekend. Checked the RanOx a few times and it was just sitting there automatically doing what it is supposed to do. It had a fairly easy task as I also have a 130 watt solar panel and the sun was shining fairly brightly. I checked my personal configuration with the absorption fridge and everything was just fine.
I had to laugh as I spoke to a few people who simply don't use their Anderson plug!
The RanOx will really come into its own when I visit areas of Australia that aren't blessed with strong sunshine. I will be in Tassie for a while next year.
For those who are eagerly awaiting theirs, you will find it simply great!

Cheers - John

[Sprocket]

Mine arrived in the post today 10mins to read the manual an another 10 to wire it up. All worked as advertised and a very well made unit .

[Crammy]

Mine arrived in the post today 10mins to read the manual an another 10 to wire it up. All worked as advertised and a very well made unit .

Good to hear sprocket. Can you post up some pics of your install?