Battery Types

[sapper2000]

What type of batteries can a Sargent EC700 on a 2019 Tracker RB charge, I'm new to motorhomes

 

[GeoffnDee]

The Sargent EC700 is not a charger it is for the distribution of power (12 volt and 230 Volt) , the battery 12 volt charging supply to it is normally from a separate unit, a Sargent PX300. This charger has its own manual that you can download from the Sargent electrical website and I think it should have this information within it if that would be any help. .

 

[sapper2000]

Thanks. I will look now

 

[BillyKontiki]

My van has a Sargent ec600 and a PX300 charger, I put in a lithium last year as a direct drop in replacement
And it charges fine although quite slow.
It puts out a max of 14.4 volts which is the ideal voltage for my lithium.
I also fitted a Victron 30 amp B to B charger.
Hope this helps.

 

[sapper2000]

My van has a Sargent ec600 and a PX300 charger, I put in a lithium last year as a direct drop in replacement
And it charges fine although quite slow.
It puts out a max of 14.4 volts which is the ideal voltage for my lithium.
I also fitted a Victron 30 amp B to B charger.
Hope this helps.

Morning Billy

It helps a lot, I thought I would need to change the charging system to add a lithium battery, I will now look at fitting a B to B charger and a lithium battery. what size/make of lithium did you fit?

Thanks

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[GeoffnDee]

If you are thinking of fitting Lithium batteries there is a very informative article in issue 13 of the Motorhome fun magazine which you can find and read on here (it can be found if you use the > next to subscriptions shown at the top , in Extra). Also I think Eco tree Lithium give a discount on their Lifepo4 batteries to members, their discount code is in the advert that appears on here.

 

[BillyKontiki]

Morning Billy

It helps a lot, I thought I would need to change the charging system to add a lithium battery, I will now look at fitting a B to B charger and a lithium battery. what size/make of lithium did you fit?

Thanks

The battery is a 100 ah Bluetooth from kS energy you can check them out on utube, they also have a website and are Victron agents.
The owner Neil is very helpful.

 

[cmcardle75]

My van has a Sargent ec600 and a PX300 charger, I put in a lithium last year as a direct drop in replacement
And it charges fine although quite slow.
It puts out a max of 14.4 volts which is the ideal voltage for my lithium.
I also fitted a Victron 30 amp B to B charger.
Hope this helps.

The absorbtion voltage (14.4V here) is not the issue that causes LiFePO4 incompatibility with lead acid chargers. The two main issues are excessive absorbtion times and excessive float voltage. You'll get away with such slight incompatibilities with a B2B as you don't drive for weeks at a time. However, you might plug in for weeks at a time (i.e. on the drive).

 

[BillyKontiki]

The absorbtion voltage (14.4V here) is not the issue that causes LiFePO4 incompatibility with lead acid chargers. The two main issues are excessive absorbtion times and excessive float voltage. You'll get away with such slight incompatibilities with a B2B as you don't drive for weeks at a time. However, you might plug in for weeks at a time (i.e. on the drive).

Thanks for the info it’s appreciated.everything is working fine and my Moho is on ehu on the driveway 24/7
I was thinking of swapping out the px 300 for a lithium charger.
Meantime I’ll keep the px switched off until 24 hrs.before going on a trip.
Do you think this should help ?

 

[cmcardle75]

Thanks for the info it’s appreciated.everything is working fine and my Moho is on ehu on the driveway 24/7
I was thinking of swapping out the px 300 for a lithium charger.
Meantime I’ll keep the px switched off until 24 hrs.before going on a trip.
Do you think this should help ?

Yes. The problem with most lead acid profiles on the lithium battery is that they don't turn off. For longest life, aim for about 60% charge, then completely disconnect the battery, which will then stay at this charge level for months, if not years. When you're on site, if you've got a suitable Bluetooth BMS or shunt on the battery, turn the charger off manually when it reads 95%, until you get a lithium compatible charger.

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[BillyKontiki]

Yes. The problem with most lead acid profiles on the lithium battery is that they don't turn off. For longest life, aim for about 60% charge, then completely disconnect the battery, which will then stay at this charge level for months, if not years. When you're on site, if you've got a suitable Bluetooth BMS or shunt on the battery, turn the charger off manually when it reads 95%, until you get a lithium compatible charger.

Thanks for the heads up, again much appreciated.