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Tricks and Tips for added versatility with SmartGauge Electronics' products.
Due to the extreme versatility of our products, and also to our heavy involvement with fleet operators we often use our own products for purposes that they were not initially designed for. This usually follows a request from one of our many professional customers.
Listed here are various extra functions that can be achieved from various products and combinations of products.
Automatic battery compartment forced venting using SmartBank.
SmartBank remote indication.
Charging 2 different battery types with a SmartGauge/SmartBank combination.
Increasing alternator charge voltages - the cheap way.
It is sometimes necessary to "force vent" battery compartments in order to remove explosive gasses during charging. With SmartBank this can be achieved in a number of way. The basic way is to simply energise another relay from SmartBank that is then used to provide power to the battery compartment fan.
However continuous fan noise can become tiresome so dual speed fan operation is desirable and is easily achievable with SmartBank in one of two ways. Method one uses an additional SmartBank. Method two uses a software revision R1.08 or later SmartGauge in conjunction with the normal SmartBank (Standard or Advanced) used for split charging to give automatic dual fan speed greatly reducing unnecessary fan noise and wear. This is useful when on shorepower for lengthy periods of time with the batteries continuously on float charge
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Simple remote indication and operation of SmartBank is a very useful feature to have. This easy "add on" allows you to see at a glance when SmartBank has connected and allows remote emergency connection of the relay to permit engine starting from the auxiliary battery bank. Very useful, very simple, very cheap.
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Charging 2 different types of batteries can sometimes be a problem with a single charge source (be it an alternator, wind turbine, AC powered charger or whatever) because of the different voltages required for different battery types.
For example calcium/calcium type low maintenance or maintenance free batteries require (and will withstand) a higher charge voltage than deep cycle antimony/antimony batteries. Alternatively it may be required to avoid over charging an engine start battery (due to it's much lower useage) yet continue to charge the auxiliary bank during the acceptance cycle. Using SmartGauge and SmartBank Advanced this is no longer a problem. Click here for the solution.
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Increasing alternator charge voltages the cheap and easy way.
If you have read this and accept it, and you have an alternator charging at a lower than ideal voltage then you may think your only options are to change the alternator or to fit an external alternator controller.
This may not be necessary. Click here to see a very simple method for increasing the charge voltage of your internally regulated alternator.
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