Smart Start BCDC1220

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Mark Sutcliffe about a years ago	Hi, i was wondering what size cable is required or how much current the BCDC1220 charger would draw on the input side. would it be possible to feed the input side of the charger with solar panels? also it says on the broucher that the input voltage can be as low as 9 volts but that it also disconnects from the input if the voltage is below 12.7. can you please clarify this. Thanks
Dylan @ REDARC permalink	Hi Mark, The BCDC1220 will draw 30A maximum on the input side, so 6mm cable should be fine. The input voltage can be as low as 9 volts at the charger, and it will disconnect the charger should the start battery voltage (at the battery) fall below 12.7 volts. The way it does this is by turning the charger off for a split second every 100 seconds to measue the start battery voltage with no load. No load = no voltage drop, so the charger gets an accurate reading of battery voltage. The reason why the charger will still operate down to 9V (at the charger) is to negate the effects of voltage drop.
Damien Kennedy permalink	Hi, I was looking at using the BCDC1220 in my camper trailer in a more multipurpose role and thinking of hooking up solar panels to the input or maybe a 240v - 12v power supply when in a static location, ie not hooked up to the vehicle. Is there a minimum input current rating for the device ? And what sort of scaling applies to the output current , ie does it match the input current or is it derived from the input power. eg an 80w panel has around 4A at 18V, is your maximum charging current 4A or would it be higher at around 5A (80w / 15v approx)? I would only look at having one input manually connected at a time. Thanks
Dylan @ REDARC permalink	Hi Damien, The BCDC1220 is a great multi-stage battery charger but is only designed to charge from a 12V or 24V vehicle start battery source. For the setup you are describing we have already designed a solution, it is called the BMS1215, and as well as doing all that you require, it also includes a battery monitor and current shunt to give you real time info on your battery and system condition. In answer to your questions, to supply the unit with power your power supply would need to be able to supply above 13.2 volts at around 30A. Output current on the BCDC1220 is derived from the input power, however this does not act as a MPPT solar regulator. I would suggest that after buying the BCDC1220, a power supply the required cabling, the required switching devices and spending the time wiring the setup, it would be more benficial to buy the BMS1215.