Low Cost Battery Charging

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Low Cost Battery Charging

Even if you have a top of the range 4WD with dual batteries complete with a best you can get isolator there is always a time that both batteries can go flat, and the need to charge them is required. Out free camping in the bush miles from anywhere you could of course use the solar in your trusty A'van as long as you could wait awhile and of course the sun was shining! Jump staring is no longer recommended due to the complex computer systems in most modern cars. The product pictured above is rather unique. This clever unit consists of an ordinary 55 amp alternator close coupled to a 4 stroke motor. Made by Christie Engineering - christie_eng@optusnet.com.au. Using this set up only 10 minutes running will charge a battery enough to get you going again. It is also an ideal solution to running 12 volt lighting in campsites or other 12 volt items, without the need of being near your vehicle, or lugging heavy car batteries in and out of the campsite. For more information, email

These units are priced at $990, and are available from many 4WD outlets such as ARB, Opposite Lock, TJM etc in different areas in Australia. There is a review on the unit at www.offroad.au.com/reviews/generator.cfm

Warning:- If you decide to build your own using an old lawn mower motor etc. take care that you understand just how an alternator works. The regulator is built into the alternator and it uses the 12 volt battery as a reference voltage to control the charging voltage. Now if you run it without a battery in the circuit the voltage will rise all the way up to 110 volts - now this can kill you and do all sorts of nasty things to anything you happen to have connected at the time!

Bob Eustace