ok im planning on getting a dual battery system just i need some help! im going to b running 4 lightforce 170 hid strikers, a 42" vision x evo prime light bar, a pci 110 watt cb radio and then just a few other electronic accessories but 1 battery isnt enough. i need to run a dual battery system but there are so many its hard to choose. i need it to be able to sync both batteries together and maintain them charged and that its able to switch between them for what is needed or both if it needs more power. any help thanks

https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f131...rnator-248058/

Some pretty good arguments in here for isolator, parallel and just running a big alt, setups. Read through this one, might give you some ideas.

If you've got any other questions just ask. Im runnin both parallel and an iso on my two trucks, for two different reasons.

ok what would you recommend if im going to be running 4 lightforce 50W 170 Striker HID, a 42" Vision X Evo Prime light bar that runs at 22amps, a 110 watt race radio, then im also running some higher capacity ignition systems and a few other accessories that dont use much energy. i am not going to b running a winch. just a bunch of lights and a radio that about it. what should i use/get?

easy to install and great quality..

http://www.12voltguy.com/product.php...8&bestseller=Y

why not a cs-144 alt or have yours rebuilt for 100amps

Excellent dual batt article in 4WDTO this issue.

:wabbit2:

For lights that your going to be using only with the engine running. Id lean towards big alt. Not so much dual batteries of either configuration. A winch can and will momentarily draw more then the alt can produce, and thats ok for short periods. But if your running lights that are at, or over your alternators capacity, then its a downhill spiral for your batteries.

http://www.sierraexpeditions.com/ind..._detail&p=2074 what about this system? im only going to be running the lights when the vehicle is on.

completely unnecessary. IMO

why do u say that?

Well more importantly.. why do you think its necessary?

i like the fact that its computerized and it has the dual indicators so you know where your batteries are at

Ya just seems like an awfully expensive battery gauge. Think I paid about $65 for my isolator. Then about $15 for couple digital battery gauges.

another way to go for dual battery set up

http://www.ironman4x4.com/html/140amp.html

^^this.

i built my own "digital" battery voltage gauge using the same chip they're using: lm3914 (also comes in lm3915 & lm3916)

easy to wire up if you know how to solder.

thats a pretty cool site

So it looks like theres really no reseon to pay almost $400.00 for a battery controller/gauge.

The digital voltage gauges just tell you voltage (12.3) or whatever. But if you know anything about batteries its just as helpfull. And in some cases a more accurate way of knowing whats going on.

So have you figured out what batteries you are buying and where you are mointing the 2nd one?

I've had my dual battery setup for 12-13 years now:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...atteries.shtml

Very simple combiner solenoid to put them in parallel when the engine is running with an override switch for jump starting. No monitor outside of the factory volt gauge. Works perfectly and I never even think about it.

I've got dual batteries. I mounted my second next to the airtube intake. Had to move the overflow. I run an isolator with a switch inside to run both, the main, or the emergency deep cell.