FWIW, I bought mine from a 'chandlery' [a marine/boat parts place--don't expect you'll find too many of them in Montana!]. I had a choice of 15 Amp for $200 or 40 Amp for $400, prices in Cdn.
I powered the convertor from the [404] military radio cannon plug on the floor and ran the 12V output through an Ammeter to a 'bus bar' [$10 at the same chandlery]. This allowed me to run all the 12V accessories with individual contacts on the bus bar.
The Ammeter monitors the total draw, particularly when I am re-charging my trailer battery following a 2 or 3 night stopover, and avoids me having to change any protective fuses within the convertor after exceeding the 15 Amp rating. I also run the trailer battery power through a toggle switch in order to deselect it if/when desired.
For safety purposes, because the convertor is powered up when I turn on the battery master switch, I have used some inner tube rubber to fabricate a spray shield which also prevents me from accidentally touching the 'live' bus bar when doing something else under the hood. The rubber shield is retained in place across the top edge and by two large red 'screw connectors' normally used in joining household wiring such as inside some light fixtures. These screw caps fit on the two main terminals, positive and negative, of the bus bar.
I mounted my convertor between the seats, on the rear cockpit wall, so the 12V output runs about 4 to 5 feet, through the Ammeter, to the bus bar.
A couple of photos, in case they are any help. The bus bar is at the bottom right of the engine photo, just to the right of the circuit breaker panel.
Caveat: don't confuse any of the above with the work of an automotive electrician. I am strictly an amateur. But, it has worked well, for 9 years.
AH-HA ! So many things to consider. Thanks for your help. I'll wire in a
switch if need be. Thanks , Roberto.
Yes, these units will pull current even when there is nothing connected to the output. You need either a cave-man switch or something more elegant, like a sense circuit. The converter *may* already have something like that.
Take proper precautions and use proper wiring. 60A of 12V and 30A+ of 24V is a lot of energy. I would be sure to solder all your connections - don't rely on crimped connections.
__________________ " It looks just like a Telefunken U47 ! "
I suggest under the glove box. It's got a fan that's thermally controlled, ie: hotter it gets, faster the fan spins. In that picture it's sitting directly on top of the greentop ac evaporator unit. It fits perfectly between it and the glovebox container volume.
That one is hooked up so it is only powered on when the truck key is turned on. A 60 amp continuous duty SPST relay is wired up to the input side of the converter. Also, some additional relays drive a power signal for head lamps (for 12volt equipment dimming control) and a tiny crossover voltage regulator circuit (LM317 + relay) that provides a continuous power source for radio memory.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TRUKTOR
Thanks- I just ordered the 60 Amp unit.
Although I expect there will be instructions with it, where is the best place
to put the thing...Close to the batteries or under the dash, since that is where
most of the 12V gack will be?
Or does it matter ?
The truck came with two 24V to 12V converters, both mounted behind the glove box. One was dead and the other one was an 8 amp unit and looked sketchy in quality, but it worked well enough to power the Nokia Phone of the previous owner in Spain.
Thanks Aaron. I expect I can use a Keyed-Hot 24V lead to feed it, and I know I'll have room for it behind the glove box. Is the fan something you can hear...? Oh wait....not while the UNIMOG is running, I'd venture to say.
It's a very quiet fan. You can only hear it once you turn the engine off. And only if I've been blasting the stereo first, to give it a good load.
The primary problem is finding a wire that's rated for a 30 amp load. (@ 24 volts) you're going to need at least a 6 gauge wire to safely carry the load from the battery to the converter. (probably a min. 8 feet if you're in the cab with the converter)
I'd suggest getting a breaker for it too. Blue Sea makes a great line of marine electrical equipment that works well.
Thanks Aaron. I expect I can use a Keyed-Hot 24V lead to feed it, and I know I'll have room for it behind the glove box. Is the fan something you can hear...? Oh wait....not while the UNIMOG is running, I'd venture to say.
I am acquainted with BLUESEA and have used their stuff before. I'll be heading over to WEST Marine to get the bits. With your help, it looks like I might avoid melting things, which would be nice.
OK. where did the photos that I posted go to, I wonder? Did I step over
an imaginary George-line with my illustrative photos, or was it a case of looney over-editing ???
Maybe the goblins took 'em.
It's OK, I've got 40,000 more photos where they came from, so its not like I'm going to run out...
OK. where did the photos that I posted go to, I wonder? Did I step over
an imaginary George-line with my illustrative photos, or was it a case of looney over-editing ???
Maybe the goblins took 'em. ....
It was the Weee People They whispered you into a hypnotic trance to over edit your post. You know like
"THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT" !!
AKA.. nope... I have not done anything with any photos. Your stuff is a GREAT addition to this board and I can't say thank you enough for it.
BTW- what photo's? Everything looks the same way it did a couple hours ago?
They whispered you into a hypnotic trance to over edit your post. You know like
Linear Mode
