Low voltage battery disconnect?

[Harry Mueller]

Greetings All,

Does anyone have any experience with devices that disconnect the batteries form the vehicle electrical system when they reach a specified voltage to prevent deep discharge?

I have been having problems with reserve vehicles that are not used often having their batteries be found dead due to either electrical equipment being left on when the vehicle is not is use or battery chargers having their internal GFI popped and not noticed. I have been looking at something like this:

http://www.colehersee.com/home/item/cat/206/48610/

but before I make the leap would like feedback from others who might have other alternatives.

Thanks,
Harry
--
Harry Mueller, RP
Captain/Operations Coordinator
McGregor EMS
47 College Rd.
Durham NH 03824
603-397-3041 (direct)
603-862-3674 (main)
603-862-4415 (fax)
hmue...@mcgregorems.org
http://www.mcgregorems.org

[David Shrader]

Our Fire department uses them on command vehicles since it is inconvenient to use shoreline systems at home. I even had one installed on my personal vehicle since it had a mobile radio installed. The one we use is Priority Start. It contains an electromechanical switch that opens if the voltage falls below a set level. This thing has saved my bacon dozens of times when I've gone to the car for a late night response only to find the battery "dead." I turn on the headlights, step on the brake and the power comes back on allowing me to crank up. This thing has also saved me when I've parked at the airport for long business trips.

David A. Shrader

David A. Shrader, President

The Polaris Group

EMS & Public Safety Consultants

273 North Dogwood Trail

Southern Shores, NC 27949

252-441-8844  Direct Voice

252-441-8856  Fax

252-255-8262  Cell

dshr...@thepolarisgroup.org

www.thepolarisgroup.org

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[Art Groux]

We were using them however we ran into a problem in the winter.  When the temperature drops really low (like you will experience Harry) and the disconnect has shut off the battery voltage continues to drop and the vehicle may still need to be jumped.  We solved this by putting on all the equipment on a timed delay shut off so all the radios and electronics shot off regardless of the battery voltage after a predetermined time (we can set the time with a series of small switches from 5 minutes to hours and there is an override switch if needed.  This seems to have worked much better.  I am sorry but I don’t remember the brand that we used.

 

 

Art Groux, Chief

Suffield Volunteer Ambulance

P.O. Box 642

205 Bridge St.

Suffield CT 06078

Office (860) 668-3881

Fax (860) 668-3884

Cell (860) 306-4674

[Miller, Carlyle]

Priority start works every time for me in the northeast. But it helps to have some if not all equipment on timers

Carlyle Miller 

Supervisor 

NSLIJ CEMS

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