REDARC Electronics BCDCN1225 Dual Input Multi Stage In Cabin Battery Charger Instruction Manual

June 10, 2024
REDARC Electronics

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REDARC Electronics BCDCN1225 Dual Input Multi Stage In Cabin Battery

Charger

REDARC-Electronics-BCDCN1225-Dual-Input-Multi-Stage-In-Cabin-Battery-
Charger-1

THE BCDCN1225 & BCDCN1240

The BCDC Core In-Cabin Battery Chargers feature technology designed to charge your auxiliary batteries to 100%, regardless of their type or size.
Units that feature a Yellow wire include a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) solar regulator. These units always take as much power from the unregulated Solar input as possible before supplementing from Vehicle power input, up to the maximum rated power.
All In-Vehicle Battery Chargers are suitable for all common types of automotive lead acid batteries and LiFePO4 lithium type batteries.

WARNING & SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS — This manual contains important safety instructions for the BCDCN1225 and BCDCN1240 battery charger ranges.
DO NOT operate the battery charger unless you have read and understood this manual and the charger is installed as per these installation instructions. REDARC recommends that the charger be installed by a suitably qualified person.

WARNING
Risk of explosive gases: Working in vicinity of a Lead-Acid battery is dangerous. Batteries generate explosive gases during normal operation. For this reason, it is of utmost importance that you follow the instructions when installing and using the charger.

CAUTION

  • The Battery Charger should not be used by persons (including children) with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities, or lack of experience and knowledge, unless they are supervised or have been instructed on how to use the appliance by a person responsible for their safety. Children should be supervised to ensure that they do not play with the Battery Charger.

  • Do NOT alter or disassemble the Battery Charger under any circumstances. All faulty units must be returned to REDARC for repair. Incorrect handling or reassembly may result in a risk of electric shock or fire and may void the unit warranty.

  • Only use the Battery Charger for charging Standard Automotive Lead Acid, Calcium Content, Gel, AGM, SLI, Deep Cycle or Lithium Iron Phosphate type 12 V batteries.

  • If you need to replace your auxiliary battery, check the manufacturer’s data for your battery and ensure that the ‘Maximum’ voltage of the profile you select does not exceed the manufacturer’s recommended maximum charging voltage. If the ‘Maximum’ voltage is too high for your battery type, please select another charging profile.

  • Check the manufacturer’s data for your battery and ensure that the ‘Continuous Current Rating’ of the charger does not exceed the manufacturer’s recommended maximum charging current.

  • When using the Battery Charger to charge a Lithium Iron Phosphate battery, only batteries that feature an inbuilt battery management system featuring inbuilt under and over voltage protection and cell balancing are suitable.

  • The Battery Charger is not intended to supply power to a low voltage electrical system other than to charge a battery.
    Cable and fuse sizes are specified by various codes and standards  which depend on the type of vehicle the Battery Charger is installed into. Selecting the wrong cable or fuse size could result in harm to the installer or user and/or damage to the Battery Charger or other equipment installed in the system. The installer is responsible for ensuring that the correct cable and fuse sizes are used when installing this Battery Charger.

  • NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in vicinity of battery or engine. This may cause the battery to explode.

PERSONAL SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
To assist with the safe operation and use of the Battery Charger when connected to the battery:

  • Wear complete eye protection and clothing protection. Avoid touching eyes while working near a battery.
  • If battery acid contacts your skin or clothing, remove the affected clothing and wash the affected area of your skin immediately with soap and water. If battery acid enters your eye, immediately flood the eye with running cold water for at least 10 minutes and seek medical assistance immediately.

SPECIFICATIONS

  BCDCN1225 BCDCN1240
Continuous Current Rating 25 A 40 A
Maximum Current Rating 35 A 55 A
Vehicle Input Fuse Rating 40 A ( Not Supplied ) 60 A ( _Not

supplied_ )
Output Fuse Rating| REDARC FK40

recommended

| REDARC FK60

recommended

Output Power| 375 W| 600 W
Vehicle Input Voltage Range| 9–32 V
Solar Input Voltage Range
| 9–32 V (unregulated only)
Output Battery Type| Standard Lead Acid, Calcium content, Gel, AGM or LiFePO4 type only
Charging Profile| A| B| C| Li
— Maximum Voltage| 14.6 V| 15.0 V| 15.3 V| 14.5 V
— Float Voltage
| 13.3 V| 13.6 V
 | BCDCN1225| BCDCN1240
---|---|---
No Load Current| < 100 mA
Standby Current| < 8 mA



Operating Temperature

| A, B, C —

Output Batt. > 10.5 V

| −15°C to +80°C 5°F to +176°F
A, B, C —

Output Batt. < 10.5 V

| 0°C to +80°C

32°F to +176°F

LiFePO4 Batteries| 0°C to +80°C

32°F to +176°F

Minimum O/P Battery Volts| 0.1 V
Weight| 0.9 kg (2 lb)
Dimensions| 165 × 120 × 37 mm (6.5″ × 4.7″ × 1.5″)
Warranty| 2 years
Standards| CISPR11, ECE Reg. 10, UKCA

TURN ON/OFF THRESHOLDS

  Input 12 V Vehicle Input 24 V Vehicle Input Solar
Input Trigger Settings Standard Low Voltage Standard Low Voltage
Input Open Circuit Low voltage conditions** Turn ON ABOVE 12.9 V 12.0
V 25.8 V 24.0 V 9.0 V
Turn OFF BELOW 12.7 V 11.9 V 25.4 V 23.8 V

**Input Loaded Low voltage conditions*****

| Stop Charging BELOW| 12.2 V| 11.3 V| 24.4 V| 22.6 V| N/A
Turn OFF instantly BELOW| 8.0 V| 8.0 V| 9.0 V
Turn OFF after 20 s BELOW| 9.0 V| 9.0 V| N/A

Input Overvoltage shutdown

| Turn ON BELOW| 15.5 V| 32.0 V| 32.0 V
Turn OFF instantly ABOVE| 16.0 V| 32.5 V| 33.0 V
Turn OFF after 20 s ABOVE| 15.6 V| 32.1 V| N/A
Output Undervoltage shutdown**|

Shutdown if Output Battery < 0.1 V

MOUNTING THE UNIT
The charger is suitable for mounting in the cabin of the vehicle only and should not be mounted in a location exposed to water or dust ingress e.g. under bonnet or vehicle exterior. The unit will operate optimally below 55°C
(130°F) with good airflow. At higher temperatures, the unit will de-rate output current up to 80°C (175°F) at which point the unit will turn OFF.
It is important to ensure the charger is mounted as close as possible to the battery being charged (auxiliary battery).
The charger should be mounted in any orientation (so that the front decal is visible) using the 4 mounting tabs provided on the heat-sink using zinc plated, G4.6 M5 Screws.
IMPORTANT : The unit must not be mounted in the engine bay of a vehicle. Moisture ingress and heat build up may damage the battery charger.

FUSING
REDARC recommends using MIDI style bolt-down fuses as they ensure a low- resistance connection. The REDARC FK40 and FK60 fuse kits are recommended.
Blade-type fuses are not recommended as they can result in a high resistance connection which causes excess heat and may damage the fuse holder and/or the wiring. Self-resetting circuit breakers are not recommended as they may trip prematurely due to the heat generated by the current flowing through the wires. A single fuse and holder setup from the Fuse Kits available from REDARC. Part number FK40 (40 A) or FK60 (60 A).

  • BCDCN1225 — 40 A
  • BCDCN1240 — 60 A

CHARGE PROFILE SELECTION

Charge Profile Selection (ORANGE Wire)
The ORANGE wire is used to select the Maximum output voltage. This is achieved by connecting in the following way:

  • To select Profile A leave the ORANGE wire disconnected. This will set the Maximum voltage to 14.6V.
  • To select Profile B connect the ORANGE wire to Common Ground. This will set the Maximum voltage to 15.0V.
  • To select Profile C connect the ORANGE wire to the RED wire (Input source positive). This will set the Maximum voltage to 15.3 V.
  • To select the Li Profile connect the ORANGE wire to the GREEN wire (LED output). This will set the charger to Lithium mode.
    CAUTION: Check the manufacturer’s data for your battery and ensure that the Maximum voltage of the profile you select does not exceed the manufacturer’s recommended maximum charging voltage. If the Maximum voltage is too high for your battery type, select another charging profile.

REDARC-Electronics-BCDCN1225-Dual-Input-Multi-Stage-In-Cabin-Battery-
Charger-4

Input Trigger Settings (BLUE Wire)
The BLUE wire is used to switch the vehicle input turn ON trigger mode between:

  • Standard trigger (for fixed voltage or temperature compensating alternators)
  • Low Voltage trigger (for variable voltage and Idle Stop vehicles)

REDARC-Electronics-BCDCN1225-Dual-Input-Multi-Stage-In-Cabin-Battery-
Charger-5

Input Mode

|

Blue Wire Connection

| 12 V Mode| 24 V Mode
---|---|---|---
ON

above

| OFF

below

| ON

above

| OFF

below

Standard| Not Connected or Ground| 12.9 V| 12.7 V| 25.8 V| 25.4 V
Low Voltage| “D+” for Idle-Stop “Ignition” for others| 12.0 V| 11.9 V| 24.0 V| 23.8 V

CABLE SIZING

The table outlines the required cable size for a given cable install length. Please refer to this table for Vehicle Input (RED), Solar Input (YELLOW), Ground (BLACK) and Battery Output (BROWN) cable thickness requirements. Always choose a wire cross sectional area equal to or greater than what is specified below.

Part Number

| Cable Install Length

(m)                   (ft)

| Recommended Wire Cross Section (mm²)| Closest (BAE, B &S, AWG)| Lug Cable Size
---|---|---|---|---
BCDCN1225| 1 – 5| 3 – 16| 7.71| 8| 8 B&S / 10 mm²
5 – 9| 16 – 30| 13.56| 6| 6 B&S / 16 mm²
BCDCN1240| 1 – 5| 3 – 16| 13.56| 6| 6 B&S / 16 mm²
5 – 9| 16 – 30| 20.28| 4| 4 B&S / 25 mm²

CAUTION
Cable and fuse sizes are specified by various codes and standards which depend on the type of vehicle the Battery Charger is installed into. Selecting the wrong cable or fuse size could result in harm to the installer or user and/or damage to the Battery Charger or other equipment installed in the system. The installer is responsible for ensuring that the correct cable and fuse sizes are used when installing this Battery Charger.

TYPICAL SETUP
Typical Lead Acid Battery Setup (12 V or 24 V and Solar)

REDARC-Electronics-BCDCN1225-Dual-Input-Multi-Stage-In-Cabin-Battery-
Charger-6Typical LiFePO4 Battery Setup (12 V or 24 V and Solar) REDARC-Electronics-BCDCN1225
-Dual-Input-Multi-Stage-In-Cabin-Battery-Charger-7If using an Optional LED, use a standard 12 V LED with an integrated resistor (12 V = 1kΩ or 24 V = 2.2kΩ). A basic 3 V LED will not operate correctly if installed.

TROUBLESHOOTING

There are no LEDs ON at all
This indicates that there is no battery connected to the output (BROWN wire) or that battery is not at a suitable voltage level to be charged AND the input (YELLOW/RED wire) of the charger is not connected.

  1. 1. Check the Auxiliary battery is above 0.1 V.
  2. Check all wiring to the charger and battery, particularly the Ground (BLACK wire).
  3. Check fuses are intact and properly connected.
    If the problem is still evident please contact your local Auto-Electrician.

The ‘Charge Profile’ LED is flashing
This indicates that either Output or Input is not valid.
Specifically, an Auxiliary battery, at a suitable voltage level to be charged, is connected to the output of the charger however there is currently no valid charging source OR a valid charging source is available but the Auxiliary battery is not at a suitable voltage level to be charged or is not connected.

  1.  Check that the Vehicle (RED wire) and/or Solar (YELLOW wire) are electrically connected:
    • The Vehicle (RED wire) should connect directly to the Vehicle battery positive terminal via an adequately rated fuse.
    • The Solar (YELLOW wire) should connect directly to the Solar Panel positive terminal/wire.
  2. Check that the Ground (BLACK wire) is connected to the Auxiliary battery and Chassis Earth and/or the Solar Panel negative terminal/wire.
  3. Check the Auxiliary battery is above 0.1V.
  4. Check all wiring to the Auxiliary battery, particularly the Ground (BLACK wire).
  5. Check fuses are intact and properly connected.

If the problem is still evident see the relevant points below.

Solar is connected but the ‘Solar’ LED is OFF
This indicates that the required turn ON conditions for this source have not been met. Either the Open Circuit Voltage at the YELLOW wire on the charger is below 9V or there is not sufficient power available from the Solar Panel (due to poor light conditions or a faulty panel).

  1. 1. Is the sun out? No or low sunlight levels mean low power to your solar panels.
  2. Check that the solar panel is not being shaded (e.g. by a tree).
  3. Check the voltage at the YELLOW wire, as close as possible to the charger, is above 9 V.
  4. Check all wiring to the Solar Panel, particularly the Ground (BLACK wire).
  5. Ensure you have an unregulated solar panel.

Allow up to 2 minutes after any change for the unit to recognize the input.

The BCDC is connected to the ‘Vehicle’ but the Vehicle LED is OFF
This indicates that the required turn ON conditions for this source have not been met OR the Solar input is supplying the full input power requirements of the charger. With the BLUE wire left unconnected, the voltage at the RED wire must be above 12.9 V for a 12 V installation or above 25.8 V for a 24 V installation. With the BLUE wire connected to Ignition, Ignition must be on and the voltage at the RED wire must be above 12.0 V for a 12 V installation or above 24.0 V for a 24 V installation.

  1. Check that the vehicle is running.
  2. Check the voltage on the RED wire is above the required turn ON threshold for your installation.
  3.  Check all wiring to the Vehicle battery, particularly the Ground (BLACK wire).

IMPORTER CONTACT INFORMATION
UK : Ozparts UK Ltd 1 Prospect Place Pride Park DE24 8HG, Derby UK
Europe: Ozparts Pl sp. z o. o. ul. Slowackiego 32/5 87−100 Torun Poland

Tech Support
1300 REDARC (1300-733-272)
Australia
+61 8 8322 4848
New Zealand
+64 9 222 1024
UK & Europe
+44 (0)20 3930 8109
USA
+1 704-247-5150
Canada
+1 604-260-5512
Mexico
+52 558-526-2898
redarcelectronics.com

References

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