Batboard

Installing 6 HT1250 single chargers in a 06 EONE fire truck. The designated spot is not big enough for a bank charger which we would have preferred. We asked EONE for a 12v + feed to be wired into the cabinet. This didn't happen. So now I am forced to use the AC adapter. I can plug it into the 110v outlet, and run the wire into the cabinet. My question is, I was going to daisey chain all of the chargers to a 12g wire 12v + feed. Now I am wondering since the 110v transformer drops the voltage to 18V to the charger, could I hook up more than one charger to the one ac adapter? Using a power strip and 6 ac adapters would get ugly. any ideas?

why can't you run the 12v line yourself and eliminate any problems of an ac transformer?

According to EONE, the whole truck is run by about 7 different computers, and it gets really mad when you mess with its electrical system. I tried tapping into a power feed near the VIC (onboard mdt) and the truck had an electrical hiccup, the high idle kicked on, and the emergency lights wouldnt work. I guess I could tap it at the battery posts...

i'd tap it right off of the battery switch output or the output of the main relay then it will turn off with the switch and it will be in line before any type of computer.

I'm assuming your engine has some type of shore power system, likely Kussmaul. You don't want to hang stuff directly off the battery (where the stuff will be running while you're on shore power). This will confuse the battery charger as it will provide power to the items, and thus never fully charge the battery.

I would recommend a Kussmaul Battery Saver:
http://www.kussmaul.com/fire%20power%20 ... index.html

Wire the battery connection straight to the battery (bypass the battery switch), wire the AC side to your shore power, and call it good.

I feel sorry for you with an EONE... don't believe most of what they say.

Which charger were you planning on using? You can't run 12VDC to the standard 110V chargers and expect it to work properly.

also i heard that E-ones Warranty is nutty

like that unless they do the work or work is done by an Authorized shop for adding in Electrcial Devies it can Void the Warranty and that even means radios

Ah yes, the joy of todays Muti-plexing systems. They make the interior of your apparatus look good on parade day, that is about all they are good for.

Since all fire trucks are basiclly ran by computers now, to not void the warranty, I would send the truck out to E-one and have then do everything! mount the chargers and put power to them. If it was in the spec of the truck when purchased, I would not of signed off. I have a e-one quint, we sent it back to e-one to have them install the charger for the camera. They did, no problem @ all.

Playing with electrical on a fire truck and with computers isn't the best alternative. God forbid because you install the charger, the pump fails in the middle of a 5 alarmer.

A standard 110v ac charger will actually work fine on a 12volt system. Most of the time your getting 14 volts anyway, as long as your alternators are functioning properly. I know quite a few people that have made there own bank chargers with 110v ac chargers and some stainless steel. My only concern would be securing the radio, atleast with the vehicular chargers there is a bunge strap to secure the radio! How do you plan on doing this with regular chargers? I agree with the battery saver idea as I would install one and their not that expensive.

With all of the E-One's I have recently worked on, they all had a seperate fuse block for added accessories mounted behind a kick panel on the driver's side behind the brake pedal. There is usually a 6 or 8 output block there that you should be able to use for your chargers. I am quite sure that this is not activated by a multiplex module. Only issue may be that this block is usually only powered from the master switch. Probably not ideal for what you are doing.

RGM