Few Questions on Havis Chargeguard:

[TonyS]

Guys, I had a timed-on relay going to a SPST 30A relay to power my two radios and scanner in the truck. I set the timed relay to 5 seconds to eliminate any voltage ripple upon the motor starting from reaching the radios. Well the timer relay finally bit the dust after roughly 6 years of usage. Not bad for $45 I spent back then. Now I'm looking at Havis's Chargeguard and wondering what mode you guys are using. I'm more worried about voltage ripple while motor starting affecting the equipment than the timed shutdown. Should I use DC, AC , Ignition mode? Also, are you hooking your devices' grounds up to the ground on the Chargeguard or a seperate ground? Thanks.

 

[sfd119]

I've used Ign mode. I've had mine for 5 or 6 years now without problem. It works very well.

I don't recall what Ground I'm using.

 

[TonyS]

Thanks. I figured it out. I'm using AC mode. Grounded via 12guage wire from the Chargeguard (CG) to chassis bolt under dash. Fused positive from CG straight to battery and fused negative from battery to Blue Seas Systems fuse block. Positive from CG to the fuse block, too. If you guys haven't heard of Blue Seas Systems then check them out. I've been using them for years and highly, highly recommend them. Can usually be found at your boating supplies place, though usually cheaper on the Web.

 

[scottyhetzel]

I like the ram mount unit myself. Plus ram has awesome customer service. I use it in my flashlight chargers and 996xt remote head and scanner . I set it for two hours.

Your not getting a ripple but rather a voltage drop. A good battery should not have a drop more than 10 volts d.c.. Ripple occur when you have a bad alternator and a/c come out on d.c. Wires and causes all kinds of problems like motor noise out of speakers and strange anomalies.