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Old 10-17-2009, 01:33 PM   #1
pbahlin
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Sioux Falls
Posts: 617
M.O.C. #9380
DLS 75 Converter

My Big Sky has an Iota Engineering DLS 75 converter (battery charger).

I'm doing research to design a solar system so I've been digging around to find out more about this gizmo. The DLS 75 is basically a 13.4 volt, 75 amp power supply. While this is a fine solution for folks who never dry camp or do so only for a day, it is not a capable battery charger.

It can not fully charge a battery and will, over time, lead to sulfation and subsequent frequent battery replacement. That's the bad news.

The good news is that I also found a neat little option that goes for about $30 that brings the DLS 75 up to current generation, four stage charging capabilities. It's called the IQ4 Smart Controller, is made by Iota, and plugs right in to the DLS box via a little connector that looks like a telephone plug.

This thing is so cheap and easy to hook up (it's about the size of a little memory stick) I can't figure out why it's not standard equipment.

Maybe the person who made the Mission tire decision made the decision to leave off the gargantuan expense.

For me, it seems like a no brainer to pay 30 bucks to get another year out of an 80 dollar battery. I'll be getting one and I'll post here to let you know how it works. If your lights are going dim after a night off the grid, you might want to look into one of these gadgets.
 
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Old 10-27-2009, 10:55 AM   #2
kmh3212
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Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Buford
Posts: 285
M.O.C. #6735
This little IQ4 smart controller issue has been brought up before. It is irritating when the penny pinchers save a couple bucks on a needed item. I have seen this on the axles on my 3670 RL. They could've put 7,000 lb axles over the 6,000 lb and 5,200 lb that my RV came with. They saved less than $50. They did pay for new 6,000 lb axles and tires a couple years later though.
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