How to choose a dual battery system
It can be a daunting process choosing the right battery system, considering the number of options on the market today.
The Thumper range of portable dual battery systems remain one of the original and leading options for such a battery system. With over 25 years on the market, the Thumper name has grown into a market leading choice with a strong reputation for quality and reliability.
Factors to consider when choosing a dual battery system
There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a dual battery system, and the answers to the questions below will help to guide you on choosing the best option for your needs.
Key factors include:
- Would you prefer Lithium vs AGM?
- Is weight an issue for your system?
- Would you like to run an Inverter / 240v appliances?
- Do you need the capability to Jump Start?
- What is the heaviest load you are running from the battery?
- How much driving would you achieve for recharging?
- Are you charging from solar?
Answering questions like the ones listed above can easily narrow the options for your selection of a dual battery system and what may suit you best.
Lithium vs AGM
It is no secret that Lithium is becoming increasingly popular on the market. With the benefits of light weight design and deeper depth of discharge, the choice of a portable Lithium battery bank is very appealing.
Let's consider the Thumper packs when comparing Lithium vs AGM.
The last 25 years has seen the Thumper 80 AH AGM pack as one of the most popular options for a dual battery system. This pack offers 80 AH of capacity, which if running a 40-50Lt compressor driven fridge, would allow the user to achieve run times of approx. 2 days of independent power.
Compare this 80 AH AGM pack, weighing in at 24kg, with the 100 AH Thumper Lithium Pack, weighing in at just over 10kg. The Thumper Lithium 100 AH pack is exactly the same physical dimension with less than half of the weight.
The Thumper 100 AH Lithium will run the 40-50Lt compressor type fridge for up to 5 days independent of power (compared to the 80 AH AGM at 2-3 days).
Both of the AGM and the Lithium options are completely safe options for use as a portable dual battery system.
When comparing life expectancy of the Lithium compared to the traditional AGM, the average user will achieve approx. 3 times the life through the use of a Lithium over the AGM model.
Running 240 Volt appliances
In the past, running 240 volt appliances from a 12 volt battery system was considered something of a luxury. Fast forward to today, and there exists many reason why individuals may need the option to run 240 volt appliances!
The use of an inverter with a portable battery can offer a whole new range of possibilities for portable power.
Consider this, your power goes out at home, and you have a fridge full of food, rather than worrying about those perishables, simply take your portable battery bank indoors and connect your fridge directly. Your portable battery bank will now act as an UPS to run those crucial appliances.
Thumper offers an all in one Getaway lithium battery pack,
Portable Power supply for sleep apnea machines
What about those users that require 240 volt on a more life dependent use? Such as those looking to run a sleep apnea machine?
Sleep apnea is a very common disorder that affects more than 1 billion people globally. But why should those that suffer from sleep apnea miss out on the ability to go camping, or even have the safety of a back up generator in the home in case of a power failure?
The Thumper Getaway 120 AH is the ideal option for someone looking for reserve battery power with the use of a 1500 watt Pure Sine Inverter. This unit makes thing simple; simply connect your 240 volt appliance directly into the front of the Inverter outlets and away you go!
Offering a massive 1500 watts of Pure Sine Inverter power, this 120 AH LiFePO4 battery will allow the average user up to 5 nights of independent use with a sleep apnea machine whilst running the humidifier. Those not running a humidifier will achieve better results again.
With a comprehensive mobile APP to monitor the exact battery's state of discharge, the user will always know remaining run time and load capacities. Designed for anyone to understand, regardless of your knowledge with batteries, you can rest assured you will always be kept informed of your exact battery condition.
240 volt charging
Consider this; you have used your portable Lithium battery station for several days, independent from power, and let's say you're looking to go into a Caravan Park, or maybe the mains power has just come back on at home... let's now charge on mains power!
Designed as a complete system, the Thumper Getaway 120 AH offers a lithium dedicated 240 volt battery charger to allow for recharging safely and effectively on mains power. The 10 Amp Battery Charger, included with the package will allow the user to recharge from completely flat back to 100% within 12 hours of recharge time. Simply connect directly into any one of the 50 Amp Anderson connectors on the portable LiFePO4 battery Hub and the charger will do the rest!
*Larger capacity chargers are available for faster recharge times
Vehicle charging
Charging from the vehicle is one of the most dominate forms of recharging for a battery system. There are a few factors to consider when looking to recharge from the vehicle, such as cable size, including the use of a DC Battery Charger, or recharge time; however, when done right, the vehicle can provide a recharge time from flat to fully recharged within 2 - 4 hours of drive time!
Charging lithium batteries from the vehicle will always require the use of DC Battery Charger. This is due to the higher input voltage required to charge the Lithium battery back to 100%.
The Thumper Getaway 120 AH offers the option to purchase with and without an in-built DC Battery Charger. The Thumper Getaway 120 AH model is fitted with no DC Battery charger and is either primarily designed to charge on mains power, or via the use of a pre-installed DC Battery Charger.
The Thumper Getaway 120 AH PLUS, is built with an in built Redarc 40 Amp DC Battery Charger. This charger will allow for a vehicle recharge time of only 4 hours from completely discharged back to 100%!
On top of the vehicle charge, the DC Battery Charger will offer the dedicated input of an unregulated solar panel for the Thumper Battery Hub Getaway Plus 120 AH All in one 12V 240V Inverter unit.
Solar recharging
With any portable battery system, the ability to recharge from solar is so important. Solar recharging can be the difference between running independently for a few days or running independently indefinitely.
Many portable solar panels purchased over the last 10 years+ were built with their own solar regulator. These regulators, common referred to as solar charge controllers, were ideally suited for the traditional AGM style batteries, or battery packs.
A common question on the market today, is:
Can I use my existing solar regulator with my lithium battery?
and the simple answer to this question, is, YES, many times you can. Many lithium batteries on the market will allow for the ability to charge on an AGM charge profile, however, you may find that the efficiency is less on this regulator compared to using a Lithium compatible regulator.
The Thumper Battery Hub Getaway Plus 120 AH All in one unit is built with a Redarc 40 Amp DC Battery Charger, which will act as a solar regulator. The MPPT solar regulator is hardwired direct to a dedicated 50 Amp Anderson connector, labelled "unregulated solar input". This solar input will allow for up to approx. 750 watts of unregulated solar panels to be connected directly to the battery.
What if you choose the model without the DC Battery Charger; Thumper Getaway 120 AH. Can you still connect solar panels? Absolutely you can! Simply connect your regulated solar panel directly to the Thumper via any one of the other input connectors, the most common being the 50 Amp Anderson labelled "Input / Output"
Confused about the system or need more help?
Why not chat to a REAL person by phoning our staff directly on 08 8391 3121. The Thumper is an Australian owned and manufactured product.
Built in Australia, for Australian conditions