DIY Vortech Battery Back up
- Thread starter 75pxatr
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kduen
Member
Being that It's a battery back up (DC) there is no need for an inverter anywhere in the circuit. Once commercial power drops out (AC) then the vortech battery backup (DC) takes over until power is restored. The only reason you would need a inverter for the above diagram is if you were going to use the battery as the main power for the vortech using the standard AC wall plug. If you tried to hook up a inverter to the 1.3mm input that is strictly DC you would probably fry the driver and void the warranty.
Chris27
New member
By definition, inverter is also "one that inverts"
The schematic was correct, and rather then tell the OP they were wrong and steer the thread off course, the words "inverter so to speak" were used.
Chris27
New member
Now that we have all had electrical 101, we can get back to the question at hand...
The diy battery backup is as simple as it seems. Likely there is a relay on the input side of the controller where the normally closed position is connected to the 12V jack, such that when 24V is applied, the relay goes to the normally open position allowing 24V to the controller. Upon loss of power, the relay should fail to the normally closed position which will have a 12V battery hooked to it.
It's easy to test, just hook a 12V battery to the 12V port on the controller while the 24V plug is disconnected....you'll find that the controller powers up...and you're good to go. The Tunze setup is just the same, they just don't sell a shiny super whamidyne setup like Ecotech, choosing rather tell you how to hook a battery to it.
While this is speculation, I would hope that Ecotech uses a 12V regulated Lithium pack, given the price tag of the unit. One can build a reasonably similar unit with NiMH or lead acid batteries for a fraction of the cost of the $160+ that that one retails for....a Lithium based setup would be smaller, last longer per charge, and provide a much longer service life do to the fact that a lithium battery doesn't have the memory like other batteries....which would almost justify the parts. A decent Lithium battery pack will run $50, and a charger $30-40...which would explain the retail of $160. After all, they need to pay the bills.
The diy battery backup is as simple as it seems. Likely there is a relay on the input side of the controller where the normally closed position is connected to the 12V jack, such that when 24V is applied, the relay goes to the normally open position allowing 24V to the controller. Upon loss of power, the relay should fail to the normally closed position which will have a 12V battery hooked to it.
It's easy to test, just hook a 12V battery to the 12V port on the controller while the 24V plug is disconnected....you'll find that the controller powers up...and you're good to go. The Tunze setup is just the same, they just don't sell a shiny super whamidyne setup like Ecotech, choosing rather tell you how to hook a battery to it.
While this is speculation, I would hope that Ecotech uses a 12V regulated Lithium pack, given the price tag of the unit. One can build a reasonably similar unit with NiMH or lead acid batteries for a fraction of the cost of the $160+ that that one retails for....a Lithium based setup would be smaller, last longer per charge, and provide a much longer service life do to the fact that a lithium battery doesn't have the memory like other batteries....which would almost justify the parts. A decent Lithium battery pack will run $50, and a charger $30-40...which would explain the retail of $160. After all, they need to pay the bills.
Chris27
New member
If you look at the battery backup module, you'll find it's only got two wires that connect to the controller. Those two lines are the + and - terminals from the battery. If control was done via the module, you would see an additional multi pin cable connecting between the backup and controller.
Chris27
New member
DIY is not for the faint of heart......
milkman55
New member
See post 22 in the thread - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1673939
1.3 mm plug is Radio Shack #274-1571 1.3mm, size H DC power plug
1.3 mm plug is Radio Shack #274-1571 1.3mm, size H DC power plug
Chris27
New member
Here is one that is ready to go from Jameco....all you need to do is swap the plug with the 1.3 mm one and you're good to go.
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&productId=2129351&position=1&category=472015&catalogId=10001&subCategoryName=Batteries+%2F+Rechargeable+Packs+%2F+Li-ion+%28Rechargeable%29&storeId=10001&refine=1&app.products.maxperpage=15&parentCategoryId=4720%24%24472015&categoryName=cat_4720&history=ag0boqle|subCategoryName~Batteries^category~47^categoryName~category_root^prodPage~15^page~SEARCH%252BNAV%40ncbw54l2|category~4720^categoryName~cat_47^position~1^refine~1^subCategoryName~Batteries%2B%252F%2BRechargeable%2BPacks^prodPage~15^page~SEARCH%252BNAV&ddkey=http:StoreCatalogDrillDownView
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_71192_-1
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&productId=2129351&position=1&category=472015&catalogId=10001&subCategoryName=Batteries+%2F+Rechargeable+Packs+%2F+Li-ion+%28Rechargeable%29&storeId=10001&refine=1&app.products.maxperpage=15&parentCategoryId=4720%24%24472015&categoryName=cat_4720&history=ag0boqle|subCategoryName~Batteries^category~47^categoryName~category_root^prodPage~15^page~SEARCH%252BNAV%40ncbw54l2|category~4720^categoryName~cat_47^position~1^refine~1^subCategoryName~Batteries%2B%252F%2BRechargeable%2BPacks^prodPage~15^page~SEARCH%252BNAV&ddkey=http:StoreCatalogDrillDownView
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_71192_-1
fatoldsun
New member
Has anyone tried this?
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