I need electronic guidance...

[Rawze]

(03-27-2018 )Hammerhead Wrote:  

(03-27-2018 )Rawze Wrote:  a couple 50-amp power diodes in parrellel mounted to a small aluminum plate for heat dissipation (isolated from ground). The output of that into an old-school style car brake-light bulb (single element, not dual) mounted on a socket (also isolated from ground). the output of the car bulb into the hot sid of the battery. No component(s) should be grounded, only tied to the hot side. When the battery wants to draw a ton of current because it is low or dead, the tail light bulb will light and limit the current nicely to about 8 amps or so. The doide(s) will only allow the power to flow towards the battery, the light bulb will prevent shorts and limit current. When the bulb is lit bright, the battery is very low and when the light is out completely, the battery is at full charge. You also need a fuse for fire prevention.


--> Power source lead --> 15-amp fuse --> couple over-sized diode(s) in parallel --> lt.bulb in series --> hot side of battery.

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Just some thoughts that come to mind. Maybe there are better things but I have made a few isolated trickle charge battery boxes like that over the years.

...and here I was thinking a simple diode of some sort would do the trick...

So am I correct in understanding that the incandescent bulb provides a "load" so that the alternator "supplies/pushes" the amperage to then charge the AGM?
And without the bulb, there is no "draw" thus "no charge"?

naah. the battery will pull a charge if its voltage is lower then alternator. the bulb is only for limiting current. A dead/low battery can draw hundreds of amps.