Buying advise - ctek or Redarc?

[kleinh17]

Hi there,
as I am currently in the US I am considering buying a DC-DC charger here for my planned dual battery setup as they are considerably cheaper than in Germany/Europe.

I have not yet figured out all the details like location of battery and charger etc. (engine bay or 3rd row seats, aux battery around 100 Ah plus a smaller solar panel ) so I would appreciate some advise or arguments for one product over the other. Here's what I have learned so far from my little research:

ctek D250SA does not support Lithium, the new DS250SE does and is 30 USD more expensive. The Redarc BCDC1225D supports Lithium batteries as well and is 120 USD more expensive than the ctek D250SA. I don't plan for a Lithium battery at the moment, but being ready

The Redarc uses a three-phase charging scheme, ctek five phases.
The ctek has an external temperature sensor; the Redarc has some sort of internal sensor and high temperature adjustment to prevent battery damage.
The Redarc is spec'ed for 80 degrees C, ctek for 50.
The Redarc is fully sealed, the ctek is IP65.
The Redarc is a smaller unit.
The ctek allows to adjust charging voltage to 14.4V and 14.7V, the Redarc provides 4 profiles. Not sure how that translates to specific battery chemistry?
The old ctek D250S (not SA/SE) had some bad reports on the efficiency of the MPPT regulator, I would expect (hope) that this has been fixed? How well does the Redarc solar perform?

As for the praised Redarc support, not sure how that would be in Europe (calling Australia always being an option, I guess)? Haven't read anything about ctek support.

My travel profile would be rather short driving times of 1-3 hours and then short breaks, the aux battery should get a fridge through the evening/night and next morning.

So what would be the arguments for one or the other product, esp. for spending over 100 USD more for the Redarc?

As a side note, the Projecta IDC25 would be a very interesting choice, however that product is not available in Europe or US.

Appreciate your feedback.


-Oliver.

[Miner]

Optimate? I’ve never used the other but used Optimate for 15yrs, no issues. Resurrected some pretty dead batteries in the process.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[justcruizin]

Be aware that when using solar input, the Redarc needs to see more than 17 or 17.5 volts to register a solar input. Make sure you have panels that produce sufficient volts.

[nj swb]

I think Redarc and Ctek are both well respected brands, and you're looking at units that are broadly comparable. Ultimately, I don't think there's much (on paper) between them for what you want to do.

If your auxiliary battery is going in the rear your DC-DC charger should be near the battery. If you're going under the bonnet, I believe the Redarc will be the better option.

For what it's worth, I spent too much of today relocating my Redarc BCDC 20 from above my auxiliary battery (against the firewall, passenger side) to behind the grill. This was because I was experiencing the Redarc dialling itself down from overheating during low speed / low range work in hot weather - think low range hill climbing in temperatures of mid 30s and higher.

This may not be too relevant to you: depending on when & where you drive, the ambient temperatures, the speeds, and where you put whichever unit you choose. But if you're leaning heavily towards an under-bonnet installation I don't believe the Ctek will cope as well as the Redarc.

[kleinh17]

Thanks for your support,


According to the Redarc BCDC1225D manual, its solar input voltage range is 9-32V.
I agree that the Redarc appears to be a better choice for the engine bay installation as it is better sealed and has a higher spec'ed operation temperatures.


Reading through the manual, I am confused by the Redarc charging profiles and which one to apply to AGM or Gel, the maximum voltage appears to be higher than what these type of batteries are usually spec'ed (e.g. 14.8V for AGM, 14.4V for Gel, max charging voltage spec of the Redarc is 14.6V, 15.0V and 15.3V).


The Redarc also has 5A more current than the ctek, how relevant would that be for a 100Ah battery? (e.g. looking up a sample spec sheet, the max current for a 107 Ah AGM is 30A)


Thanks again, and Happy New Year. Still some hours in 2019 left here :-)

[Andythiing]

I’ve found redarcs on line support to be excellent - they employ real techs to answer queries - I’m a bit biased being in SA but I’d go red arc

[kleinh17]

I’ve found redarcs on line support to be excellent - they employ real techs to answer queries - I’m a bit biased being in SA but I’d go red arc

Thanks for the tip, just posted a question in their forum; actually there is a disclaimer that they're closed until Jan 13th. Will see....

[kleinh17]

After three days the post has not been cleared by the moderator, it appears.

I wouldn't consider a four and a half week blackout (as stated on their website for processing orders and I can only suspect that it applies for any inquiries including forum posts) as good customer services. But maybe that is "no worries" in Australia, though?
Or should I ring them instead?!

[Jasonmc73]

After three days the post has not been cleared by the moderator, it appears.

I wouldn't consider a four and a half week blackout (as stated on their website for processing orders and I can only suspect that it applies for any inquiries including forum posts) as good customer services. But maybe that is "no worries" in Australia, though?
Or should I ring them instead?!

Not sure if this is helpful,

As far as service goes my understanding is,
I think the main thing is the quality of the information & trouble shooting from remote locations, in other words, multimeter in hand if you have a problem & ring them you have the option to talk to someone whom knows there stuff & is willing to help direct over the phone & yeah by email.
Not necessarily refer you to dealers, which in Aussie is what most manufacturers will do.

I have a BCDC1240D as well as tow pro Elite & found ample information readily available from Redarc.
Personally I have only contacted via email once about wiring tow pro to vehicle with canbus system etc to confirm my understanding was correct & received prompt reply.
I haven't had any issues using & following their fitment/ placement & wiring methods so can't comment on good or bad tech support, many have advised me though it is available.

CTek seem to make good products asw ell, in my case Redarc fitted my use better & I am very happy wth products at this stage.
Purchased way below Redarcs RRP prices by the way, their dealers do sell the products cheaper than RRP.

Closed to the 13/01/2020 as you say, which will only be relevent to the Christmas break.
Similar to how some manufactuers close down in parts of Europe for summer holidays I suppose.
Maybe there is tech support during this time but no idea sorry?

[kleinh17]

Thanks, Jasonmc73, I know what you mean and understand the point.


I just can't help to smile if I picture myself standing in the Sahara or on the Pamir highway with a Satphone waiting in the line while "all our technicians are busy helping other customers"


I purchased the Redarc without my questions answered yet (as my ordering deadline had been reached); it wasn't a fully rational decision, some positive bias that I received here also played into it and I feel confident that I won't be disappointed.



Thanks to everyone who provided their advise.