We recently purchased an AC180, an Elite 200 V2, and 2 PV200L 200W solar panels. This equipment will be used almost exclusively at home to power our refrigerator, Internet, and other critical items during power outages. We also purchased a Charger 1 to use as an alternative way to keep the generators charged on days where solar isn’t an option, but now I’m wondering if that was a mistake. I wasn’t going to permanently install the Charger 1 in our vehicle since it will only be used when it’s parked in the driveway, but I’ve read that using the Charger 1 only while idling isn’t a great choice. Should I be looking at some other solution?
Hi @Bookseller
When i unserstand you correctly, you want to use the charger 1 to charge your powerstations in a emergency from the car battery, while the car is idling?
Well, i would say its really bad for the car. Combustion engine arent made for long term idle without any fresh air. What is also a factor is, that the alternator may dont output enough power to actually keep up with the draw of the Powerstation.
greetings
Erik
Charger1 can operate while the engine is idling, but I recommend you first confirm whether the vehicle can safely handle prolonged idling.
Does anyone have a suggestion on where I can find this information about my vehicle? It’s a 2013 Mazda CX5? Also, does anyone have any real world experience doing what I’m proposing?