Red Arc Electronics gave us a sneak peek of their all-new BCDC Alpha, the first-ever DC-to-DC charger that’s also capable of jump starting your car battery off your house battery.
A typical DC-to-DC converter or MPPT will move and manage energy from solar panels and/or your start (car) battery and alternator to a house battery. But the new Red Arc BCDC Alpha can push enough current backwards to your car battery to top it off from solar, too.
The video above shows off all their latest goods from Overland Expo East, BCDC unit is near the end. All are summarized below, too.
Designed to be hardwired into your vehicle, the Red Arc BCDC Alpha comes in 25-amp ($599) and 50-amp ($639) versions. The companion app connects by Bluetooth so you can monitor solar capacity, charging rates, and customize settings.
When your house batteries are full from the sun, it can automatically redirect power to your start battery. Or you can manually switch it to the start battery when needed. It’s IP67/69K dust- and water-proof, so you can mount it under your hood or inside.
Side note: the new KC Hilites’ Solar Charge Hub will also top off your car battery from solar, or your house battery, but not both simultaneously, and it won’t pull juice from your alternator.
Red Arc batteries & inverters
Their latest battery is a 150Wh LiFePo unit that’s strong enough to power a 2000-watt inverter with a single unit. Even they admit this three-battery setup from their show van is total overkill.
In comparison, Lead Acid batteries would need at least two to power a 2000-watt inverter, and you’d still have far less usable power than with a single 150Wh LiFePo battery.
Shown top right is their TVMS Rogue, a Vehicle Management System that lets you run power to lights and other electronic accessories from it, then control it all with a display panel. Basically an sPod-like switch panel for interior stuff, with the ability to dim and otherwise customize output.
On the bottom is their Manager Alpha 100, a bigger, more capable option when the BCDC (or any standard MPPT/DCDC charger) isn’t enough. This one adds more throughput (100 amps) and can also connect and convert AC shore power into your system.
It’s designed for larger RVs and vehicles that need to plug into shore power or have a LOT of solar and need to charge a lot of batteries. It intelligently manages inputs, letting you simultaneously charge from any source (solar, alternator, or AC outlet), but will prioritize solar to minimize the drain on your alternator.
And it can send power backward to your car battery to jump start it in a pinch. Or send DC to an inverter for powering household 110v appliances, and use it to monitor input and output in real time.
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