REDARC BCDC12050R BCDC Alpha50 R DC battery manager12V 50A DC-DC and MPPT solar charger with battery monitor and Bluetooth

Overview

The BCDC12050R, or BCDC Alpha50 R, is a 50A, 800W DC battery manager for 12V auxiliary batteries in campers, caravans and 4x4s. It charges from a 12V or 24V start battery (9–32V) and from solar arrays of up to 1000W on a 9–48V input, solar first, and comes with a Smart Battery Monitor for state of charge and load-aware charging. REDARC recommends it for batteries of 50–600Ah. Settings are made in the RedVision Configurator app or with the main unit's push-button; it must be mounted indoors, not in the engine bay.

• 50A (800W) or 100A (1600W) to a 12V auxiliary battery
• Start battery input 9–32V, 12V or 24V vehicles
• Solar input 9–48V, up to 1000W or 2000W arrays
• Smart Battery Monitor with ±500A shunt included
• Start battery top-up from solar and flat-battery recovery
• Configurable vehicle input current limit for hybrids and EVs

How it works

The BCDC Alpha R combines a DC-DC charger and an MPPT solar regulator in one main unit, with solar always used first. The included Smart Battery Monitor sits on the auxiliary battery negative and measures battery current, voltage and temperature, so the charger can tell battery current from load current. When the charge current is set below the maximum, spare capacity feeds the loads directly, reducing cycling of the battery. State of charge and remaining time are calculated from the monitor's data.

Two start battery functions are built in. Start Battery Charge Mode uses surplus solar to keep the start battery topped up, at up to 25A, once the auxiliary battery is in float. Start Battery Recovery charges a flat start battery from the auxiliary battery for about 15 minutes, working down to 11.5V on the auxiliary battery, from the RedVision app or, on the Alpha50 R, with the control button.

Key features

Four battery types are supported: AGM/gel, standard lead-acid/calcium, heated lithium and standard lithium (LiFePO4), with float at 13.3V or 13.6V and temperature compensation. Max charge current is adjustable from 4A, and the vehicle input current limit from 5A, which makes the charger usable on vehicles with little spare alternator current or with small DC converters such as hybrids and EVs. The vehicle input trigger can be Auto (12V/24V), fixed 12V or 24V, Ignition or On. Firmware can be updated over the air.

Installation and compatibility

Main unit and battery monitor are rated for indoor installation in liveable areas only, never the engine bay, in a dry, ventilated place; the 100A unit needs 10mm at the sides and 40mm at each end. Terminals are M5 screws on the 50A model, M6 on the 100A model and M10 on the monitor. Auxiliary battery and ground cables are limited to 2m, and fuses must sit within 150mm of the battery.

Vehicles with smart alternators need the vehicle ignition terminal connected to D+ or an ignition-switched fuse. The solar array's voltage, calculated at the lowest expected temperature, must stay below 48V. Through the R-Bus cable the charger joins a RedVision system with a TVMS Rogue or TVMS Prime, which is needed to use a RedVision display.

Monitoring and settings

Installers set battery type, size, current limits, alarms and trigger mode in the RedVision Configurator app over Bluetooth; on the Alpha50 R, battery type and current limits can also be set with the control button on the main unit. Users monitor state of charge, time remaining, input sources and charger performance in the RedVision app. Status LEDs and the app report hard faults, which stop charging, and soft faults such as low state of charge, low voltage or solar over-voltage.

Questions and answers