We've got two
DC-DC converters. Both are the same module, but one's a bare bones unit and the other has a circuit board with some other bits on it to make it work better and last longer. Lee Hart suggested the one with the bits on it.
Anyway, we've never used either. We've just been trickle charging the 12v battery occasionally. Don't tend to run it down because we don't use the car much @ night.
But I'm taking a night course (intro to telescope astronomy), and don't want to kill the battery on the way to & from the college tonight, so I hooked up the "better" DC-DC this afternoon.
Someone on the EVDL said: "
I used to test these modules at GE, they can take a beating." I can vouch for this because I hooked it up wrong the first try (mixed up the input/output wires) which caused a big spark.
Fortunately, the smoke stayed in. Double checked the wiring on the schematic, and now I've got 48v in and 14.5v out (no load), 100 watts max. Barely enough power to run the headlights, but it's enough to keep from killing the accessory battery anyway.