Sivan and Tara are the owners of @themighty60 and are avid travelers, creating content wherever they go. They rely on being able to charge and maintain their equipment. So what powers their setup?
What we use our system for
We love taking photos and sharing our memories through the lens of the camera. I have been a photographer for almost half my life now, and Tara is usually the key subject in many of my travel images. Although getting out in the bush for us is all about connecting with nature and getting away from the routines we face on the day-to-day, we can’t really go without creating content.
Many people create their 12V setups for making coffees, using microwaves or running an immense amount of equipment. Our setup is designed to be simple and efficient, so that we wouldn’t get caught up with too many luxuries.
Our main focus was making sure we could run our fridge/freezer and our 350W Inverter constantly, without having to worry about leaving a location to charge the batteries. Our REDARC BCDC1250D helps us keep everything topped up and maintained perfectly while we’re setting up for camp. It has all the solar inputs built into it and keeps it all hassle free, with an easy display to let you know what’s going on.
Easy installation
Installing the REDARC BCDC1250D was probably one of my favourite parts of the journey. I love being able to do things myself, and I must say it was a breeze to install the charger. REDARC gives you some basic wiring diagrams for the install, with some more in depth video’s/guidelines on their website, but the rest is up to your imagination.
We decided to redo our entire 12V system while we were at it, which made for a cleaner look in the car and a simpler setup.
Instead of running our under bonnet 2nd battery off the charger we decided to keep our battery isolator there and run the BCDC1250D in the rear of the vehicle.
This meant our 3rd battery in the rear was the only battery running off the charger, and we wired the charger to our isolating point rather than all the way back to the battery. The 50amp dc to dc charger is designed for larger battery systems so we went for the biggest we could fit, and had plans to throw another one back there in the future.
We made a 2 part video covering the whole process, but it really was as easy as connecting everything together.
Part 1
Part 2
Reliability & longevity
The best thing about using a company such as REDARC to power your system is that it’s 100% Australian owned and you know it’s made from the best quality components on the market.
As well as the 50amp in-vehicle battery charger being very robust, compact and strong, it is made to suit a whole range of different products.
You may just need a charger to power a basic setup for now, but maybe you wanted to upgrade to a Lithium Battery System in the future, add solar panels or even add more batteries? That’s what makes this charger so versatile and perfect for any touring setup.
We’ve used it a few times now and it’s been awesome. It’s been thrown around on some 4x4 tracks and used all night long while I was editing photos. Paired with the 125Ah AGM Battery and a 200W Solar panel this really is the perfect 12V system. If you’re looking at keeping it simple and sustainable, while still having all the power in the world this is definitely something I can recommend.
How has it impacted our trips?
Before running the current system we have, we used a very basic 12V system with a 2nd battery and a battery isolator. Although this worked well for a little while, as we added more accessories and lights it became evident we needed an upgrade.
After we installed the BCDC1250D and the 3rd battery in the rear, it was amazing at how big of a difference it made. Being able to plug in chargers, drone batteries, laptops and any accessories whenever you wanted is life changing. We used to stress about battery power but now no matter how hard we try, we can’t get it to drain the battery.
Final thoughts
There is absolutely nothing bad I can say about REDARC’s BCDC1250D. From the installation, to the build quality, to the flawless operation of the device; everything works perfectly as it’s designed to do.
If you are looking for a self sustainable 12V system where you want to charge computers, run a fridge, charge multiple camera batteries and a whole lot more this is the perfect charger for the job. With the addition of the 200W Solar panel it all just works so well. It has endless possibilities for upgrades and this charger can handle charging huge amounts of battery power too.
I couldn’t be happier with how flawlessly it all works now and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend REDARC’s products to anyone, now that I’ve tried and tested them.
Keep up to date with the Mighty60 on all of its adventures by following their Instagram account.
