Defect: An Isolated batch dispatched between 14/11/2023 and 15/02/2024 has been found to be missing an insulating internal foam layer which may result in an electrical short.

Hazard: Electrical short could lead to product heating or catching fire, which can cause damage to property and physical injury to users.

What to do: Do not charge the product. Discontinue use and contact Hardkorr customer service directly to organise for a replacement or full refund to be issued.

Use the form below to start the refund/replacement process

The post Product Safety Recall appeared first on Hardkorr Australia.

For those who are new to this type of travel, this handy guide will give you an overview of what equipment is usually found in a typical 12v touring setup, and how it all works together to allow you to power your adventures.

Auxiliary batteries – the heart of your 12v electrical setup

When planning your 12v electrical system, the first question to consider is what sort of batteries you’re going to use to store power.

Many novice adventurers assume they can use their crank battery to power their 12v accessories, but this isn’t the case. Crank batteries are made differently to deep cycle batteries and are not designed to provide sustained power. Forcing them to do so will significantly reduce their service life, potentially leaving you stranded without being able to start the engine.

Deep cycle batteries, on the other hand, are made to provide the continuous power your accessories will draw, and you will need to invest in at least one of these if you’re serious about exploring with your 4wd.

Types of batteries

We’ve written an article about 12v batteries, so we won’t rehash all of that information here, but in brief there are two types of deep cycle batteries which are most commonly found in a 12v electrical setup: Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) and lithium. Less commonly found are lead crystal, calcium and gel batteries, but we will focus on the two most popular types in this article.

AGM batteries are cheaper than lithium batteries and can tolerate more heat than lithium batteries (although the gap is closing quickly), making them an ideal choice when you have budgetary constraints or if you need to put your auxiliary battery inside your engine bay. However, they are quite heavy and only about 50% of the total capacity is usable.

Lithium batteries, on the other hand, are a newer technology and are still comparatively expensive (although not so much on a cost per cycle basis). Whilst they cannot tolerate heat as well as AGM batteries, they are lightweight, charge much more quickly than AGM, and 80% of the total capacity is usable. You can even use up to 99% of total capacity without damaging the cells in need.

How much capacity do you need?

The simple answer is, as much as you can afford. Whilst there are several ways to recharge your batteries on the go (see next section), having plenty of spare capacity will allow you to better handle unideal charging conditions such as sustained inclement weather. Having said that, too much battery capacity may add unnecessary weight to your vehicle, particularly if you are using AGM batteries.

Your choice of battery technology will also affect how much capacity you need to carry. As we mentioned earlier, AGM batteries should not be discharged lower than 50% of their stated capacity, meaning that for every 100Ah you carry, you can only really access 50Ah. Lithium batteries, on the other hand, can be discharged to 80%, meaning that 80Ah is accessible for every 100Ah you carry.

Mounting your batteries

Nowadays, auxiliary batteries are most commonly mounted in the vehicle’s canopy or cargo area, particularly if you are using the more heat-sensitive lithium batteries. We offer a mounting tray with straps which, while designed for our battery box, can also be used with most common battery sizes.

Alternatively, some vehicles like Toyota Landcruisers and Nissan Patrols have space inside the engine bay to mount your auxiliary battery. Locating your dual battery here is also a great option if you’re using a battery with high heat tolerance like AGM.

If your battery is a non-standard size (e.g. a 200Ah battery) or if you’re tight on space, you may need to fabricate a custom mounting solution. Make sure it securely holds your battery in place so it won’t move when you’re travelling over bumpy roads or tracks.

Monitoring your batteries

When the batteries in your 12v electrical setup are in use, you will want to be able to easily access information such as its current State of Charge (SOC), voltage and real-time power draw. There are a number of ways to do this.

The easiest way is to install a remote battery monitor, also known as a coulometer. Using a shunt to ensure high accuracy, these devices are easy to mount and display all the information you need.

For a more complex setup, there are solutions available on the market which can accept inputs from several different devices such as batteries, inverters and DC-DC charger, and display all the information on one screen. One example is the RedVision system from Redarc.

An increasing number of lithium batteries are starting to incorporate Bluetooth apps, meaning that you no longer need a separate monitoring device; unless, as we mentioned earlier, you want to integrate several other devices and see all information on one screen.

Charging your batteries

Now you’ve worked out how you’re going to store power for your trips, the next step is to determine how you will recharge the batteries once they’ve been depleted. The most common methods are from your vehicle’s alternator, from solar, and from mains power. We recommend you incorporate as many charging methods into your setup as you can afford, to ensure you can recharge in all conditions.

From your vehicle alternator

Your vehicle’s alternator is already used to keep your crank battery charged, and it’s also the easiest way to keep your auxiliary battery charged while you’re on the go. How you can do this will depend on what type of alternator your vehicle has.

If your vehicle has a fixed voltage alternator, you can use either a Voltage-Sensitive Relay (VSR) or a DC-DC charger. If your vehicle has a variable voltage alternator (also known as a smart alternator) you will need to use a DC-DC charger. This is because the alternator will drop the voltage when it detects the crank battery is full, which can fool the VSR into thinking the engine is off and prevent it from charging the auxiliary battery.

Voltage-Sensitive Relay (VSR)

For most vehicles built prior to 2011, you can charge your auxiliary battery from the alternator by connecting it to the crank battery via a VSR.

The VSR acts as a simple isolator, detecting when the alternator is producing over 13.2v (i.e. the engine is switched on) and activating the connection between the auxiliary battery and the crank battery. When the ignition is switched off and voltage drops below 12.7V, the VSR automatically cuts the link between the auxiliary and crank batteries to prevent the crank battery from being discharged.

DC-DC charger

DC-DC chargers also take power from the alternator to charge the auxiliary battery, but are a more advanced alternative to a VSR. They have a multi-stage charging algorithm, allowing your battery to reach a full 100% state of charge, and are also intelligent enough to still charge when the vehicle is fitted with a smart alternator. Some DC-DC chargers also include a second input allowing you to connect a solar panel into it.

The downside is that DC-DC chargers are more expensive than VSRs, take up more space, and are more complex to install.

From a solar panel

It goes without saying that charging auxiliary batteries from your vehicle’s alternator is only good when you’re on the move. No one wants to run their vehicle while sitting stationary at a campsite, so you need an alternate charging method for this situation. The most common solution is to use a solar panel.

There are two types of solar panel available; firstly fixed solar panels, which are permanently mounted to your vehicle (usually to the roof rack), and secondly portable solar panels, which can be packed away while not in use.

Fixed solar panels

Fixed solar panels are usually glass-fronted and framed with aluminium. They are designed to be permanently mounted (fixed) to your vehicle and connected to a regulator or DC-DC charger mounted inside.

The main advantage of fixed solar panels is that they don’t need to be set up and packed down when you’re at camp. They can also supplement the charge being provided to your batteries by the alternator while the vehicle is on the move, particularly if you are using a DC-DC charger which prioritises solar power.

The downside is that you can’t move them to catch the sun as it traverses the sky, and you won’t be able to park your vehicle in the shade. They also take up space on the roof of your vehicle which could otherwise be used for storage, and can add extra wind resistance and noise to a vehicle on the move.

Portable solar panels

Portable solar panels come in several different forms, which we have talked about at length in our guide to portable solar for camping. When portable solar was first introduced the most common type was hard-frame folding panels which, like fixed solar panels, had an aluminium frame and a glass front to protect the cells. Nowadays, lighter-weight solar blankets and solar mats are the most popular types you’ll see around campsites.

Having a portable solar panel means you have a lot more flexibility in deciding where to position your vehicle at camp. Rather than having to park it in the sun to capture solar energy, you can park your vehicle in the shade and position your panel up to 10m from the vehicle.

Portable solar panels can be connected directly to your battery via alligator clamps, or into an available Anderson port on a DC-DC charger or battery box.

Do you need a solar regulator?

The short answer is yes; whether you’re using a fixed solar panel or portable solar panel, a solar regulator will always be required. Solar panels produce a voltage that is too high for the battery to use without a regulator in-between, and connecting a battery directly to a solar panel will cause it to overcharge and will quickly do irreparable damage.

From mains power

If you’re charging up your batteries at home before or after a trip, or if you’re at a powered camp site, you can also use a 240v mains battery charger. Mains battery chargers are available as portable devices or can be built into your 12v system.

Distributing power to your accessories

Just as important as selecting the right batteries and charge methods is working out how to distribute power from your batteries to your 12v accessories. Here we present three different ways you can do this.

Use a battery box

If you have a standard-sized auxiliary battery (N70 or similar), our Heavy-Duty Battery Box is a really easy way to distribute power. You just put the battery inside, connect the terminals to the box, and then use any of the ports on the outside of the box to power your accessories. There are 4 x 50A Anderson ports, a 175A Anderson port, two cigarette ports and two USB ports. The box is wired up with all the fuses and circuit breakers needed to protect your accessories from electrical damage.

Use a 12v control box

Another popular alternative, particularly for banks of multiple batteries or batteries that are too large to fit inside a battery box, is a 12v control box. Similar in appearance to the electrical boxes found on the side of your house, these control boxes generally contain a number of ports on the outer face. You can also customise the box by cutting or drilling additional holes to fit monitoring gauges or custom ports. The battery is connected to the inside of the box via waterproof grommets in the side.

Connect directly to the battery terminals

It’s worth mentioning that you can also connect accessories directly to the terminals on your battery, but this is a cumbersome solution compared to those described above.

Using 240V accessories with an inverter

Have a hankering for a latte on the go? Want to boil water without using a billy, or charge your laptop? To use these and other 240v-powered accessories, you’ll need a 12v to 240v inverter.

An inverter takes the 12v DC current provided by your batteries and converts it into 240V AC current which these accessories can use. Due to the high voltages produced by an inverter, it is important to ensure that you select an inverter that has been manufactured to a high standard and has appropriate electronic protections in place. An easy way to determine this is to check whether the inverter meets all required Australian and international standards, particularly AS/NZS 4763:2011, UL 458 and IEC/EN 62638-1.

Lighting your 12v electrical setup

The final piece of the puzzle is ensuring that your 12v electrical setup is accessible at any time of the day or night. For this, you will need lighting for your canopy or cargo area.

Hardkorr camp light bars and stick-on light strips are ideal for this purpose. We’ve written this article about cargo area and canopy lighting, which takes you through exactly what products you need for your system and how to set it all up.

These products are incredibly popular with DIYers as well as many of Australia’s best canopy installers including Norweld, Outback Customs, Mits Alloy and Boss Aluminium, and feature on some of Australia’s best rigs including Shauno’s Dirty 30, Jase from All 4 Adventure’s 200 Series and Simon from All 4 Adventure’s D-Max.

Products We’ve Mentioned

Here are links to the Hardkorr products we’ve mentioned in this article:

The post The Best 12V Electrical Setup For Your 4WD – What Do You Need? appeared first on Hardkorr Australia.

What is a Deep Cycle Battery? How Do They Differ from Normal 12V Batteries?

Normal 12V batteries, often called start batteries or crank batteries, are designed primarily to provide a short, high-current burst of power, for example to turn over a vehicle engine. Generally, only a small portion of the battery’s total capacity is ever used, and this is quickly restored by the alternator. They are not suitable for providing sustained power on a regular basis.

Deep cycle batteries, on the other hand, are designed to be deeply discharged without harming the battery, hence the name. They are unable to provide the high-current burst that a crank battery can, but they can provide continuous power for much longer periods of time.

Physically, the main difference between deep cycle and starter batteries is that deep cycle batteries have thicker battery plates and denser active paste material, allowing them to withstand the deeper charge cycles, whereas starter batteries have thinner plates and less dense active material to maximise surface area, allowing them to deliver higher starting power.

Common Terms

Batteries are highly technical products, and the terms used to describe their various features and operation can get confusing.

Volts, Amps, Watts

The three most common terms associated with electrical devices such as batteries are voltage (volts / V), amperage (amps / A) and wattage (watts / W).

Voltage (V) is a measure of the force with which an electrical current is flowing through an electrical line, whereas amperage measures how much electrical energy is being supplied through the line. Watts is a measure of total system power, and is calculated by multiplying Volts and Amps.

These terms can be confusing to understand, but a handy analogy to use is that of a garden hose. In this analogy, volts represents the water pressure and amps represents the flow rate.

In a 12V system, more electricity is used (measured in amps) to provide a given wattage compared to a 240V system. This is important to note when determining whether a particular appliance (whose power draw is commonly measured in watts) can be used in a 12V system. A 1200W toaster will only use 5A in a 240V system but will use 100A in a 12V system!

Amp-hours (Ah)

Amp-hours (Ah) is the most common calculation used to state the capacity of a battery. Theoretically, it can be thought of as the total number of amps that the battery can deliver over the period of one hour, although in practice the meaning of amp-hours is a little more complex. This is because batteries will have the capacity to deliver a different number of amps depending on the speed at which the battery is discharged.

To reduce confusion and help to standardise the measurement of battery capacity, most reputable battery manufacturers will quote the capacity of their battery in amp-hours at C20 (also written as C/20), which means the number of amps the battery can deliver if discharged at a constant rate over a period of 20 hours. Using this standard, a fully-charged battery with a capacity of 100Ah could deliver 5A of current per hour for a period of 20 hours before becoming fully discharged (5A x 20h).

Nominal Voltage

The nominal voltage of a battery represents the voltage at which the battery sits during the majority of its discharge cycle. It is also an approximate mid-point between the maximum voltage of the battery and the fully-discharged voltage.

For example, Hardkorr LiFePO4 batteries have a maximum voltage of 14.4V, a nominal voltage of 12.8V, and a fully-discharged voltage of 10.0V. This means that when the battery is fully charged it will have a voltage of 14.4V, and once it begins discharging the voltage will drop to about 12.8V (+/- 0.5V). It will remain within this voltage range through the majority of its discharge cycle, and as it becomes close to fully discharged the voltage will begin to decrease more quickly until it hits 10.0V.

Cold Cranking Amps (CCA)

CCA is a term normally associated with cranking batteries. It is used to measure the ability of the battery to start an engine at cold temperatures. CCA is calculated by measuring the number of amps the battery can deliver at 0°F for 30 seconds while maintaining a voltage above 7.2V.

Each vehicle will require a different CCA rating to start effectively. It is generally higher for diesel engines compared to petrol engines, and higher in cold weather compared to warm weather.

Deep cycle batteries will generally not stipulate a CCA rating, because they are not designed for this purpose.

Types of Deep Cycle Batteries

Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) Batteries

AGM batteries contains electrolytes which has been absorbed into porous fibreglass mats. Compared to wet cell batteries, AGM deep cycle batteries can handle higher temperatures, will self-discharge at a much lower rate, and have lower internal resistance, meaning they can accept a higher charge current and thus will charge more quickly.

Because the AGM battery is fully sealed, it is much easier and safer to transport. It does not have to be mounted upright in a sealed container vented to the outside; rather, it can be mounted either on its sides or on its ends and can vent to the atmosphere. An AGM battery is also maintenance-free, in that it does not require topping up with distilled water like wet cell batteries.

AGM batteries have for many years been the most common choice for camping and 4×4 use, due to their low price point and safety. However, in recent years their use has begun to decrease in favour of Lithium batteries, where technology is improving quickly and prices are decreasing.

Lithium Batteries

As we just mentioned, Lithium deep cycle batteries are rapidly overtaking AGM batteries as the battery of choice for 4wd and camping. In the past they were very expensive to buy, prone to failure and difficult to handle safely, however this is no longer the case.

The advantages of lithium deep cycle batteries compared to their sealed lead acid (SLA) forebears such as AGM batteries are numerous. Firstly, they are much lighter, generally weighing about one-third to half that of equivalent capacity SLA’s. They can handle up to 8 times as many charge cycles as an SLA battery, and can discharge very close to 100% of their capacity without damaging the cells, compared to just over 50% for SLA batteries. Lithium batteries have extremely low internal resistance, meaning they can charge very quickly and efficiently. They will charge to more than 90% of capacity in 1-3 hours, compared to SLA batteries which will generally charge to around 80% of capacity in around 5-8 hours.

There are several different types of lithium batteries, each with distinct advantages and disadvantages.

Other Types

AGM and Lithium are the most common types of deep cycle batteries on the market. There are also a couple of other types available:

Flooded Lead Acid batteries (wet cell) were the first type of deep cycle battery produced, and they are still somewhat popular today due primarily to their low cost, despite being heavy and maintenance-intensive making them unsuitable for use as a boat battery

Gel Lead Acid Batteries are similar to wet cell batteries but have a gel-based electrolyte, which eliminates evaporation and makes them much more resistant to extreme temperatures and vibration. They also tend to have a longer service life than AGM batteries, although are more sensitive to overcharge and over-discharge.

Charging & Discharging Deep Cycle Batteries

Why Do Different Types of Batteries Need Different Charging Programs?

Various types of deep cycle batteries need to be charged slightly differently to take into account variations in their chemistry.

A few examples of this are as follows:

1. A fully-charged lithium battery will sit around 14.4V, whereas a fully-charged AGM battery will be around 13.0V, and so the charger needs to be aware of what battery type is being charged to ensure it knows when the battery is full;
2. Wet/Flooded and Calcium batteries require an equalization charge to be applied periodically (or after heavy discharge) to bring the cells into balance, whereas others do not;
3. Lithium batteries do not require a float/maintenance stage to maintain charge level once fully charged, whereas other batteries do.

Charging your battery using an unsuitable charge program will result in a shorter service life and, in some cases, irreversible damage to the battery cells.

Depth of Discharge

Depth of discharge (DOD) refers to the amount of current (amps) drawn from a battery compared to its total capacity in a single cycle (i.e. without recharging the battery). For example, if you have a 100AH AGM battery and you draw 50A from it without recharging, your depth of discharge is 50%.

Each type of deep cycle battery has a different DOD which is considered ‘safe’ i.e. will not cause the battery to prematurely deteriorate and fail. The generally accepted safe DODs for common deep cycle battery types are as follows:

Lithium: 80%
AGM: 50%
Gel: 50%
Flooded: 50%

Maximum Discharge Rate

The maximum discharge rate is the maximum current which can be drawn from a battery over a given period of time. It is commonly measured in either amps per hour or C-rate (C).

Amps per hour is a simple measurement and easy to understand, however C-rate requires some further explanation. C-rate is measured by dividing the maximum discharge current in amps per hour by the battery’s total capacity. For example, a 1C battery means the battery can be completely discharged in one hour; taking the example of a 100AH battery with a 1C rating, it means that the battery can discharge 100A over one hour (100A / 100AH = 1).

Maximum discharge rates are dependent on a number of factors, primarily the type of battery and the quality of its construction. Generally speaking, Lithium batteries will have a lower maximum discharge rate than other types of deep cycle batteries, however the gap is closing as lithium technology improves.

Maximising Your Battery’s Service Life

Here are a few tips to ensure your deep cycle battery lasts as long as possible. Most of these have been discussed previously but it is useful to summarise them here:

1. Don’t over-discharge them: Generally speaking, deep cycle batteries will last longer if they are discharged less relative to their total capacity before recharging. For example, a 100AH battery will last longer if it is only ever discharged to 80% of total capacity. In addition, as we mentioned, each different battery type has a maximum ‘safe’ discharge level. Discharging them below these levels will cause their cycle life to drop rapidly.
2. Charge them using the correct program: Each battery type will require a different charge program to optimise their available capacity and prolong service life. In particular, lithium batteries should only be charged using a dedicated lithium charge program.
3. Store them correctly: Batteries do not like being stored at too low or too high a temperature, or sitting for long periods of time without being recharged. Again, the storage parameters for each battery type will be different and we recommend you refer to the manufacturer’s instructions.

The post A Comprehensive Guide to Deep Cycle Batteries appeared first on Hardkorr Australia.

In fact, our camping lights are one of the most popular choices for this type of application. Most Australian aftermarket canopy builders and auto electricians use and recommend our products nowadays for their unbeatable combination of brightness, toughness and reliability, and because of the unique accessories we’ve developed especially for installation of our lights inside a vehicle.

Our lighting has also featured on some of Australia’s best-known 4wd rigs including Shauno’s Dirty 30, Simon from All 4 Adventure’s Isuzu D-Max and Jase from All 4 Adventure’s 200 Series Landcruiser.

It’s actually not a difficult job to install the lighting yourself if you’re a keen DIYer and have a reasonable working knowledge of 12v power. This guide will take you through exactly which of our products are best suited to the permanent mounting application, and the best way to hardwire them into your vehicle.

Which Lights Are Best For Canopies?

Most people choose to use either our LED Camp Light Bars or LED Tape Lights to illuminate their cargo area or canopy.

The most popular option out of these two is the light bars, as they tend to give the area a more “finished” appearance. If you’re going down this road, you’ll want to check out our LED Camp Light Kits – they come with a bunch of cabling, dimmers and accessories included which will make the job of installation easier.

On the other hand, the tape lights are easier to mount, being backed with 3M double-sided tape. This option will be best if you need to mount onto a curved surface or glass. They can also tend to be slightly more cost-effective than light bars, so if you’re on a budget our tapes might be your best choice.

Helpful Accessories

We’ve developed a couple of exclusive accessories especially to help with the job of installing your lights and dimmer switches inside a vehicle.

First, our Flush Mount Clips allow you to easily affix our camping light bars to any flat surface. You simply use two screws or a dab of adhesive such as Sikaflex to secure the clips to the mounting surface, then lock the bars in place by pressing them onto the mount. The mount’s side tabs snap into the lip of the rear channel for a firm fitting.

Secondly, our Dimmer Flush Mount Panel will be handy if you are fixing your dimmer switches inside an electrical control box or onto a mounting board inside your vehicle. The panel fits snugly around the dimmer, and the dimmer is secured using included stainless steel bracing plates and screws. You then just make a 120mm x 35mm cutout in your box or panel (ensuring there is 15mm clearance behind) and affix the panel with a screw in each corner or adhesive.

How to Install Your Canopy / Cargo Area Lights

Every setup is different and these instructions are general in nature, so if you’re not comfortable modifying your vehicle we recommend you consult an auto electrician. Otherwise, let’s hook in!

Prefer to watch a video?

Planning the installation

Before you start cutting and drilling, take some time to plan your setup. You will need to consider things like:

• Location of dimmer switches, and whether you’ll use one dimmer or two
• Location of your power source and the route your power cable will take
• Number and location of light modules

For the following sections we will assume that you are using camp light bars in your setup. However, most of the same principles will apply if you’re using LED tapes. You can cut LED tapes to size at any of the lines marked on the tape’s surface; these lines are spaced 5cm apart and have three copper tabs on either side of the line. The copper tabs can be used as soldering points.

Dimmer Switches

Depending on the size and complexity of your setup, you may choose to use either one dimmer switch to control all the lights, or one per side controlling half the lights each.

If you’re using two dimmers, you will need to ensure you have a Splitter Cable (Black DC Plugs) on hand. One of these comes included with the 4 Bar Tri-Colour LED Camp Light Kits and 6 Bar Tri-Colour LED Camp Light Kits, or can also be purchased separately as part of the Extension Cable Kit (Black DC Plugs).

Dimmers can be flush-mounted or surface-mounted according to your application. Mount them close to the door for easy access, but ensure they are kept protected from the weather.

Placing & Mounting the Dimmers & Lights

If you’re looking to light up a ute touring canopy, you’ll generally want one 48cm or 100cm light bar mounted inside each of the doors, and one or two 25cm or 48cm lights inside the canopy itself. For a 4wd cargo area, generally two 48cm bars or one 100cm bar will be sufficient.

Once you have determined where you will place your dimmers and lights, you will need to work out how you will join them together and connect them together. Each light has a short length of cable protruding from each end, terminated with a 4-pin DC connector. If you aren’t fussy about cable length, you can simply connect a 4-Pin Extension Cable (Orange Plugs) between the dimmer switch and the start of the first light, then from the end of the first light to the start of the next and so on. At least two of these cables are included in each of our LED Camp Light Kits, and they can also be purchased separately as part of our Extension Cable Kit (Orange 4-Pin Plugs).

If you’d like to customise the length of cable between the dimmer switch and light bar or between two light bars, you will need to use a soldering iron or, to make it easier, a 50pc Heat-Activated Solder Sleeve Kit. Grab an extension cable, connect the female plug to the dimmer switch and then cut the male plug off. You will also need to cut the female plug off the end of the light bar you’re connecting up to.

Remove about two centimetres of the outer insulation at each end to reveal the three inner cables, and remove about two centimetres of the inner insulation (red, blue and black). If you’re using our heat-activated solder sleeve kit, grab one of the white-banded sleeves and feed it onto one of the wires. Connect the exposed ends together by pushing the wires into each other and twisting, and then either solder them together or position the solder sleeve over the join and heat with a blowtorch or cigarette lighter.

Connecting to power

To connect your lights to power, you’ll generally modify and use the cigarette lead that is supplied with all our tri-colour camp light bars, kits and tapes.

We recommend cutting the cigarette plug off the end, exposing 15-20 centimetres of the positive and negative cables underneath. Remove a centimetre or two of the inner sheath, and attach a ring terminal to each of the wires.

Run the power lead through the vehicle to the dimmer switch, or if you are using two dimmers, to a point mid-way between them where you can then attach a DC splitter cable. If you need to customise the cable length, follow the directions we outlined in the previous section.

The post Ute Canopy and 4WD Cargo Area Lighting: A Complete Guide appeared first on Hardkorr Australia.

Basically, portable solar panels keep your deep-cycle batteries topped up so they can provide continuous power to appliances such as fridges, water pumps and 12v camp lighting. They do this without the need for traditional power sources such as generators, which are noisy and need a ready supply of fuel at hand for continued operation. If you’re travelling with a caravan, it means you can use unpowered sites which are usually cheaper and more readily available.

Following is a complete guide to camping solar, which we’ve put together based on knowledge we’ve accumulated over dozens of camping trips and from selling portable solar for nearly 10 years. We hope it’s useful!

Types of portable solar panels

Before we dig too far into the details, let’s take a look at what types of solar panels are available. In the market today you’ll generally find three types; hard-frame folding panels, which was the first type of portable solar to be introduced, and newer mat and blanket style models.

Hard-frame folding panels

Hard-frame folding solar panels were groundbreaking when they were first introduced, but compared to products available nowadays, they were cumbersome and inefficient. They were originally constructed from two banks of cells, hinged in the middle to allow them to be folded in half. They were enclosed in a thick aluminium frame and sheet glass front, which made them fragile, inflexible and very heavy (25kg+).

Nowadays some hard-frame panels are still available, and they are thinner and lighter than their forebears. Their biggest disadvantages remain the relatively large folded size and their inflexibility, making them frustrating to store and prone to damage over the course of your travels.

Solar blankets

Solar blankets first rose to prominence in around 2015. Their innovative design made portable solar accessible to a much wider range of campers, and they are still one of the most popular options available today.

Solar blankets are constructed of smaller banks of cells, usually in a 2×5 or 3×4 configuration, and coated in durable materials such as PET (cheaper models) or ETFE (higher quality models) rather than glass. The banks of solar cells are stitched into a canvas outer.

Being less than half the weight of the old hard-frame panels and with a significantly smaller folded size, solar blankets are easier to transport, easier to set up, and more convenient for long-distance travellers where storage space is at a premium. The glass-free cells mean that the panels are also a lot more resistant to accidental damage.

The main disadvantage of solar blankets is it is hard to get them to sit at an optimum angle to catch maximum solar radiation. Generally solar blankets will be placed on top of a windscreen or bonnet, roof rack or on the ground, whereas ideally the solar cells should be placed at around a 15 to 40-degree angle (we’ll explain this in greater detail later) and rotated during the day to ensure the cells are always facing into the sun.

Solar mats

Solar mats are the newest form of portable solar and combine the benefits of both hard-frame panels and solar blankets.

Solar mats generally consist of 3 to 4 banks of solar cells, with a semi-flexible baseboard. Like solar blankets, the cells are coated in a material such as PET or ETFE which makes them more hardwearing by allowing the cells to flex slightly without damage. The cells are again stitched into a canvas outer.

The main difference between solar blankets and solar mats is the number of folds. Whereas solar blankets are usually set up in a 2×5 or 3×4 configuration, solar mats only fold in one direction, imparting some additional rigidity and making them more suitable for free standing. To this end, solar mats will generally have inbuilt legs to allow you to get that optimal angle for maximum sun absorption.

They retain the lightweight characteristics of solar blankets, and while they are a little bit more bulky to store, they are nowhere near as cumbersome as hard-frame panels.

How do portable solar panels actually produce power?

Portable solar panels work by capturing the suns rays and converting them to useful power via a device called a charge controller or regulator. The controller then connects to a battery to keep it charged.

What is a solar regulator?

A solar regulator ensures that the power generated by a solar panel is intelligently transferred to a battery in a way that is appropriate for the battery’s chemistry and charge level.

A good regulator will be programmed with a multi-stage charge algorithm (usually 5 or 6 stages) and will have different programs for different types of batteries. Modern, high-quality regulators will include specific programs for lithium batteries, whereas many older or cheaper models will be limited to programs for AGM, Gel and Wet cell batteries. It is important that you use the right program for your battery type.

A quality solar regulator will include a host of electronic protection circuitry to safeguard the battery, including reverse polarity protection, short circuit protection, reverse current protection, overcharge protection, transient overvoltage protection and over temperature protection.

Types of solar regulators

There are two main types of solar regulators available for portable solar panels: Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT). They both have their own advantages and disadvantages which means each one will suit different camping situations.

Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)

Pulse Width Modulation, or PWM, regulators have a direct connection between the solar panels and the battery and use a ‘rapid switch’ mechanism to modulate the charge flowing into the battery. The switch remains fully open until the battery reaches absorption voltage, at which point the switch begins to open and close hundreds of times per seconds to reduce the current while keeping the voltage constant.

Theoretically, this type of connection can reduce the effectiveness of the solar panel, as the voltage of the panel is reduced to match that of the battery. However, in the case of portable camping solar panels the practical effect is minimal, as the maximum voltage of the panel in most cases is only around 18V (and reduces as the panel heats up), and the battery voltage usually sits between 12-13V (AGM) or 13-14.5V (Lithium).

Despite the small efficiency loss, PWM regulators are often considered a better choice for pairing with portable solar panels. The benefits of PWM regulators compared to their MPPT counterparts are their lighter weight and superior reliability, which are key considerations when camping for long periods of time or in remote locations, where repairs may not be easy to undertake and replacement regulators may be hard to come by.

Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT)

Maximum Power Point Tracking, or MPPT, regulators have the ability to convert excess voltage into additional current, under the right conditions.

An MPPT controller will constantly monitor the voltage of the panel, which changes constantly according to factors such as the heat of the panel, weather conditions and position of the sun. It calculates (tracks) the best combination of voltage and current using the full voltage of the panel, then downrates the voltage to match the charge voltage of the battery, and thus can deliver additional current into the battery (remembering power = voltage x current).

There is one significant caveat though, which reduces the practical effectiveness of MPPT controllers with portable solar panels. To extract any real benefit from having an MPPT controller, the panel voltage should be at least 4-5 volts higher than the charge voltage of the battery. Given that most portable solar panels have a maximum voltage of around 18-20V, which can drop to 15-17V when they heat up, and most AGM batteries sit between 12-13V and most lithium batteries between 13-14.5V, the voltage differential is not sufficient for the MPPT functionality to have much practical impact on charge current.

The downsides of MPPT controllers compared to their PWM equivalents are their heavier weight and generally poorer reliability. For this reason, as well as their minimal impact on power input, you will not often see them used with portable solar panels.

Types of solar cells

The two most common types of cells used in portable solar products today are polycrystalline and monocrystalline. A third type, amorphous or thin film, is occasionally seen but it is much less popular than the other two as it requires about double the surface area to product the same amount of power and tends to be less durable. Having said that, it is more stable at very low and very high temperatures. In this case, we will limit our discussion to the more popular polycrystalline and monocrystalline types.

Polycrystalline

Polycrystalline cells are made from many different silicon crystal shards, which are melted together to form a block or ingot. This block is then sliced into very thin wafers measuring about 200-350 micrometers in thickness, which form the basis of the solar cell.

If you look closely at a polycrystalline cell, you will see a ‘metalflake’ type appearance where the different crystals have joined together. Electrons can become trapped in the joins, reducing the flow of electricity and thus lowering the efficiency of the panel.

Polycrystalline cells are far cheaper than monocrystalline cells, but are not recommended for portable solar as they require a larger surface area to produce the same amount of power.

Monocrystalline

Monocrystalline cells are made from a single silicon crystal, which is grown into a block before being cut into wafers in the same manner as polycrystalline cells. Because the cell is a single crystal, electrons can flow more freely and the efficiency of the panel is substantially increased.

The appearance of a monocrystalline cell is much more uniform, with none of the metalflake that characterises polycrystalline cells. Because of their higher efficiency, they need less surface area to produce the same amount of power as an equivalent polycrystalline cell.

In addition, monocrystalline cells tend to have a longer lifespan than polycrystalline, and also perform better in higher temperatures.

Hardkorr solar panels only use monocrystalline cells, as do most other quality manufacturers.

Solar cell grades

There are four grades of solar cells; A, B, C, and D. Simply put, A-grade cells are the only ones worth using, and all reputable manufacturers will use these in their solar panels.

If your solar panel has been advertised as having A-grade cells but you aren’t certain that’s what you’ve got, there are several ways to visually inspect your cells to make sure. Check that:

• None of the solar cells have a bend of more than 2mm;
• No parts of the front busbars are missing;
• There is no paste leakage onto the cell greater than 0.3mm² in area;
• No colour deviation is evident, particularly yellow areas;
• There are no watermarks;
• There are no scratches on the cell greater than 15mm in length.

What does the panel efficiency rating mean?

A solar panel’s efficiency rating is a measure of how effectively it can convert the solar radiation hitting its surface into usable power.

Solar radiation arriving at the top of the earth’s atmosphere is, on average, approximately 1,361W per square metre. It is attenuated to a degree as it moves through the atmosphere, resulting in 1,000-1,050W hitting the surface of the earth at sea level on a clear day.

If a solar panel has an efficiency rating of 20%, for example, it means that in ideal conditions it is able to convert 20%, or approximately 200W, of that radiation into power for every one square metre of surface area.

In practice, the actual percentage of total solar radiation captured by a solar panel is affected by several factors, including the overall quality of the manufacturing process, the quality of anti-reflective coating used, and the angle of the radiation source to the panel.

Using portable solar panels

How to position solar panels

Many campers talk about 30 degrees as being the optimal angle at which to place your portable solar panels. While this is a reasonable approximation in many cases, the correct answer is a little more complicated. In fact, the optimal angle is primarily affected by two factors: the latitude of the place in which you are camping, and the time of year.

In ideal conditions (i.e. the warmer seasons), the angle of your solar panel should, as close as possible, match the latitude of the place in which you are situated. For reference, a table of the 25 most populous Australian capital cities and their latitudes is as follows:

You can see that there is actually a significant variance; in Darwin the ideal angle is just 12.4 degrees, whereas in Launceston it is 41.4 degrees.

In the cooler seasons, you should increase the angle of your solar panels even further, as the sun will be in a lower position compared to the hotter seasons. The general rule is to increase the angle by a further 15 degrees.

Of course this is simply a rule of thumb and we do not recommend you get out a protractor to ensure your panel is exactly at the right angle!

Using solar in partial shade or cloudy weather

You can use portable solar panels in cloudy weather or partial shade, but bear in mind that their output will drop significantly compared to ideal conditions. From a 200W panel, you can expect up to 11A or more per hour in ideal conditions, but this can drop to 3A per hour or even less in full cloud or inclement weather.

Solar as part of a dual-battery system

Portable solar panels are increasingly being used as part of a dual battery system. Fixed solar panels (i.e. mounted to the vehicle’s roof) are another popular choice, but more and more campers are choosing portable solar, because in order to get the maximum benefit from fixed solar they have to park their vehicle in the sun, which is not ideal for comfort! With a portable solar panel, you can use an extension lead to position your solar panels up to 5-10m away from the vehicle, meaning you can park in the shade.

Most modern DC-DC chargers include an input for a solar panel, and many can even intelligently switch between charging from the alternator and charging from solar depending on whether the vehicle’s ignition is on and the alternator is delivering sufficient voltage.

One thing to beware of in this instance is that the DC-DC charger will almost always have its own inbuilt solar regulator. If your portable solar panel comes with its own regulator, you must disconnect it before connecting your solar panel up to the DC-DC charger.

We hope this guide has been helpful. If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out to our friendly team on Facebook (you can use Facebook Messenger chat via our website) or by emailing info@hardkorr.com.

The post Everything You Need To Know About Portable Solar for Camping appeared first on Hardkorr Australia.

Why use LED camping lights?

LED technology has many advantages over older technologies. First, its solid-state construction makes it extremely durable, particularly in comparison to gas lamps – who remembers pulling into camp in the late afternoon, pulling out the gas lanterns and realizing the mantle has disintegrated as you’ve bumped over corrugated roads during the day?

Secondly, LED lights make very efficient use of power. At 90-100 effective lumens per watt, LED chips will not stress your batteries and are especially ideal for camping at non-powered sites. They’re also especially ideal for portable lights such as lanterns, torches and head torches. If you’ve ever seen the sheer amount of light that can emanate from a little LED torch or headlamp – “wow” is the word that comes to mind.

Thirdly, as we mentioned earlier, LED chips come in many different colours, and in addition to white light, orange light can be very handy around a campsite.

Why would you need orange LED camp lighting?

If you’re a keen camper, there’s one thing that probably bothers you more than anything: bugs. Anywhere you camp you’re going to have bugs, and in some places they can be so thick it’s almost impossible not to get them in your eyes, mouth and around your face.

The fact is, bugs are attracted to light, and especially to white light. When you’re surrounded by darkness and your campsite is lit up like a Christmas tree, well… they’re going to come and check you out, for sure. In fact, they can’t help but move their body towards any light source they can see; this phenomenon is called positive phototaxis. Entomologists still don’t have a complete understanding of why this phenomenon exists, but it is clearly observable in nature.

But thanks to the good work of those same entomologists over time, we humans have managed to find the one chink in their armour – there’s some wavelengths that bugs can’t see, but humans can. Humans can generally see light which has a wavelength between 380nm (blue) and 740nm (red). Most bugs, conversely, can see light with a wavelength between 300nm and 600nm. The illustration below shows where the spectra overlap and where the gap is:

Our orange camp lights are designed to sit just outside the visible spectrum for most bugs, at about 610nm. If you use orange camp lights, you will notice about 90% fewer bugs in the vicinity compared to white light, which is really handy particularly when you’re cooking or eating.

Of course we could produce the lights even further towards the red end of the spectrum, but red light isn’t a particularly appealing colour to camp under. Orange, on the other hand, creates a nice fire-like glow and won’t ruin your vibe.

Often times you’ll want to use the same lights to produce different colours at various times of night. We’ve thought of this as well – all our orange-capable lights can also be switched to white as well using our exclusive dimmer switch. In fact in 2020 we went a step further, inventing a way to combine the two into “warm white”. Warm white is almost as bright as our traditional cool white, but with a soothing warmth. It’s perfect for setting a calm, happy mood in your campsite, particularly later at night.

Types of LED camp lighting

The versatility of LED technology means that LED camp lighting comes in many different forms. Here are some of the most popular ones.

LED camp light bars

Hardkorr was the first company to introduce LED camp lighting to the market, and the camp light bar was our first invention of this kind. Since we introduced the bars in 2008 we’ve constantly improved the design to make it even more durable and useful, but the basic design has stayed the same. These bars are now seen across thousands of campsites throughout Australia, and increasingly the rest of the world.

Our LED camp light bars consist of a row of LED chips inside an aluminium extrusion, which is then filled with an epoxy resin to ensure complete waterproofness (our bars have been independently tested and rated to IP68). Grommets at either end protect the connecting wires and prevent them from rubbing against the side of the extrusion, and also ensure that an accidental pull won’t degrade the connection between the wire and the LED strip.

Mounting them at your campsite is easy; you can use the strong, inbuilt rare-earth magnets if you want to mount them to a magnetic surface, or if you’re looking to attach them to aluminium tent or awning poles, our exclusive removable pole clips make the job simple.

They can be powered from a 12v cig lead or a 240v transformer if mains power is available. You can turn them on and off, as well as control the colour and brightness, using our push-button dimmers (or rotary dimmers on our older models).

Other than camping, these LED bars are also often used to illuminate 4×4 canopies. Due to their slim form they fit neatly inside the gullwing doors found on most touring canopies, and can easily be mounted to the inside roof as well. In fact, we’ve developed a special attachment called flush mount clips to make this process super easy.

LED camp kits

We’ve also bundled our camping bars into kit form, in various sizes to suit most campsites. Coming in 2-bar, 4-bar and 6-bar varieties, these camp light kits come with everything you need for most camping applications including dimmers, pole clips, extension leads, cigarette leads, splitter cables and more.

All of our kits come in a durable hard carry case, so you can keep your light bars and accessories all together when you’re storing them.

LED strip & tape lights

LED camp light bars are incredibly versatile, but sometimes they’re not an ideal fit for certain applications. That’s why we’ve packaged our same features, including our tri-colour light technology, into other forms as well.

LED tape lights are made from a strip of LED chips encased inside a high-quality silicon strip, with super-strong genuine 3M double-sided tape on the back. They come in both 1 metre and 2 metre varieties, and are popular for mounting inside awnings, tailgates and gazebos. Due to the strong adhesive and flexibility and durability of the strip, they can be permanently mounted even when the awning or gazebo is packed away and stored.

LED strips, such as our Ezy-Fit LED Strip Lights, are the perfect temporary lighting solution. They can be mounted basically anywhere, as they have carabiner-style clips sewn into the end as well as Velcro strips. In 2021 we improved them even further, and they even come with an inbuilt sail track mount which slides into the sail track which is incorporated into most 4wd awnings.

LED lanterns

In 2017 we developed one of our bestselling lights of all time: The U-Lite Dual Colour Universal Lantern. This gem of a light is powered by an inbuilt lithium battery, and puts out a very usable 155 effective lumens for up to 6 hours on a single charge, from a package that weighs just 85g and is smaller than a tennis ball. It has five light modes including white (high, med, low) orange, and flashing orange which is great for marking hazards or in emergency situations.

Like all Hardkorr camping lights, the U-Lite is easy to mount and can be put in many different places. With a strong inbuilt magnet it attaches to any steel surface, and with an inbuilt elastic strap it can also easily be wrapped around poles, awning arms etc. They are available both singly and also in a 4-pack with carry case.

Torches & headlamps

No discussion of LED technology would be complete without mentioning the incredible leaps in torch & headlamp technology that have been made possible by LED.

Finding your way around a pitch-dark campsite in the middle of the night (say if you need to go to the toilet!) is now so much easier with a headlamp strapped around your forehead. Most of our headlamps can either switch between spot and flood beams or have a great combination beam, and best of all, the LED chips inside are bright enough to illuminate the entire scene in front of you.

Most recently we introduced a new headlamp which we’ve called the T440. With a 440 lumen beam powered by an inbuilt rechargeable lithium battery you’ve got all the light you could possibly need, but its best feature is how you turn it on and off. Don’t worry about fiddling around for a button – set it to sensor mode and all you need to do is wave your hand in front of it and the headlamp will immediately turn itself on or off.

Torches, as well, have received a huge boost from the advent of LED technology. They’re now lighter and brighter than ever before, with high-quality examples like our KT6 Torch being able to illuminate up to 200m away from the source. The KT6 torch emits an incredible 1,000 effective lumens and thanks to its 18650 lithium battery can last for up to 3 hours on high mode on a single charge.

For those of you who don’t need such a powerful beam, our Lifestyle torch shares much of the same DNA as our KT6 beast, but at a much more accessible price. It still emits a very useful 350 lumens of light for up to 2 hours on a single charge.

A light for every situation

As you can see, we’ve got an LED light to suit every part of your camping setup. Once you make the switch to LED camp lighting, we guarantee you’ll never go back to your old technology.

If you want to know more, browse through the options on our website or call into your local stockist and they’ll be happy to demonstrate our range for you.

The post What LED Camp Lighting Do You Need For Your Campsite? appeared first on Hardkorr Australia.

Many products in our industry (automotive lights, camp lighting, headlamps & torches etc) are often used in dirty and wet environments, so it’s important to know that they’re built to handle it!

IP ratings are made up of two numbers. The first indicates the degree of protection against solid particle ingress, and the second is the degree of protection against liquid ingress.

First digit: solid particle ingress protection

The first digit of IP ratings indicates the level of protection against ingress of solid objects and particles.

Second digit: liquid ingress protection

The second digit of the IP rating shows the level of protection against the ingress of liquids, particularly water.

The IP Code is published by the International Electrotechnical Commission. The standard number is IEC 60529.

The post Ingress Protection or IP Ratings: What Do They Mean? appeared first on Hardkorr Australia.