Spring Analogue or Digital Controller

[Cristian]

Hi lads, 

I'm organising my parts list for a van mount at the moment and im a wee bit stumped on what pump controller would be best. So out of the Spring analogue or digital controllers which one would be best ?

I have a battery meter on my leisure battery box and that also has an on off for the power. I will also be using 100mtrs of microbore and a 5.2litre Shurflo 100 psi pump. 

Cheers

Cristian 

 

[paulwills]

I use the spring digital love it compared to my old varisteam


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[Tuffers]

Get a digital one with charging facility from cleaningspot.

 

[Marko067]

I believe they both do the same thing, it's just the interface that's different. Dials vs buttons. Me, I prefer dials

 

[High-tower]

I prefer the analogue, loads easier to calibrate.

 

[aide1]

Analogue more durable


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[spruce]

I use the spring digital love it compared to my old varisteam


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Out of interest, why?

 

[paulwills]

 
Out of interest, why?

Just a lot better than varistream , I.e can charge when driving and tells u battery voltage , touch wood not had any problems with it


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[spruce]

Just a lot better than varistream , I.e can charge when driving and tells u battery voltage , touch wood not had any problems with it


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Its always good to get others opinion of a product. Our opinion is influenced for the early days when controllers weren't available. The first controller we got was an analogue Varistream and that was such an improvement to water control and saving.

We then got the first digital variants as they have proved to be excellent. They are starting to 'wear out' (the dead end setting is a lot lower than it was initially so they won't last forever.) I have a new and used digital Varistream in my office which is the latest variant that does have a crude battery level gauge.

Having a charging facility and a voltage readout isn't something that I would have noted as a plus, mainly because I have a VSR and a voltage/amp gauge anyway as separate components. Hence the question.

Thanks for your response.

If I was in the market for a new controller I would be swayed by Springs Analogue unit as it so easy to adjust. What I don't know is how the flow control is switched off. For example, increasing flow rate on the old Varistream analogues was achieved by rotating the k n o b on the dial. Switching the flow off was achieved by pressing the k n o b in.

. 

Get a digital one with charging facility from cleaningspot.

But if he has one of the latest diesels, that option may not work any longer @Tuffers.

 

[Tuffers]

. 

But if he has one of the latest diesels, that option may not work any longer @Tuffers.

Why is that Spruce? I have a 66 plate van and it will charge the liesure battery off the van.

 

[spruce]

Why is that Spruce? I have a 66 plate van and it will charge the liesure battery off the van.

Vehicles manufacturers are being forced by emission regulations to become more environmentally friendly. This has meant that there is a real possibility that vans registered after 2015 are likely to have smart alternators, stop start and regenerative charging.

A conventional Voltage Sensing Relay will not work on these vans, especially if they have regenerative charging. Regenerative charging is simply a system that recharges the battery when a vehicle is decelerating. The van’s ECU will instruct the alternator to charge the van’s starter battery until it is 80% full. It then leaves the remaining 20% to be charged when the vehicle is decelerating on a downhill, braking or slowing down for traffic lights etc. The alternator then puts a high voltage current into the battery. To accommodate this, the battery is now a calcium battery as a lead acid battery won’t tolerate the high voltages. Alternators are bigger and battery capacity has also increased; in some cases both by as much as 100% or more.

Sterling Power Products have been in the forefront of auxiliary battery charging for many years. Their pedigree is from the ambulance service and the Marine industry. According to Sterling their Battery to Battery charger does NOT take current from the starter battery for charging the leisure battery. Rather is uses alternator power to charge the leisure battery. (A ‘smart’ alternator still puts out a nominal voltage of 12.4v so it’s ready to dump a large charge into the starter batter at a moment’s notice. But 12.4v isn’t sufficient to charge the battery. So the Sterling Battery to Battery charger uses that 12.4 volts from the alternator and boosts it up to 14.4 volts which then charges the leisure battery.) There is a wiring schematic included in the pack to accommodate different charging modes. When the regenerative program activates, the battery to battery charger also regulates the voltage of the alternators output so it doesn’t damage the leisure battery. (Under regenerative charging the voltage can reach 15.5v on Ford vehicles and as high as 17.0v + on Renaults according to Sterling. Charging a lead acid battery at these voltages will cause gassing and premature lead acid leisure battery failure.)

A battery to battery charger is much more expensive than the old VSR but as demand increases then they should become cheaper to buy as ‘mass’ production reduces manufacturing costs as does manufacturer competition.

Currently the Sterling BB1230 seems a pretty good buy.

https://sterling-power.com/collections/battery-to-battery-chargers/products/2015-battery-to-battery-chargers-non-waterproof-drip-proof-ip21

At the time of writing (May 2017) they are available via an Ebay supplier for £200.00 with free postage.

These B2B chargers can also be used as replacement for the VSR on older systems and, according to Sterling, will do a better job at charging the leisure battery.  Conventional alternators are brilliant at supplying all the power a vehicle’s owner needs, eg., lights, windscreen wipers, radio etc. But they aren’t good battery chargers.

 

[Tuffers]

Informative @spruce. I must keep an eye on my leisure battery then. It does flash 'chg' or something similar after I stop driving and go to turn the controller on, so I guessed it was charging sufficiently. Maybe it's not?

 

[jimmyboots]

I like the Analogue controllers. Had no problems with them.

 

[High-tower]

For example, increasing flow rate on the old Varistream analogues was achieved by rotating the k n o b on the dial. Switching the flow off was achieved by pressing the k n o b in.

You turn them down to 0 and they switch off.

 

[Cristian]

Thanks lads for all your feedback on this, I have decided to go with the Spring Analogue one. I gave Spring a shout and talked to both Phil Napper and Ian Sheppard, both were a great help, and as High Tower said above, turn the **** to 0 until your hear a click and it's off!  :1f44d:

 

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

My friend has the spring analogue one and he just fitted an inline on/off switch so he can leave the dial set where it is all the time.