"Voltage Booster" for 31M AGM Battery

[007Tacoma]

In the "Boost" setting I am right about 13.8v and in the "Over Boost" setting I am usually at 14.3v. no where near 15v.

Yes, it is a good chunk of money, but it is well built and does exactly what I need. Plus, I have owned diode fuses before that have failed. I am testing this one to see if it has the same problem, but I doubt it will. I am 3,500 miles in without any issues.

This guy put some serious work into making these here in the United States, and I will gladly support that rather than some cheap stuff from Amazon.

 

[jrandom]

Guys this is a common thing on different manufacturers vehicles not just toyota. GM fixed it by just installing one of these cheap $3 diode fuses in the fuse box. It raised my voltage .5 volts which is all we need to make the difference. No sense spending $50 or $100 for a $3 fix

We don't need a lot more amps we just need slightly higher voltage, most people don't understand how electricity works or batterys. The voltage just needs to be slightly higher not the amps.

Here is a link on amazon for 2 of these for $6 if you get a battery light when you turn the car on you just installed it backwards, turn it off and turn the diode around in the fuse holder and your good to go

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008Y8XCDW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That little nugget of info was posted up ages ago : I’ve run the same one for the better part of a year, I’ve also used the HKB, while they do provide a 0.5 boost, for whatever reason mine still charges out of Odyssey’s spec for an PC2150 battery. The low RPM these trucks like to maintain and the general parasitic load when not (all my accessories are on a relayed subsystem, it is a stock system issue), isn’t sufficient enough to bring it back up, at least in my case.

Besides, no sense in supporting a fellow forum member make a sweet custom do-dad when you can head on over to Wally World to buy mass produced crap.

Some people buy things for other reasons other than cost, TRD Pros are a perfect example.

:thumb:

 

[jrandom]

yea I just think its a waste of money, not necessary. If you start pushing 15 volts you are pushing the limit of what some electronics can take. the specs on a lot of electronic devices will say they operate from 11 to 15v for example. You just don't want to be pushing that limit when it is not necessary

While you are absolutely entitled to your opinion, it is funny to hear someone say that that is running King suspension, custom armor, and who knows what else, about spending $50-100. Seriously?

 

[57buick]

Sometimes simple is better, what can I say. And like I said 15v is pushing the limit of what a lot of electronics can handle. I've seen ECU's fried from over voltage before, just sayin....

It may not happen to you but it is possible.

In the end I just put informed information and research out there and let others decide for their vehicles

 

[57buick]

That little nugget of info was posted up ages ago : I’ve run the same one for the better part of a year, I’ve also used the HKB, while they do provide a 0.5 boost, for whatever reason mine still charges out of Odyssey’s spec for an PC2150 battery. The low RPM these trucks like to maintain and the general parasitic load when not (all my accessories are on a relayed subsystem, it is a stock system issue), isn’t sufficient enough to bring it back up, at least in my case.

Besides, no sense in supporting a fellow forum member make a sweet custom do-dad when you can head on over to Wally World to buy mass produced crap.

Some people buy things for other reasons other than cost, TRD Pros are a perfect example.

:thumb:

I don't think we are discussing cheap wally world crap here. Just mentioning auto manufacturing research and design. In most cases it's a simple fix. If it didn't work for you thats unusual but maybe there are other factors involved I don't know about with your vehicle or your battery. I don't know.

Had nothing to do with the cost per say to me also, sometimes simple is just better

 

[Speedsurfer]

I've been happy with the HKB for the past 4 months. It seems well engineered and I get about 14.5- 14.6 routinely when batteries are full. I have been using this with dual odyssey group 34s but will still occasionally charge with an AC to DC charger.

MK1 Mini Blade 7.5A (Fusible link version) (Micro blade compatible) | HKB Electronics

 

[RobotTrader]

Sometimes simple is better, what can I say. And like I said 15v is pushing the limit of what a lot of electronics can handle. I've seen ECU's fried from over voltage before, just sayin....

It may not happen to you but it is possible.

In the end I just put informed information and research out there and let others decide for their vehicles

Sound like you have some personal vendetta against him. I keep mine on high boost and it reads 14.7 at startup then settles to 14.5 and holds there till I shut the engine off.

Besides I doubt we're lining his pockets with money or putting GM at risk of another bankruptcy. His is a true production piece that's masterfully assembled and retains the stock 7.5a fuse along with options to turn it off/boost/high boost. There's not many products out there where you can say you get what you paid for but for a low volume super niche product this one will be hard to beat.

 

[jrandom]

I don't think we are discussing cheap wally world crap here. Just mentioning auto manufacturing research and design. In most cases it's a simple fix. If it didn't work for you thats unusual but maybe there are other factors involved I don't know about with your vehicle or your battery. I don't know.

Of course there are other factors, it could be the way the alternator was wound at the factory, a different voltage regulator, or one of a dozen other things, maybe it was built on a Wednesday. Like you said, you don't know. Yes they are all the same truck with small differences. I discovered my MPX (interior fuse block) is different than that of older and newer model Trail editions. Go figure.

I was one of the few that suggested a secondary boost (turns out I didn't need it just the better diode). Maybe it has to do with the fact I a have a trail w/ 130a alternator vs. the stock 100a. Not sure, all I know is, I hover around 13.5 - 13.7 @ the terminals w/ variable RPMs using a single diode (GM or HKB). Which is what they suggest for a trickle charge on an Odyessy AGM. Charge is 14.3 to 14.7 (at a suggested 40 amps). With the arclight2.0 in Boost (not over boost) I get 14.48 @ the terminals, highest and average 14.2. Concurrently, Techstream reports 13.80 highest and averages 13.20

I have yet to plug in my trickle charger since. YMMV

Had nothing to do with the cost per say to me also, sometimes simple is just better

You called it out twice on cost, it is a waste of money you said. I called you on it, that's all, not trying to be a dick, that is just how it read. The Wally World was a jab at supporting one man local business Vs. feeding an ever hungry giant. Apologies for not being more clear.

I am a big fan of keep it simple (I had a base model '89 hilux for 25 years, no power anything, no a/c, fuel injected 22-re 4x4 manual, doesn't get much more simple apart from natural aspiration, loved it ). It seems simpler to use this and a readily available 7.5 amp fuses. Custom diodes are all fine and dandy, particularly when you sell/trade the truck and the next guy has no clue what's up. I am pretty sure, if that time comes, I will remember to pull this out and replace it with a stock fuse.

You do what works for you, doesn't mean you have to say its a waste of money, or unnecessary or, a POS (I know you didn't say that), or whatever. Right?

 

[57buick]

Of course there are other factors, it could be the way the alternator was wound at the factory, a different voltage regulator, or one of a dozen other things, maybe it was built on a Wednesday. Like you said, you don't know. Yes they are all the same truck with small differences. I discovered my MPX (interior fuse block) is different than that of older and newer model Trail editions. Go figure.

I was one of the few that suggested a secondary boost (turns out I didn't need it just the better diode). Maybe it has to do with the fact I a have a trail w/ 130a alternator vs. the stock 100a. Not sure, all I know is, I hover around 13.5 - 13.7 @ the terminals w/ variable RPMs using a single diode (GM or HKB). Which is what they suggest for a trickle charge on an Odyessy AGM. Charge is 14.3 to 14.7 (at a suggested 40 amps). With the arclight2.0 in Boost (not over boost) I get 14.48 @ the terminals, highest and average 14.2. Concurrently, Techstream reports 13.80 highest and averages 13.20

I have yet to plug in my trickle charger since. YMMV



You called it out twice on cost, it is a waste of money you said. I called you on it, that's all, not trying to be a dick, that is just how it read. The Wally World was a jab at supporting one man local business Vs. feeding an ever hungry giant. Apologies for not being more clear.

I am a big fan of keep it simple (I had a base model '89 hilux for 25 years, no power anything, no a/c, fuel injected 22-re 4x4 manual, doesn't get much more simple apart from natural aspiration, loved it ). It seems simpler to use this and a readily available 7.5 amp fuses. Custom diodes are all fine and dandy, particularly when you sell/trade the truck and the next guy has no clue what's up. I am pretty sure, if that time comes, I will remember to pull this out and replace it with a stock fuse.

You do what works for you, doesn't mean you have to say its a waste of money, or unnecessary or, a POS (I know you didn't say that), or whatever. Right?

yea I never intended to be argumentative about it. Just letting people know there are simple options and having the discussion and pointing out the possible factors. I have nothing against the guy building those other pieces. I've bought a few things from members on here who have custom made parts.

I have the Genesis system with dual group 25 Odyssey extreme batteries. I put the Gm diode in and I am showing 14.5 volts sometimes dropping to 14.2 when warm so it works for me.

 

[LOLSNOW]

Thanks all for the support! Much appreciated and real happy everyone is loving their VB as much as I do.

In the end I do recognize there are other options out there - gm diode, HKB, and the eBay one. While they are all are options I tend to be the type to see if there was ever an opportunity to see if a better option existed and if not make one.

For the VB some of the areas I wanted to improve were:

• Higher rated Diodes
• Retain the 7.5A fuse
• Add a switch to disable the booster and switch between boost modes
• Make it look pretty

With these improvements they satisfied virtually every scenario I could think of like

• Needing to overboost the voltage for weather or when discharging the batteries from over night use or winching
• Having the convenience of switching the VB off for troubleshooting or if I've ever swap in a standard battery temporarily.
• Self contained so no need to remove parts and risk of losing them. Simply open the fuse box, flip a switch, then . close.
• If ever you want to uninstall the VB, the correct sized 7.5A is there. Just remove it and install it back into the slot.

For me quality, simplicity, and convenience are important and that's what sparked this project and it's really cool to share this product with you all. Sorry for those who may not believe the price is fair but for such a niche product I can't do much better. I will say I do source the parts from mouser.com, have the circuit boards manufactured in Massachusetts, and final assembly/shipment is done by yours truly. I also do pay taxes as well. :usa:

 

[unsub1]

Love mine for all the reasons you said, [MENTION=153545]LOLSNOW[/MENTION].

Thank you!

 

[007Tacoma]

Thanks all for the support! Much appreciated and real happy everyone is loving their VB as much as I do.

In the end I do recognize there are other options out there - gm diode, HKB, and the eBay one. While they are all are options I tend to be the type to see if there was ever an opportunity to see if a better option existed and if not make one.

For the VB some of the areas I wanted to improve were:

• Higher rated Diodes
• Retain the 7.5A fuse
• Add a switch to disable the booster and switch between boost modes
• Make it look pretty

With these improvements they satisfied virtually every scenario I could think of like

• Needing to overboost the voltage for weather or when discharging the batteries from over night use or winching
• Having the convenience of switching the VB off for troubleshooting or if I've ever swap in a standard battery temporarily.
• Self contained so no need to remove parts and risk of losing them. Simply open the fuse box, flip a switch, then . close.
• If ever you want to uninstall the VB, the correct sized 7.5A is there. Just remove it and install it back into the slot.

For me quality, simplicity, and convenience are important and that's what sparked this project and it's really cool to share this product with you all. Sorry for those who may not believe the price is fair but for such a niche product I can't do much better. I will say I do source the parts from mouser.com, have the circuit boards manufactured in Massachusetts, and final assembly/shipment is done by yours truly. I also do pay taxes as well. :usa:

All the above reasons are why I purchased this. Worth it? To me it is! Over the past month and a half, it has consistently outputted a higher voltage than the stock configuration. I have some footage shot for my YouTube video, but life has gotten in the way. I'm hoping to wrap it all up this weekend.

 

[grumpy514]

Installing this diode will trick the computer into upping the voltage on the battery works in theory but by doing this doesn't this eliminate the fail safe and purpose of a fuse?

Fuses will pop if there is a spike in amperage, diodes are designed to flow electricity in one way only. Will this be putting the vehicle at possible risk since you are eliminating the only safety net (fuse)

 

[jhguth]

Installing this diode will trick the computer into upping the voltage on the battery works in theory but by doing this doesn't this eliminate the fail safe and purpose of a fuse?

Fuses will pop if there is a spike in amperage, diodes are designed to flow electricity in one way only. Will this be putting the vehicle at possible risk since you are eliminating the only safety net (fuse)

there is still a fuse

and there is basically no current on that sensing circuit, something big would have to go wrong to blow the fuse

 

[grumpy514]

there is still a fuse

and there is basically no current on that sensing circuit, something big would have to go wrong to blow the fuse

Sorry I should have clarified, I'm talking about the cheap GM diode with no fuse. The kit fron sno has a built in fuse which is nice.

 

[jhguth]

Sorry I should have clarified, I'm talking about the cheap GM diode with no fuse. The kit fron sno has a built in fuse which is nice.

yeah, that makes no sense to me. if you want to go cheap you can get the GM diode fuse and shave the tab so it fits

 

[grumpy514]

Replaced the 7.5amp fuse with the GM diode. Went from 13.6-13.8 to 14.3-14.4 on cold idle. Very happy. This will make my new AGM battery happy.

Thanks everyone!

 

[ozon8r]

Thanks all for the support! Much appreciated and real happy everyone is loving their VB as much as I do.

In the end I do recognize there are other options out there - gm diode, HKB, and the eBay one. While they are all are options I tend to be the type to see if there was ever an opportunity to see if a better option existed and if not make one.

For the VB some of the areas I wanted to improve were:

• Higher rated Diodes
• Retain the 7.5A fuse
• Add a switch to disable the booster and switch between boost modes
• Make it look pretty

With these improvements they satisfied virtually every scenario I could think of like

• Needing to overboost the voltage for weather or when discharging the batteries from over night use or winching
• Having the convenience of switching the VB off for troubleshooting or if I've ever swap in a standard battery temporarily.
• Self contained so no need to remove parts and risk of losing them. Simply open the fuse box, flip a switch, then . close.
• If ever you want to uninstall the VB, the correct sized 7.5A is there. Just remove it and install it back into the slot.

For me quality, simplicity, and convenience are important and that's what sparked this project and it's really cool to share this product with you all. Sorry for those who may not believe the price is fair but for such a niche product I can't do much better. I will say I do source the parts from mouser.com, have the circuit boards manufactured in Massachusetts, and final assembly/shipment is done by yours truly. I also do pay taxes as well. :usa:

Looks like you sold out on the website. When do you expect more stock?

 

[LRT]

Looks like you sold out on the website. When do you expect more stock?

[MENTION=153545]LOLSNOW[/MENTION] yes when do you expect more in stock? Would like to pick up one as well. Thanks

 

[LOLSNOW]

First. Thanks for all who purchased these! It's awesome to have a community to support small niche mods that would've otherwise be impossible to manufacture without guys/gals like you.

Right now I'm sold out on the VB and can't say for sure when and if they'll be back. I make these in batches of 100 so there's quite a bit of coordination and investment involved whenever I do and right now I'm pretty confident I'll be stuck with quite a few VB if I do another run (supply vs demand). If anything changes I'll be sure post here with updates.