Thermo King highlights ThermoLite solar panels
Thermo King highlights its ThermoLite solar panels, developed to provide an alternative power source to refrigerated and non-refrigerated fleets. The solar panels offset electrical loads that drain battery life and create downtime. “What’s unique about our solar panels is that they can monitor assets over a significant amount of time (working with TracKing and other telematics systems),
Purkey’s introduces 100-amp charger
Purkey’s Fleet Electric has developed a 100-amp Pack Accelerated Charger (PAC) that can quickly and safely charge up to eight batteries in nearly half the time of other chargers, the company said. The PAC can charge these batteries while they remain in the vehicle. The PAC pushes current into a battery pack without compromising the safety of
Engine start module options
Truck OEMs such as Peterbilt and Kenworth have recently made ultracapacitor engine start modules (ESM) available as a factory-installed option. The ultracapacitor replaces one traditional battery dedicated to starting the vehicle. RELATED: Dealing with growing electrical demand issues? Check out our in-depth story charting all of your truck options. The ESM gives fleets assurance their
Answering your electrical load questions
Q: What specific battery maintenance is necessary to stave off low voltage concerns? A: For battery maintenance, diligent and frequent monitoring of battery voltage when the engine is switched off for more than several hours is very important. Also, be sure to maintain clean battery terminals that are torqued solidly. These clean, tight connections are
How to test for a voltage drain
What’s the proper testing procedure to find the source of the voltage drain? Mark Burnside, senior product manager of engine starting products for Maxwell Technologies, walks through the steps.
Low voltage lowdown: Dealing with growing electrical load demands
With the massive amount of electrical demand placed on today’s trucks, the dangers of low voltage demands are a real consequence faced by today’s fleets. The entire start and charge process of the truck’s electrical system is impacted by low voltage situations. You’ll see the effect in lift gates, electric APUs, hotel devices or any
Optronics redesigns Fusion LED stop, tail, turn and backup lamp
Optronics International has redesigned its Fusion LED combination stop, tail, turn and backup lamp, making it 25% smaller and including new, optimized, circuitry that hosts both red and white LEDs on a single board, and a patent-pending optical design. The Fusion lamps now employ a more advanced circuit board configuration and LED light projection technology that has
Phillips develops auxiliary vertical dual pole plug and socket
Phillips Industries has developed, and introduced, the auxiliary vertical dual pole plug and socket that meet the new SAE J3082 standards for high current connections between a heavy-duty tractor and a trailer to provide power to application specific equipment installed on the trailer. SAE J3082 was released in late 2015 and includes standards for vertically
Diagnosing parasitic loads
With increasing electronic controls in modern trucks, parasitic loads are becoming a larger concern for today’s fleets, especially in fleets where vehicles may be parked for long periods of time. With so many electrical circuits in these vehicles, any one of them may be a culprit, making diagnosing a bit like looking for a needle
Truck-Lite introduces Light-Out Detection System
Truck-Lite Co. has introduced the Light-Out Detection System, which utilizes a newly developed microprocessor technology that monitors the LED safety lighting system on trailers. This new product will improve safety while protecting against CSA violations and downtime, according to Truck-Lite. The system is installed on each trailer as part of the SAE J560 nose box assembly
Anderson Power Products offers SB environmental boots
Anderson Power Products (APP) now offers Environmental Boots to protect their dual-pole SB 50, SB 120 and SB 175 connectors from water, dirt, chemicals and UV. The IP64 rated, durable soft sided Environmental Boots’ shield the SB connectors from water and dirt in both the mated and unmated condition. SB connectors, with their mechanical keyed
PulseTech Products introduces solar charger maintainer
PulseTech Products Corp. has released the SP-5 OTR Solar Charger Maintainer, a commercially rated solar panel which provides clean, renewable energy for trucks and larger public transportation vehicles. It is a new 5-watt system that utilizes a simple, temporary plug-in instead of a permanent installation. The SP-5 OTR has the ability to maintain up to four 12-volt
