Dual Batteries. We all know what they are, the benefits of them, the reason behind them, and that they seem to be all but obtainable. This is usually due to the cost, and the complication of the installation of these highly sought after systems. Well its great to know that there are individuals, with a higher understanding of vehicles electrical workings than most of us could ever imagine. These individuals are knowing and willing to put forth their expertise, and not charge a Spare tire, & extra axle shaft for their product. The product in mind is "Hellroaring's Dual Battery Isolator System (BIC 75300 or 75150)".

Let me start out by saying that this company is one of the most Outstanding, Industry leading company's that I've had the fortune of dealing with. There are very few nice words that can be left out of a discussion with Hellroaring as the topic. Mike Hines of Hellroaring sets the standard in "Technical Support". Mike went out of his way numerous times to ensure I was completely satisfied, both before and after the sale. If I had a question, Mike answered it promptly. If Mike wasn't available, he would contact me, via phone or E-mail. His responses always included a diagram and did not require a follow up call for further explanation on my part. There was a situation when installing my BIC 75300 I misplaced my directions. Mike not only faxed a set with in 30minutes, he also followed up by sending a set via Priority mail. How is THAT for customer support!

Had not been for the information presented on Hellroaring's Web Site, the outstanding Customer Support / Service and Hellroaring answering all of my questions quickly, or shortly after the proper individual was available, I don't know what I would have done. Sure, there are other manufactures that have a similar, but lower quality, product available. But keep in mind, they don't have anywhere near as much technical information, or applications available. Plus in this day and age, who wants some thing with technology from the 60's? After all, I thought it was supposed to be "Painless"???

When I originally purchased my BIC 75300, the "Remote Module" was not offered. I opted to purchase this prior to installing BIC 75300. Later, when I contacted Hellroaring, they offered me the Module. This Remote Module consists of a small plastic enclosure (1" x 1.5" x 2") with a three position, locking toggle switch mounted and wired with a Remote LED. The module has two mounting ears and four color coded wires (about 10 feet) exiting the rear. The LED mounted in the module will provide an indication of the system status. The switch allows 3 configurations:

ON - Towards the LED; Combines the backup battery for winching or backup starting, etc...
Automatic - Center Position; Normal operating position for automatic charge and isolation.
OFF - Away from the LED; Disables the automatic function and keeps the batteries Not combined.

Installation:

This is the remote module. This allows 3 different configurations Click image for larger view

Installing the BIC is straightforward. The most complicated portion of the installation is trying to decide where to mount the remote unit. Or, if not purchased, than deciding where to put you're LED & Control Switch. I decided to mount my remote unit in the dash. (The area where Diesel GM's have the Glow Plug Lights). I decided this for a few simple reasons. This is a location that would not prompt accidental "Dual Mode" activation, and would be very easy to keep track of when being used for winching. One of the features of the "Remote Module" is the switch requires you to pull the switch out, before it is moved. A nice touch to prevent accidental activation.

Note: The LED on the Remote Module / or supplied LED will be very bright. You may want to position this in a place that will not affect your vision during night driving.

A few things you may want to purchase before installing your BIC:
(Some may be listed in Directions) Napa - (10) 2 gauge battery cable ends.
Local welding store - 20' of 2ga. Welding cable ($1.00 a Foot)
Radio Shack - Wire Wrap (protect the battery wires running through the chassis)
Radio Shack - Fuse Holders (buss fuse w/ flip top)
Radio Shack - Soldering Torch, Solder & Flux
Lowes - Shrink Wrap

A couple of things that I decided to do, that were not listed:
I took some rope, measured out exactly where I wanted my battery cables to run through the chassis, labeled their location & cut them to fit. I than measured all of the pieces, and headed to the welding store. I realized during installation, I forgot to measure one from my main battery to the BIC. To complete the installation I used the stock battery cable, just cut it to the proper length.

One problem I encountered with using non-supplied battery cable ends was, they didn't fit on the terminals of the BIC without touching each other. Once again, I was off to the Starter/Alternator shop. They had something that worked almost perfectly. The diameter of the terminal opening was almost perfect, the lug was just a little large. No problem when you have a grinder. Another benefit of these terminals was the open ends on the lug. This made it easier to solder the connectors. Before soldering on the terminal ends, make sure you slide the shrink-wrap over the wire, just far enough away to not shrink on the tubing. This will allow you to protect the wire terminals against accidental application of a ground source, thus melting down your truck/application. Don't get me wrong, this is a situation that is possible on ANY vehicle, not just because of Hellroaring's BIC 75300. One important note about the equipment supplied with the BIC. I don't know if they know me real well, or they just that they want to make sure you are prepared. Hellroaring is nice enough to ship extra terminal nuts in case you lose a nut or 2.

After completing the entire "wiring up" of the system. Be sure to follow the directions regarding "powering up" your system. This is a simple step, and shouldn't be overlooked. Also, make sure you follow Hellroaring's suggestion in regards to installing fuses. Once again, a simple step.

After checking, and double-checking every thing was in the location it should be in, I than started to apply power to the system. Connected both batteries, and than started to look over the vehicle, making sure there were no problems. It was during this time, I noticed smoke coming from the location of the BIC. I quickly disconnected the battery as quickly as possible. After a few attempts to figure out what was wrong, I called Mike. With in 5 seconds after I described the situation, he pinpointed the problem. I had installed the diode backwards, this in turn was shorting out the "Sense" wire when the BIC was in the "Off" position. Mike even waited for me to make sure this was the problem before getting off the phone. THANKS MIKE!

My first impression was, this was a absolute worth while upgrade. The difference when the batteries are in "Dual Mode" is noticeable. When you take into consideration that a dead battery is no longer a concern, this alone makes it a worthy investment. When winching, I no longer get the normal slowdown on the winch as soon, the winch doesn't heat up as quickly and over all improvement (electrically) was dramatic. This is a must have for anybody with any type of accessory electrical components on their vehicle. Applications include:

• 4 x 4, off road Vehicles
  
• Boats / Sailboats
  
• Car Power Audio systems
  
• RV / Trailer systems
  
• Hunting Vehicles
  
• Any vehicle for when your starting battery dies.
  
• Test Panel Load Switching fixtures.
  
• Ham Radio backup battery systems.
  
• Low Battery cutoff circuits.