Optimate 4 battery charging with a dashcam VSYS 1200 GS LC

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Just a quick heads up for those that put there GS or maybe others but that I have no idea, anyway basically when I connected my Optimate 4 in the past for a mini top-up of the battery due to crap weather, in the last few weeks, now I really did not need it, but I do it occasionally, and normally within a short while, the 2 green lights go solid GREEN, this time after nearly 3 days no solid green lights and Optimate was still pumping juice into the battery, no big deal it is only the 1 amp one, glad it was not 5 amps, so I thought what had I added, and thought immediately about the Dashcam, the VSYS P6FL, so I disconnected the RED power cable that goes to the VSYS, then plugged the Optimate back in, and in less than 15 minutes the Optimate was showing 2 solid GREEN lights, so all good, so basically it seems that the dashcam, will not let the Optimate trickle charge, it keeps it pulling a charge, so beware if you hook it up for winter, as the Optimate will not be in tender mode, it will keep charging the battery, and well possible fire or even explosion possible. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
 
Interesting as I have a Bike Pro twin camera set up on my GS and plug my Optimate in via the socket by the dash. Will pay close attention to the lights on the charger tomorrow when I plug it in. IIRC the camera unit draws a very small current when 'asleep'!
 
Biot said:
Interesting as I have a Bike Pro twin camera set up on my GS and plug my Optimate in via the socket by the dash. Will pay close attention to the lights on the charger tomorrow when I plug it in. IIRC the camera unit draws a very small current when 'asleep'!
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Will be interesting to read, mine was plugged into the pigtail directly to the battery. :beerjug: might try it in the canbus plug tomorrow to see what happens.
 
So latest update, used the CANBUS plug and all is fine, it goes to 2 green lights which is perfect, so it only keeps on charging and not going to 2 green lights when plugged into pigtail directly on battery, I wonder why.
 
Smogbob said:
Just a quick heads up for those that put there GS or maybe others but that I have no idea, anyway basically when I connected my Optimate 4 in the past for a mini top-up of the battery due to crap weather, in the last few weeks, now I really did not need it, but I do it occasionally, and normally within a short while, the 2 green lights go solid GREEN, this time after nearly 3 days no solid green lights and Optimate was still pumping juice into the battery, no big deal it is only the 1 amp one, glad it was not 5 amps, so I thought what had I added, and thought immediately about the Dashcam, the VSYS P6FL, so I disconnected the RED power cable that goes to the VSYS, then plugged the Optimate back in, and in less than 15 minutes the Optimate was showing 2 solid GREEN lights, so all good, so basically it seems that the dashcam, will not let the Optimate trickle charge, it keeps it pulling a charge, so beware if you hook it up for winter, as the Optimate will not be in tender mode, it will keep charging the battery, and well possible fire or even explosion possible. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:
Click to expand...

Have you used the smart power supply for the VSYS then, connected directly to the battery? If so I can understand why this is happening. The smart power supply will detect a higher voltage when the charger is connected and treat it as if the engine is running, so will switch on the dashcam. That will then keep running for as long as the charger is connected, and will be drawing power, so the charger will never get to the point where it detects a full charge and closes down.

Sounds like it would be better to run the camera off an ignition switched supply like a Fuzeblock or HexEZcan.
 
fred_jb said:
Have you used the smart power supply for the VSYS then, connected directly to the battery? If so I can understand why this is happening. The smart power supply will detect a higher voltage when the charger is connected and treat it as if the engine is running, so will switch on the dashcam. That will then keep running for as long as the charger is connected, and will be drawing power, so the charger will never get to the point where it detects a full charge and closes down.

Sounds like it would be better to run the camera off an ignition switched supply like a Fuzeblock or HexEZcan.
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Ta Fred yes it is exactly as you explain, as soon as the Optimate is plugged into the pigtail on battery dashcam starts recording, and obviously never shuts down, makes sense now, somehow I thought the Optimate would get to full battery and then shut down for a while, giving the VSYS time to shut down, but obviously not, but no problem, I will use the Canbus plug if I need to leave it under charge without being checked, and pigtail for a quick top up if needed, at least I know now what is happening, made sense and was my thoughts, but glad you jumped in to make me sure. :beerjug:
 
Smogbob said:
Ta Fred yes it is exactly as you explain, as soon as the Optimate is plugged into the pigtail on battery dashcam starts recording, and obviously never shuts down, makes sense now, somehow I thought the Optimate would get to full battery and then shut down for a while, giving the VSYS time to shut down, but obviously not, but no problem, I will use the Canbus plug if I need to leave it under charge without being checked, and pigtail for a quick top up if needed, at least I know now what is happening, made sense and was my thoughts, but glad you jumped in to make me sure. :beerjug:
Click to expand...

Glad to hear the theory makes sense, though I don't understand how it will make any difference connecting the charger via the canbus monitored 12V socket. The only difference is that the canbus socket only allows the charger to connect through to the battery if it provides the correct switch on protocol to communicate with the bike. Once charging starts the VSYS will almost certainly still detect the resulting raised battery voltage and switch itself on, so I don't understand why the charger would behave differently.
 
fred_jb said:
Glad to hear the theory makes sense, though I don't understand how it will make any difference connecting the charger via the canbus monitored 12V socket. The only difference is that the canbus socket only allows the charger to connect through to the battery if it provides the correct switch on protocol to communicate with the bike. Once charging starts the VSYS will almost certainly still detect the resulting raised battery voltage and switch itself on, so I don't understand why the charger would behave differently.
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No idea also Fred all I know is when in the Canbus Din hella plug it goes to 2 solid green lights, and no more pulse charging unless needed, when in SAE pigtail to the battery, it keeps pumping in 0.8 amps so something in between the Canbus and battery acting as a failsafe or something I think.
 
My BikePro 2 cam set up is wired to a switched live. So mine does not throw a wobble when charging via the dash socket. I have the wired remote on the left bar and if the cameras are recording it flashes red. No flashing when charging so all's good.
 
Smogbob said:
No idea also Fred all I know is when in the Canbus Din hella plug it goes to 2 solid green lights, and no more pulse charging unless needed, when in SAE pigtail to the battery, it keeps pumping in 0.8 amps so something in between the Canbus and battery acting as a failsafe or something I think.
Click to expand...

I thought you had an ezCan ?
 
Smogbob said:
So latest update, used the CANBUS plug and all is fine, it goes to 2 green lights which is perfect, so it only keeps on charging and not going to 2 green lights when plugged into pigtail directly on battery, I wonder why.
Click to expand...

Have you got your optimate in canbus mode when connected direct to the battery? I've got an optimate 4 wired direct via the pigtail set to normal mode and never had any issues
 
littleade said:
Have you got your optimate in canbus mode when connected direct to the battery? I've got an optimate 4 wired direct via the pigtail set to normal mode and never had any issues
Click to expand...

No mate I put it in normal mode when on pigtail, and if dash plug is needed go through the 10 second crocodile clip joining, I reckon it is as Fred says something to do with the smartplug on the VSYS that detects current as if bike is moving.
 
Biot said:
My BikePro 2 cam set up is wired to a switched live. So mine does not throw a wobble when charging via the dash socket. I have the wired remote on the left bar and if the cameras are recording it flashes red. No flashing when charging so all's good.
Click to expand...

Biot all is fine when charging through the socket, it is when I decide to use the pigtail SAE wired directly to the battery, no problems, will just use the dash, but like to figure out why, but seems, Fred is correct, the smartplug is the culprit.
 
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