Power up with REDARC's Manager Alpha range and Smart Battery Monitor
No matter where you’re travelling — whether it’s into the remote areas of outback Australia or your favourite nearby free camp — being able to easily charge and monitor your power system is crucial for a stress-free trip. Luckily, REDARC Electronics have some great solutions to keep you covered.
With more than 40 years under its belt, REDARC has become a household name for adventurers throughout Australia, New Zealand and worldwide, producing award-winning advanced vehicular power solutions — many of which you will have seen highlighted in Caravan World reviews.
We were lucky enough to have REDARC as a sponsor of Caravan of the Year (COTY) 2024, and the team put on a great display of their latest and greatest products at the public Showcase. Some of the latest products we got to check out were the new Manager Alpha100 charger, and the new Smart Battery Monitor, which comes standard with the Manager Alpha.
These newly released products were designed to make the outdoor adventuring lifestyle easier than ever, particularly for those who enjoy spending time off-grid.
So, let’s dive into what these products have to offer.
The Manager Alpha chargers
The Manager range has welcomed three new chargers to REDARC’s lineup of tried-and-true products. Available in three sizes, 50A, 75A and 100A, the Manager Alpha chargers are impressive for a host of reasons.
Primarily is that this range is the only one of its kind available on the market, allowing users to recharge their batteries using AC, DC and solar. This means users can rest easy knowing they’ll be able to recharge their batteries while driving, while plugged in at camp or using solar panels or blankets. Impressively, the Manager Alpha100 boasts a charge rate that’s more than three times faster than the Manager30, which is one of the most trusted chargers on the market. “With this much power on tap, you can run everything from induction cooktops to air-conditioners, to fridges and lights, and still charge your batteries faster than you can drain them,” explained Taylor Boyley, REDARC Marketing Manager ANZ.
Size and weight are important considerations when adding gear to your caravan or 4WD setup, and the Manager Alpha chargers don’t disappoint here. All three models are the exact same size, which is up to 55 per cent smaller and 28 per cent lighter than comparable competitor systems, meaning you’ll have plenty of room left for your travel essentials and any creature comforts you want to bring on board.
The Manager Alpha range works seamlessly with REDARC’s other power solutions, including the TVMS (Total Vehicle Management System) Rogue, and users can easily check their state of charge via their smart devices (phones, iPads and tablets) thanks to RedVision.
When Caravan World Creative Director Tim van Duyl got to check out the chargers at the COTY Showcase, one of the things that impressed him was that in addition to keeping your batteries charged, the Manager Alpha range can also take care of your vehicle’s starting battery. When the auxiliary battery has reached 100 per cent, and there is excess solar coming in, the Manager Alpha charger will begin to deliver excess charge to the vehicle’s start battery automatically, offering users even more peace of mind knowing they’ll always be fully powered and ready to go.
Another impressive feature is that if disaster strikes and your vehicle start battery goes flat, the Manager Alpha can recharge it with the touch of a button. This technology uses a fast charge similar to REDARC’s GoBlock portable charge lithium power station and will ensure you never get stranded while out exploring.
Every Manager Alpha charger comes with a REDARC Smart Battery Monitor as standard, but these monitors can also be purchased separately.
The Manger Alpha100 is now available, and more information can be found on the REDARC website.
The Smart Battery Monitor
One of the most accurate battery monitors on the market, REDARC’s Smart Battery Monitor provides real-time monitoring of your battery’s state of charge, power flow (in and out), temperature and battery voltage via the REDARC RedVision app or an optional RedVision display panel.
The monitor features the latest Bluetooth 5.1 technology, which delivers reliable results over distances up to 42m — perfect for those big campsites where you’ve got room to spread out.
“Having full visibility of what your power system is doing is crucial when you’re going off-grid,” commented Boyley. “Being able to see how many days of power you have left or how much power you’re pulling at any time means you’re in complete control. When you’re relying on battery power to keep food cold and devices charged, running out of power can mean a quick and stressful end to an otherwise great trip.”
The Smart Battery Monitor is available online now via the REDARC website for a RRP of $299.
Can they be retrofitted?
The Smart Battery Monitor was designed with effortless DIY in mind and doesn’t require any special tools to retrofit it. This is great news, as the monitor is compatible with common battery chargers, including REDARC’s BCDC, DC-DC charger range, and most battery types.
The Manager Alpha range may require more care when retrofitting, depending on what you are replacing. For example, the Manager Alpha100 produces more than three times the current of the Manager30 and will therefore require users to upgrade to suitable wiring. “If you have little or no experience installing 12V power systems, we recommend getting your system installed by a trained professional, such as those part of REDARC’s REDNetwork,” said Boyley.
The REDNetwork is a group of professional auto electrical businesses located throughout Australia and New Zealand who have been certified by REDARC to install REDARC products. To find your local dealer, head here.
Tested for Aussie conditions
As an Australian company, you can be sure all of REDARC’s products are designed to withstand the toughest conditions and undergo a rigorous in-house testing program to ensure they’ll meet the gruelling demands of the Australian landscape.
REDARC’s in-house testing capabilities include a comprehensive range of testing equipment, including climatic chambers, ovens, a highly accelerated life testing (HALT) chamber, a vibration and climatic chamber and an electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) laboratory. All these stages of testing ensure any potential weaknesses are highlighted during the prototyping stages and amended before the final product undergoes validation testing. And by exposing the designs to more severe mechanical and temperature shocks than real life, Boyley explained that “one or two weeks of testing in the lab corresponds to many years in the field.”
REDARC support
REDARC has provided its customers with extensive resources to make using its products easier than ever, including guides to understand which REDARC solution suits your power requirements or goals, as well as videos and product manuals. All of these can be found via the REDARC website.
If you require further information, REDARC’s South Australian-based technical support staff, who are all qualified auto-electricians or electronics technicians, have a working knowledge of all REDARC products and undergo continual training to offer the best solutions for REDARC customers.
REDARC also has Area Sales Managers located in the field across Australia and New Zealand, and staff who service the US and Europe, all of whom help with technical assistance and keep customers informed with the latest information and product news.
And to ensure peace of mind for customers, REDARC backs its products with a two-year hassle-free replacement warranty. And customers who use a REDNetwork member get an extended warranty on REDARC products sourced and installed by one of these members.
What we are most excited about
“The Alpha range of chargers is exactly what the caravan market needs. With high-current induction cooking becoming popular and battery tech increasing in charge rates while coming down in price, more people are considering monster-power builds, but the charging market just hasn’t kept up. Having a 100A total charger that prioritises solar can take power from your alternator and charge from AC quickly fills a gap in the market and I love that it’s come from a proud Australian innovator.
“I’ve already recommended the Smart Battery Monitor to a friend building his LandCruiser Prado into a tourer and he’s grateful. When it launched, one feature really jumped out at me and made it the one to have — battery temperature monitoring. There are cheaper monitors on the market but none that we could find that had Bluetooth 5.1, the ability to give you state of charge and work a range of batteries, including AGM and LiFePO4 batteries. But it was the safety factor of being able to keep a close eye on the temperature of your battery that really made this one stand out. For my friend, and anyone doing an under-bonnet battery installation, this could be the difference between a good and a really bad day.”
— Tim van Duyl
To find out more
Innovation is a key part of REDARC’s values and culture, and the company is continually improving and expanding on its range of power solutions. It was great catching up with the team at COTY 2024, and we look forward to seeing these impressive new products in more van reviews in the future.
REDARC Electronics
23 Brodie Road North
Lonsdale SA 5160
P: 1300 733 272 (Tech support line)/08 8322 4848 (Head office)
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