Lee B. of Waldport, Oregon Submitted May 2, 2013

This may be a bit wordy....the subject is both simple and complex simultaneously.

I chose to purchase the Power-Gate MosFET battery isolator even though the initial capital expense was easily three-fold that of the competition through normal auto parts suppliers. For me the choice was simple....superior power handling and longevity -vs- price alone. When the standard isolator fails in service, the failure mode is normally a short rather than an open circuit...this mode leaves the alternator and BOTH battery banks connected as if there were NO ISOLATOR in the loop. The normal result is then to see your alternator fail shortly thereafter without warning. One additional technical consideration that weighed heavily on my choice was the superior current handling (measured as a voltage-drop at the isolator) that the POWER-GATE provided....literally, the drop is too small to measure without especially sensitive test equipment. This means that the output from my alternator is properly delivered to the DC distribution network downstream without loss to heat generated by the battery isolator itself....this is why the POWER-GATE doesn't require a big multi-finned aluminum heat sink to survive. I did make one significant change to my downstream DC wiring for the chassis battery bank....I replaced the factory original #6 gauge cable run from the isolator to the starter post (where it ties directly to the chassis battery) with a high current #0 gauge multi-stranded cable with soldered lugs. Again, the result was to minimize resistance-induced heat and voltage drop losses.

Would I recommend this device to other RV installations? Absolutely!!! The tour I got of the facility where these are made completely convinced me of the quality and capability that the POWER-GATE provides....my unit was documented in testing prior to delivery as capable well beyond the 140 Amps my alternator provides (a close to 30% over-amperage capacity). The firmware programming (that's right, it's a smart device) that allows for exciter voltage to be delivered to the alternator on startup is brilliant....and still retains full protection against reverse current flow to protect the regulator circuitry within the alternator.

I found it simple to install, much more compact than the unit it replaced, and so well-engineered as to provide me with a sense of confidence that it will last longer than the vehicle itself.

So, if your RV utilizes a conventional (finned) battery isolator and you want to make your system better, this is a great alternative.