3 stage converters while using solar?

With 360w solar and decent sun you can probably leave the generator and converter at home. If you do get a smart converter make sure the 650w can actually drive the thing. Even 30a 35a might be too much. A 20a portable might be just the ticket.

The method used by some is to run the generator with a smart charger that has been set in bulk mode charging for an hour, an hour and a half, or two hours, first thing in the morning to help get close to topping off the batteries, then shut the generator off, and let the solar charging get the last 20,15, or 10% of charging to near full, before the sun sets.

Until you measure your usage and know your battery bank capacity, it's all a SWAGE figure. Measuring what you use when you aren't charging, and what your parasitic load is when everything is turned off except minor day time users will help you ball park how many amps you need to put back in to the batteries daily.

A generator and a smart charger work pretty efficiently when the battery is in the 40% to 85 or 90% state of charge. The solar works good for the last 20,15 or 10% to top things off over a longer span of time during the day.

westend wrote:

Jonnygsx wrote:

westend wrote:
The PD chargers with Charge Wizard, like Pianotuna has, can be switched to overide the automatic voltage sensing. Your single stage charger does not have this function.
If you do get a three stage charger, you may need to upgrade your generator or rely on solar for charging. The Honda 650W rated charger probably won't handle a bigger charger.

Interesting Westend, so when you override the voltage sensing thats when it goes into 4 hour timer mode like tuna said. That seems to defeat the point of a smart charger to me, because you are basically throwing out the tech side and turning it into a timed dumb charger.

Well, you can look at it as if you're making the PD charger dumber or you could say it just has extra skills. Remember the Hulk? He wasn't exactly a genius.:B

Ha! thats another way to look at it I suppose. Thanks for the info Westend, I think ill be investing the money in more solar for now and just using a timer when I run the generator :)

Jonnygsx wrote:

westend wrote:
The PD chargers with Charge Wizard, like Pianotuna has, can be switched to overide the automatic voltage sensing. Your single stage charger does not have this function.
If you do get a three stage charger, you may need to upgrade your generator or rely on solar for charging. The Honda 650W rated charger probably won't handle a bigger charger.

Interesting Westend, so when you override the voltage sensing thats when it goes into 4 hour timer mode like tuna said. That seems to defeat the point of a smart charger to me, because you are basically throwing out the tech side and turning it into a timed dumb charger.

Well, you can look at it as if you're making the PD charger dumber or you could say it just has extra skills. Remember the Hulk? He wasn't exactly a genius.:B

westend wrote:
The PD chargers with Charge Wizard, like Pianotuna has, can be switched to overide the automatic voltage sensing. Your single stage charger does not have this function.
If you do get a three stage charger, you may need to upgrade your generator or rely on solar for charging. The Honda 650W rated charger probably won't handle a bigger charger.

Interesting Westend, so when you override the voltage sensing thats when it goes into 4 hour timer mode like tuna said. That seems to defeat the point of a smart charger to me, because you are basically throwing out the tech side and turning it into a timed dumb charger.

The PD chargers with Charge Wizard, like Pianotuna has, can be switched to overide the automatic voltage sensing. Your single stage charger does not have this function.
If you do get a three stage charger, you may need to upgrade your generator or rely on solar for charging. The Honda 650W rated charger probably won't handle a bigger charger.

pianotuna wrote:
Hi Johnny,

It check voltage when it starts. After four hours it drops down to 13.6 volts, whether the bank is full or not. I.E. it uses a timer.

If I want it in bulk, I can toggle the wizard to get it to do so.

I have zero problems with my solar system "fooling" the converter.

So if you were to start your generator mid day when your solar was putting out max voltage. The converter will check your voltage and likely not go into bulk mode but direct to float. Thats great that you have no problem with your system, I feel like that is usage dependent though. I just dont see a way that you wouldn't sometimes run into issues with the converter going into the wrong mode while solar is active.

Hi Johnny,

It checks voltage when it starts. After four hours it drops down to 13.6 volts, whether the bank is full or not. I.E. it uses a timer.

If I want it in bulk, I can toggle the wizard to get it to do so.

I have zero problems with my solar system "fooling" the converter.

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

I have the PD with wizard. Solar does not "trick" that to leaving boost mode.

Thats curious. How does PD converter ever know to switch to float then?

Hi,

I have the PD with wizard. Solar does not "trick" that to leaving boost mode.