BATTERIES

Go outside. Pick up a rock. Stare at it. It is smarter than a smart converter.you want ti run your generator 12-hours a day and charge batteries to 80% get a "smart" charger. Your batteries will be sulfated at the end of the first season. Expensive chargers like the Boondocker are less offensive to flooded batteries but there isn't a "smart" charger on the face of the earth that can maintain an off-grid battery bank without damaging it. Yes you can push boost buttons a dozen times and it will help but I thought you might like to hunt, not screw around with batteries. Start generator. Occasionally glance at ammeter. When amperage drops to 12.0 or less shut off generator. But I guess you have money to burn. Oh well...

It looks like I will be going with an RV CONVERTER. Have checked out a few. Powermaxx55 amp, Progressive Dynamics 45 amp, GoPower 45 amp and WFCO65 amp.

What is the best brand name out of these choices?

I am dumb. The converter will be using 120 volt electricity from the 2000 watt gas Yamaha inverter/generator, and converting it to DC power, boost the amps, and charge battery quicker right?

The converters are smart so they have a four stage charge? these four stages are automatic? I just plug in and play? (short of adding liquid to the battery now and then)?

I've used a 2/12/70 Schmacher with a Deep cycle setting for as long as I can remember. I also had a 2/10/50 but it started charging everything at 15v last year so I pitched it. It too was well over 10 years old.

Either would charge a battery when one of my customers newer "smart" charger with a digital display and lots of buttons wouldn't because the voltage had gotten too low. He wanted to trade and I said thank you but no. I'd be happy to get him a decent charger though if he wanted. He declined.

Return the failed unit for replacement or get something you feel better about. Either way, yours is dead. It happens.

rjxj wrote:
If you want to look even further down the road and spend twice as much, buy the mean well 15 v model as it will be able to equalize at 16 v if needed. Oh god now he's talking about 16 v to a 12 v battery. He must be crazy.

Interstates will love it!

If you want to look even further down the road and spend twice as much, buy the mean well 15 v model as it will be able to equalize at 16 v if needed. Oh god now he's talking about 16 v to a 12 v battery. He must be crazy.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Megawatt 40-amp
Sixty-five bucks. Set to 14.8 volts. Use an ammeter and when charge rate drops to 12 amps shut off generator. Before storage let charge until all cells are bubbling vigorously. Maintain discoonected from all loads fed by a 20-watt solar panel regulated to 13.4 volts. Do not leave batteries unattended longer than 90-days.

BUT BUT IT WILL BURN MY BATTERIES UP!!
Started talking to a guy about our axle flips and we ended up on batteries. He said hes gone through 3 in the last 3 or 4 years. I got out my hydrometer and it was around 1.125. I showed him my battery set up and mega watt and told him that we could put it on his battery for a while. He said he was afraid of burning his battery up and didn't want to try anything like that. Ahhh ok.

As we did all this another guy next to him came over and starting asking questions. We checked his and the voltage was 12.6 and the sg was just above 1.125. They both complained about their refrigerators cutting out at night. Geez what voltage does that happen at? 9.5 or something?

He has a wfco and a 160 watt solar panel behind the truck cab pointed away from the sun. It's wired into the controller in the bedroom and the controller then goes out to the pinbox area to tap into the hot wire. Then of course it runs all the way back to the power center where it then travels back to the battery. His walmart group 27 was new in November. He returned it and they gave him a new one. He told me it's working great now, it was just the battery. WOOOOSH, talk about over the head. Wasted every minute of my time. Then that evening the wife points to a big DP and says I wonder why they walk around in there with flashlights and dont just turn on a light. I got up and went in and turned on every light in my rig and opened the blinds a little then went back out to the campfire. Life is good when you have the power.

Megawatt 40-amp
Sixty-five bucks. Set to 14.8 volts. Use an ammeter and when charge rate drops to 12 amps shut off generator. Before storage let charge until all cells are bubbling vigorously. Maintain discoonected from all loads fed by a 20-watt solar panel regulated to 13.4 volts. Do not leave batteries unattended longer than 90-days.

HVFDFIREFIGHTER wrote:
With the batteries connected as stated above, I should be charging in 12 volt mode correct?

Yes that is how you would do it.

I tell folks there are no six volt batteries in RVs only 2 piece 12 volt

Think like this
-{Battery}+12V
-{Bat}{ery|+12 volt
. .6v. .6V

Now.. When you replace the crappy "Smart Charger"

Consider a Progrssive Dynamics Intella-Power 9245 or 9260

Now That.... Is one (two actually) Smart charger(s).

The 9200 can be used as an RV converter/charger/power supply or as a stand along smart charger for 12volt battery assemblies.. the 60 will recharge faster but the smaller one might be lower in cost and will make batteries last longer. You can leave it connectd all the time if you wish or for months on end when not using the RV.. you can also use it to re-charge the car battery when you leave the headlights on.

Moved from technology corner

Tom_M wrote:
I have a Stanley 40 amp charger and it will not start a charge if the battery voltage is too low. I have to use a "Dumb" charger to get the voltage above the threshold and then I can use the Stanley.

A 40 or 50 amp charger is not going to be cheap. You may want to consider buying an RV converter/charger.

Would I need a 40 amp charger? Times listed above are for full discharge, that should never happen.