Hello all,My batteries are currently disconnected (both the chassis and coach) and the rig is on shore power, but the wall monitor still shows that the batteries are full. If they are disconnected, shouldn't it be showing empty?The converter is a Magnetek 6345.

The converter is still producing 12 V as long as your plugged in. That's what the wall monitor is measuring. Unplug and with the batteries disconnected you'll show zero. The wall monitor doesn't measure directly at the batteries, it measures in line.

The monitors are simply a voltage meter. Most likely the charger is running providing power to the 12v systems and the meter is reading that voltage.An easy way to check is to flip the breaker that the charger is on.Depending on the models, some chargers are OK feeding power to the 12v system without a battery in the system but it's generally not a great idea.

It is showing the line voltage from the convertor, unplug your shore power, it will go to 0

Thanks for the replies guys. I turned off the breaker that the converter is connected to, and of course it shows zero, as the wall monitor is a 12 volt device, so it didn't work at all.Just because it is plugged into shore power doesn't mean it should show full charge should it? That makes it entirely useless for checking battery levels.Surely it should be showing the actual level of the batteries, whether or not I'm plugged in, shouldn't it? It's labeled "Batt Cond" after all...The batteries are disconnected in the first place because they were way below 12 volts. The converter is not charging them, and while the batteries were disconnected to charge on a trickle charger, I noticed the wall monitor still says full. That can't the intended behavior. Something must be miswired.

Dirtyrhoades77 wrote:Thanks for the replies guys. I turned off the breaker that the converter is connected to, and of course it shows zero, as the wall monitor is a 12 volt device, so it didn't work at all.Just because it is plugged into shore power doesn't mean it should show full charge should it? That makes it entirely useless for checking battery levels.Surely it should be showing the actual level of the batteries, whether or not I'm plugged in, shouldn't it? It's labeled "Batt Cond" after all...The batteries are disconnected in the first place because they were way below 12 volts. The converter is not charging them, and while the batteries were disconnected to charge on a trickle charger, I noticed the wall monitor still says full. That can't the intended behavior. Something must be miswired.You don’t have to completely shut off shore power. Just shut off the converter breaker.But it’s not really possible to have a simple readout to determine battery condition while the converter is on. The converter raises the voltage on the battery to charge it, so that’s what you’ll read. It really doesn’t matter though, because if you are on shore power for more than a few hours your battery is going to be as charged as it’s going to get, so checking the monitor is pointless.

Betteries disconnected, wall monitor showing full charge.

StirCrazy
Moderator
Aug 14, 2021
Dirtyrhoades77 wrote:
Thanks for the replies guys. I turned off the breaker that the converter is connected to, and of course it shows zero, as the wall monitor is a 12 volt device, so it didn't work at all.

Just because it is plugged into shore power doesn't mean it should show full charge should it? That makes it entirely useless for checking battery levels.
Surely it should be showing the actual level of the batteries, whether or not I'm plugged in, shouldn't it? It's labeled "Batt Cond" after all...

The batteries are disconnected in the first place because they were way below 12 volts. The converter is not charging them, and while the batteries were disconnected to charge on a trickle charger, I noticed the wall monitor still says full. That can't the intended behavior. Something must be miswired.

was you battery disconect switch turned off?

it is a battery moniter when you are runing the trailer on the batteries and not shore power it will show you the level of charge of the battery. so just using some aproximat numbers it had dumb lights that come on a spicific voltages so at 12.3 it might say 1/3, at 12.5 it might say 2/3 and at 12.8 it will say full. when your trailer is plugged in it is feeding the 12V side with 13.somthing for charging and such so the battery moniter sees that and shows full. check your actual voltage where the battery is installed on the two battery clamps. if it is showing 13+ V then throw the battery out and buy new ones as you cooked it at some point and a trickel charger isnt going to help. if you show zero voltage check to make sure you dont have a battery disconect like I listed above. if you do put your battery back in and turn that switch on to charge your battery back up.

Steve
KD4UPL
Explorer
Aug 13, 2021
Everybody calls that thing a battery monitor. Most people think it really is. Congratulations on being smart enough to realize it's not. More people should understand this. That device is more properly called a 12v system voltage gauge.
An actual battery gauge would involve a shunt placed into the main negative line at the battery. The shunt would measure current into and out of the battery over time. You program it to know what size your battery is and then it displays state of charge as a percentage.
These do exist, they cost a couple hundred bucks. Victron, Magnum, Outback, and other make them.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Aug 13, 2021
The wall monitor is telling you the converter is working at "Full Power".
It's hooked to the house side of the disconnect so if you are plugged in and disconnected it should show full
It is nearly never accurate but for best accuricy
Disconnect for 30 minutes
UNPLUG
Turn off everything 12 volt you can turn off
Connect and take a reading

Else the reading is false.
valhalla360
Navigator
Aug 13, 2021
Dirtyrhoades77 wrote:
capacitor wrote:
Is the top light on the display a “C” as in charge?

There's nothing like that on the monitor.

Based on this thread I'll reconnect the freshly charged batteries and let it ride for now. I've already installed solar panels on the roof, and I'm waiting for battery cells to arrive. The end state will be a big 48 volt battery. From that I'll get a new, separate DC-DC converter to produce 12 volts, which I'll run to the DC fuse panel.

Thanks for the input guys.

So the 12v monitor is a mystery but you are going to build a 48v system to feed a 12v system?

You may want to consider getting a professional to put the system together.
BFL13
Explorer II
Aug 13, 2021
Dirtyrhoades77 wrote:
capacitor wrote:
Is the top light on the display a “C” as in charge?

There's nothing like that on the monitor.

Based on this thread I'll reconnect the freshly charged batteries and let it ride for now. I've already installed solar panels on the roof, and I'm waiting for battery cells to arrive. The end state will be a big 48 volt battery. From that I'll get a new, separate DC-DC converter to produce 12 volts, which I'll run to the DC fuse panel.

Thanks for the input guys.

Don't forget to jumper the pos battery lugs on that 6300 DC fuse panel so the new converter can run all the circuits. Right now it is a "split panel" so you have to jumper it.

Edit--if all you do is run the new DC-DC to the battery lugs and never mind the converter connections you don't need to jumper the fuse panel. Assumes the Dc-Dc has clean DC like a modern converter has.

Don't say what the complete new set-up will be, but sounds like LFP cells at 48v for the house batts. Solar charging for them, but still need a 120v- 48v charger for when on shore power or generator off-grid and not enough solar to keep up. Also a 48v inverter. Also a way to still have the house supply the engine if the engine batt is too low. That 48-12 converter will interesting to wire up! What about alternator charging of the house with them at 48v? Need another DC-DC going 12-48.

For now, there is still keeping the recharged house battery charged with no input from the 6300. Portable 12v charger would do it if solar not keeping up. Once the 48v is in, no role for the 6300 converter "lower portion"

I agree with above that staying 12v for the house would be a lot simpler for an RV set-up.
larry_cad
Explorer II
Aug 13, 2021
Dirtyrhoades77 wrote:
capacitor wrote:
Is the top light on the display a “C” as in charge?

There's nothing like that on the monitor.

Based on this thread I'll reconnect the freshly charged batteries and let it ride for now. I've already installed solar panels on the roof, and I'm waiting for battery cells to arrive. The end state will be a big 48 volt battery. From that I'll get a new, separate DC-DC converter to produce 12 volts, which I'll run to the DC fuse panel.

Thanks for the input guys.

Just curious, why build a 48v battery and then reduce it down to 12v? Why not just build a large 12v battery in the first place?

:h:?
Dirtyrhoades77
Explorer
Aug 13, 2021
capacitor wrote:
Is the top light on the display a “C” as in charge?

There's nothing like that on the monitor.

Based on this thread I'll reconnect the freshly charged batteries and let it ride for now. I've already installed solar panels on the roof, and I'm waiting for battery cells to arrive. The end state will be a big 48 volt battery. From that I'll get a new, separate DC-DC converter to produce 12 volts, which I'll run to the DC fuse panel.

Thanks for the input guys.
capacitor
Explorer
Aug 13, 2021
Is the top light on the display a “C” as in charge?
Bobbo
Explorer II
Aug 13, 2021
Dirtyrhoades77 wrote:
Thanks for the replies guys. I turned off the breaker that the converter is connected to, and of course it shows zero, as the wall monitor is a 12 volt device, so it didn't work at all.

No. It is working as designed. It goes to zero because there is zero 12v voltage.

Just because it is plugged into shore power doesn't mean it should show full charge should it?

Yes, it should. Plugged in to shore power, your converter is producing 12 volts so the monitor is reporting 12v. The monitor can't tell the source of the 12v, battery or converter. It just says 12v is here.

That makes it entirely useless for checking battery levels.

Its purpose is not to check battery levels. Its purpose is to report if you have 12v available to the coach. It is doing its job as designed. If you want to only check battery levels, you will have to run a separate monitor directly to the batteries. But, it will require a separate disconnect switch.

Surely it should be showing the actual level of the batteries, whether or not I'm plugged in, shouldn't it? It's labeled "Batt Cond" after all...

The label is wrong. It is not connected to the batteries. It is connected to the RV 12v circuit and shows the voltage of the RV circuit, not the batteries. The only way it reports on the "battery condition" is to turn off the battery charger so the only 12v available is from the battery. THEN and ONLY THEN does it report the voltage just from the batteries.

The batteries are disconnected in the first place because they were way below 12 volts. The converter is not charging them, and while the batteries were disconnected to charge on a trickle charger, I noticed the wall monitor still says full. That can't the intended behavior. Something must be miswired.

Nothing is miswired. Your understanding of the wiring is incorrect.
BFL13
Explorer II
Aug 13, 2021
The 6300 models require a battery to be connected to filter the DC for the circuits that have electronics on them.

The batteries going low with the converter on means there is an "open" somewhere between the house battery and the 6300's DC fuse panel lugs where the battery wires go. You need to address that.

The 6300 is single stage at 13.6ish voltage, so it can't do the 14.4-14.8 volts that many battery types are specified to need to be properly charged. You can get by with it if you choose to just replace the battery every couple of years--that might be the least expensive way to go, depending.

It is not difficult to replace the 6300 with a more modern converter if you know how, but might not be worth the cost of paying to get that done professionally.