Converter replacement

BFL13 wrote:
A single 27 will accept about 45 amps at 50% SOC and taper almost right away for its Absorption Stage. If you hit it with 60 amps all that happens is the amps will immediately drop to whatever the 27 will accept and taper from there.

That's with a flooded battery--don't do that with AGM or Si02--stick with their 27% charging limits--ie 27 amps on a 100AH batt or you can use your 55 amper on a pair of 100s. LFP can take it though.

ISTR a Honda 2000 spec is 13.3 amps at 120v for running output of 1600w (VA really)

I prefer the PowerMax line (same as Boondocker, a rebadged PowerMax) but the PD with Charge Wizard might be easier to operate if you are not ready to do manual voltage adjustments to suit your battery specs. (or you can chose the standard three-stage automatic mode if on shore power) If you are on shore power it doesn't matter about which converters--they all do about the same Float voltage.

Most converters at 75 amps and below are not power-factor corrected and their PFs are about 0.7, so you have to add that to what the generator will have to supply.

EG, as measured with a Trimetric and a Kill-A-Watt here is how it works for a 55 amp converter with battery accepting 56.8 amps and rising through 13.7 volts. (3000w Honda generator)

124.7 v, 11.06 a, 980w, 0.7PF, 1380VA (Kill-A-Watt )

So the Honda 1600 VA would supply that 1380VA. Same deal with a 75 amp converter needs the gen supplying 1700 VA, so the Honda 2000 would be a little overloaded. The Honda 2200 is rated for 1800VA though, so that would be ok with a 75 amper.

My B&S P2200 just barely runs my 75 amp converter which pulls 1700VA and the gen is rated at 1700VA.

You have a choice if the WFCO does run of leaving it in place and get a deck mount converter to work with the gen, or else replace the WFCO "lower portion" with a better converter.

Thanks, good info. This will be a deck mounted (stand alone) converter, not one housed in the power distribution box.

It sounds like the 45 amp converter would be fine for my group 27 lead acid battery, and run well on the EU2000. The only catch is that the 55 amp model is the same price on Amazon.

So. I guess the question is if the single 27 accepts max 45 amps at 50% charge level, will the converter charge output drop accordingly, and hence draw less current on the AC input side? I would think definitely yes since the DC output load has decreased, and I could probably calculate that using the power factor.

Obviously I'd like to go with the 55 amp model which I know the EU2000 would supply, but also have a little power left over to run lights and maybe TV in the trailer. Looks like I need to get the AmpClamp out and do a little measuring.

As far a manual adjustments, I have no problem with that. 99.9% of the time the 3 stage auto mode will be fine. I just want to have the option of locking in boost mode for rapid battery recharge when needed. I do like the remote pendant the PD offers, but again going into the PowerMax as seldom as I would be needing boost would be no issue.

Edit: Just spoke with PowerMax and found the 55 amp converter will draw 975 watts (under full load) from the generator. Looks like I'm golden!