Expanding AC distribution panel

My Progressive Dynamics PD9280 I cut the cord while under warranty something went wrong, sent it into them using a RMA and a couple weeks later go a bill from then in US mail for $150.00. Called them up and was told I had cut the AC cord which voided their warranty.

Anyway just for peeace of mind or if I ever need to connect another PD underwarranty I thought I would install a fused AC recepticle for the converter.

Also for poeace of mind I would like the freezer power that has a powerstrip were on can plug other electics such as an electric weed wacker, power tool, etc. to also be fused with breaker at it's source connection to the 6300.


so i think i'm either going to use the AC (air. cond.) breaker spot or install a small breaker panel of two to four breakers spaces.

30 amps not much to work with but I'm fairly conscious about using electic on a 30 amp service which I've been connected to for ~10 years.

I don't really need all that much electric except for the frig and my computer that's connected to a AVR. The only other AC I use is for an electric grinder, weed wacker and an 1800 psi pressure washer I use once in a while for cleaning.

My other breakers on the 6300 are double combo breakers green, red and blue in color.

green = 30 amp
blue = 15 amp
red = 20 amp

Not much room to take a pic with my camera. I have other wiring there for a power meter that tells me how many watts and kilowatts are being used, displays voltage, current, power and energy.

From left to right it's green + red + red + blue + blue

30 amp + 20 amp + 20 amp + 15 amp + 15 amp

The double wide large breaker on the far right is a 15 amp for the AC which I could remove and use the space the freezer/shed and the converter.

You can remove the single on the right and put in a double 15/20 to give one extra.

time2roll wrote:
You can remove the single on the right and put in a double 15/20 to give one extra.

yes that's what I was thinking of doing unless I wanted to keep the AC then i would find a small breaker box and install in the space underneath where the converter use to be.

however after finding the cover I think the far right is a breaker for the microwave which is a single hot wire connections to a dual breaker. (which I previously thought was for AC)

The metal cover from left to right shows.

Main - Option Air Cond. - Portable appliances - General Purpose - Microwave.

So I would need to connect the AC (air cond.) breaker to the micro and use the microwave space for a 15/20 breaker

BFL13 wrote:
The 75 amp converter will pull approx. 1690VA from 120 input when doing 75 amps/14.x output. (that converter has PF of 0.73) So sharing a circuit with the fridge on electric is dubious. It would work if the converter were only doing regular 13.6v work at low amps output.

14.075 amps? I would need to ask how often is a 75 watt converter going to pull ~14 amps from AC when connect to no batteries and only used for 12 volt lighting and an absorption refrigerator?

If you ever go off-grid on whole house inverter, you want to shut off the converter and have the fridge on gas, so that would be easy if they shared. OTOH if the converter has its own breaker it is easy and you can just unplug the fridge 120 outside if it won't stay on gas by itself instead of auto to 120.

If I were to go off-grid for an extended length of time (months or longer) because of the climates where I'm at there would be little or no solar and I would mainly use a genny and most likely have a battery bank to maintain for off-grid. So the genny would be used part time for AC and to maintain a battery bank. I'm not certain if I would want to rely on a battery bank and inverter when compared to a genny

With the 7300 converter sharing with receptacles and you want the receptacles to stay live, you can insert a switch on the converter's black wire on its way to the breaker before where it joins the receptacles' black wire at the breaker.

The MW/WH one or the other switch (like in our 5er) trick can be used with anything that shares. Just means "power management" by the "operator". Lots of that when RVing anyway when using high draw appliances (shut off fridge 120 for a couple minutes while making toast eg) if on limited shore power. The more you do that, the fewer extra breakers needed.

I have a couple of modified sine wave inverters an Xantrex 1750 plus and a Trip-Lite PV2000FC is described as PWM sine wave. However for off grid true sine wave inverters are preferred and more efficient.

When I go off-grid in the past it's been mainly in the wilderness, so I more or less camp out and use the frig to preserve food. It's better than using a tent as you have a toilet, running, water, gas catalytic heater, etc. However I have several canvas tents I sometimes used as the RV can't really go off-road same as a Jeep. Though some RVers do get back in the woods quite a ways ans will stay out the entire summer in wilderness areas. Hunters use RV off-road in the winter months. I often go past their camps in up to a few feet of snow when it's very cold out. They set of hunting camps that are comprised of tents and rvs. Often they have large tarps where they have fires going for keeping warm, cooking etc. One problem with some RVs is there not rugged enough for off-road use unless they've been modified as are some 4x4 motorhomes that can go nearly anywhere and built for off-road use.

"The 75 amp converter will pull approx. 1690VA from 120 input when doing 75 amps/14.x output. (that converter has PF of 0.73) So sharing a circuit with the fridge on electric is dubious..>> It would work if the converter were only doing regular 13.6v work at low amps output <<.
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14.075 amps? I would need to ask how often is a 75 watt converter going to pull ~14 amps from AC when connect to no batteries and only used for 12 volt lighting and an absorption refrigerator?
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To clarify as needed---

I have a 75 amp PowerMax(ADJ.) same specs as unit you are getting. Running it set at 14.8vDC from a 3000w Honda inverter gen, and using a Kill-a-Watt meter, I got:

123.8v, 13.64a, 1693VA, 1241w, PF 0.73 as 120v input, with DC output
75.0 a, battery v 14.08 rising. So 1056w output using the 14.08 or else 1110w using the set 14.8.

1056w out for 1241w in is 85% efficiency, similar to other converters' spec efficiencies.

EDIT-BTW, IMO that way to measure efficiency is self-serving by ignoring the PF. I think it should use the output with the DC voltage set (14.8) and not the battery voltage at the time, but also should use the actual draw from the power source as the input, so that would make it 1110/1693 = 65.6%

On inverter efficiency, there is no advantage for PSW over MSW when running resistive loads like a toaster, but there is when running inductive loads like a microwave or a motor. But there are MSW inverters rated to run motors--they get it done. The PSW ones cost way more, so there is the usual trade-off.

I don't mind running the microwave on MSW with a motor rated inverter. Takes a little longer to cook something but so what? Actually it uses less battery in AH even though it takes longer, because the PSW would draw 1500w, (150 DC amps) while the MSW draws more like 120 DC amps for say two minutes longer.

The main reason to have the inverter is to make proper toast in the early morning before generator or noise hours. If you sleep in till generator noise hours are in effect, then make your toast, that's different. :)

Yes, I can see the benefits of having an inverter over a noisy generator.

There are gennys that are quieter than others.

I have a noisy Onan 4000 watt that came with my C-Class which I don't use much as the C connected most of the time to shore power.

I've thought about finding lower wattage quiet genny. There are generators that are between 49 and 60 decibels - that are no louder than normal speech. To keep the batteries charged, lighting, coffee and toast, etc. I think perhaps a smaller wattage generator will suffice. Even a thousand watt genny can provide perhaps enough power if you needs aren't great.

However lower decibel generators are going to be much louder than an inverter. So an inverter is a better choice as far as noise is concerned.

Heres a silent diesel generator which could possibly become quieter if encased is some sort of box.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXvyfQZzJMc

dern technology such as electricity, etc.

(deleted)

I replied to this in the PD9280 thread. Suggest you delete this from this thread. Gets confusing, I know.

Andonso wrote:
I found a 20 amp ceramic fuse to test the PD9280.

Connected the black (hot) and white (neutral) to an AC two prong plug, (left the green ground disconnected), and the fuse blew.

...

I'm wondering if I should test again using a three prong AC plug connected to their respective wires, black (hot), white (neutral) and green (ground) from the AC?

No. The fuse blows because something is shorted in the AC side of the converter. There's not a whole lot there: a bridge rectifier, an electrolytic capacitor (or a few), the switching transistor, and perhaps some power factor correction circuitry. I would guess that one of the first three is the culprit.

The ground is a safety ground and doesn't really enter into the operation of the circuit at all.

I found this Progressive Dymanics 30 AMP 120VAC AC/DC DISTRIBUTION PANEL

https://www.ltdrvparts.com/PROGRESSIVE-DYNAMICS-30-AMP-120VAC-AC-DC-DISTRIBUTION-PANEL-PD50B2T2GP.htm

Provisions for 30 Amp AC main and up to 9 AC branch circuits.

Accepts rated fuses up to 30 Amp –

Space for up to 12 fused DC branch circuits for 12 Volt lighting and DC appliance circuits.

Appears it should provide 4 more fuse spaces for a total of 9 fuses plus a 30 amp main? I unable to see the interior and find any documentation or manual.

My current panel has space for only 6 AC breakers.