My son has 2x GC2 batteries at 232AH and a WFCO 8955 charger and it’s about 20’ from the batteries. While he also has 160W of solar he wants faster charging with the charger and 2KW gen with reduced gen run time. So I’m thinking that he needs a decent 3 stage charger for C/5 or about 50A that is mounted next to the batteries in his 5er. The new charger doesn’t necessarily need remote temperature and voltage sense probes for his usage. I have a question about the PD9245C and PD9260C chargers. The manual shows bulk and float charging but no mention of absorb charging. Did I miss something?Or recommendations for a suitable charger.

Sounds like he needs a MPPT charge controller for his solar and mounted close to the batteries. My batteries are charged by noon every day.

To some extent the battery charging is controllable with the solar and the family but not really with a 3-4 day fishing excursion with some of his buddies. By the second day more extended gen charging is required with the WFCO and I'm not sure the batteries reach 80% SOC.

We have been unplugged for 6 weeks now and no generator use. We watch TV 4 hours every night, charge the phones, laptop, notepad, and use a hair drier on the inverter every morning and the batteries are full by noon. Solar works great if it is installed correctly.

If he has the roof restate I'd simply add another 160 watts of panels.

Your son needs about 240 Watts of solar panels, and and adjustable voltage PWM charge controller that he can adjust to get 14.8v measured at the battery posts when close to fully charged.

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Ductape
Explorer
Mar 14, 2016
With the pendant for the PD you can force whichever voltage you want also.
Matt_Colie
Explorer II
Mar 14, 2016
CA,

Unless your son has a pair welding cable between the 8955 and the bank, that is where he is loosing. None of the converters (afaik)are remote sensing. That means that the 0.6~0.8V that he looses in line loss is killing his charge rate. He can either more the converter closer to the bank or invest in some gunga-moma cable.

The entire life of a 12V battery is between 12.6 and 12.0, so loosing that 0.6V on the way is a killer for recovery time.

We did a lot of boat work before the depression, and this was a problem that the performance cruisers (read retired racing sloops) faced constantly.

Matt
NinerBikes
Explorer
Mar 14, 2016
If your son gets a 9260C, have him get the model that produces 14.8V, not the regular 14.4V one. Those GC2's need 14.8v before going out of bulk charge mode. Or look at the Iota DLS 55 models, they put out 14.7 V
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Mar 14, 2016
Unless of course, this all goes on a tent trailer. Yeah, make it a tent trailer parked on a Pacific Ocean beach. Solar works GREAT in the southwest USA where skies are blue, temperatures in the summer are blazing and a pedestal air conditioning hookup is needed to keep interior temps <300F.

A more rational approach would be to ASK the original poster how much cloud cover or fog is involved. Lessee: Mountain lake, trees, shade.

Sad diagnostics based on lack of information. Asking is a bit savvier than assumption...
Chandalen
Explorer
Mar 17, 2016
MPPT for an array that small is a waste of money. There does need to be a charge controller for the Array, but a PWM is cheaper, and will likely work better than the MPPT.

GC2 battery charge voltages, wired as 12v, 6v is 1/2 totals:

Bulk: 14.2
Absorption: 15.3
Float: 13.4
Equalization 15.6

It doesn't matter what the charger / converter kicks out a far as voltages. With wire voltage loss what matters is the voltages AT the batteries wile charging.

As mentioned, with 20' from charger to batteries, you would need very thick wire to be charging at proper voltages.
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Mar 17, 2016
As I posted the new charger will be mounted next to the batteries and most likely the WFCO charger would be disabled. Most likely I'll use 4ga wire so voltage drop will be minimum.

More solar is probably not the best option as the camping is often near the coast. But more solar and more batteries would help.

The 55A Iota looks like a good choice. I'm not aware of batteries that have a absorption voltage that is higher than the bulk voltage. My son's GC2 Interstates are 14.7 bulk and absorb, 13.02 float and 15.3 equalize.
landyacht318
Explorer
Mar 17, 2016
bulk voltage.... What confused marketer decided that term would increase sales?

The Bulk phase is a constant current phase/stage where the charging source outputs all it can until absorption voltage is reached. SO bulk voltage technically would be anything from 10.5v to 14.4v, or 14.7v ect, making the term completely meaningless

Product marketers need to be held up by their short and curlies and slapped silly for making up new terms.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Mar 17, 2016
Boost, Bulk, Pulse, Absorb, Float

"Oh, Hello Herb!"

A Three Stage Charger. More Oxymoronic than Giant Shrimp.

What does the CHARGER "NOT DO" between "Bulk and Absorbsion"?

The charger does not do a damned thing. Zero. END OF CHARGING STAGE BEGINNING OF MAINTENANCE STATE.

One, ah, Three. Too? Don't see a TWO anywhere

New Math. It is entirely befitting. Note there is a fundamental difference between the words "Charger" and "Charging".

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