New Boondocker converter test

I always see a sort of soft start anyway where the initial amps of the 100 might be 99 or 100 and then after a minute it has ramped up to 104a.

The VEC1093DBD starting at 40a setting does ramp up in quick stages to 40.4 too. I suppose this is the battery looking after itself, don't know.

I am so gun-shy about blowing thermistors now, I want to hit the converter with full blast at start up while the thermistor is cold. I am scared that if I started at 13.6 then cranked it to 14.8, when the thermistor is now warm, it would fry. I am pretty sure it would not, and this is a false fear, but I am gun-shy, can't be helped :)

"When you are connected to the battery, the unit's meter will show a variation of the "converter voltage" so when you want to set the "real converter voltage " with the knob you can use your marks around the knob."

To avoid the sudden rush of amps into the batts, could you not do a soft start by simply dialing down the pm's voltage to roughly match the soc voltage of the batts, and then slowly raise the voltage to control the onslaught of current until it's up and running at its current limit? (This would only take about 30 seconds of your time, initially.)

It is normal for the converter to do a few more amps than rating when the converter is close to the batteries on fat wire. My old Paramode (RIP) did 62 and my PowerMax 100 does 104. Even my Parallax 7355 does 56 for running a load (not when charging a battery though, which limits the output to the 40s on its longer wiring)

For fast charging the T-105s, IMO use the Trojan spec of 14.8v for Vabs and leave it there till amps taper right down, then drop the voltage to your Float spec voltage as adjusted for temperature. IAW do not do the absorption stage at 13.6, do it at 14.8

Absorption Stage (when amps start to taper once battery reaches close to 14.8v) should start at about 70% SOC with 64/225 = 28% charging rate so a good portion of the recharge from 70 to 100 will take place with the amps tapering at constant 14.8 volts.

On the unit itself no load bench, put the voltmeter in the output terminals and twiddle the knob, using a marker pen to mark around the knob some voltages like 13.6, 14.8.

When you are connected to the battery, the unit's meter will show a variation of the "converter voltage" so when you want to set the "real converter voltage " with the knob you can use your marks around the knob.

Throttle charge current by voltage not by amperage. I have treated GC's to 90+ amperes from a vehicle alternator so many times I lost track decades ago. All the time in the world type charging, 20 amperes is plenty gentle. When time is money or someone is ready to level an aught-six at you because of generator usage, then mimic what an alternator does and regulate voltage to 14.2 and let the alternator have at the batteries. Sixty amp charge rate for GC's is ho-hum. But when connected to shore power for as long as you wish, I would throttle them back down to 20 amps charge rate.