PD or Iota for my upgrade?

Salvo wrote:
You are the first person to report rated output current for more than a few seconds. Still, waiting for your test.

I didn't see it for much more than a total of a few tens of seconds either - spread over a few minutes of testing, although I checked it 3-4 times with different meters. I made no long term tests, but they were long enough that I'm convinced the PD is capable of supplying the rated current at above 14 volts.

I'm very interested in doing some testing. I've opened the PD and traced most of the circuit. I've spent some time hunting through my electronics box for a MAX 232 I can scavenge ( I know I've got one somewhere) to build the streaming add-on for the TriMetric 2025. It will let me just turn on the charging and stream the real-time current voltage total power numbers into storage. I'd rather not have to sit there and write down numbers for hours, then transfer to a spreadsheet when I can have it all automated.

However, I'm trying to get ready for a 3 week trip in September. I decided to upgrade some 12 volt plugs (we're doing slots more reading on tablets and phones now.) I found a leak in the windshield, the 40 year old remote control light stopped working in altitude, and I want to rewire some of the 12V system that';s gone funky. I replaced the radio (the previous one dies from the windshield leak.)

So testing isn't on the front burner now. I'll get to it, but probably after the September trip unless the other jobs get done first. (Still have some welding to do for a carrier rack, etc.)

The PD does have a mechanism to throttle current. We've discussed it already. I believe it was item 42 in the patent. That can be the answer to PD's tapered current.

Yes, and I'm really anxious to put a meter on that part of the circuit. To do so, I've got to pull out the PD, which due to my desire for very short cables is kind of hard to access. It's an easy test to see what's limiting current, but so far, I haven't seen much limited current.

All I was saying was that I'd seen the PD putting out 80+ amps at 14 volts on my gen (120+ ACV) and 78 amps on shore (115VAC IIRC) for much longer than it would take to drain the input stage capacitors. It just confirms to me that the basic circuitry can supply that much at that voltage. If it tapers later, it should be either because of the current limiting input to the Unitrode, or some fundamental characteristic of the battery as it nears full charge.

You guys have been looking at this for a while and there's still disagreement over what it all means, so I need to go slowly enough that I'm reasonable sure of what I'm seeing for my own system.

This all goes into my "I'm curious" box, which doesn't really get to be opened until all the jobs in my "get ready for the September trip" box are finished. The DW wants the oven polished and I promised to remove the wine racks and show her how to use the polisher. You would think "stainless" wouldn't rust, but this '70's era oven seems to be willing to take a light rust even on stainless.

What happened to Wayne's test data? Can't read the graph.

Sal

It looks OK to me. I can read it.