Problems with Boondocker 60 amp converter

DieselBurps wrote:
I don't think the solar is throwing off the "boondocker" converter since it doesn't seem to change how much amps or volts I get out of it if the sun is shinning or not.

I am still waiting to hear back from Randy, will probably have to try calling again once some of this snow melts. If he warranties it I will probably go with a progresive or Iota converter. The only issue I am not sure about is my boondocker is a converter powercenter meaning it has the fuse panel built into it.

I will end up getting some sort of a manual charger regardless since I think I prefer that and like the control it gives me. Which Meanwell should I be looking at for my 2000 watt genny?

Why don't you disconnect your solar from your batteries, and just try charging with the Boondocker, and measure and see what the results are, instead of assuming?

If I was REALLY worried about overcharging with my Honda Eu Generator... I'd premeasure 6, 8, 10 ozs of gasoline, what ever it uses in an hour and a half, or whatever, pour it into an empty fuel tank, and then start the generator up and let it charge until it runs out of fuel, and doesn't overcharge the battery.

No more worries about babysitting. Such a difficult concept for an engineer? KISS principle works, every time.

DieselBurps wrote:
rt of a manual charger regardless since I think I prefer that and like the control it gives me. Which Meanwell should I be looking at for my 2000 watt genny?

S15 -400 or S18-400.

I don't think the solar is throwing off the "boondocker" converter since it doesn't seem to change how much amps or volts I get out of it if the sun is shinning or not.

I am still waiting to hear back from Randy, will probably have to try calling again once some of this snow melts. If he warranties it I will probably go with a progresive or Iota converter. The only issue I am not sure about is my boondocker is a converter powercenter meaning it has the fuse panel built into it.

I will end up getting some sort of a manual charger regardless since I think I prefer that and like the control it gives me. Which Meanwell should I be looking at for my 2000 watt genny?

I love the name calling and labeling :)

When a discussion degenerates to that level the name caller has lost.

I are an accountant.

Can you add and subtract?

No. Whatzzat gotta do with it? Made it so far so what's the big deal?

I had a friend whose 1986 Chevrolet 4X4 got "20 MPG"

Except when I rode in it.

Had folks claiming they get 8-12 years lifespan out of an RV battery - as they were putting a dead-as-a-doornail battery on the counter. You know, the one with the date code sticker that confirms it was made three years, four months ago.

Down here we got CIA Agents, ex Huey door gunners, who don't know a damned thing about an M60A1, who got robbed at gunpoint on a busy toll road that has a 5,000 vehicle per hour traffic count, including marines, 3 agencies of Federal Police.

But that's still more affable than name calling. The more frenzied the screech, the less credible they become.

I DO NOT AND THAT MEANS NEVER walk away from a running genset producing a heavy charge. Do it enough times (hours spent out of sight) and a bitter lesson will probably be forthcoming.

"Ah geez! I forgot! Here I have a generator running charging a battery at 14.8 volts, and I've been down the beach five hours fishing. What do you mean you just came from camp and didn't hear it?"

Getting old and 3AM bathroom visits - now THAT'S a genuine pain.

Guess I must be WAY different than "some". I arise, start the generator, make breakfast, pump water, vacuum do the dishes, then prepare for the day - fishing - shopping - can't say lay in a hammock - but beachcomb! Then I shut off the generator. Does anyone jump out of bed, fumble with a generator start button then sprint out the door for the day leaving the generator running? But I have seen folks chug-a-lug too many margaritas. Not only do they need "automatic everything" they need a leash.

The day I get too lazy to gaze at an ammeter once every half hour I will seek out Kevorkian's successor. The idea I have is to SIZE the battery bank to last an easy 4-5 days. Recharge with a sane quantity of amperage, for a hour or two then be free the following 4-5 days. No matter how simple it may be to configure a battery bank and recharging system followed up by minimal attention and time, someone will SKEW reality in an attempt to discredit it. I do not have TIME nor MONEY to fool around with stuff that does not work right. Try the SMART CHARGER thing on a cruising sailboat forum and the Bronx Cheers will blow you off your stool.

RJsfishin wrote:
X10
Just amazing how one battery freak could come here and get all this babysittin hi voltage stuff started, then sucker so many others into it too, all thinking they are outsmarting all the "REAL" battery,....and battery chargers engineers ???
I never in a hunerd years will figure out what the big deal is about simply charging a couple,,,,maybe 4 batteries in a couple hrs time w/ a good 3 stage charger, and make batteries last 8 to 12 yrs while doing it.
I been doin it for many years, w/ out any problem whatsoever. Is it that I'm older, smarter, and wiser than most, or is it that I have a "real" life !!

Who is the mystery character that has had the following experiences?

Honda Eu1000i generators never has any problems with jets clogging on gasoline with ethanol. The rest of us are making this "surging" problem up, with the motor not holding steady rpms.

Car jar type "Group 24,27, 29 and 31" batteries for dry camping are the best value. The "my screwy 31" thread is an anomaly, despite all the measurements taken over time, over years, of usage and recharge cycles.

Running 10 gauge wire for 6 feet for a 60 amp Boondocker won't cause any problems with bulk charging.

The "Jr's special" solar charge controller from China works fine... he buys ten of them on eBay and sells them down in Quartzsite in the winter, every year.

The rest of us,the majority, based on mechanical, chemical and electrical theory, schooling, college and on the job education, and personal experience, are just plain wrong.

Babysitting solar panels all day hanging off the back of your RV trailer hitch, while staring at the three red blinking dots on your Jr's special solar battery charge controller is a good use of your time.

All of the above is just IMHO, was never observed, and is the machinations of a fictional character RV camper down in Quartzsite AZ's Mickie D's at 4 AM in the morning, that I am writing about in a fictional RV camping adventure novel. I suffer from Tropical Delusions, I never saw it happen.

I swear, I get better winter weather predictions from a groundhog.

X10
Just amazing how one battery freak could come here and get all this babysittin hi voltage stuff started, then sucker so many others into it too, all thinking they are outsmarting all the "REAL" battery,....and battery chargers engineers ???
I never in a hunerd years will figure out what the big deal is about simply charging a couple,,,,maybe 4 batteries in a couple hrs time w/ a good 3 stage charger, and make batteries last 8 to 12 yrs while doing it.
I been doin it for many years, w/ out any problem whatsoever. Is it that I'm older, smarter, and wiser than most, or is it that I have a "real" life !!

CJW8 wrote:

Salvo wrote:

It's a difference of plug & play, or plug & watch, watch ...

Go ahead and be a slave to your batteries. I got better things to do.

X2

I love the way my Xantrex TrueCharge2 takes care of my batteries. It's charge profile looks similar to the one you posted above. It has temperature compensation, is programmable for most battery technologies and with its remote panel, I can monitor it should I desire and I usually don't, from inside the RV.

Takes a while before most solar systems could get a battery upto absorption voltage, but solar contribution can certainly cause an automatic charging source to decide to not go into bulk.

Depends on the time of day when one fires up the converter/generator and the sun upto that time. I find that 3 hours of sunlight then starting my power supply at 14.8 will not allow it to max out at 40 amps, but it depends on the depletion level.

When I use my Automatic Schumacher and Meanwell in parallel I have to bump the Meanwell upto 15.3 volts in bulk stage for it to max out at 40 amps along with the Schumachers 25 amps. And i certainly have to start the schumacher first as anything over 12.8volts and it just goes into float mode.

But Start the schumacher first then meanwell bumped upto 15.3v, and it's ~65 amps into a depleted 90AH AGM battery, depending on DC load at the time.

I maybe making a dumb assumption here, but, if the solar is charging in bulk mode won't the powermax see 14+volts and assume the batteries are charged and go into normal 13.6 volt charge?

Salvo wrote:

It's a difference of plug & play, or plug & watch, watch ...

Go ahead and be a slave to your batteries. I got better things to do.

X2

I love the way my Xantrex TrueCharge2 takes care of my batteries. It's charge profile looks similar to the one you posted above. It has temperature compensation, is programmable for most battery technologies and with its remote panel, I can monitor it should I desire and I usually don't, from inside the RV.