Should I Change My WFCO Converter?
Opinions have often been expressed, both on this and other RV forums, that most stock RV converters are inadequate to properly charge and maintain batteries and are often of poor quality. It is frequ...
Forum Discussion
liketoride2 wrote:jrnymn7 wrote:
Best I can tell, that Powerlab 6 charger is a DC-DC converter, designed for hobbyists, for charging small batteries from a 12v battery. Its output is 1000w/40a max, when supplied with over 30v input, but only 408w when supplied with 12v, which is what the 47a psu's output is. So, it is not required. All that is required is the 47a AC-DC psu, but it it is fixed at 12v, so useless for charging 12v batteries.
Or am I missing something?
The specs on the Powerlab 6 state a DC input so it appears you are correct.
I'm gone back to considering the Megawatt S-400-12. It may do what I need and at that price ($60) there isn't much to lose if it doesn't.
The MegaWatt S-400-12 will work, provided YOU do what it needs, adjustment wise to setting the voltage, to achieve your goals. It is far and away one of the best values out there. Stick a Volt amp meter and a shunt that are an "Ebay special" on there to set your voltage with 120V on and disconnected to the battery. Set it initially as close as you can to 14.8V. Turn it off after the voltage is set, and connect it to the batteries. Restart your generator and be observant with time and voltage and amps. If you have 225AH of battery, when your MegaWatt is charging at about a 12 amp charge rate or a C/20, it's time to turn things off and let your solar panels get 'er done.
If doing extended camping trips off the grid, 1x per week, disconnect the batteries from the Travel Trailer, and reset the voltage on the Mega Watt to 15.58, or what ever is the highest it will go. Run it at that voltage after it has been previously recharged as high as it would go at 14.8V, for perhaps 2 to 3 hours, until the voltage rises no more, Measured with a DMM AT THE BATTERY TERMINALS. Take a SG battery reading... If all your cells are reading 1.280 or better, shut it off, and reset the voltage with charger disconnected from the batteries at 14.8V again.
The money you save on a Mega Watt requires some discipline from you... it's a manual charger, so you are manually responsible for understanding how to set it and make it work for you. It is far from a set it and forget it unit. It takes some practice, but you will learna and establish a routine that works for you.
I too, probably due to the T-1275 being a bit of a fussy battery to charge, shape and design wise, being a sweeper battery, am in the 15.0V or more camp to get the amps up, get the battery stirred up, to get the battery charged up quickly, so that solar can take over on other than sunny days, ie cloudy one.
One S400-12 , two 120W solar panels made portable and aimed at the sun 3 or 4x a day, and a cheap 20 or 30Amp solar charge controller that is adjustable voltage to 14.8V charging will keep your batteries in tip top shape, provide you monitor the water level in them from time to time, and ONLY ADD DISTILLED WATER when topping off. It's OK to have to add water to 5% antimony Golf Cart batteries. Why else would they design and build auto watering battery systems mounted inside battery compartments on golf carts. They are thirsty batteries by design, if you are charging them properly... it comes with the territory.
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