Should I Change My WFCO Converter?

liketoride2 wrote:

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Question:

If the sole duty of an auxiliary manual charger is to provide a single value charging voltage limit, is not the factory pot on the Megawatt adequate to play with, tweak and then use at that setting until death-do-us-part? Or, is your thought bent toward using the Mega for a 2nd battery maintenance chore?

My thought and hope, a hope not based on an adequate knowledge base, is that the Megawatt will do two things for me using generator power:

1. Do an adequate equalizing charge as needed at the voltage recommended by Trojan, 15.5 volts. Since these are new Trojans this would be needed only very occasionally at first, I would think.

2. Do the first, bulk, stage of a three phase charge at the 14.8 volts recommended by Trojan.

Following that it is hope that the charge could be turned over to the WFCO for the absorption and float stages, but, judging by reports on this thread, this can not always be relied upon. In that case I hope the Megawatt could manually be set to do an absorption stage, then the float stage by the WFCO. Can the Megawatt do a float stage if the WFCO isn't even capable of doing that?

Here's the path I went down, not knowing much better. 21 foot TT did not come with a battery. First Walmart I spent the night at, I bought a group 24 deep cycle. Bad move... from the get go.

Started reading more here about true deep cycle batteries, and lifeline and trojan golf cart batteries kept coming up, again an again.

Scored a pair of 12V used worn out for golf cart batteries from the local course. I massaged them, top charged them equalize charged them and got them pretty much useable for all but the harshest needs. One single 150 amp deep cycle for me has been doing yeoman service on the TT. This was after a year of putzing around with a WFCO 8955 that cr*pped on my group 24, failing to ever really charge it all the way back up. I did 2 Eq's on it to get the SG back to 1.275, on all cells. Put the life back in it, those EQ's

So a year ago, I decided to get a portable solar panel. 120W worth... 6.6 amp/hr charge rate, @ 14.4V. Worked with the group 24DC just fine. Was found to be a little light for the T1275. This battery proved to be kind of like a prom queen... high maintenance and fussy, if you really wanted to get all out of it, it was a bit of work to get all the electrons back in storage, back into it.

First step was a PD9245 with a control pendant Charge Wizard. Found out again that 14.4V was hampering full recharge effect. This battery needed at least 14.8V Started reading the Screwy 31 thread. Read a MexicoWanderer thread about the MegaWatt unit. Guy is local to me, not far away at all. Bought one, probably the first one here, perhaps on Woodall's. Got a V and shunt and ammeter for it, right from the get go. Instant improvement at 14.8. Noted the screwy 31 from US battery requires 15.3V to TOP Charge. Noted that the shape of the T-1275 is similar, just more lead and taller. I started to try 15.0V for charging. Worked great, I always shut the generator off at an hour to 1.5 hours tops. 30 to 45 AH tops, first thing in the morning, total, from the Mega WAtt 350, before going over to solar panel the rest of the day. Bought a Chinesium Solar 30 charge controller, adjustable for 15.0V bulk charge rate. Used it every sunny day I could in Montana. 120W was a little light in the watts department for the Trojan T-1275. Bought a 150W proper 12V solar panel and hooked it up to the adjustable V solar charge controller. Now,instead of 6.6Amp hrs max input, I am seeing 8.6 to 9.0 Amp hrs input from the 150W solar. Now with the Mega WattS350-12, the 150W solar panel at 8.8 amp charge rate and the T 1275 are a harmonious, balanced electrical storing and charging system. They cover my amp hour usage perfectly on a daily basis, to keep my T-1275 in top shape, for the 35 to 55 or 60 AH I might use in a 24 hour time period.


Sold the Progressive Dynamics 9245. Great unit for 6v golf cart batteries, not good for the stubborn, quirky Trojan T -1275.

The 120W Solar Blvd folding panel kit is now for sale, too. Great for golf cart batteries, and group 24's or group 27's.

Opinion... confirmed by a few here... Group 29's and Group 31 DC batteries, as well as scrubber and T-1275 deep cycle batteries are high maintenance. They require some hand holding to make them work optimally for you. They will do one of two things, either educate you on proper charging Amps, and voltages, as well as techniques, or drive you crazy trying.

GC-2's are the Holy Grail for the dry camping travel trailer crowd. They charge back up easily with 14.4V, they top charge well to 14.8 occasional 15.0V forays, and 1x a year, a full 16.0V equalization session.

That's the road I went down, it's just a steep learning curve for some of us. Free pair of T-1275's gave me the hands on education I needed. That and a few top notch battery guys in here, that steered me the right way.

It's all in here, you just need the time to find the hidden gems... stuff my mex, 318 Landyacht, SM Kettner, SCVjeff, 661mena, BFL13, a couple of guys in OR, a couple in IL, and then it became my turn to share my observations and opinions.

If you have GC batteries, set the Mega Watt at 14.8V and leave it there for weeks. Run the gen until you see a C-20 charge rate showing in amps on the ammeter from Ebay. That's about 11 amps or slightly less on your PAIRED GC-2 batteries at 225 amp hrs at 12V.

If you do that, the Mega Watt should last you a long, long time. Batteries too, if when you get home, you treat them first to a top charge, and if the SG's's look off and not all close to equal. O5 pts, then try the full 16.0V EQ charge regime until the SG's all get up there to 1.275 or 1.280, and call it good.