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
BFL13 Wrote:
"Seems to still be confusion wrt "stages."
When you set the charger to 14.8 or whatever, the 14.8 is the Absorption Voltage (Vabs) The Bulk Stage is the time the batteries take to get up to 14.8v with the constant amps from the charger at its current limit (the "size" of the charger in amps.)
The Absorption Stage is when the charger is holding the voltage at Vabs while amps taper until the batteries are charged."
It seems to me that this is more a matter of semantics and terminology than my being confused about stages. Let me put it in terms of the specific situation I envision being in when off the grid.
My batteries are down to 50%. I fire up the generator, have the Megawatt set at 14.8, and charge until the batteries read 14.8. Is this not what you described as "The Bulk Stage is the time the batteries take to get up to 14.8v with the constant amps from the charger at its current limit (the "size" of the charger in amps.)" And this is what I was referring to as the bulk stage in my former post. So was I correct or incorrect?
Next, the Megawatt continues 14.8 volts with tapering amperage. What I did not know was about leaving the Megawatt set at 14.8 indefinitely, or until the generator power ceases. I had the perception that this would lead to overcooking the batteries, but apparently not if the amps do taper, which I did not know the Megawatt did. Does this mean that the batteries never need a 13.2 float charge and it's only used when on shore power?
So I'm hoping that I'm only half as confused as you thought. :) Or maybe not. But I am learning, or so I hope. Thanks very much.
Most of the off the grid campgrounds I've stayed in have been national or state parks, BLM lands, etc. Most of these have generator hours such as 7M to 7 or 9 PM, so at least in the past a solid block of 12 hours or so was available for generator use. However this coming trip is to an entirely different section of the country, the SE states and gulf coast from Florida to Texas, so I may find more limited generator hours there than I've been accustomed to.
Mike
"Seems to still be confusion wrt "stages."
When you set the charger to 14.8 or whatever, the 14.8 is the Absorption Voltage (Vabs) The Bulk Stage is the time the batteries take to get up to 14.8v with the constant amps from the charger at its current limit (the "size" of the charger in amps.)
The Absorption Stage is when the charger is holding the voltage at Vabs while amps taper until the batteries are charged."
It seems to me that this is more a matter of semantics and terminology than my being confused about stages. Let me put it in terms of the specific situation I envision being in when off the grid.
My batteries are down to 50%. I fire up the generator, have the Megawatt set at 14.8, and charge until the batteries read 14.8. Is this not what you described as "The Bulk Stage is the time the batteries take to get up to 14.8v with the constant amps from the charger at its current limit (the "size" of the charger in amps.)" And this is what I was referring to as the bulk stage in my former post. So was I correct or incorrect?
Next, the Megawatt continues 14.8 volts with tapering amperage. What I did not know was about leaving the Megawatt set at 14.8 indefinitely, or until the generator power ceases. I had the perception that this would lead to overcooking the batteries, but apparently not if the amps do taper, which I did not know the Megawatt did. Does this mean that the batteries never need a 13.2 float charge and it's only used when on shore power?
So I'm hoping that I'm only half as confused as you thought. :) Or maybe not. But I am learning, or so I hope. Thanks very much.
Most of the off the grid campgrounds I've stayed in have been national or state parks, BLM lands, etc. Most of these have generator hours such as 7M to 7 or 9 PM, so at least in the past a solid block of 12 hours or so was available for generator use. However this coming trip is to an entirely different section of the country, the SE states and gulf coast from Florida to Texas, so I may find more limited generator hours there than I've been accustomed to.
Mike
