Upgrading converter

SirBenji wrote:
Hey folks!

I am looking at the BD 1255 MBA 55 Amp 4-Stage Main Board Replacement. I have a WFCO 8955 PEC. I am looking to upgrade to a couple Golf Cart batteries this year and we do a lot of boon dock camping so need faster charge ability when using the generator.

For all practical purposes you are changing from a 55 amp converter/charger to a 55 amp converter/charger and charging speed won't change.

It's generally accepted that a Charger for a battery bank should be at least 25% of the stated capacity of the battery bank. If you have two 6V batteries in series the average Ah capacity will be 225 ah and a Charger should deliver 56 amps minimum. Considering that this current will only be needed for the first hour or so (maybe less) changing to a larger converter/charger will yield no appreciable benefit. Lead Acid batteries charge at a .2C-.3C rate ---- period.

On a lead acid battery the charge current will taper over all the hours of charging and there isn't much that can be done to speed it up short of forcing higher currents with higher voltages and thus boiling the batteries into an early grave.

If you really want to see some short charging times, shore power or generator, go Lithium. My two LiFePo4 1000 ah batteries in parallel will recharge from 80% discharged to 100% SOC in ~3 hours.

Same depth of discharge on Lead Acid batteries will take more like 10 hours and maybe even longer to achieve float charge stage.