upgrading power converter
My power converter has apparently bit the dust, lights flickering for past couple of years now no charge to batteries... Anyhoo, we do a lot of dry camping, where we need to daily boost the batteries...
Forum Discussion
BFL13 wrote:
Holding at 56a is excellent. We will have to change our usual story about the PDs if this keeps up! :) Be good if you could show a 50-90 sort of graph to compare with my ugly graph and Fisherguy's PD.
My data is still collecting, but what I found so far is that the PD4655 holds full amperage until the voltage at the converter hits 14.47v, then it starts to taper. My peak charge was 56.4A, and it held above 54.5A until the converter was at 14.47.
The only think I am annoyed with so far is the large voltage drop between the converter and the distribution board. The 10" of OEM supplied 10ga isn't enough and I don't think there is room in the circuit board to solder in larger wire. I have a constant 0.39V drop between the circuit board and where then wire hits the distribution board at a ~55A charge rate. Once the converter hits 14.47V the converter voltage stops and the voltage drop shrinks as the batteries come up even more.
Since I only have an ammeter and voltmeter I don't know exactly how many AH are being pushed back into the batteries, but with some linear assumptions I can make some pretty educated guesses. It looks like 50-90 is going to be right around 2:30 hours.
This is on my 300AH bank. I have a pair of Lifeline GPL-6CT's.
I am using house power to power the PD4655 and have been 118.2±0.3V every time I have checked it.
The wiring is the approx 10" of 10ga from the converter to the distro panel, then approx 18" of 6ga, then less than 18" of 2ga to the batteries. The batteries are tied together by 1ga.
