Wfco replaced today. Will get data in a few weeks..

NinerBikes wrote:
You don't tell us anything about your battery, who makes it, type of battery, etc. It's well known that high antimony lead batteries need closer to 14.8 to 15.0V to get pretty close to being fully recharged.

You also never showed us what your SG was with the WFCO, of if you've damaged your battery from the WFCO sub standard recharging and sulphated plates.

Batts are standard grp 24 duracells from east penn manufacturing... Deka... 75 ah x 2... 12 volt..

I dont think the batts are damaged... All cells measure equal SG...

These batts did start 3 years on a 2003 magnatech 13.6 12 ampere.

I think this is the 4th or 5th year for them... LOL... I need to look at old pics to tell... ha ha...

No I never did get the SG with the wfco, but I always discharge to the same rate... about 12.2 volts...

You don't tell us anything about your battery, who makes it, type of battery, etc. It's well known that high antimony lead batteries need closer to 14.8 to 15.0V to get pretty close to being fully recharged.

You also never showed us what your SG was with the WFCO, of if you've damaged your battery from the WFCO sub standard recharging and sulphated plates.

lawrosa wrote:
The 3 hr mark with the wfco was 8.1 amps vs 3.96 amps for the PD unit..

Considering the WFCO was at 13.6 volts and the PD was at 14.4 volts.... the PD had the battery at a much higher state of charge at the 3 hour mark. That is the point right?
Battery is controlling the amps at this point not the converter. Sooner you get to 1 amp the sooner you are full charge. PD is winning the race by a long shot.

Well im 3.5 hours into the amp test... Not sure if I did any better then previously with the wfco... Even the wfco @ 13.6 volts may have had more amps throughout the scale/time limits...

Ya know the guy at wfco that I talked too did say lower volts more amps and the wfcos are mis represented... IDK.. Looking at my written data the wfc @ 13,6 volts does show the 1 hr mark at the same 24 amps.

The 3 hr mark with the wfco was 8.1 amps vs 3.96 amps for the PD unit..

And another thing is when I tested the wfco it was with the original wiring...

I wonder what I would get out of the added wire... IDK Ill stop rambling...



I will get the pics up when im dont in a few days...

I know someone made a chart in the other thread. It would be interesting to see all 3 in a chart to compare. Im not smart enough t do data points..

PD4655 amp test.

Batts 12.02 volts Hydrometer reading 1200

Amps/volts @ batts

4pm 52 / 13.3
4;15 52 / 13.4
4;30 39 / 13.75
4;45 32 / 13.89
5 1 hr 23 / 14.05
5;15 17 / 14.15
5;30 13.2 / 14.21
5;45 9.9 / 14.27
6 2 hr 8.4 / 14.3
6;15 7.04 / 14.33
6;30 5.27 / 14.35

( Hydro reading 2.5 hrs 1225 WTF? maybe junk ez red hydrometer. But looks like 80% charged?)

6;45 *** ( missed this one)
7 3 hr 3.96 / 14.38
7;15 3.47 / 14.39
7;30 2.96 / 14.39
7;45 2.56 / 14.40
8 4 hr 2.26 / 14.40

Final hydrometer reading was 1/4y above 1225 on the ez red.. So between 1225 and 1250 I estimate to be 1231 specific gravity.


So I guess it stays on 4 hours and does not kick to float when the 14.4 is reached...

It went into 13.6 at the 4 hour mark...


So this is where im at..

Kind of disheartening aint it....

lawrosa wrote:
And yes the wires coming off the main board are smaller then the WFCO...( I wonder why?) Whats the implications?

The copper or the insulation? IIRC WFCO seems to use wire with a bit extra insulation thickness.
I assume converter amp rating is the same.

Id also like to add..

The wfco fan would run Hi speed as soon as turned on. That fan would not shut off until near end of charging where it would go to a lower speed. I dont think it was variable.. Just a two speed..

This PD the fan didnt come on when first charging... Must be that large heat sink does a great job. And this was in bulk mode..

When the fans did come on it was a low low slow variable speed. Came on for maybe 30 seconds then off again... You cant even hear this thing... I mean I had to put my ear down near the thing and shine a flashlight in there to see the fan moving let alone hear it...


No more hi speed fan noise...


And yes the wires coming off the main board are smaller then the WFCO...( I wonder why?) Whats the implications?

Yes the PD actually works as expected. Amps will always taper off once the voltage limit is hit. This is the inflection point where the battery transitions from Bulk phase to Absorption phase of the charging. It is the battery that is limiting current at this point not the converter.

Very sad for WFCO. Would seem like an easy task to start in bulk and measure current to decide what mode to be in.

Upon my readings what I found was these units will charge at 14.4 volts at full amps until..

1. The 14.4 volts is reached. Then the amps will start tapering still @ the 14.4 volts. It will continue I believe on what I read until about 15 amps is reached. Then it will go into 13.6 mode.
2. Or until 4 hour time limit it reached, it will then drop to 13.6...


I didnt do an amp test yet, but I did run the batts down some, to about 12.3, 12.4.. Turning on converter it went right to bulk mode by itself...


Im happy so far, but am curious to see what amps I can get out of this thing...And how long it stays before tapering...

Cool! You're really going to like the performance of the PDI.