Batt charging Q - PD9245; and adding solar

[hondochica]

Greetings;

I am trying to get my little Rialta up to speed for full-timing. And need advice/help on charging my batteries and adding solar.

I have 2 27 group walmart marine/deep batteries - about 1 year old - both in good condition.
I just added a Trimetric 2030rv battery monitor.
I have a PD9245 charger/converter which I installed several years ago. Am not fully convinced it's operating properly.

Q: How long should it take to fully charge my batteries? My trimetric indicated my batteries were at 12.3 volts. So I fired up the gen (onan) to recharge. I've been running it for nearly 4 hours now and have not yet hit "full"; the PD is on 'boost' - according to the monitor charging at 14.1 at now +1.15 amps (started at about 5 amps) - no current draw. Seems to be taking toooo long!

I use very little power and would like to add solar to minimize gen use. Have spent several hours reading now. Could probably spend Days reading and still have Qs. I would like enough solar power to: recharge my laptop battery (not necessarily run the computer); run small portable dometic fridge/freezer (pulls about 3 amps when already at set temp - so only runs periodically); . . gee . . my internet access thingy (pulls 1 amp w/ small inverter; a light or two at night (pulls 1 amp each) . . don't need much else. (amps from battery monitor which each item on individually (no other draw)). Oh - and the furnace - at night - looks like the fan pulls about 3.5 amps but only kicks on 5-6 times a night for 2-3 min.

How much solar power would I need? Any recs for 'portable' panels - not mounted.

thanks so much!!

Kelly
Rialta 01FD twins
currently in Quartzsite, AZ

[NinerBikes]

I'd do an equalization charge on those batteries. Do a search here on how to equalize charge. You need to check specific gravity of each cell first. You also need to bring each battery, seperately, up to about 16.0V each.

You might find the voltage from an Iota being better at charging your battery.

I'd recommend at least 160 to 200W of solar panel and an adjustable charge controller for your solar panel that will get you a full 14.8V at the battery terminals, daily, in bulk and absorption recharging modes before going in to float mode.

[RJsfishin]

You said it started out at 5 amps ???? on a 45 amp converter ??? Did that tell you anything ? It doesn't tell me much either, except either your battery monitor is wrong, or the PD is junk.

[time2roll]

At some point the 9245 should produce 40+ amps into the low battery.
Converter will produce 14.4 volts at the converter. Battery is a bit lower during charge due to voltage drop in the charging loop.

Four hours is long enough for running the generator. I would go one hour more once amps start to taper off below 40.

Bogart makes a good solar controller to go with the 2030.

[wildtoad]

I had a 1998 Rialta FD Twin bed. If you are planning to full time in one, then my only comments are: Via Con Dios or Bon Chance.

[CA_Traveler]

Buy a $10 digital voltmeter (or borrow one) and check the voltages. You may find a substantial voltage drop in the PD wiring.

A gen is mostly good for about 90 percent SOC charge. Beyond that takes many additional hours of running. A 50-90 gen charge is common.

With the Trimetric you are far ahead of the game to determine your solar needs. If your SOC is 30 percent*160AH battery capacity for example =48Ah you need to return from solar *12V=576W for the day /5 hours of sun =120W of solar. Double it for contingency so about 200W of solar. Plug in your numbers.

[Boon_Docker]

I run 200 watts of solar (MPPT controller) feeding a 225 ah battery bank and the battery bank never goes below 75 percent SOC by morning. The batterys are back to 100 percent SOC by early afternoon.

Forgot to mention the panels are flat mounted on roof.

[hondochica]

landyacht318 wrote:
PD should seek and hold 14.4v. If trimetric is reading only 14.1c, well that 0.3v unaccounted for, somewhere, or indicating some inaccuracy somewhere.

Yea, I always thought the PD should seek 14.4 or 14.6 while charging - which is why I wonder if it's working properly. But then, it may be that the monitor is reading the actual charge on the battery (?) not what's going in? As I'm new to this Trimetric - I'm not sure which it is. Will have to call them on Monday.

I'm sure the shunt is wired correctly, as I have no other cables on the house batteries except the ground - which is now on one side of the shunt, with the other side 'grounded' back to the batttery. In other words - there's no other way to wire it!

As for the engine ground? I have no idea.

Appreciate your time!

Kelly

[landyacht318]

PD should seek and hold 14.4v. If trimetric is reading only 14.1c, well that 0.3v unaccounted for, somewhere, or indicating some inaccuracy somewhere.

Many people wire their trimetric's Shunt incorrectly. No wire can go directly to battery(-) terminal that does not go to the shunt. The only wires on the battery(-) should be the one from the battery side of the Shunt.

If the house battery is directly grounded to engine battery, nothing can be directly grounded to engine battery either as current can than also bypass the shunt.

Pretty much impossible to reach full charge in less than 5 hours with Lead acid, and 5 to 7 is more likely when the charging source maintains a 14v+ absorption voltage for the last 4 hours