Magnetek 6345 DIY Upgrade

[okrobie]

Hi all, thanks for having this forum. I'm not a Gypsy, just a landlubber. I don't have a Motor Home. I am working on a project to charge a battery bank (which I don't have yet) and run my 12V. Ham Radio gear from my Winco Gas/Natural Gas generator. So I thought the Magnetek 6345 would be ideal since I got it dirt cheap. Anyway, before I wreck any batteries, I would like to modify the 6345 to back off when the batteries are charged. I know there are upgrade kits to accomplish that goal but I'm on a budget and since I have been messing with electronics since I was 14 and I am now 74, I am not bashful with a soldering iron, I would like to get some advice on a way to modify this 6345 with a handful of diodes and resistors, if that is possible. Anybody got any ideas? Thanks, Jim W3FAW

[MEXICOWANDERER]

What you must pay attention to is the care and feeding of the batteries. 13.6 volts is fine for a finishing voltage but it's not high enough to keep the batteries from eventual sulfation. If you tinker, consider occasional switching through a DROK 600 watt DC to DC booster sold on AMAZON, and charge the batteries at 14.4 until they start to bubble lightly. Normally I recommend 14.8 but you're in Florida. A standard 1-2-all-off, switch would ease the reconnect effort.

[time2roll]

okrobie wrote:
I know I'm a new user but I wonder if an Admin would be kind enough to grant me permission to post links. As you can see my posts are relevant and knowledgeable of the topic. I am not a spammer. Thank you, Jim

Welcome to the forum.

Feel free to make relevant comments on other threads.
Your post count will move you out of the 'new member' category.

Enjoy the forum.

[okrobie]

I know I'm a new user but I wonder if an Admin would be kind enough to grant me permission to post links. As you can see my posts are relevant and knowledgeable of the topic. I am not a spammer. Thank you, Jim

[okrobie]

Hi all, thanks for the ideas. I have been Googling Automated Battery Chargers and found a few circuits I can build. Here is a link to one of them.
***Link Removed***

Does anyone have comments on this article.

Thanks, Jim

I guess I'm too new to publish links. Just go ahead and Google and you will find plenty of circuits.

[time2roll]

Yes it is on here somewhere. Seen posts of adjusting the pot to control voltage. Seen remote voltage sense wires. Probably can add a timer controlled resistor in the control circuit. You do have a circuit diagram right?

6300 diagram

http://www.parallaxpower.com/archived-tech-docs

[Shadow_Catcher]

X2 RoyB You do not want to hazard your battery bank.
If you insist however http://www.hayseed.net/~jpk5lad/RV%20Information/MagnaTek%20Pwr%20Converter/rv%20power%20converter.html

[RoyB]

I'm pretty sure all you have there is a 45AMPS single DC Voltage power supply... Probably only puts out 13.6VDC.

What you really want is smart mode high current power supply charger.

Like the PD9260C.

These put out 14.4VDC-13.6VDC-13.2-VDC in a timed and monitored DC output to quick charge a battery from its 0% Charge state (11.5vdc) to its 90% charge state (12.5vdc) in a three hour period. Continuing to charge it will get to the 100% charge state in about 12 hours (12.6-7VDC)

They cost around $150 on AMAZON... Their capacity is 60AMPS DC current...

The one you have I doubt is very stable based on how old it is... The nominal 13.6VDC will most likely load to different DC voltages as the current goes up...

I picked up a 30AMP model RV Converter to add to my work bench here and it is just a 30AMP 12VDC power supply to me...

My OFF-ROAD POPUP camper has a 255AH 12VDC battery bank and I use the PD9260C converter/charger to maintain it when camping off the power grid... I power the PD9260C up for three hours using my 2KW Honda Generator and it will take around three hours to bring my 50% charge state battery bank back up to its 90% charge state so I can use it again for the next day/night off my batteries...

you can go online and just search for the 'Magnetek 6345' and find schematic and user info etc...

All of the newer RV Trailers have now gone to the SMART MODE type Battery chargers...

Roy Ken