New converter, or whole power center?

[SaraL2282]

Hi all,
I have a 1988 Class C with the older Magnetek 6300A power center. I'd like to upgrade the converter, and see I can do that for around $130. I also see I can get a whole new power center, a WFCO for about $20 more.
In your opinion, what would be the better option, and why?
Thanks!
Sara

[BFL13]

SaraL2282 wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:
I would go with the Progressive Dynamics 4600 series.
Or you could just "Gut" the Magnatek and put in a 9200

What makes these worth $100 more than a PowerMax?

They aren't. It is like Chevs vs Fords in a way. 🙂 Also some folks here want to go PD because it is "made in the USA". However, PowerMax is an American company, so I can't see the point of that. (Not a concern for me!) They are both quality products, unlike the infamous WFCO.

Where it matters is when picking a charging profile for your batteries with their particular charging specifications in all RVing temperatures. The LK adjustable voltage can do it all (but only if you know what to do and are willing to operate it); the PD only has the Charge Wizard--but the CW is easier to operate, and it gets the job done "close enough" for many RVers.

[pianotuna]

Just the converter would be fine--or install an inverter/charger and leave what you have in place.

[SaraL2282]

wa8yxm wrote:
I would go with the Progressive Dynamics 4600 series.
Or you could just "Gut" the Magnatek and put in a 9200

What makes these worth $100 more than a PowerMax?

[time2roll]

Don't put in 60 amps if you have #10 wire to the battery. #6 minimum.

With a single battery 35 amps is fine. If you go large on the boondocker it will short cycle the boost mode. Then you will need the manual adjustment to keep the voltage up. BFL loves his manual adjustments and I do not recommend it unless you have special circumstances and want to fiddle with it. Best to stay small with the Boondocker.

[wa8yxm]

I would go with the Progressive Dynamics 4600 series.
Or you could just "Gut" the Magnatek and put in a 9200

What is the difference between the 9200 and 4600?
Very little. mostly the case. the 9200 is designed to be a deck mount stand alone The 4600 is the same electronics but in a case designed to replace the big heavy converter and charger parts of the Magnetek or other intergrated ower distro/converters.

One argument in favor of the 9200... I had to replace my 9180 (With wizard making it basically a 9200) and it was way easier than I anticipated. Way way easier and it was SNOWING.

[SaraL2282]

Luckily the panel, generator, and battery are all within 3 feet of each other. Thanks for all the help!

[newman_fulltime]

I need popcorn after all this reading

[BFL13]

You can put in a 60 amper instead of the 45 if you want. It makes no difference how many amps DC the converter does for running the 120v appliances. They have 12v just for their controls like the fridge temperature, but that doesn't take many amps.

You should use shorter than 3 ft lengths of #6 wire from the converter terminals to the DC panel lugs instead of skinny wire in order to see those 60 amps, but then you have to get those amps to the battery, so the wiring from battery to fuse panel could be made fatter.

Yes you can cut off the plug and do it that way. Note that the 120v to converter is just the black and white wires, so your ground wire in the plug wiring will not be used there--but you can connect it to the ground buss. (The OEM lower portion is grounded by its metal chassis to the main power centre's metal chassis, which is grounded to the RV frame via the copper wire by where the 30a shore cord connects to the "Main" breaker) So a deck mount converter should be grounded on its own by some means.

You can ignore the deck mount converter's chassis ground in this case IMO. Or connect it to the RV frame if you like. I believe it is more for reducing RF noise to nearby televisions and radios.

You might like the adjustable voltage if you get "into" looking after your house batteries better, but most people don't bother and they get by.

You don't need a higher amps converter for on shore power, but it helps to get a faster recharge if on generator. On this topic, it gets into how much battery bank you have in amp hours and how fast you want to charge it and how much generator power you have to run how high an amps converter/charger.

Not mentioned for better charging is to put the deck mount out near the battery bank with short fat wires to the battery. Leave the existing battery to fuse panel wires in place (still need to jumper the panel) that would be instead of where the 6300 lower portion is now. Only worth doing if you do a lot of generator recharging and want shorter gen run times. Needs 120v where you place the converter so you can plug it in.

[SaraL2282]

BFL13 wrote:
which has the adjustable voltage feature you might find useful

What are the chances I will actually use this?

BFL13 wrote:
One way is to use the black and white wires to the 6300 input (the black goes to the 120v circuit breaker marked "converter") and use them on a standard household 15a receptacle.

Any reason I can't just cut off the plug and wire directly together in a J-box?

BFL13 wrote:
Jumpering the fuse panel is easy. The 6300 board has two positives (red and blue) instead of just the one blue. So you add a wire over to join their two lugs, so now the blue (to new converter pos) will do both "sides".
There is info on jumpering I will link here on edit, if I can find it

Thank you! Sounds plenty easy.

Forgot to mention this is a 30amp rv. The current converter is 45amp. Should I upgrade that? How much? We don't run much: a/c, sometimes microwave or coffee pot or hairdryer. Wiring in rv is 14/2 I think. It's white romex but seems heavier than modern, so it may be 12/2. I see he PM3-60LK is actually about the price as the original 45 I posted. Much less than the PM3-5LK.
You are awesome!

[SaraL2282]

Here's the circuit board in what I have.
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipM9Q9au-4W3WZnUpFzweipwUjwjOKMjXeH1iKZj

[BFL13]

That is the older version of the PM3. You can get a new type PM3 with the LK in the model name, which has the adjustable voltage feature you might find useful, for nearly the same price. If not, it also does the normal converter job automatically.

You will need to wire in, or run an extension cord to, a 120v receptacle to plug the deck mount into. One way is to use the black and white wires to the 6300 input (the black goes to the 120v circuit breaker marked "converter") and use them on a standard household 15a receptacle. That way, that circuit breaker is still for your converter.

Jumpering the fuse panel is easy. The 6300 board has two positives (red and blue) instead of just the one blue. So you add a wire over to join their two lugs, so now the blue (to new converter pos) will do both "sides".

The battery is no longer required to filter the DC input from the old converter to clean it up to run electronic circuit boards like in the fridge. The new converter has clean 12v power.

There is info on jumpering I will link here on edit, if I can find it

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I had a total of SEVEN used WFCO's shipped to me as the owners got tired of battery failures. They worked as a bench power supply at 13.6 volts at a 10% load but all of them failed utterly. An integral blown 10-amp fuse and front end controller failure. Not worth fixing. So I strip the solid block aluminum heat sink and then have it sawn from both sides into half inch wide strips with an inch and a half wide center support column. With a muffin fan blowing directly at it, the sawn heat sink makes a decent all-purpose heat sink. The rest of the unit is pathetic including the fan.

The proof of the pudding is yes or no, does it keep the battery charged? The answer is NO! Maybe others like dealing with batteries that put 80% of a charge into a battery. Yeah! 100 amp hours of usable power shortchanged to 80 amp hours or even less. It takes a pretty Fart Smeller to be satisfied with the capacity loss of their bank.

[SaraL2282]

BFL13 wrote:
...Look for the PowerMax (or Boondocker) or PD replacements, which have proper converters to them.

Notice where you must either replace the 6300's DC fuse panel or "jumper" it so it is no longer a "split panel".

With the 1991 Class C, I chose to use a deck mount converter and jumper the 6300's fuse panel, leaving the 6300 converter there but disconnected.

It makes a difference what to recommend if you go off grid a lot or always have shore power.

Excellent advice and detail! Thank you.

So, I was considering this PowerMax at Amazon. to mount in the space of the old converter. I have confidence I can manage any wiring needed, or know someone who will help.
I also see this PD Power Center on Amazon for slightly more. Would this be any better than just a deck mount/jumper?
Where can I find information/instructions on jumpering the 12v circuit board? Is there any problem with doing that? Or would it be better get an upgrade kit with a new board? I hate to spend more than needed, after all the thing is 31 years old!
We don't boondock much, usually shore power. I have a single lead acid house battery. Charging time is probably split 60/40 between generator and shore power.

[BFL13]

sparkydave wrote:
Sorry to hijack a little, but has WFCO quality gone down or are they usually iffy? The 8712 in my popup has been working fine for 15 years. I'll keep a closer eye on it if they are known to be problematic.

They are usually ok if all you need is a single voltage supply at 13.6v. Unfortunately batteries need their specified charging voltages, which include time at 14+ volts.

If your RV has maybe a single 12v battery, it can be easier to just get a new battery every few years and not bother with upgrading the converter and getting all involved in the care and feeding of batteries.

In the OP's case in this thread, we don't really know the scenario, so it is difficult to recommend what to do.