New converter PD4655 doesn't go into boost mode?

[RobertL0]

I replaced the WFCO converter in my 2015 class C with a Progressive Dynamics PD4655, since we boondock and would like to charge my 2 house batteries quicker when using the onboard generator.

I also installed a TM-2030 battery monitor.

The two house batteries are 24DC-4, which have a reserve capacity of 130 min each

Last week, while boondocking, I observed the TM-2030 showing a 55% battery charge remaining and fired up the generator. I saw the green light lit steady on the converter circuit board stating that we were in "boost mode".

But according to the TM-2030, the volts going into the battery was showing 13.6, not the 14.4 boost mode should provide.

I hit the Charge Wizard button to cycle through the 3 modes, but still it only showed 13.6 volts in "Boost Mode".

I have the wiring schematics for the coach and they used 2 gauge cables in all battery connections.

I did not run the generator too long that morning so I never timed how long or how many amps was put back into the battery.

My question is, why did the converter NOT go into "boost mode"

Thank you in advance

Rob

[landyacht318]

The trimetric has an Ammeter, no?

How many amps were flowing? Some PD amperage will go to feeding DC loads, the rest should go into the battery and be read as +48.X amps or so.

Takes a while for voltage to rise when the batteries are at 55%

It takes my single 90AH Northstar AGM when drained to 50%, about 35 minutes at 38+ amps before reaching near 14.5v, at which point amps taper.

When amps taper to 0.4a, at 14.5v on this battery, I consider the battery fully charged.

Sometimes my battery monitor agrees, often it is 1 or 2AH out and that 1 or 2Ah can take one or 2 hours more at absorption voltage before amps taper to 0.4 or less.

Blindly believing the trimetric is not wise. they drift with accumulated cycles. Best thing to do is reset them when specific gravity is maxed out, and lower the total capacity as the batteries age, or watch the AH from full display instead of the % remaining.

When the batteries lose capacity, and the trimetric reads 55%, the batteries could actually be well below 50% as they are no longer ~160Ah, but perhaps 140, and might not have started the discharge cycle at a true 100%.

When these group 24's fail, 6v GC-2s are real deep cycle batteries and nearly the same footprint, just taller and will yield 2x the total cycle life, all factors being equal.

But since you will have ~65 more AH total capacity with them, the depth of discharge will be less, so they will last even longer.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Can get so biased it's like using a 1" hose to fill a swimming pool. The water level is not going to surge upward. When my 2-volt cell bank gets low not even 500 amps will reach absorbsion limit instantly. An ammeter on the converter output will verify this.

[JamesJudasPries]

With my 2 golf cart batteries and my pd 9145 converter it will not go straight to 14.4 volts because it can't. full output current is being demanded when the batteries are drained below 70 percent, and the converter is charging at max output for my model (45 amps). Even if I press the boost button, the voltage only slowly creeps up over time as the current demand decreases. Ive seen my output as low as 12.8 volts or so on the converter when it is trying to control current output to max 45 amps with very low batteries. Wait a bit and see, and I bet you will find that the voltage will indeed slowly go up to 14.4v as the battery charge demand gets lower.

[RJsfishin]

Like was said, in boost mode you will not see 14+ volts while at max charging amps on discharged batteries. As the amps go down, the voltage will come.

[pianotuna]

It is a known observation that the PD input does not "like" all generators. It is also known that it may not initially get to 14.4 volts if the battery bank is hungry.

RobertL0 wrote:
I replaced the WFCO converter in my 2015 class C with a Progressive Dynamics PD4655, since we boondock and would like to charge my 2 house batteries quicker when using the onboard generator.

I also installed a TM-2030 battery monitor.

The two house batteries are 24DC-4, which have a reserve capacity of 130 min each

Last week, while boondocking, I observed the TM-2030 showing a 55% battery charge remaining and fired up the generator. I saw the green light lit steady on the converter circuit board stating that we were in "boost mode".

But according to the TM-2030, the volts going into the battery was showing 13.6, not the 14.4 boost mode should provide.

I hit the Charge Wizard button to cycle through the 3 modes, but still it only showed 13.6 volts in "Boost Mode".

I have the wiring schematics for the coach and they used 2 gauge cables in all battery connections.

I did not run the generator too long that morning so I never timed how long or how many amps was put back into the battery.

My question is, why did the converter NOT go into "boost mode"

Thank you in advance

Rob

[MEXICOWANDERER]

The value of amperage and voltage metering is clearly seen.

[azrving]

If you watch it longer the volts may go up. Volts go up, amps go down. Use a digital meter at the converter and battery. The Trimetric voltage sensing is at the battery so see how it compares to the voltage at the converter terminals

[time2roll]

What was voltage at the converter? How many amps?

[RoyB]

I have almot the same setup here except I am using the PD9260C Converter/charger and I do not have the TM-2030 Battery monitor. I am using a remote BATTERY MONITOR panel which is reading my 12VDC level from my battery bank and also reading the DC Current being demanded from the 12VDC items being used in the trailer. When I am in charge mode this DC AMPS meter also shows how much current is being demanded by the batteries when being charged... My battery bank is three each of the Interstate 12VDC batteries which are probably the same model you have. The Standard issue Interstate Battery from the Trailer dealers.

When I am first connected to shore power or running my PD9260C from the generator I immediately see the PD9260C go into BOOST charging mode and will read the 14.4VDC on the remote meter panel. If the batteries are fully charged (12.6-7VDC) then this will drop back to the 13.6VDC level in just a few seconds... If there is no activity in the trailer this will eventually dropback to 13.2VDC but as soon as something kicks- in to draw DC current then this will revert back to the 13.6VDC level

Having the remote keypad I can manually force the PD9260C into any of its smart mode charging modes but depending the Battery Bank charge level it will revert back usually to the 13.6VDC level within seconds... In other words I cannot force my PD9260C to stay in the 14.4VDC charge mode if the batteries are already charged up. This depends of the charge status of the battery bank...

I am not familiar with the TM Battery Monitor meter but I know it is one of the favorites panels folks have for monitoring their battery.

In my case I will monitor my battery bank DC VOLTS and when it starts approaching the 12.0VDC level when camping off the power grid this tells me when I am getting close to the 50% charge state of the batteries..

When I get into this 12.0VDC state which is planned to happen around 8AM each morning I fire up my generator and plug the shore power cable of the trailer into the generator. Then my PD9260C jumps to the 14.4VDC Charge state and stays there for around two hours while charging my batteries. My DC AMP meter starts out showing around 53AMPS DC Current at first and this starts dropping back and after two hours the DC Current has tappered back to around 8AMPS DC current. Then I see the PD9260C drop down to 13.6VDC and my DC Amp current drops back to around 6AMPS DC current. It will stay in this mode after that. I then shut down my 2KW Honda generator after doing this mode for another hour. This being our breakfast time when camping we will make up our COFFEE for the day and stored up in a thermos and Momabear may be using the electric skillet etc...

I have duplicated this routine many tmes when camping off the power grid with my setup...

My only wish is I would really like to have the low battery bank ALARM your TM meter will do which is settable as I recall whch of course I would set mine to the 12.0VDC level.

Your setup should duplicate this routine pretty close I would think...

Roy Ken

[DrewE]

You need to know how much current the converter was putting out. Even in boost mode, it can be current limited to about 55A or so. (I've read that sometimes the PD converters are a little bit optimistic in their current ratings, so it could be current or power limited at somewhat under 55A....but it's the same general idea.) If this is happening, your converter is working as designed, and as the battery charges the voltage will rise up to the point where the output is being limited by voltage, rather than by current.

Please note that there's a difference between current (Amps) and charge (Amp-hours). Current is an instantaneous reading, like voltage, and the battery monitor is measuring continually. You can see it at any point by cycling to the "AMPS" display value.