Wfco amp test.. What are you pendant guys getting?

[lawrosa]

So the Wfco is known to not go into bulk mode.. I think this may be mis information I am not sure. On a phone call to wfco I spoke to a tech there, and he stated you may never see the 14.4 ( why they advertise this IDK)

But high amps low voltage is how it works per our discussion..

So running down the batts to 12.2 volts or so I flipped the breaker on the charge circuit and did some readings..

I have 15 ft # 6 wire from batts to wfco..

Start 12.2 volts.
two 75 ah grp 24's. ( I have a 3rd I put on line sometimes but this test was with the two only)

1.
32 amps to batts
13.59 volts @ converter ( charge wire)
13 volts @ batts

2.
15 minutes later
24.9 amps
13.65 @ conv
13 v @ batts

3.
35 minutes later
24.2amps
13.66 volts @conv
13.2 @ batts

4.
48 minutes
22.9 amps
13.67 @ conv
13.2 @ batts


5.
1 hr 20 minutes later
19.6 amps
13.68 @ conv
13.3 @ batts

6.
1hr 48 min
13.1 amps
13.68 @ conv
13.4 @ batts

7.
2 hrs 20 min
11.8 amps
13.69@ conv
13.4 v @ batts

8.
3 hrs
8.1 amps
13.7 volts @ conv
13.5 v @ batts


So I never saw the 14.4 and I guess thats not how this converter works. It did keep a constant amps for the first hour or so. ( This was the 24 amps I saw. Thats consistent with a bulk charge as I know it I guess.)

I mean would I gain anything by upgrading the lower end of the wfco to a unit that has the pendant, or is more transparent with this 14.4 volts everyone online talk about? I mean I understand it as I have solar, and charge in bulk @ 14.7 volts, and absorb at 14.5 for how ever long it was in bulk.. But my solar controller is only a 20 amp model. I do see 15 amps on sunny days.. But it will stay in bulk at a constant amps and not taper untill the 14.7 volts is reached.

Something to consider is on the coachmens there is a 30 amp breaker/resettable on the #6 wire under the camper. Upon putting a load on my inverter thinking I could get a 14.4 reading at the wfco, the wfco started dumping 40 plus amps to the batts.. Well the breaker kept doing an on/off thing until I removed that load..

So even though you all may have 55 amp converters, its not going to get through that breaker for long.. Im going to up that breaker to a 40 or 50 amp model..



Well thats where I am at... So I dont know what to do.. As I boon dock I want to charge on generator as fast as I can. I dont want to waste 200 buck upgrading the lower end to achieve the same results.

150 ah @ c/20 is 30 amps..
Add 3rd batt and 220 ah @ c/20 is 44 amps bulk.

I rely on the solar but I was in a shaded boondock area and only had 2 hours of sun, before the trees blocked it.

Upon starting the gen I ran it for 3 hours. I also ran the a/c and a TV. That was probably 20 amps, but the wfco should of supplied the 20 or 30 to charge the batts.

So the amps were pretty constant for the first hour or so..

I would like to know what the pendant guys get at the 14.4 volts in regards to amps.. And where do you see this 14.4 volts when your charging?

My wfco read 13.5 start and 13.7 at the end of my 3 hour test. ( but the amps were there)

On a side note too I tested the amps from the trucks 7 pin and voltages. I only did this for a brief 10 min test when the camper batts were @ 12.2 volts..

truck 7 pin.

15 amps
14.5 volts @ 7 pin
13v @ batts

Maybe ill do a test with just the truck tomorrow...

[lawrosa]

I use 8 gauge trolling motor plug for my solar panels.. That grote plug looks good @ 4 gauge... Interesting... Same concept but bigger wire...

Good info here guys... This is a good thread. Ive learned a lot from all of you...

[MEXICOWANDERER]

I had nothing but misery with Anderson connectors. Bad fit, difficult connect and disconnect and decomposition. I quit in frustration.

The image below makes it hard to see the pins but they are cross split. For a reason.

When the socket wears down, insert a knife tip into the cross plug splits and spread the pins. This is commercial truck stuff and trucker's would throw things at anyone recommending an Anderson Pole Connector...



GROTE 82-10412 Pole Socket

[SoundGuy]

lawrosa wrote:
Hers my alternator charging set up when I had the old camper and towed with an s 10.. Even now with the silverado I only get 15 amps to the 7 pin because wire too small..

I may do something similar to current TV.. IDK. But back they I didnt want a generator.. Now that I aquired one its a different story.

TV charge mod s10 to RV batterys..

I did the same with my Silverado using 4 gauge booster cable to minimize voltage drop. Rather than using for recharging the battery I mostly used it to load support the trailer's G27 battery when I wanted to power high draw devices such as the toaster with my 1000 watt PSW inverter.



It worked well, the stock truck alternator easily handled the task, BUT recently when I tried to use it I got no load support. Arrggh ... turned out those very same Anderson SB50 connectors you used had corroded over time so the increased resistance caused the connectors to melt. :E I've since torn it out but if I replace it next season I'll have to use a different kind of connector that can survive the elements better than the Andersons.

[Cydog15]

lawrosa wrote:
Hers my alternator charging set up when I had the old camper and towed with an s 10.. Even now with the silverado I only get 15 amps to the 7 pin because wire too small..

I may do something similar to current TV.. IDK. But back they I didnt want a generator.. Now that I aquired one its a different story.

TV charge mod s10 to RV batterys..

Mike,
I'd do that in a pinch but the reason not to has nothing to do with the alternator. Are you sure you want to idle your motor that long without an idle up switch like the law enforcement vehicles use?

[pnichols]

Mike, nice write-up in your link above on how you used your idling tow vehicle and it's alternator to do very silent RV battery charging in noise sensitive camping environments.

I've been kindof advocating to use this approach in these forums. My 130 amp Ford alternator has dumped as much as 70 amps into our batteries at engine idle - which is very quiet. It works very well as a beginning phase for up to an hour before I use our generator to finish the charging through our stock 13.8 volt RV converter.

It all seems to play very well together.

[lawrosa]

Hers my alternator charging set up when I had the old camper and towed with an s 10.. Even now with the silverado I only get 15 amps to the 7 pin because wire too small..

I may do something similar to current TV.. IDK. But back they I didnt want a generator.. Now that I aquired one its a different story.

TV charge mod s10 to RV batterys..

[pnichols]

BF .... right you may regarding the ~13 hours at 14.2 volts. I thought I had recalled some T Series literature long ago that talked of 4 hours being the time for the high voltage period before it automatically dropped to the 13.6-13.8 volt range.

That still would be better to use for longer term drycamping stays with the brand of AGM batteries I've been using instead of - for the rare times we camp longer term - our 13.8 volt fixed voltage 7345 paralled with a Sears 10/2/50 or our 7345 supplimented with our idling V10's alternator.

Here's some info on the discontinued Parallax T series: http://d163axztg8am2h.cloudfront.net/static/doc/26/77/f0e81d6f50d9a8f29fed7063ad4d.pdf

[BFL13]

Phil, you might be thinking of the 7300s with the T option. It had a Timer that started in boost of only 14.2ish and it ran for 13 hours before dropping to regular 13.8. So it would not have been so nifty IMO.

[pnichols]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
The one and only "BOOOOst Button" that really works

That boost button doesn't even work when camping with plenty of other things to take up your time.

Set It and Forget It should be the goal of battery charger designers.

I sure wish Parallax hadn't discontinued their converter design such that every time it was powered up it's output automatically went to 14.X volts for 4 hours and then switched back and remained at 13.6-13.8 volts after that if it was left continuously powered. IAW, a built-in 4 hour timer with each turn-on without one having to turn a timer knob. If one wanted to force it's 14.X volt output anytime, all you had to do was switch it off at the power panel and then immediately switch it back on.

That Parallax converter model line would have been very close to Set It and Forget It for today's AGM batteries that specify 13.5-13.8 volts float and 14.X volts for cycle service.

It was probably ahead of it's time because back then lead acid batteries - liquid or AGM - with a specified float voltage of 13.5-13.8 volts weren't widely available, if at all.

[CJW8]

time2roll wrote:
Boost button does not work? 😞

Never has worked on mine.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

The one and only "BOOOOst Button" that really works

[time2roll]

Boost button does not work? 😞

[CJW8]

More damning WFCO evidence. I took my 3 Grp 24 batteries down to 12.05v. Dragged out my WFCO 89100 that now has battery jumper clamps with 6' of #4 welding lead. Results: over 7 hours, volts stayed flat. The 3 hour gap in the last two readings is because we went to a movie. It is a good converter that will provide lots of amps but a pretty sorry charger as we all know.

time volts amps
1647 13.39 105.8
1702 13.46 98.1
1723 13.62 82
1755 13.41 36.6
1839 13.49 25.36
2157 13.62 5.67

[Cydog15]

lawrosa wrote:
I guess my findings were correct... I dont think ill ever go litium but randy says constant 14.6 volts when jumper is moved...

So I think Ill go with the other one thats a few bucks cheaper...

http://www.bestconverter.com/PD4655MBA-WildKat-55-Amp-Main-Board-Assembly-for-WFCO-8955-or-Parallax-...

Hi Mike

That 4566VL is exactly what I recommend. It will do a great job with any flooded or AGM and you can control it with the pendant that comes with it. If you switch to lithium in the future, you just move the jumper and it changes to constant 14.6, which is what most lithium manufactures use for the target voltage. Thanks.


Randy
BestConverter
Direct 208-514-8950

For only a few bucks, you also get the new style board. I think PD corrected some minor fan issues as well with the new style board. I'd take advantage if the new board with the lithium option if for nothing else, a good selling point if you ever trade.