WFCO modification Images?

Great advice. The WFCO is a module minus the fuses and breakers. So I am stabbing in the dark as to how this things looks. The power and digital are inside a modular box and not open frame? I downloaded every piece of information WFCO provides on the internet and I guess a blowup parts illustration exceeds their customer ideal of an IQ of 60. I'll shoot the board with an IR when it's under load and see for myself what's what. I'm dealing with a high ambient temperature and I sure as hell don't trust designers who would mount an electrolytic cap next to a pair of hard working vertically mounted ceramic resistors.

Our power down here frequently exceeds 130 vac rms. The peak to peak actuality versus what you claim is the discrete voltage values limits bothers me - a lot.

I am wondering if a 1875 watt rated computer line voltage regulator would fight with the WFCO? I would not try to use it with a transformer based power supply but I have no idea about compatibility in this regard - the technology is newer than my experience.

A tip on the eyesight problems. Use a small webcam and a large display. You can take pics, view live, zoom, etc most of the time.

Many digital cams have a video out, too

I would not bother with a dedicated fan (the thermal controlled fan that is part of the unit should do OK)for the bleeder resisters (if you actually have that specific model #) those two resisters are in series @ 1.5KOhm 5watt each they are there to bleed the input side large caps which are dual 820ufd@250Vdc and should be holding 175VDC (or very close the peak of the sine wave assuming you have 120Vac nominal) all the time - not sure if they are actually needed other than a safety thing for fools that do not understand large charged caps - Kind of like guns which are ALWAYS loaded caps are always charged and can be lethal

Keep us updated as to the exact model number since right now we are only stabbing at things in the total darkness

back to rebuilding my circa 1975 vintage 8Klb warn winch

Thanks KJ, I haven't seem them though. I'll have to check the spam folder. My old WFCO was a 55A job from a 2010 5th wheel. No idea on the exact model number. It had no pendant. Quite frankly, this is the first I've heard of that with MrWiz's 100A as the exception.

EDIT: Is the 8955 a deckmount?

It'll be next to the Samlex inverter, the cheapowatts and 31 battery. salt air seems to precipitate around 5AM. This is inside a house where it is cooler than the rig. Everything goes under the bed. I would be a bit hesitant about applying conformal coating onto the WFCO because of heat. Speaking of which is it your opinion that maintaining a 5 knot breeze across those resistors would still render them as producing too much heat? The low ESR cap is on the list of things to buy at Willy's Electronics. They have Panasonic.

My eyesight is going to be amplified. A 3.5 diopter lens plus 4.00 diopter glasses. Forty watts actual of 5K LED lighting. A 4" hobby vice will hold the WFCO (I hope). If there is a will there is a way. Also getting a 1K three watt 15 turn pot. Hopefully to use with a balancing series resistor to synch both cheapos.

Down the road comes another Lifeline and 3 more cheapos. Hope they like being stacked with standoffs. Two pusher + two puller fans. Plus a couple of 5 volt fans to puff on the shottky heat sink.

Mex

I sent you a few pics to your email address --- hope they made it all the way down south - Did down size them (1024x768) and happy to send again at full res they are 5meg a piece full res.

No need for a 50vdc cap - the voltage is NOT the issue - doubt that section of the circuit ever sees more than 15Vdc - it's the heat from the large resisters that kills the cap - suggest you use long leads and move the cap away from the heat source and use at least a 105C rated cap. Additionally it's an ESR sensitive circuit get one with low ESR as in <1 Ohm . Again this modification depends on your model #

Regarding pin #7 that is if and only if you have an 9800 series - again without a model number we are shooting in the dark at best - once in a while we might get lucky but not too often. Most of the components on the 9800 series are surface mount you WILL NEED good glasses and lots of light

The 62K is only a rough in - might want to use a 50k pot with 25K in series - many ways to skin the cat - but again that is for the 9800 series ..........

PS - "Open Frame" depending on model #, Most if not all WFCO's are NOT conformal coated PCBs - Dampness, salt air, excessive heat, dust, dirt, bugs, etc........ will destroy it in no time - strongly suggest it be kept in a human compatible environment

Is there enough room on the board to substitute a 220uf 50vdc radial cap?
Is pin 7 on the digital section clearly marked? I am fighting cataracts. This is where images would be invaluable. I will be using a 5" swing arm lens plus reading glasses and intense LED lighting to help me see.

Also the resistor....is a 1/4 watt 62K large enough?

I've got ONE SHOT to get this stuff, next week. Willy's Electronics in National City. I forgot about solder wick. I mask off the section of the board to be soldered then use heavy duty spray silicone and just spray the snot out of the remainder. Then I can use compressed air from a can and gravity to desolder things without worrying about spatter shorts.

The WFCO board is going to be left totally open frame / open air and will have a 120 MM fan blowing right across it.

Thank you for all your help. You cannot imagine the frustration of having a dollar discrete component fail or needing to substitute or buy and knowing the nearest one is a thousand mile drive or more. Where I am now, the nearest FedEx UPS or other package delivery office is a THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED MILE DRIVE. Hell the nearest post office is a 245 mile drive.

I believe it was the early wfco that had the pendant. I'm thinking ten + years ago. In google chrome just right click the image and click save image.

Sam

Yes there are indeed several different WFCO series and models with each series many with vastly different circuits. To date have not heard of an 8200 series

This might be a possibility depending on your unit
8955 Later version serial #’s - Force into boost can be added by placing a resistor in parallel with R50 going to pin 7 on microcontroller 12F675. R49 and R50 divide down the 13.6V signal to something like 4.205V. By placing a resistor (somewhere around 62K) in parallel with R50 makes the micro controller think the output is 13.6 when it is really 14.4V

From what I have seen - most of the 8900 series had the remote control capability from the factory. The remote control functionality can be added to most of them with a few simple modifications

Check R2 and R3 large (3 to 5 watt) white 1.3K resisters - get them off the board and replace the nearby 220ufd@25Vdc cap - that cap gets too hot and is a MAJOR cause of failure - by the way this resister / cap setup is the exact same circuit as the Parallax 5155

If younuse Firefox, try the addon "Fireshot"

It can save the entire page as an image, including more than currently visable on your screen.

Evernote is a program I really like, too. It usually does a good job of saving the page and formatting intact, which can then be organized into groups, notebooks, and marked up easily using Skitch.

They have a free and paid version.