Why have I dealt with this charger for 13 years?

[opnspaces]

My 2005 Jayco has an IOTA 40 amp converter charger that has always struggled to charge the batteries while on generator. Well this weekend I finally got curious enough to put a meter on it. While I did record the charging voltage every 10 minutes, there really wasn't much change. Here's a condensed view of my chart.

• 9:00 am 11.74v
• 9:10 am 13.37v
• 9:30am 13.77v it never got higher than 13.77
• 9:40 am 13.47v
• 12:45 am 13.30v

I am in the desert with no neighbors so I gave up recording at this point and just let the generator run all day.

the next day I did two things.

1. I used the super expensive fuel inefficient charger (the truck and jumper cables) to make sure I would have heat for sleeping
2. I decided enough is enough I'm going to get a replacement charger.

I do plan to call Randy at Best Converter, but figured I'd ask some opinions from all of you as you hopefully have no vested interest in the converter I ultimately decide on.

Should I go with a replacement IOTA, or a progressive dynamics, or a boondocker or? How many charge amps? I'm running a Honda EU2000i to the shore power cord.
Thanks

Edit because I forgot important information.
I'm running two 6volt Costco batteries.
I checked multiple times and there is no port for the IQ4 charge controller

[opnspaces]

What about this meter? It looks like it can be programmed to display the AH left in the battery.

Link

[time2roll]

opnspaces wrote:
How are you guys seeing the amperage going in from the chargers? Is that a different add on piece? I can't imagine you're running the charge through a multimeter.

I have a 0-50-0 analog panel meter to see what is happening between the fuse panel and battery. Have not actually run the converter since the solar went on top.

Solar is connected direct to the battery and as long as I see 14+ volts at some point in the day I am good for 24 to 72 hours.

[opnspaces]

Thanks Landyacht for the link to a meter. Of course now that I read the reviews and Q&A's I'm thinking it will do exactly what I need. BUT, now I think I want to run it through an Arduino to record amperage over time because that would be cool. Though I should probably just run it as is and be happy.

[landyacht318]

If 0.2 amp resolution is good enough for you, then this is a simple and inexpensive and easy to set up solution to seeing amperage.

https://www.amazon.com/bayite-Digital-Current-Voltage-Transducer/dp/B01DDQM5PK

[opnspaces]

Thanks for all the suggestions,I messed with it a while this weekend while camping. Yes I have looked multiple times for the IQ4 port and it just doesn't exist. I brought a small automatic charger and ran it in parallel with the built in charger and had 14.5 volts charging. That kind of surprised me as I thought the little smart charger would see the 13.5 voltage from the built in charger and assume the batteries were full. But somehow it was smarter than that and charged all day.

How are you guys seeing the amperage going in from the chargers? Is that a different add on piece? I can't imagine you're running the charge through a multimeter.

[beemerphile1]

I normally use the IQ4 in my IOTA but when charging from generator I plug in a jumper that holds 14.2 for as long as wanted. Without the jumper or IQ4 installed it holds 13.6.

The IOTA is a good charger.

[TURNKEY]

The problem is your converter isn't putting out enough volts. Get the IQ module or better yet go solar.

[theoldwizard1]

To the OP, have you considered buying an inverter or possible upgrading an older inverter ? If "Yes", then do NOT wast money on buying a new/newer converter !

Buy an inverter/charger/transfer switch. Several companies make them including Samlex. I like these models because they are easy to install.

• Mount the inverter/charger/transfer switch near the battery bank the battery bank.
• Connect the AC input power (some have separate inputs for shore power and generator; your choice on how to wire it).
• Connect the DC power (via a fuse).
• Connect the AC output.
• Disconnect the converter from the AC power.
• Connect the DC distribution panel to the battery bank.

[BFL13]

Phil, it is all time2roll's fault! Ten years ago he got me to run my existing 20 amper and my new 35 amper together, saying that would give me 55 amps. It did!

Been crazy ever since using multiple chargers of all sorts adding their amps. 🙂

With the MH you can use solar, alternator, and generator powered converter all at once if you like.

My solar is in two arrays on the roof, each with its own controller on the batteries. I hope to soon make that three arrays up there and a third controller. (Controller left over from a previous set-up and a big sale on panels locally I could not resist)

[pnichols]

time2roll wrote:

BFL13 wrote:
"But, be careful shopping for a charger, they advertise peek amps that are unrealistic. Some say 80 amps and are really only 20"

Do you have any examples of that, and what the set up with wiring etc was?

Usually those will be portable chargers with a start/boost setting for getting a car started with a low battery.

That reminds me of what I sometimes do when drycamping in our motorhome to charge our 230AH AGM battery bank faster (for really fast charging I just idle the main engine for awhile):

I start up our little 650 watt Honda and plug the motorhome's 30 amp cable into the Honda. The motorhome's 45 amp Parallax stock converter then starts dumping 10-12 amps into the AGM batteries at around 13.6 volts applied to the batteries - while still powering small items in the motorhome with the little Honda through the main 30 amp cable.

Then I also plug into the little Honda my old 2-10-50 amp Sears charger/starter and attach the Sears charger's output clamps - via some cabling - to the AGM battery bank on the other side of the motorhome.

Then - I set the Sears charger to it's 50 AMP ENGINE STARTING MODE - but of course this little charger can't dump 50 amps into the AGM batteries because the batteries' low internal resistance drags down the Sears charger's output voltage so much that the batteries won't accept anywhere near 50 amps from the charger.

What I now wind up with during charging is still around 13.5 volts being applied to the batteries - but at an increased charging current rate of 15-17 amps into the battery bank ... from the RV's converter in parallel with the Sears charger.

The whole process is making use of the parallel circuits' relationships resulting from the converter's output resistance, the Sears charger's output resistance, and the AGM batteries' internal resistance ... but what I get is about a 50% increase in charging current through addition of a little portable Sears charger that otherwise should have gone in the dump a long time ago.

I all plays together like a champ. I could do the same thing using the built-in Onan generator and the Sears charger, but the little ~30 year old Honda makes "about no noise" while running 5-6 hours on 0.51 gallons of gas.

P.S. I got the idea to hookup charging sources in parallel from either Pianotuna, or BFL13 - a long, long time ago. Thanks ... to one of you!

[BFL13]

time2roll wrote:

BFL13 wrote:
"But, be careful shopping for a charger, they advertise peek amps that are unrealistic. Some say 80 amps and are really only 20"

Do you have any examples of that, and what the set up with wiring etc was?

Usually those will be portable chargers with a start/boost setting for getting a car started with a low battery.

Aha, never thought of that as what he meant. Of course there are many with the high rating for starting but a much lower one for battery charging.

That does not count, since the buyer is not being misled as implied, but is expected to read the label. Bogus claim!

Actually all the converters I have played with do a few more amps than their rated amps when connected with proper wiring.

[time2roll]

BFL13 wrote:
"But, be careful shopping for a charger, they advertise peek amps that are unrealistic. Some say 80 amps and are really only 20"

Do you have any examples of that, and what the set up with wiring etc was?

Usually those will be portable chargers with a start/boost setting for getting a car started with a low battery.

[YC_1]

Clever idea using the converter as a portable charger. Then you can use it for other things as needed.

I had an rv that charged at a low 3 amps. It would isolate the house needs and then only charge the batteries at 3 amps. That was back in 89 and I have learned a lot since then.

[Winnipeg]

"I have not seen anything like that, with a few different brand converters so far"

Pretty easy to find examples. A quick search revealed a Diehard that claims 1150 peak amps @ 12V!