What is a “converter”?

[HomeSlice]

I see it referenced a lot on RV sites and groups, in the context of an electrical system component. I have no idea what it refers to, however.

Is this a battery charger, inverter, charge controller, or something else?

[Kayteg1]

One of my automatic battery chargers has "SUPPLY" mode who will hold the voltage for powering stuff.
I guess this makes the charger a converter when used in this mode.

[Siletzspey]

Some "converters" are just simple-minded voltage converters (24VDC->12VDC) that lack the technology to *properly* monitor and charge a battery.

Most if not all "chargers", in addition to possibly converting voltages up or down, know how to monitor a battery's charge level and apply the appropriate bulk, absorb, float and maintenance charges.

It does seem many 120VAC->12VDC products are just called "converters" even though they have battery charging smarts too. And in the case of my Progressive Dynamics Inc. "converter with charge wizard", it can safely power things WITHOUT a battery.

The upshot, the terminology is not 100% standard, and I'd say you need to make sure the specs call out battery charging if that's one of the things you want.

--tg

[dieseltruckdriv]

jimh425 wrote:

toedtoes wrote:
Sheesh. You guys need to get out more. Really, arguing if a converter is actually a converter?? 😉

We really need the ability to like a post. 😉

I like both of these posts! 🙂

[HomeSlice]

garym114 wrote:
Primary purpose of a converter is to supply 12v to RV from 120v AC shore power.
An inverter creates 12v AC from 12v DC.

Wow, I didn’t expect this level of conversation. Thanks everybody.

[garym114]

Primary purpose of a converter is to supply 12v to RV from 120v AC shore power.
An inverter creates 12v AC from 12v DC.

[jimh406]

toedtoes wrote:
Sheesh. You guys need to get out more. Really, arguing if a converter is actually a converter?? 😉

We really need the ability to like a post. 😉

[toedtoes]

Sheesh. You guys need to get out more. Really, arguing if a converter is actually a converter?? 😉

[Sjm9911]

I dont like the term battery charger for the converter. If i dont have a battery I plug in my converter and the DC stuff works. Saying its a battery charger implies i have a battery in the system or that the converter is only used for one thing. My converter has fuses for multiple things. I dont have a battery charger that does that.

[Kayteg1]

Additional note, when RV converters and battery chargers might be consider identical twins, most of the time they are not.
All RV converters I had , supply above 14.5V, what on long run boils the battery dry.

[Kayteg1]

English language is famous for words multi-meaning, but for me this case is easy.
Conversion is changing the same parameter to different value.
Like transformer is converting 1 AC voltage to another, who later can be "straighten" by diodes to simulated DC, what makes RV converter.
Inverter changes DC to AC, so this is new invention.
Battery charger is multi-task device, where converter is part of it.

[valhalla360]

Kayteg1 wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

As far as the name, you could as easily say an inverter CONVERTS from 12vDC to 120vAC and it's true ....

You can't convert AC from DC.
You have to invent AC current using electronic devices and then you can convert to desired voltage.
Over the years converters went via several designs.
Back in 1980's they would supply 12VAC for RV lights and water pump, when small DC circuit would charge the battery and operate radio.
Then some designs put 12VDC converter parallel to the battery, some disconnects the battery from RV when on converter.
That surprised me lately as 20 yo converter was showing 18V on new digital gauge.
Took few forum experts (not on this forum) to figure out that converting AC with electronic circuit, the voltage spikes high for microsecond, before it levels at ca 12V.
Analog meters will not register it, some digital multimeter will not register it, but cheap meter that come with lighter socket does.

Sure it can. 12vDC goes in one side, is converted to 1120vAC out the other side. Convert and Invert aren't well defined terms and outside of the RV world, you will never hear of a battery charger referred to as a converter.

Went ahead and looked it up. The definitions for converter are all over the place. Some describe what you do that it only converts the voltage but not AC to DC. Others say it also converts AC to DC. Even found one that.

A battery charger doesn't leave the ambiguity.

[Kayteg1]

valhalla360 wrote:

As far as the name, you could as easily say an inverter CONVERTS from 12vDC to 120vAC and it's true ....

You can't convert AC from DC.
You have to invent AC current using electronic devices and then you can convert to desired voltage.
Over the years converters went via several designs.
Back in 1980's they would supply 12VAC for RV lights and water pump, when small DC circuit would charge the battery and operate radio.
Then some designs put 12VDC converter parallel to the battery, some disconnects the battery from RV when on converter.
That surprised me lately as 20 yo converter was showing 18V on new digital gauge.
Took few forum experts (not on this forum) to figure out that converting AC with electronic circuit, the voltage spikes high for microsecond, before it levels at ca 12V.
Analog meters will not register it, some digital multimeter will not register it, but cheap meter that come with lighter socket does.

[AnEv942]

Yes as others have described converts AC to DC, regulates charge to batteries.
Generally also serves as distribution point for AC and DC lines.
Where AC breakers and DC fuses located.

[valhalla360]

mkirsch wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
It's a battery charger. Never made sense why RVs use a different name.

Yes, you can draw off it directly but you can do that with a battery charger too.

That is not entirely correct. You cannot (safely) draw directly off of a battery charger because it is not regulated. A battery charger's output varies depending on load. It can start out at 19V or higher with a very light load (or on the high-Amp charge setting) and drop to below 11V with a heavy load.

IF what you are trying to run isn't terribly voltage-sensitive, then sure. However sensitive electronic devices looking for a 12V input are going to have problems on raw 19V+ from a battery charger.

A converter has a regulated voltage output. It is called a converter because it CONVERTS 120VAC to 12VDC, the opposite of an inverter which INVERTS 12VDC into 120VAC. Not all converters are battery chargers, as pointed out above.

If you are talking about the really old RV systems which might not have incorporated a battery...they didn't have voltage sensitive devices, so it was largely irrelevant. Any new RV has a battery in the system, so it's irrelevant. It's a battery charger for all intents and purposes.

As far as the name, you could as easily say an inverter CONVERTS from 12vDC to 120vAC and it's true ...inverter is at least consistent with usage outside the RV industry. If you ask someone with a cruising boat about their "converter" they will look at you funny until you explain you are asking about their battery charger.