Glen41
North Texas
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Joined: 01/25/2008
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Another vote for a charge wizard. Disconnect and monthly maintenance is best but sometimes you get busy and forget. Even disconnected you need to reconnect and cycle a bit to prevent stratification. Especially if you get real low temps you need to store inside if disconnected. The charge wizard (or equivalent) will periodically (once a week or so) wake up and cycle.
Doing my part to keep America's highways cluttered up.
2006 Chevy 3500 D/A DRW Prodigy, AirBags, 34 ft Travel Supreme
http://smartsforsale.blogspot.com
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steelhunter
Medford
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Joined: 08/16/2007
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jauguston wrote:Your information needs some clarification.
Some older RV converters (battery chargers) were not very smart and had a charge voltage if left on for long periods such as in storage they would cook the water out of the batteries. And they had a pretty low amperage output for charging batteries.
Now-- converters have gotten a lot smarter in the last several years. To know if yours is the good kind or the bad kind you need to take a look at it and get a brand name and a model if you can and post it here. You will be looking for a name like Progressive Dynamics-WFCO-Iota and there are a few others.
Another way to tell good from bad is to plug the shore power in and leave it for several days and then put a volt meter on the batteries.
If the voltage is around 13.2v you have what is called a three stage smart converter and it can be left plugged it indefinately and no harm will be done. If the voltage is around 13.6v that is not a good one.
The smart chargers do a fine job of properly charging the batteries and maintaining them when in storage.
Jim
Edit-I just looked at your Profile and your 2008 RV will almost certainly have a smart converter that can be left plugged it.
Gee, I thought 12.65 is considered fully charged.
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Joined: 12/18/2004
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steelhunter wrote:
Gee, I thought 12.65 is considered fully charged.
Hi steelhunter,
That is correct, but only when the batteries have been "at rest" for several hours, so the surface charge has dissipated. 13.2 is a more normal number to see if the batteries are being maintained by charging at a low rate.
Regards, Don
Kustom Koach Class C 28'5" 256 watts solar, 875 amp hours in two battery banks 12 volt batteries 2500 watt inverter.
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jauguston
Bellingham, WA
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Joined: 07/03/2005
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The 13.2v numbers importants when maintaining batteries is it is a voltage just below the "gassing voltage" of a flooded lead acid battery. "Gassing" is the term used for what causes a battery to use water. Long term charge voltages much higher than that into a fully charged battery will cook the water out of the cells and a lower voltage does not maintain a full charge in the batteries. Charge voltages in the 14.8v range or even as high as 15.1v are normal for charging a discharged battery. See my previous post on Ford and GM charge voltages.
Jim
2005 Coachman Sportscoach Elite 402 40'
350hp Cat C-7 w/MP-8
7500w Onan quiet diesel generator
6-Kyocera 130w solar panels SB3024i MPPT controller
Pressure Pro TPMS
1987 Suzuki Samurai tintop Toad w/VW 1.6 turbo diesel power
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wa8yxm
Wherever I happen to park
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Joined: 07/04/2006
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jauguston wrote:John,
There is now a converter that has a feature that makes it better in my book. It is the Iota DLS/IQ4. It has a maximum charge voltage of 14.8v that is a much better charge voltage than most others at 14.4v. 14.4 is just not high enough to fully charge your batteries. There is a reason all newer Ford vehicles have a 14.8v charge voltage and all newer GM vehicles have a 15.1v charge voltage. Also all the good 12v solar controllers can charge at 14.8v and the solar experts say that is where the voltage should be. I just installed a 45a Iota DLS/IQ4 and it is a dandy. My Honda EU 1000i will power it nicely at 750w max draw.
Jim
Downloaded and read the manual for the IQ-4 charge controller
I still feel the PD Charge Wizard is superior for flooded wet cells and other maintence free.
The IQ-4 is 3 stage, I saw no mention of equalization (The 4th charging stage) even as a user requested option.. Plus it has timers, if you have more battery than it can charge properly in the time alloted.. It does not do the job properly
The Charge Wizard does an automatic equalization cycle every so many hours once it hits FLOAT, and I might add this offsets your claim that the higher voltage of the IQ-4 will fully charge battereis when the Charge wiz won't. plus the higher voltage is in BULK mode, which only means slightly faster bulk charging, it is ABSORPTION mode that fully charges..
The Charge wizard does not include timers so if you hook a 45 amp PDI with wizard up to say a very large bank.. It may take a few days, but it will charge it.
Nothin adds excitment like something that is none of your business
Kenwood TS-2000 housed in a 2005 Damon Intruder 377
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jauguston
Bellingham, WA
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John,
I suggest you re-read the IQ4 manual again and pay close attention to the 225 minute reference and what the variables regarding it are. If the charger does not sense the batteries are nearly fully charged after 225 minutes it continues at the high rate until another condition is met.
Randy at bestconverters told me they do not include that IQ4 sheet when they ship the converters because a high percentage of users read it and don't understand it and he gets phone calls wanting it explained. He said the people he tries to explain it to just don't get it and they drive him nuts (-:
If a P-D converter would charge at a maximum voltage of 14.8 I would say it was good but 14.4v converters are just plain outdated. I have a 9160 w/Wizard in my coach and it does a good job for what it is but I firmly believe from information I have been given that soon all converters will be able to charge up to 14.8v. The Iota DLS w/IQ4 is just the first.
My Blue Sky Solar Boost SB3024il is also set at 14.8v on the recommendation of the solar folks. They are all adamant that 14.4 is too low. There has to be a reason Ford is 14.8v and GM is 15.1v.
Jim
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