Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Xantrex "Head Fake" (Read 607 times) previous topic - next topic

Xantrex "Head Fake"

I've dragged out the manuals and searched our ForeForum to see if I could figure out what's happening. Here is the best I can summarize what I did to our coach:
    • Disconnected from my 50A (known good) shore power and plugged into my known good 30A receptacle.Turned on breaker.
    • Plugged back into 50A and re-applied power after great guests left.

    • Noticed "Amps" showed "0" and Amp  Hours went very low.
    Reading the manual about "Power Sharing" I suspect that I should have set that coach for the 30A service before reconnecting to the pedestal. Gen starts fine. Everything else has been normal. Batteries pretty new and clean.

    Does it sound like I gave it a "head fake" and sent it into a limited charge setup when I plugged into the thirty amp service?

    Thanks for the Forum and the members that make it so valuable. Paul
Paul & Kathleen
1995 U320c SE 40'
Build 4681 --Cummins M11 /17511
"That Irish Girl"
Red MINI " 40"

Re: Xantrex "Head Fake"

Reply #1 –
besides the meter reading are you seeing any other problems ?
2014 ih45  (4th Foretravel owned)
 1997 36' U295 Sold in 2020, owned for 19 years
  U240 36' Sold to insurance company after melting in garage fire
    33' Foretravel on Dodge Chassis  Sold very long time ago

Re: Xantrex "Head Fake"

Reply #2 –
Paul:  you can change the power share function any time you like-- plugged in/not plugged in.

Only real impact on low settings is that it takes longer to charge deeply discharged batteries.  But voltages and bulk/absorption/float are all the same (once the reduced power has "caught up" with amp demand).
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Xantrex "Head Fake"

Reply #3 –
Quote from: turbojack –
besides the meter reading are you seeing any other problems ?
No, sir. The charge LEDs look normal, voltage looks good and everything works. The Amp Hours+meter shows "0" Amp hours and a low range of amps from -1.5 to 4 or so while connected to 50A shore power.

All systems go, otherwise.

Did I cook the (Cruising Equipment Co.) meter? Is a reset procedure available and not in the manual? This is my first inverter, if you can't tell.
Paul & Kathleen
1995 U320c SE 40'
Build 4681 --Cummins M11 /17511
"That Irish Girl"
Red MINI " 40"

Re: Xantrex "Head Fake"

Reply #4 –
My observations are based on a Freedom 25 converter/inverter with Link 2000 control panel.

Amp-Hours of "0" is normal for a fully charged system. Amp-Hours may go a bit positive during a time period when the system is on shore power. As soon as the system goes off shore power (or generator), Amp-Hours goes to "0" and then goes negative as the batteries discharge. During charge, Amp-Hours will increase in value from the "-" values and approach "0." At float voltage, my ammeter varies from about -1 to +4 volts.

I think your readings are showing a properly functioning system with fully charged batteries.
J D Stevens
1997 U295 CAI 36' Build #5085
2002 Subaru Outback
Motorcade 16869
Bellville, TX

Re: Xantrex "Head Fake"

Reply #5 –
That's just great! Let's hope that everything is operating as designed. Our dry camping days prior to this post had me looking at the readings and when "nothing" showed, I gulped and got looking for help here.

Thanks to all. I'll keep you posted (which means, "I'll shoot up a flare and pull out my hair a little before I really freak out.") All the best. Paul
Paul & Kathleen
1995 U320c SE 40'
Build 4681 --Cummins M11 /17511
"That Irish Girl"
Red MINI " 40"

Re: Xantrex "Head Fake"

Reply #6 –
Just to add to J.D.s comments.
The Amp-Hrs reading is telling you how many amp-hrs have been consumed (if you will) from full. The Amps reading tells you the instantaneous  current usage.

Example:
Lets say you have 2 8Ds, each rated at 220 AH, thus a battery bank capacity of 440 Amp/Hrs.
The "Book" says you really don't want to exhaust them below 50% so you have 220 amp/hrs available to you before you have to recharge them in some way. Lets say your meter reads 10 amps and you don't change anything for the next hour.  You could continue at that level of usage for  220AH/10 amps =22 hours without a charge.
If your amp-hour reading was -110 when you started worrying about it, you would have 11 more hours before you had to do something.
But something will probably change and you probably will want to get some profile of your actual usage.

hth
Elliott & Mary Bray
ex. 1996 36' U295 - Build 4879
ex. 2018 Coachmen Leprechaun 319MB
 
 

Re: Xantrex "Head Fake"

Reply #7 –
That example helps a good deal, Elliott. Thank you for taking the time to provide me with a clear, engaging explanation of the system. I feel very fortunate to benefit from these posts, this Forum and this kind of "coach coaching." Happy New Year!
Paul & Kathleen
1995 U320c SE 40'
Build 4681 --Cummins M11 /17511
"That Irish Girl"
Red MINI " 40"