Re: How to tell if my Progressive Charger / Converter is working ?
Reply #1 –
Whew! Lots of numbers there.
First of all, the Progressive charger/converter will not be charging the start batteries at all unless either the "boost" switch is on or you have jumpered the system to connect all three batteries. The alternator, however, DOES charge both start and house batteries when the engine is running. And somewhere around 14.8vdc seems to be pretty typical for engine-driven alternators. It seems high to me (especially over a long drive) but I haven't yet addressed that on my coach. It would be nice to get other ideas.
Even if the shore power is connected, the engine-driven alternator - with its typically much-higher charge voltage - will be higher than the "turn-on" point of the Pregressive Electronics charger so it will idle and not contribute anything to the system.
Engine-driven alternators are not considered to be "smart chargers" (despite the "sense" wire). But I am pretty sure this can be fixed by adding a charge controller to that system. I just have not (yet) looked at this very hard.
So... with the engine running all of those voltages look correct. The isolator - which is made up of diodes - reduces voltage by about .6 volts (typically) in the direction it passes current (and blocks it in the other direction - which is how it performs its "isolation" function).
Also... when you turned the engine off the voltages you saw were "surface charge" voltages and not representative of the actual state of charge for any batteries. The surface charge is temporary but it will exist for a period of time after you shut down the engine (or any charging device). You will have to wait until this surface charge is fully dissipated before you can get an accurate idea of how the battery banks are doing. Overnight is good.
Since you have disconnected shore power you can now go in and get the state of charge for the system with minimal loads (just clocks, sensors, etc) on. You don't have to go back to the engine bay, just get that DVM onto the batteries. (I have a Bogart Engineering Trimetric 2025 which measures the house bank - 2 8Ds - and the start batteries - 2 red tops in parallel - separately. However the start batteries only get measured for voltage while the house bank gets a lot more detailed.) Leave shore power off (and engine off) for these tests.
Somewhere around 12.6 to 12.8 would be considered "full charge" on both banks.
The PE charger (I have one, too) will detect the state-of-charge of the HOUSE BANK only (unless you have the boost switch on or have jumpered both start and house together) and will determine what type of voltage/current to provide. It should be "float" (for fully charged) and about 13.1vdc; or higher for a de-sulfating cycle (with the Wizard) or "bulk" or "absorption" which would be higher... around 14.5vdc.
I don't think you can tell exactly which cycle the PE is in (unlike the Midnite Solar Classic 150 which gives a nice report of everything it does) but you can guess at it using the DVM. At any rate, my PE generally floats the house bank at 13.1vdc. (The solar system - and the Classic 150 - floats that bank at 13.7 just FYI... and is fully adjustable... I'm still trying to determine which is best for wet cells.)
So, now you have a good idea of the state-of-charge of your battery banks with the surface charge dissipated and the batteries under minimal load. You can check the start bank by turning the headlights on and checking the voltage on that bank (only) with the DVM. That voltage should not be less than 12.5vdc. If it is then that bank could be suspect (depending upon what ran all night with no charging).
Load up the house batteries by turning on the interior lights (all of them) and measuring that bank only. That voltage should also not drop much below 12.5vdc. (although that's a guess since I have no idea what sort of lighting system you have in your coach... if it's all LEDs then the drop will not be that much).
In both cases, if the voltage on a bank does not drop at all under a good load, then that indicates that the batteries are in pretty good shape.
Now you should have some idea of the two banks.
Now connect shore power. This will energize the PE charger/converter and you can determine whether it's working or not.
Check the house batteries with the DVM (and boost switch OFF). They should be reading something above 13vdc (13.1 if the PE is floating them, somewhere above 13.8vdc if it's desulfating or bulk or absorption cycle). If the batteries measure the same as before you connected shore power, then the PE unit is not working. Check circuit breakers first. (Back at the bed on my U225.)
There are some differences of opinion about just what the maximum charge voltage should be on a wet cell (lead acid) system. Just remember that the voltage while charging does not necessarily represent the actual state-of-charge for any battery bank; it's just what the charging system thinks it should apply. How fast that bank declines to 12.2vdc is what determines the bank's real ability to keep you in power over a period of time. That also is determined by the amount of load (all the things you have turned on).
Lots of other people on the forum know more about this than I do... but I have the PE and wet cell 8Ds so I thought I'd post some of the stuff I've learned over the past couple of years.
Craig
Topic: How to tell if my Progressive Charger / Converter is working ? (Read 384 times)
previous topic - next topic
