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Freedom 25 Charger Output

February 27, 2015, 07:11:47 pm

I'm dry camping and running the generator right now. My batteries (2 Concords) are 30% discharged. This rig has the Freedom 25 Inverter-Charger unit. I have the unit set for "wet cell cold" which is supposed to yield 14.4 v bulk-absorption and 13.5v float. It is rated at 130 amps. When I first started the generator, I noted on my Trimetric 13.3v and 49 amps to the batteries. Now, a couple of hours later, I see 14.1v and 34 amps.

Here are my questions:
1. In that the charger is rated at 130 amps, with the batteries 30% depleted shouldn't I see a lot more than 49 amps when the charger first starts charging?
2. Do those of you with the Freedom 25 see a charging rate of 14.4?
3. If the charger never gets up to the 14.4v which I have it set at, does this indicate that the unit is failing?

(I haven't done any measurements at the charger yet. I can when I get home. Also, my Progressive Ind readout is 110v on each leg).
Thanks.
jor

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Re: Freedom 25 Charger Output

Reply #1 – February 27, 2015, 09:09:30 pm

Jor,

What was your battery voltage before you turned on the generator?  I leave the generator on autostart while boondocking(as I am now).  The genny turns on at 12.2v, and the inverter charges in excess of 100amps while on bulk charge.

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Re: Freedom 25 Charger Output

Reply #2 – February 28, 2015, 09:21:33 am

The Trimetric showed 12.2 but that reading of course was not an at rest reading. It was probably 12.3 which would agree with the 70% Trimetric reading. You don't have the Freedom 25, do you?

I think I'll establish a baseline when I get home and do some measurements. I'll plug in and charge the batteries to 100%, equalize them and then do some testing. 

This rig doesn't have generator auto-start. Our last one did. One time we were in a very small campground and parked right next to a young couple in a tent. At about 4:30A that thing started up. It was quite the scene. It coughed, stumbled and covered the tenters with smoke and assaulted them with that unburned diesel smell. Sorry about that guys.
jor


Thanks.
jor

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Re: Freedom 25 Charger Output

Reply #3 – March 02, 2015, 08:10:26 am

Yes, I have a Freedom 25.  I've just been boondocking for a week, with other RV's, but no tents.  My generator did auto start one time at about 4:30 one morning.  I was embarrassed, but I'd rather be embarrassed than damage my house batteries.

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Re: Freedom 25 Charger Output

Reply #4 – March 02, 2015, 08:46:01 am

Jor, mine just started doing something like that (freedom25), but my 10 year old Lifelines will not hold a heavy load (inverter) for long. When the charger comes on it has about what you are seeing and goes into float mode fairly quickly, also when you put the charger in equalize mode mine will not go over about 14.6v should go on towards 16.0v. My batteries are likely heavily sulfated, or put another way need replaced, also my auto generator start for low voltage stopped working about the same time. Fixing to replace the three house batteries then go from there. We have been full time for about 7 mos. and plugged in most of the time with the charger on and no exercise on the batteries, which probably helped kill them.

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