Battery charger vs converter charger

Topic: Battery charger vs converter charger - 3-stage (Read 9 times) previous topic - next topic

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Battery charger vs converter charger - 3-stage

January 06, 2013, 06:57:40 pm

To achieve full charge could take several hours at 14.3V ... If a 45A 3-stage charger is used, it will replace almost that in A-hrs, per hour, until it limits at about 80% full replacement charge in the batteries. Then count several hours more beyond that.

Hi Steve, thanx for the detailed reply. Almost all the maintenance work I've done so far is based on informative posts made by you, Andy & Larry over the last few years.
I think the core of my question was, if one is committed to getting a 3-stage charger, is it more effective to get a stand alone battery charger, or a built-in converter charger?
Based on what I've been able to glean so far with respect to a converter charger, it seems a lot of people tend to favor the Progressive Dynamics 9200 series converter with built-in charge wizard. I can get their 9245 (45 amp) unit for around $125 from AMZ.

According to their specs:
http://www.progressivedyn.com/power_converters_9200.html

They first perform a bulk charge @ 14.5v - and as you note, up to 80-90% - then an absorption run, and then finish with a float (trickle) charge. I guess any respectable 3-stage battery charger will do the same exact thing, yet it introduces yet another device into the mix.
So the essential question can be reduced to: what would be the preferred choice - upgrade the current 1-stage converter charger to a 3-stage unit, and if so, which brand do people like; or go with a stand alone 3-stage battery charger?

K

Re: Battery charger vs converter charger - 3-stage

Reply #1 – January 07, 2013, 07:22:16 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 136055

Quote

Based on what I've been able to glean so far with respect to a converter charger, it seems a lot of people tend to favor the Progressive Dynamics 9200 series converter with built-in charge wizard. I can get their 9245 (45 amp) unit for around $125 from AMZ.

Earlier upgrades used this unit, but it requires installation modifications. Their newer 4600 series is a drop-in replacement for the stock unit - installation is much easier, and the 'charge wizard' is incorporated on the board. We have the model 4645.

Steve

Battery charger vs converter charger

Reply #2 – January 07, 2013, 09:40:15 am

Yahoo Message Number: 136041

Just to conclude the thread, we ended up buying this dedicated 3-state battery charger from AMZ:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EJQJ1G/

The decision really came down to carefully thinking about our RV usage. As mentioned in the original post, we use our LD both semi-weekly & for extended road trips.
In the first case, the battery may have leaked 3-5% while in storage over the previous 14 days. We bring it home in the afternoon, re-charge the battery via shore power to the converter, get the frig cooled and head out the next morning. Since the max voltage via the (1-stage) converter is 13.8v, the batteries never reach full charge.
In the second situation, while the engine may have been running long enough during the drive, the alternator only reaches a max voltage of 14.1v. That means the battery would also not have become fully charged either. (It's needs 14.5v+ for 1-2 hrs to reach full re-charge.)
As I was further contemplating our usage profile, there's a 3rd situation that closely follows our camping experiences. In this case, we could be up around the Tioga pass area of Yosemite, in a 'regular' (ie no hookup) campsite for 2-3 days.
We would then need to come down to Lee Vining and hook-up overnight at a place like Mono Village, before heading out up north to Tahoe. Since it's hot(ter) down by Mono lake, we'd want to run the A/C, but we'd also want to re-charge quickly overnight.
Since even the newer built-in 3-stage converter/chargers can be 'confused' while also running A/C power, this can be a limiting option. After more research, it appears people who are in a similar situation tend to go with dedicated chargers. In fact, many just hook up to shore power for their coach needs, then plug the battery charger into their external 120v outlet (ours is located in the reefer) and re-charge the batteries at the same exact time.
That meets us to a 'T'. I'll report back in the future to describe how it turns out.

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Re: Battery charger vs converter charger

Reply #3 – January 07, 2013, 11:08:37 am

Yahoo Message Number: 136043

"Since even the newer built-in 3-stage converter/chargers can be 'confused' while also running A/C power, this can be a limiting option. After more research, it appears people who are in a similar situation tend to go with dedicated chargers. In fact, many just hook up to shore power for their coach needs, then plug the battery charger into their external 120v outlet (ours is located in the reefer) and re-charge the batteries at the same exact time."

I'm baffled about how the 3-stage converter become "confused".
I have not run across this in the many years of working on many RV and boat electrical system. I know of no one who uses a portable to charge their LD, if it is equipped with a up to date smart converter.
IMO, a "smart' converter" is the only way to go, It will do exactly the same as your portable charger except with much higher charging levels, have shorter recharge intervals and is stupid easy to use.
You are leaving in place a converter that is known for its poor performance, I don' see a real gain other than you now have a portable charger that can be used on other vehicles.

Larry

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