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Re: LD Batteries
Reply #25
Thanks for the correction on the battery capacity.  Sounds like the AGM’s are fairly equivalent to my old T-105’s which I could get about 5 days boondocking out of. Being the newer LD’s have generators, solar, and LED lighting, I should be able to extend that time considerably!
Greg & Victoria
2017 Mid-Bath  “Nocona” towing a manual 2015 Forester
Previously a 1985 TK
SKP #61264

Re: LD Batteries
Reply #26
Does “splicing it in” mean simply connecting the temperature sensor wire that went to the back of the HPV unit to the correct connector on the back of the Blue Sky controller?

When installing a new temperature sender,  just cut the old one off at the battery and splice in the new sender. This saves trying to snake a new pair of wires from the solar controller to the coach wiring.
There is nothing special about the wiring.  The senders are not polarized.

Our LD has four, eight-year-old Trojan T-105s that still have adequate capacity. They will probably be replaced with the same in the next year or so.  Watering the batteries isn't a big deal using a Pro-Fill remote watering system, it is quick, clean and easy to use, only needing to be done a few times a year.
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At half the price of a set a AGMs, and less likely to be damaged by overcharging, the T-105s work for me.

Lithium is still very expensive, for an older rig, and many of its main advantages are not used, such as accepting high charge and discharge rates without damage.
Lithium's weigh savings can substantial but it comes at a high cost per pound, they are something to be considered for 31' owners and pre-2003, 22' and 23.5' models, which suffer from low available CCC.

Larry
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Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze

Re: LD Batteries
Reply #27
Well Jim, Jack doesn't have a 22B, so sorry I put 13.2 V. I read that on a product review. I'm sure that idle voltage can be adjusted inside. Turning off the panels doesn't seem like a useful option to me. You could just pull the solar fuse in the 12 volt panel.  Mine has been on continuously for 17+ years.
    Someone here (forgot his name) who ended up selling his 2016 TK ( I saw his coach at Morro Bay ) had tried to upgrade to the BlueSky 3000i, and told me that BSky had told him, he had to run a new temperature sensor, and where his 22B was mounted near the refrigerator was too shallow, so it ended up sticking out to where he had difficulty opening the above vanity cabinet door.  He bought a trailer. Wish I could have bought his rig, but probably more than I would afford.  RonB
   
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB

Re: LD Batteries
Reply #28

Someone here had tried to upgrade to the BlueSky 3000i, and told me that BSky had told him, he had to run a new temperature sensor, and where his 22B was mounted near the refrigerator was too shallow, so it ended up sticking out to where he had difficulty opening the above vanity cabinet door. 

The 3000i is bigger than the previous models LD used and requires a bigger opening and sticks out to increase cooling.
An adaptor is available.



Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze

Re: LD Batteries
Reply #29
Yes I absolutely agree with Larry. The AGM's aren't mission critical, the T-105's are still good batteries. The HPV-22 isn't 'terribly obsolete'. 
    I'm considering a hybrid Lithium because of weight and space limitations on my pre 2000, E350 TK.  The advantage I want is the ability to drain it down slowly to 60%-80% capacity routinely without damage. High speed charge while driving also. I don't have any roof space without ripping stuff off to add more solar. My wiring is all localized to my existing battery/ generator location. The vanity cabinet would get a lot shallower.  RonB
RonB (Bostick) living in San Diego
Original owner of "Bluebelle" a '99 TKB

Re: LD Batteries
Reply #30
"BSky had told him, he had to run a new temperature sensor"

A new sensor on the battery, but as Larry said, not necessarily new wiring.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"

Re: LD Batteries
Reply #31
Well Jim, Jack doesn't have a 22B, so sorry I put 13.2 V. I read that on a product review. I'm sure that idle voltage can be adjusted inside. Turning off the panels doesn't seem like a useful option to me. You could just pull the solar fuse in the 12 volt panel.  Mine has been on continuously for 17+ years.
    Someone here (forgot his name) who ended up selling his 2016 TK ( I saw his coach at Morro Bay ) had tried to upgrade to the BlueSky 3000i, and told me that BSky had told him, he had to run a new temperature sensor, and where his 22B was mounted near the refrigerator was too shallow, so it ended up sticking out to where he had difficulty opening the above vanity cabinet door.  He bought a trailer. Wish I could have bought his rig, but probably more than I would afford.  RonB
   


I suspect that you could adjust that setting lower but I never did. I did adjust the upper setpoint to 14.8V after checking with Trojan and AM Solar years ago and those T145's are still working well over 5 years later.

I didn't know one way or the other about what could be done with the temp sensor but AM Solar assured me all they had to do was switch to the original one. It seems to still respond to ambient temperature.

Jim

 
Re: LD Batteries
Reply #32
Hi Jack,      The HPV-22 is already a multi stage, (charge, float) MPPT sophisticated controller, unless you want to add more panels than it can handle current wise (22 Amps).

Ron, this controller cannot be called multi-stage. It actually has only one mode, a voltage limit mode. This allows it to charge at the maximum available current in MPPT mode until the battery voltage reaches the voltage limit, which is in excess of 14.2 V, and the battery then enters its absorption phase as the current it accepts continues to fall as the charge capacity of the battery nears. This single phase is often referred to as bulk charge followed by absorption, but in reality is one single control mode. The only way to lower the output voltage is by manually switching. More modern MPPT controllers have a more sophisticated multi-stage control system that will prevent battery overcharging.

Steve
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit