Converter Cycling December 05, 2020, 12:13:50 pm Question for the group. I am currently (pun intended) plugged into shore power and I noticed that the converter unit keeps cycling, almost on a constant basis. Only on a couple seconds at a time. A couple seconds on then about three or four seconds off but it does it constantly. Is this normal? Is this related to having the higher 75 amp converter that has been discussed previously?
Re: Converter Cycling Reply #1 – December 05, 2020, 01:01:44 pm Hi Greg. That is normal for the charging system to switch back and forth between the 'float' mode and the 'absorb' mode. Driving as much as you are, the batteries are fully charged. The smart three level charger probably won't go into 'bulk mode. Bulk is for heavily discharged batteries that need a high rate of charge. Absorb is a small amount of charge, and Float is an idle charger that backs off the voltage to preserve battery life. The fourth stage is Equalizing, and should be disabled with AGM batteries. (it is disabled by LD) They don't need to have the de-stratification of wet electrolyte 'boiling' and will be harmed by attempting it. To complicate matters the Solar Boost 3000i controller also has the 4 stage charge controller. Fourth stage Equalize is also disabled. It also will switch between float and absorb. If you've used up some battery charge during the night, it will switch back and forth, checking the state of charge (SOC) of the batteries. Not to worry, both chargers are doing their job. I excerped this description from the user manual for my Progressive Dynamics supply/charger. You probably have the Parallax 8355, 65, or 75. (Best Converters): The Charge Wizard Operation:While the built-in Charge Wizard automatically determines which operating mode is best suited to recharge or maintain optimum battery condition, the Wizard Mode Button allows for manual override and has an indicator light to indicate the mode of operation. BOOST MODE – Indicated by green LED remaining on. The output voltage is 14.4VDC to rapidly recharge the battery up to 90% of full charge.NORMAL MODE – When the battery is between 50% and 90% charged, the green LED will flash once per second. When the battery has reached 90% of full charge, the green LED will flash 2 - 3 times per second. In this mode the output voltage is 13.6VDC and the converter is safely completing the charge of the battery.STORAGE MODE – Indicated by green LED flashing every 6 - 8 seconds. In this mode the output voltage has been lowered to 13.2VDC, the RV battery is fully charged and the converter is maintaining the charge. Good travels Greg. Electronics has improved a bit since you had your 1985 LD. RonB 1 Likes
Re: Converter Cycling Reply #2 – December 05, 2020, 01:10:10 pm Isn't the converter in a 2017 a 75 amp Parallax? I recall reading many posts about the noisy fan cycling on and off; according to the "Changes by Year" doc, LD went to a 55 amp converter (Parallax? PD? Magnatek? Other?) in the 2019 models.
Re: Converter Cycling Reply #3 – December 05, 2020, 01:30:35 pm Hi Joan. I think the complaints were for the Parallax 75 amp converter fans never shutting off. As far as I know, LD decreased the choice to a 55 amp charger/supply. Those fans cycle on and off as needed. Heck, my old Parallax 6345 has a fan that cycles on and off. Newer coaches with all LED lighting, and more energy efficient electronics, probably don't stress modern converters, and the higher amp supplies are mostly to charge batteries faster. RonB
Re: Converter Cycling Reply #4 – December 05, 2020, 05:05:42 pm Yes, this is the 75 amp parallax converter/ charger. I remember hearing about some problem with them but couldn’t remember and didn’t have the time to try and find the info myself so thank you. The issue I was having was not the fan running continuously, but the unit constantly cycling on and off. It’s a bit annoying but I guess that’s how it works. I am slowly reading through all the manuals but time is my enemy right now. I’m the type that likes to read every manual closely so I’m a slow reader. I do have all the manuals that came with the rig including the Blue Sky solar boost and the converter. I’ll read them more carefully once I get back to California but in the meantime I’m learning on the job!You are right Ron, electronics are quite a bit more advanced than what I’m used to but in a good way. There is much more utility to these newer rigs. I only have one solar panel but I really like it as there was no solar on my ‘85, nor was there a generator. I must admit though, having full hook ups where I’m at right now is really handy. The heat pump works great except when it gets really cold it tends to turn off, then I switch to propane but the heat pump helps to save a lot of LP. I still need to read about that. And having a microwave to heat up your coffee instead of using the propane sure is handy. I did my first dump today. Some things are classic and never change! 😏 3 Likes
Re: Converter Cycling Reply #5 – April 04, 2021, 03:23:10 pm Just a follow up. I finally got rid of the annoying cycling noise by swapping out the stock 75 amp converter-charger for a 55 amp unit that Mike Coachman no longer needed from his 2021 LD. Just made the swap and all seems to be working well; however, the silence is deafening! 👍 Kudos to Mike for walking me through the swap to make sure I didn’t blow anything up! 1 Likes
Re: Converter Cycling Reply #6 – April 05, 2021, 02:29:19 am Quote from: HiLola - April 04, 2021, 03:23:10 pmJust a follow up. I finally got rid of the annoying cycling noise by swapping out the stock 75 amp converter-charger for a 55 amp unit that Mike Coachman no longer needed from his 2021 LD. the swap to make sure I didn’t blow anything up!Nice improvement! The 75-amp converter was an attempt to take advantage of the AGM battery's ability to charge at higher rates than conventional lead-acid batteries. The 75-amp converter LD picked was noisy, the loud cooling fan was on most or all the time when plugged in or with the generator running. It was a bad choice and most owners hated it. Other 75-amp converters are much quieter, the same as the 55-amp converters. We have had a Progressive Dynamics PD9270C70-amp converter for 14 years and its cooling almost never comes except when charging at a high rate for an extended period.New converter | FlickrIt was the largest converter available at the time that would fit in the stock converter's space.Larry 2 Likes
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