ejforwood
Littleton (Denver) Colorado
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Joined: 04/26/2006
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jshirk46 wrote:If this is the wiring for the battery why does my converter have a switch to switch from converter to battery. If you just wire the wires to the battery. I am more confused now then I was when I posted this. If the switch is on for converter I didn't think I needed a battery. Every thing else works at 12.5 volts without a battery hooked up. What does the switch on the converter do? I was told by rv dealer that this model converter does not charge batteries. You flip the switch to battery to run the lights and such when you don't have electric power avail.
Just try it! You just might be amazed with the difference!
I have a ham radio license and have been running mobile radios for nearly 50 years, if that means anything to you. OBTW which model of the Progressive Dynamics converters do you have. I wasn't aware that they made a model that didn't charge batteries.
Jerry, Dottie & Chan, "the little furry one"
98 Bounder 34V, 99 F-53 Ford V10 chassis
06 Saturn VUE 4I
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YC 1
Yuba City Calif.
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Joined: 01/11/2005
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jshirk46 wrote:If I don't hook up the yellow wire the radio doesn't even turn on let alone work. If I hook both the yellow and red wires together then hook them to my jeep battery they still only show 12.6 volt. Why does the voltage go up in my camper. Only 12.6 volt comming in till I hook up the yellow memory wire. WHY?
The why is because you are likely looking at unfiltered DC. The peak to peak voltage is hammering your equipment. Your meter is seeing what your radio does not like. I won't try to go into power supply design 101 at this point. You need a battery to filter the ripple of the supply down to the correct level. Even a small lawn tractor battery would do the job. This said, you should consider at least a 12 volt deep cycle battery so you have lights when not connected to anything.
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MELM
GA
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Joined: 12/11/2001
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You obviously have one of the very old "power centers" that has a switch to select either the battery or the converter to power the 12 volt items. (The term "converter" is misused to include the power centers in which the real "converter" that converts AC to DC is installed. And, it is misused to include the "converter/chargers" that both does the conversion AND has circuitry that allows it to be used as a battery charger.)
These are known as "linear converters".
Since you say it is Progressive Dynamics, it should have a model number. They have made their old manuals available here: Discontinued Products. I suspect yours is one of the 6XX or 7XX units.
The converter circuitry in these units have an output voltage that reads about 12.8 volts on most DC meters. However, it is called "pulsating DC", and has peak voltages around 19 or 20 volts. It is not suitable for charging a battery. Hence, the switch to select either Battery or Converter power.
Later models, such as the 710, have a circuit board in them to regulate the voltage for battery charging; and when AC power is applied, a relay disconnects the battery from the loads and connects it to the charger output. The circuitry brings the battery to a full charge at about 14.2 volts, then switches to a maintenance mode with a voltage about 13.3 volts. (Those are what I measure on my 1972 710 that is still in service in my old TT.) On these models, connecting the radio to the battery charger output WITH A BATTERY connected works fairly well, but there is often AC hum in the audio.
On your model, if you connect a battery or a load with a filter capacitor on the input (such as your radio)to the converter output, the voltage will try to go to the peak voltage - typically around 19 or 20 volts. (It will severely overcharge a battery.)
Which is what you are reporting.
You need a "power center" that has breakers for the AC and fuses for the DC and has a converter/charger. The current production converters - called "electronic switching converters" - are really converter/chargers and do not need a battery to "filter" the output to devices like the radio. If you are going to add a battery, the WFCO 8700 series power centers are a good choice and are sized for the small RV's. The charger function is multistage and should be left plugged in full time to maintain the battery - it charges to 14.4 volts and then drops to 13.2 volts after several hours of non-use of the power.
You can see them here: Best Converter. They are available with outputs from 12 amps to 40 amps DC output. There are some other manufacturers of small power centers, but none that I am aware of that have the multistage battery charging - which would not be important if you don't plan to add a battery and/or be able to leave the AC power on the pop up when not in use.
Mel & Mary Ann; Mo'Be (More Behave...) and Bella
"If you have an RV, you don't need another hobby." Comment from a friend...
73 Kountry Aire 31.5 ft (semi-retired) TT
90 Champion LaSalle MH 29 ft P30 (89 Chassis)
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MELM
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Oops.
This is double posted.
You can post to the other thread here.
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