pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
Senior Member
Joined: 12/18/2004
View Profile
 Offline
|
StirCrazy wrote:
you couldn't even link to one that is a LI converter eh haha
You couldn't be bothered to accurately check the power factor but rather just assumed because others complained that the Power Max was worse than the PD. Apparently the exact opposite is true.
Regards, Don
My ride is a 28 foot Class C, 256 watts solar, 556 amp-hours of Telcom jars, 3000 watt Magnum hybrid inverter, Sola Basic Autoformer, Microair Easy Start.
|
3 tons
NV.
Senior Member
Joined: 03/13/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
pianotuna wrote:StirCrazy wrote:
you couldn't even link to one that is a LI converter eh haha
You couldn't be bothered to accurately check the power factor but rather just assumed because others complained that the Power Max was worse than the PD. Apparently the exact opposite is true.
Please elucidate to us why ‘claims of Pf’ should be a part if this discussion rather than just ‘another’ predictable troll…
3 tons
|
otrfun
On The Road
Senior Member
Joined: 09/08/2012
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
time2roll wrote:I would not want to float an LFP above 13.4 volts. 13.2 - 13.3 is better. I don't know anyone that recommends holding LFP long term at 100% charged.
14.6 is also higher than necessary and is more likely to cause a fault in some lower cost brands from CN that many look at.
This generally gives the standard PD or the PowerMax with adjustable voltage an advantage. Both drop to 13.2 volts for long term.
That is my opinion. Good luck to the OP. Very much agree, time2roll.
Some may find it surprising, but a 3-stage *lead-cell* 13.2v/13.6v/14.4v converter probably does the best job of accommodating the voltages you've mentioned. IMO, it's arguably one of the better general-purpose, non-programmable charging platforms for a lifepo4 (as long as no charge/equalization mode exceeds 14.6v). Even has the advantage of a 13.2v float and more conservative 14.4v bulk vs. some of the 2-stage 13.6v/14.6v Lithium/Lifepo4 Approved converters.
Claims that a given converter/charger is "Lithium/Lifepo4 Approved" are simply marketing ploys which tell you absolutely nothing about how well or safely it will charge and maintain your lifepo4 battery. The number of stages, and the voltage used by a converter to support each of these stages, ultimately determines how well a given converter will properly maintain (and charge) a lifepo4 battery.
Last, but not least . . . there will always be some debate about the best float/absorption/bulk voltages to use with a multi-stage converter to best charge a lifepo4. However, you'd be hard-pressed to find much debate about the best one, single voltage to both float and bulk charge a lifepo4. Why? Because such a voltage simply does not exist. This is why a single-stage (single/one voltage) 14.6v converter (even though Lithium/Lifepo4 Approved) is the worst possible charging platform for a lifepo4.
|
3 tons
NV.
Senior Member
Joined: 03/13/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
PT’s own ‘ideal’ one size fits all system (advocating for most others) would likely be a SiO2 battery and a Powermax, the Holy Grail parameters being -45d temperatures and Pf…A ‘textbook case’ for morning after sickness ![[emoticon]](https://forums.motorhome.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/eek.gif "eek") …JMO
3 tons
|
3 tons
NV.
Senior Member
Joined: 03/13/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
I believe otrfun has nailed it!
My sense is these purported LFP chargers are mostly meant to satisfy the RV OEM market’s LFP upgrade option $$…for plug & play folks who don't want to be informed with a deeper understanding LFP, or their charging…
Personally, I go with a conventional PD with tethered Charge Wizard option (because, why not charge at 14..4v??) while attending the last 20 or so minutes of charge cycle (cell balancing followed by charger shutdown), especially considering how relatively infrequent a full charge with LFP is really needed…
3 tons
|
|
|
Grit dog
Black Diamond, WA
Senior Member
Joined: 05/06/2013
View Profile
Offline
|
And to think, in 35 years of cars, trucks, construction equipment, home and garden equipment, power sports toys, boats AND “only” 3 RVs, I’ve never found keeping batteries alive and charged to be near the challenge or debate or I suppose, fascination, that some of y’all do.
In fact, aside from the first WFCO I had in the last camper, I don’t recall having any charger/converter that wasn’t just plug n play and did its job.
And the boat batteries are from 2014, still good.
Some things sit on maintainers all off season, some don’t. Some get forgot sometimes, lol.
Truck, just replaced the 2015 dated batteries a couple months ago. 2015 car battery and the old Jeep idk maybe 2012, mower 2017, wheeler, 2016 maybe. Idk I can’t see where the magic is in keeping up batteries….
2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold
|
srschang
Western NY
Senior Member
Joined: 08/23/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Yep, I learned my lesson on lithium charging a few years ago. Bought a couple Battleborn 100ah batteries and a PD 4645 Lithium charger for our TC. After doing the research I should have done ahead of time, I discovered the "Lithium" Progressive Dynamics charger meant that it charged at 14.6V instead of 13.6V for the "Non Lithium" charger. It never dropped from 14.6V. So the charger sits in a box in the basement, I replaced it with a WFCO 8950L2, which charges at 14.6v for 4 hours, then drops to 13.6v. Still a bit higher than I'd like, because the charged batteries sit at 13.3v when not charging, but a lot better than constant 14.6V.
2022 Ram 3500 Dually Crewcab Longbed Cummins, 2019 Northstar 12 STC
|
time2roll
Southern California
Senior Member
Joined: 03/21/2005
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
3 tons wrote:
Please elucidate to us why ‘claims of Pf’ should be a part if this discussion rather than just ‘another’ predictable troll…
3 tons PF only matters for speed charging from a smallish generator. Typical RV converter need 30% additional available power due to the PF. Honda 1000 will only put about 30-35 amps into the battery but might go 40-45 with a power factor corrected charger such as Meanwell NPB series.
Same as a Honda 2000 will go about 70 max amps with a standard converter.
OP would need to post the generator and converter to get best answers to maximize charging power.
2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
675w Solar pictures back up
|
3 tons
NV.
Senior Member
Joined: 03/13/2009
View Profile
Offline
|
“PF only matters for speed charging from a smallish generator”
BINGO, and any claims as to the actual numbers must take into account current and voltage (as user adjusted on the powermac device), thus lacking any additional information, an objective comparison cannot be made…Either way, the difference (if any - who can say?) as applied to this particular application is how Statisticians can make Astrologers look good (e.g. mostly marketing)…On the other hand, where Pf is paramount is with a highly inductive load like a motor, where voltage typically lags behind current (numerically decreasing the purported Pf)…
Bottom line, If charging via any generator, it pays to match the size of the various components - fir example, this would include microwave oven wattage..
Also this single point issue overlooks entirely the efficiency gained (while charging LFP…) when comparing to FWC’s higher internal resistance and heat producing absorption stage, meaning less actual generator run time and fuel consumption…
3 tons
|
Ranger Tim
Idaho
Senior Member
Joined: 02/08/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
Most of its life the camper is plugged in at home. The camping generator is a Honda 2200. My two Centennial group 27 batteries are from 2016 and are still okay, but will probably go south this spring, hence the interest in replacements. I have enjoyed the spirited debate.
Ranger Tim
2006 F-350 Super Crew King Ranch SRW Bulletproofed
2016 Wolf Creek 840
Upper and Lower StableLoads
|
|
|
