Replaced WFCO with PD

[Vintage465]

So, I've been somewhat living in my 2015 ORV 20fq for the last week or so and the existing WFCO converter was surging/spiking on the 12v side, so I retrofitted it with a new Progressive Dynamics with the charge wizard. This was the kit that just replaced the converter but not the whole load center. Installation was super easy and went exactly according to the instructions. I like for liked it at 55amp charging. It just barely accepted my #4 wire for charge line to the batteries. I'll need to read up on the Charge Wizard to see if I want to switch it on. I assume there is a switch for on and off in the event you don't have flooded batteries..........

[StirCrazy]

Vintage465 wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:

Vintage465 wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:

Vintage465 wrote:


I have four 6v flooded old school golf cart batteries. I read up on the manual. What it actually says is there is a button you can push on the circuit board to "arrest" it(they don't recommend doing this) in what ever stage you like. Then after some event...like the end of the stage/cycle, it will default back to the algorithm........anyway, I don't see why I'd do that, but that's the way I read it.

I read the Wizard manual a bit differently but the effect (end result) is the same.

I do not recall seeing a LiFePO4 mode but they did enter into a deal with Battle Born to produce a converter for LiFePO4s and they may have added that mode to the wizard since (Would make sense to do so)

No matter what model you have no matter if wizard is built in Like 4600 or 9200 or plugged in (9100 which I had) same wizard.

Those with built in have an optional dongle. That's where the button is.

You likely read it more accurately than me. I just saw that you can select a particular stage by pressing the button in a sequence and based on the flashes choose a stage and at some point it will automatically default back to the Charge Wizard being in control. And the Charge Wizard can be disabled by unplugging and removing the pigtail that connects the mother board to the fuse panel. Either way, I'll never mess with it unless it starts frying my batteries. I don't spend any time regularly plugged into shore power on a genny. So in reality this is all great stuff for someone else.

I have had one PD with the plugin charge wizzard, and 4 with it built in. I have never seen a button on them so this is interesting. I just put in a whole PD load center into my camper last sumer and don't recal any button either.. weird..

just went on there site, if it has a built in charge wizzard there is no way to interact with it. it is all actavated automaticly by the voltage of the battery.

Steve

Seems to me that PD makes a lot of different stuff and they may not all have the same features. Here is what mine says and has about the mysterious button

weird, I am going to have to go tke a look at mine now. maybe they just didnt mention the button in the instructions. Mines a 4000 series load center thats Li compatable.. but still

[Vintage465]

All great info. I'm not planning to need to touch anything as my trailer is very seldom plugged in. Solar has safely taken care of my batteries for years and it will remain that way. When I plug in it's cause I need A/C while crossing the country, or there is some real emergency, while boon docking that my solar can't deal and I fire the genny up.......so far that hasn't happened

[ken56]

Been using the wizard pendant for 3 years now and have never had an overcharge situation. You really let it do its thing and just leave it alone. It will sense what it needs to do.

[Microlite_Mike]

BurbMan wrote:

Vintage465 wrote:
Seems to me that PD makes a lot of different stuff and they may not all have the same features. Here is what mine says and has about the mysterious button

No...As shown here there are different charge modes. The software controls what charge mode the PD is in, unless you push the button and change it. All the Wizard does is let you move that button to a more convenient location.

The main use case is if you are boondocking and using the batteries and have limited generator time, you can use the wizard to force the PD into boost mode and get more battery charge from your gen run time. Other than that, there is no need to "turn it off", just leave it alone.

Based on a conversation with a PD Tech Rep this "boost" mode can also be used if you convert to LifePo4 batteries and want to use the existing converter with Charge Wizard. Just force the Boost Mode which now causes the output voltate to 14.4 volts. Once the batteries have charged to ~90% and the converter has switched to Absorption voltage (~13.8 v) forcing back into Boost Mode will top off the battery and cell balancing occurs above 14 volts.

If one doesn't mind this manual step, which really only needs to be done occasionally if they have plenty of battery capacity, it can save the need to replace the converter.

PD doesn't publish this because they prefer to sell new converters:)

[BurbMan]

Vintage465 wrote:
Seems to me that PD makes a lot of different stuff and they may not all have the same features. Here is what mine says and has about the mysterious button

No...As shown here there are different charge modes. The software controls what charge mode the PD is in, unless you push the button and change it. All the Wizard does is let you move that button to a more convenient location.

The main use case is if you are boondocking and using the batteries and have limited generator time, you can use the wizard to force the PD into boost mode and get more battery charge from your gen run time. Other than that, there is no need to "turn it off", just leave it alone.

[Thermoguy]

Vintage465 wrote:

StirCrazy wrote:

Vintage465 wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:

Vintage465 wrote:


I have four 6v flooded old school golf cart batteries. I read up on the manual. What it actually says is there is a button you can push on the circuit board to "arrest" it(they don't recommend doing this) in what ever stage you like. Then after some event...like the end of the stage/cycle, it will default back to the algorithm........anyway, I don't see why I'd do that, but that's the way I read it.

I read the Wizard manual a bit differently but the effect (end result) is the same.

I do not recall seeing a LiFePO4 mode but they did enter into a deal with Battle Born to produce a converter for LiFePO4s and they may have added that mode to the wizard since (Would make sense to do so)

No matter what model you have no matter if wizard is built in Like 4600 or 9200 or plugged in (9100 which I had) same wizard.

Those with built in have an optional dongle. That's where the button is.

You likely read it more accurately than me. I just saw that you can select a particular stage by pressing the button in a sequence and based on the flashes choose a stage and at some point it will automatically default back to the Charge Wizard being in control. And the Charge Wizard can be disabled by unplugging and removing the pigtail that connects the mother board to the fuse panel. Either way, I'll never mess with it unless it starts frying my batteries. I don't spend any time regularly plugged into shore power on a genny. So in reality this is all great stuff for someone else.

I have had one PD with the plugin charge wizzard, and 4 with it built in. I have never seen a button on them so this is interesting. I just put in a whole PD load center into my camper last sumer and don't recal any button either.. weird..

just went on there site, if it has a built in charge wizzard there is no way to interact with it. it is all actavated automaticly by the voltage of the battery.

Steve

Seems to me that PD makes a lot of different stuff and they may not all have the same features. Here is what mine says and has about the mysterious button

That's where the button is on mine - exactly like the picture.

[LittleBill]

i have a 9145, with the wizard pendant. it simply allows you to pick what stage you want to be in manually. most will just push it once (light goes solid) and it drops into boost mode. to rush charge the battery, otherwise, you generally don't need to touch it.

based on the led's on it though, you can determine what stage its currently running in.

[Vintage465]

StirCrazy wrote:

Vintage465 wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:

Vintage465 wrote:


I have four 6v flooded old school golf cart batteries. I read up on the manual. What it actually says is there is a button you can push on the circuit board to "arrest" it(they don't recommend doing this) in what ever stage you like. Then after some event...like the end of the stage/cycle, it will default back to the algorithm........anyway, I don't see why I'd do that, but that's the way I read it.

I read the Wizard manual a bit differently but the effect (end result) is the same.

I do not recall seeing a LiFePO4 mode but they did enter into a deal with Battle Born to produce a converter for LiFePO4s and they may have added that mode to the wizard since (Would make sense to do so)

No matter what model you have no matter if wizard is built in Like 4600 or 9200 or plugged in (9100 which I had) same wizard.

Those with built in have an optional dongle. That's where the button is.

You likely read it more accurately than me. I just saw that you can select a particular stage by pressing the button in a sequence and based on the flashes choose a stage and at some point it will automatically default back to the Charge Wizard being in control. And the Charge Wizard can be disabled by unplugging and removing the pigtail that connects the mother board to the fuse panel. Either way, I'll never mess with it unless it starts frying my batteries. I don't spend any time regularly plugged into shore power on a genny. So in reality this is all great stuff for someone else.

I have had one PD with the plugin charge wizzard, and 4 with it built in. I have never seen a button on them so this is interesting. I just put in a whole PD load center into my camper last sumer and don't recal any button either.. weird..

just went on there site, if it has a built in charge wizzard there is no way to interact with it. it is all actavated automaticly by the voltage of the battery.

Steve

Seems to me that PD makes a lot of different stuff and they may not all have the same features. Here is what mine says and has about the mysterious button

[StirCrazy]

Vintage465 wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:

Vintage465 wrote:


I have four 6v flooded old school golf cart batteries. I read up on the manual. What it actually says is there is a button you can push on the circuit board to "arrest" it(they don't recommend doing this) in what ever stage you like. Then after some event...like the end of the stage/cycle, it will default back to the algorithm........anyway, I don't see why I'd do that, but that's the way I read it.

I read the Wizard manual a bit differently but the effect (end result) is the same.

I do not recall seeing a LiFePO4 mode but they did enter into a deal with Battle Born to produce a converter for LiFePO4s and they may have added that mode to the wizard since (Would make sense to do so)

No matter what model you have no matter if wizard is built in Like 4600 or 9200 or plugged in (9100 which I had) same wizard.

Those with built in have an optional dongle. That's where the button is.

You likely read it more accurately than me. I just saw that you can select a particular stage by pressing the button in a sequence and based on the flashes choose a stage and at some point it will automatically default back to the Charge Wizard being in control. And the Charge Wizard can be disabled by unplugging and removing the pigtail that connects the mother board to the fuse panel. Either way, I'll never mess with it unless it starts frying my batteries. I don't spend any time regularly plugged into shore power on a genny. So in reality this is all great stuff for someone else.

I have had one PD with the plugin charge wizzard, and 4 with it built in. I have never seen a button on them so this is interesting. I just put in a whole PD load center into my camper last sumer and don't recal any button either.. weird..

just went on there site, if it has a built in charge wizzard there is no way to interact with it. it is all actavated automaticly by the voltage of the battery.

Steve

[Vintage465]

wa8yxm wrote:

Vintage465 wrote:


I have four 6v flooded old school golf cart batteries. I read up on the manual. What it actually says is there is a button you can push on the circuit board to "arrest" it(they don't recommend doing this) in what ever stage you like. Then after some event...like the end of the stage/cycle, it will default back to the algorithm........anyway, I don't see why I'd do that, but that's the way I read it.

I read the Wizard manual a bit differently but the effect (end result) is the same.

I do not recall seeing a LiFePO4 mode but they did enter into a deal with Battle Born to produce a converter for LiFePO4s and they may have added that mode to the wizard since (Would make sense to do so)

No matter what model you have no matter if wizard is built in Like 4600 or 9200 or plugged in (9100 which I had) same wizard.

Those with built in have an optional dongle. That's where the button is.

You likely read it more accurately than me. I just saw that you can select a particular stage by pressing the button in a sequence and based on the flashes choose a stage and at some point it will automatically default back to the Charge Wizard being in control. And the Charge Wizard can be disabled by unplugging and removing the pigtail that connects the mother board to the fuse panel. Either way, I'll never mess with it unless it starts frying my batteries. I don't spend any time regularly plugged into shore power on a genny. So in reality this is all great stuff for someone else.

[otrfun]

. . .

[Thermoguy]

I have a PD4635 that I just installed a couple weeks ago. It does have a button on the board and I also got the pendent. I can't figure out how to install the pendent, but if I take the faceplate off the original WFCO unit, then you can access the switch. It's on the PCB that holds the fuses.

There is also a way to use this converter with Li batteries.

[wa8yxm]

Vintage465 wrote:


I have four 6v flooded old school golf cart batteries. I read up on the manual. What it actually says is there is a button you can push on the circuit board to "arrest" it(they don't recommend doing this) in what ever stage you like. Then after some event...like the end of the stage/cycle, it will default back to the algorithm........anyway, I don't see why I'd do that, but that's the way I read it.

I read the Wizard manual a bit differently but the effect (end result) is the same.

I do not recall seeing a LiFePO4 mode but they did enter into a deal with Battle Born to produce a converter for LiFePO4s and they may have added that mode to the wizard since (Would make sense to do so)

No matter what model you have no matter if wizard is built in Like 4600 or 9200 or plugged in (9100 which I had) same wizard.

Those with built in have an optional dongle. That's where the button is.

[Latner]

The PD unit I bought has the pendant where you can choose which mode to put the unit in if you choose, also has an option for lipo if I ever go that route.