Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 10:49:34 -0700
Reply-To: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Follow-Up: Under-Sink Battery Installation
In-Reply-To: <201108101520.p7AFKYS75607@sbw.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
On 08/10/2011 08:18 AM, Steve Williams wrote:
> At 07:48 AM 8/10/2011, Rocket J Squirrel wrote:
>> I am surprised that you cannot see the refrigerator, though ... What
>> is the current consumption spec for your Engle reefer?
>
> I wasn't looking very closely. GoWesty says 0.7-3.6 amps. Engel
> says 0.7-2.5 amps. They don't say whether that's average or
> continuous, but I assume it's continuous, in which case I'm not sure
> why it should vary so much. The compressor works harder at first,
> when the refrigerant is warm?
>
> http://www.engel-usa.com/mt45_u1.html
I don't own an Engel so I can't comment on that. But all the
refrigerators I have owned, except for the power hog Dometic, cycle on
and off. When on, they draw continuous current between 2 to 3 amps.
<snip>
>>> The voltmeter is powered at all times. I welcome your comments on
>>> whether it should be switched ...
>>
>> That's going to be difficult for anyone to answer without a link to
>> the specs for the meter.
>
> Westach doesn't have a lot of tech info on their web site. They
> provide great tech support by phone. Or I can just measure the
> current directly.
I reckon it would be easier to call them!
<snip>
>> [...] have you checked the accuracy of the new
>> voltmeter by sticking a good voltmeter across the aux battery's
>> terminals?
>
> I have. And I'll go back and carefully measure the voltage at the
> starter battery and the aux battery again. There's always room for
> improvement.
If you find that the voltage on the aux battery end of the charging wire
is less than at the starter battery end, then you can work your way from
one end to the other with yer handy volt-o-meter to find where the loss
is occurring.
> OK, so tell me more. I don't have a schematic, and the diagrams in
> the service manual are impenetrable. And I didn't completely
> understand the changes made by the GoWesty aux battery kit.
Someone else will need the chime in here -- I built my own battery
isolator setup using a big relay and stuff.
--
Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
Bend, Ore.
1984 Westfalia. A poor but proud people.
1971 "Ladybug"-brand utility trailer ca. 1972 from a defunct company in
San Clemente, Calif., now repurposed as The Westrailia.
Sent from my kitchen.
