Date:         Sun, 2 Oct 2011 18:36:51 -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:      Vitrifrigo: two corrections to my earlier post
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1. Yep, you guys that have measured a high inrush current when the
compressor starts are right. My meter does not show this. But I can
attest that, based on last night's final night in camp, my low-battery
monitor beeps for a moment whenever the compressor turn on and the
battery is in the mid 11-volts range. Knowing that system voltage dips
momentarily is not very useful at 2:30 am. I grumbled, could not sleep,
got up, disconnected the thing. Note to self: modify circuit so it does
not trigger on transients.

2. That Dennis Haynes explained to me that I was not doing my deep-cycle
battery any favors by recharging it gently. Turns out that batteries
such as this want a charge rate of 10% to 16% of their rated A/h
capacity (Trojan sez 10% to 13%), and my DC > DC charger's 7A charge
setting was not idea. I remembered that I had the older version of the
charger, with the "hi/lo" switch and flipped it to the "hi" setting,
which results in somewhere (I say "somewhere" because the charge current
varies) between 10A and 18A, which fits the charge requirements of the
battery perfectly.

BTW, for those who have asked, this is my onboard charger:

< http://www.powerstream.com/DC-input-chargers.htm >

and click on "PST-BC1212-15"

The "-15" means 15A charge rate, but the ones they sell these days don't
seem to have the "hi/lo" switch, as Mark Drillock found out a
couple-three years ago, although the circuit board still have the pads
to connect the switch.


--
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.