PT40 electrical problems

[orbitalsolutions]

Hello, Pirate John.

It's hard to say how your battery banks are configured. More than
likely they have been modified, but I can address your questions
about the chargers.

The chargers you have are old technology and they WILL boil your
batteries to death if left on constantly. Those units do not have
the ability to sense voltage and apply reduced amperage as your
batteries approach 13.5 volts.

Additionally, the chargers you have are very poor at converting
constant voltage to run your DC appliances, and can cause early
demise of 12 volt pumps and lighting ballast.

It's an easy chore to replace them with so called "Smart Chargers."

These newer charger/converters have 3 stage charging ability, some
of them programable, and will only tickle a charged bank at .2 Amps,
allowing you to leave them on constantly without over charging the
bank.

You can purchaes units that are capable of monitoring one bank, or
up to three, perhaps even more, independently.

This is a much reccomended upgrade!

Side Note: Install a quality surge surpressor between your new
chargers and the AC system of your bus. This will protect the
chargers in the event of faulty voltage input. It will also make it
very easy to switch them off and on. The surpressor I have has led
indicators to make you aware if the shore power is grounded as
well. I think it cost about thirty dollars.

Good luck.

James
78FC33SB "Old School"
Tunica, MS



--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, TeamConfuzed@... wrote:
>
> We recently purchased one of the early (1982) PT40's. Three
weeks ago
> everything started just fine. It has been connected to 50 amp
service since
> then. Last weekend we went out to start it and everything on the
12 volt circuit
> seems to be dead.
>
> Testing the batteries all of them, house and generator, appear to
be dead.
>
> First of all, I am surprised that the generator battery seems to
be on the
> same circuit as the house (chassis) batteries. Is that accurate?
>
> The 'bird seems to have more or less the original converter-
chargers. There
> are a pair of them, one labeled TU-550-2 and the other one
labeled TU-750-2.
> According to the owners one (the TU-750-2?) was replaced years
ago. The
> other one appears to be the original one.
>
> The 750-2 unit was warm. The 550-2 unit didn't seem to have any
temperature
> at all and I suspect that it has failed.
>
> Would the failure of one of these units cause both batteries to
drain?
>
> Is there a fuse of circuit breaker somewhere that might have
tripped that
> would shut down the chargers?
>
> If one of these units has died, what is the consensus for
replacement? Is
> there something more modern?
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> --PirateJohn--
> Directeur Sportif, Team Confuzed_ http://www.TeamConfuzed.com_
> (http://www.teamconfuzed.com/)
> FAQ: Jacksonville Beach from the viewpoint of the 50cc/100ccc
IBA rider -_
>
http://buccaneerpublishing.com/FAQ_Jacks...BA_riders.
pdf_
>
(http://buccaneerpublishing.com/FAQ_Jacks...IBA_riders
.pdf)
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>