smkettner
Southern California
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Joined: 03/21/2005
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If you immediately get 13.6 at the battery the WFCO will stay in normal mode. If you want to eventually see 14.4 volts the initial voltage on the battery needs to be 12.5 to 13.0 and with heavy wire the WFCO will see this low voltage and switch to boost/bulk mode. The over time the voltage will steadily climb to 14.4. You need to have enough battery and wire to accept more than 75 amps, probably close to 100/120. When the battery and wire are capable of absorbing 100 amps, the voltage will be forced down due to the limited 75 amp output of the converter.
This is why a 45 amp converter may work better as the set up needs to be able to absorb only 60+ amps to force the voltage down and shift the WFCO into boost/bulk mode.
To get it to work as is you will need to run the battery way down like 70/80%. Larger wire from the converter to battery will help. #4 good, #2 better and don't forget the ground connections. More battery capacity may ultimately be needed. Otherwise a smaller WFCO 45 amp should work great with the existing setup.
I think most would get a PD9200 that can be manually put into boost mode if switching converters.
My 55 amp WFCO will go to boost mode fairly easy with four batteries and #2 wire connection. If not I can run the microwave off the inverter (160 amp draw) for 20 seconds and the WFCO goes right into high gear.
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RJsfishin
Winston Or.
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I don't really know much about the Wfco's, except that they all...inc the 45amp have the same consistent problem,...in that the batteries have to be nearly dead before they put out their advertised output.
But I have the same problem w/ a 1 1/2 amp "Shumacher Battery charger/maintainer" that I plug my boat battery into after a 1/2 days fishing. It will stay in the float mode unless the voltage is lowered to ? (I never checked it) The remedy is as simple as barely bumping the starter on the outboard, and the green instantly turns to yellow (charging)
Has anyone ever bumped the big engine starter, (MH) or bump any other hi amperage device Micro/inv to force it into bulk mode ? If that would work, why not build a push button solenoid/heat strip load to get it into bulk mode ? 
Rich
'98 Flair, 454, Onan Microlite 4k, Intel PD 9155 w/ wizard, Sta-power 1500 watt Inv, 2 6v batts, ammeters, KingDome/sat, Oly Catalytic Heat, hauling 2 Bent Bikes and sometimes towing a Tracker F&S boat.
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Bubby's RV
CA
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Maybe someone should go into the business of renting Timetrics, Link-10s or other battery monitors so people can see what is happening.
There is no way to tell what your converter is doing without measuring current too.
Bulk mode charging is constant current charging. As the battery charges, voltage will rise.
When the voltage rises to a predetermined value, often around 14 to 15 VDC, the voltage is held constant and current declines. This is called acceptance mode.
When the battery is fully charged, voltage is reduced to float voltage.
Since I have a Link-10, I can see that when I start the generator or connect to shore power and the batteries are low, my converter goes into bulk mode immediately. Not due to looking at the voltage, but because the current into the battery is ~60 amps (from a 60-amp converter).
John, Winnebago Minnie 24V
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gouldc
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
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Indeed. Perhaps a proper monitor should be the first step. If a portable charger is the interim answer after installing the monitor, does the vector (B&D) work in the same manner as a converter or do they enter bulk regardless of the SOC?
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ve1hup
Nova Scotia
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gouldc,
I have given up on my WFCO8955. Like you I have never seen it go into bulk. I have upgraded my wiring and cannot add additional battery capacity. I have cut my losses and ordered an XADC40. Randy at BestConverter advised me that the XADC will fit into the "foot" of the WFCO and it looks like about a 10 min job to remove the "charger/power supply" component of the WFCO. I intend to keep the WFCO's distribution panel.
Darryl
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smkettner
Southern California
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gouldc wrote:Indeed. Perhaps a proper monitor should be the first step. If a portable charger is the interim answer after installing the monitor, does the vector (B&D) work in the same manner as a converter or do they enter bulk regardless of the SOC?
40 amp BD $50 will charge at full amps and volts until it determines the battery is fully charged. It does not have different charge modes depending on the state of charge like the WFCO.
I agree the XADC40 would be a great solution, possibly even the 60. If you are thinking of eventual replacement I would skip the BD and get it done.
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mapguy
Puget Sound
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Might consider this battery monitor. I am putting one of these in my Ragen FA3005 this weekend to monitor my 4 x 6v battery bank. I need to see how the 40amp Xantrex XADC does on recharging when dry camping after the wife and kid abuse the batteries.
Trimetric 2020
Trimetric 2020
Map Guy
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Wayne Dohnal
Banks, OR.
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deleted. misread a prior post.
2009 Fleetwood Icon 24A
LinkPro battery monitor
EU2000i generator
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CJW8
Arizona
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ve1hup,
You will be happy with the Xantrex XADC 40. So far, mine has performed as advertized. I really did try to get the WFCO to work, even trying two different ones but I couldn't get it to go to bulk or float.
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ve1hup
Nova Scotia
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I received and installed the XADC 40 last evening and the initial test rocked! What a nice piece of hardware. I was able to fit it into the "foot" of the WFCO with minor modification. I took photos of the process and I am going to send them to Randy in case he wants to put them on his site. The only concern I have is cooling, but I will monitor it and if it can't breath properly inside the WFCO housing, I will move it out.
Looking forward to using it. I have decided that the WFCO will make a fine converter for those that camp primarily at serviced campgrounds, however it is not appropriate for boondockers who want maximum charging performance and have a less than optimal configuration (i.e. close to batteries, fat wiring, large battery bank, etc.), which is usually not the case.
* This post was
edited 06/13/08 12:08pm by ve1hup *
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