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Plugging into AC for Extended Time

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#1 britdog

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Posted 10 March 2019 - 05:20 PM

Just got my Northstar TC650 last year, so this is my first off-season with limited use. I've had it in my driveway plugged into my home AC power for a couple months straight. Is this the advisable approach to storing? I don't know a lot about how the electric management unit works, so wondering if there's a risk of over-charging, or it it supposed to manage when it should be full vs. trickle-charging?

 

Thanks!


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#2 britdog

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Posted 14 March 2019 - 03:26 PM

Thank you. I haven't had a chance to yet, but will check the specs on the built-in power management pack in my camper. I need to check this weekend if the battery has been overcharged, causing the water to evaporate off, thereby causing a voltage drop that is triggering the alarms.


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#3 ardvark

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Posted 15 March 2019 - 12:22 AM

As long as you are on the shoreline, your power converter generates more than enough power for the alarms. I think you will discover your power converter will  even require a battery to be onboard as long as you are plugged in. When I work on dealer lots, there is very seldom a battery in place when I am working on things or checking out systems. The battery normally is not put into place until the unit is sold and ready to go to a new home.


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#4 XJINTX

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Posted 15 March 2019 - 11:12 AM

.  The new FWC chargers have four charging modes with the extra being "float".  Our 12 volt grid must be on for the charger to work.  Research your charger model.

What exactly is "newer" I have a 2015 Hawk how do I know if I have the float mode. I plug my camper in all the time parked in my shop between trips. I also have my F250 on maintainer too as it just sits too.


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#5 ardvark

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Posted 15 March 2019 - 12:54 PM

Because there haven't been any made without a float since about the early 90s giving this question a good guess. I can't recall the exact year when manufacturers switched from the old transformers to "switch mode" design, but it was about that time. Put a meter on your battery and you will see it floating a charged battery at about 13.3-13.5 volts. Batteries with these converters will still lose water over time, but nothing like in the past. If you have a meter and know how to read amps, put your meter in series with the lead on the battery and check the amp input.

 

However, again, continuously staying plugged into the shoreline with the converter operative is not necessary nor recommended by manufacturers. It does keep the battery charged, but converter life is limited and staying plugged in continuously you are using converter life when the camper is sitting. Just plug in every month or so for a day and your batteries should be fine and water loss will be minimal. :)

 

Those with solar may have the best charging source although given the cost of solar it can be a pricey way to extend battery life, if that were the only goal. 


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#6 DavidO

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Posted 15 March 2019 - 02:58 PM

Plugging into AC for an extended time seems like a great idea. The batteries should always be charged but I does it stress anything? I think the answer may be yes. What is the long term effect on the batteries to be at 13.6v? Should the converter be on for that long?

 

My solution is simple put a timer on that AC line. Have the power come on for (maybe) 15 minutes daily. The charge will come on and check on the SOC(state of charge) and if needed add some charge then shut down. I’m not sure if 15 minutes is the right amount of time but it shouldn’t take very much for maintenance. This is similar to what I use for my boat https://www.amazon.c...=gateway&sr=8-8


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#7 PaulT

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Posted 15 March 2019 - 03:00 PM

What exactly is "newer" I have a 2015 Hawk how do I know if I have the float mode. I plug my camper in all the time parked in my shop between trips. I also have my F250 on maintainer too as it just sits too.


For the Iota shore power converter, the IQ4 makes it a smart charger with a float mode. My 2014 Hawk came with the Iota plug-in IQ4 module. I think FWC switched to the Iota with internal IQ4 after that so you should be fine.

Paul
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I thought getting old would take longer.

#8 britdog

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Posted 15 March 2019 - 08:29 PM

Your battery charger should have a "float" mode for full time "charging".  "Trickle" charging can overcharge a battery.  Our FWC charger has three charging modes with the lowest being "trickle" and so we do not leave the camper batteries on the charger full time (charging for a few hours per month with the 12 volt grid disconnected when the charger is off is all we do and our batteries are entering their seventh year).  The new FWC chargers have four charging modes with the extra being "float".  Our 12 volt grid must be on for the charger to work.  Research your charger model.

Pulled the manual for my power center. Interesting that it seems to use the terms float and trickle charge interchangeably. vbDopLV8cMRbJVFBA

https://photos.app.g...DopLV8cMRbJVFBA


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#9 Bosque Bill

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Posted 08 April 2019 - 02:50 PM

For the Iota shore power converter, the IQ4 makes it a smart charger with a float mode. My 2014 Hawk came with the Iota plug-in IQ4 module. I think FWC switched to the Iota with internal IQ4 after that so you should be fine.

Paul

 

My 2013 Fleet did not come with the IQ4 module. I bought it separately from Iota, it just plugs in to a connector already on the base model. Even with this, I only plug my camper into shore power during the winter while its stored in the garage for a couple days each month.

 

However, when the camper is mounted the 100w panel keeps it charged every sunny day ;-)


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