UPDATE ON CHARGING...
I have just completed a two hour test of the Optima 1200 Digital Charger i installed in my
Parkliner #35. I spent about an hour installing it and am happy with how it turned out. Here are some pictures:
Here is what it looks like from the cabin:
And here is a bird's eye view with street side bench cover up:
And a view from the open side door located under the street side bench front face:
As i had tested the PD4045 a couple weeks back for two hours writing down volts/amps every 15 minutes i did the same with the new charger. I also checked back at the three hour mark to see what it was doing.
Here is a summary:
When i plugged unit into 120v and turned it on it asked to select what type of battery... i chose the
light grey optima deep cycle setting. The charger then spent about 2 minutes analyzing the bank. On the VOM the bank read 12.5v. The charger then began to charge by sending out a voltage of 12.5 volts/5 amps and by 5 minutes in was sending 13.8v/11amps. Over the next two hours it went up to 14.2 volts and 8.2amps. When i checked it at the third hour it was at 14.4 volts / 4 amps. Here are the readings every 15 minutes:
Time..........Bus-Bar..........Xantrex..........VOM..........AMPS
0000..........12.4................12.5............ .12.50..........5.00
0015..........13.8................13.8............ .13.84..........11.2
0030..........13.8................13.8............ .13.84..........10.8
0045..........13.8................13.8............ .13.80..........10.6
0060..........13.8................13.9............ .13.86..........10.4
0075..........13.8................13.9............ .13.91..........10.0
0090..........13.9................13.9............ .13.93..........9.80
0105..........14.0................14.0............ .14.10..........9.00
0120..........14.0................14.0............ .14.20..........8.20
This concluded the 15 minute data-watch period.
I came back an hour later and the reading was:
0180..........14.4................14.4............ .14.42..........4.20
PS note for check at four hour mark... reading was:
0240..........14.7................14.7............ .14.68..........2.20
I will check things every hour or so until i head to bed, then check things in the morning before heading to the office (~0630 Sunday morning). So far the charger is doing precisely what the Optima manual states it should do with a ~1/2 depleted battery bank... start out slow and ramp up to 14.4 volts.
Two parting shots showing some more detail of install:
: ) Thom
Another MacGyver Wanna Be project out of the way!