rookieRV
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2018
- Posts
- 75
2005 Winnie Itasca Sunnova, live full-time. I replaced the two 12v coach batteries abt. two months ago (Duracell), when in abt. a 2 day process the indoor lights were dimming. Cleaned up the battery wires and reconnected the 2-stage Parallax power converter (not the first time doing this, sometimes a simple ?kick? on the converter box got things running again!) but THIS time I wasn?t so lucky, everything down to the low-current devices failed (thermostats). So I had a hair-brained idea: Being a radio amateur, I have a rarely used Astron RS-35a power supply (rated 13.8v, 26 amps continuous, 35 ICS amps 50% duty cycle). I completely pulled the batteries out of the system (bypassed), wired the Astron in place of the Parallax. Viola! DC ?life support? was back on (air thermostat controls, fridge thermostat controls, lights), with the understanding that this would have a lack of ?backup? should AC shore fail.
Now we have a need for the propane furnace, however, and that appliance sucks CURRENT (blower,mostly). I consulted with two persons, they both said that the Astron SHOULD be fine (IF I?m running nothing else DC!). Got back from vacationing, and hit the AC for propane heat. Started fine, ignited fine, but after 15-20 minutes, the Astron Power supply?s rear heat sink and 4 transistors were getting a bit warm to the touch, so I shut the heat off. Ran it again briefly this morning, with eventually the same warm result. Just as a test, I pulled the Astron out, and reinstalled the Parallax (batteries still removed from the loop, but the Parallax is rated 45 amps alone). Still nothing from it, even for powering low-current thermostat controls on its own (is it safe to say that the Parallax is shot?)
I take it that, from the fact that the Parallax won?t power the AC thermostat/fridge control on its own (but the Astron will), I can definitely say that the Parallax is ?dead?, and in need of replacement, no? By bypassing the batteries and going direct from both power supplies (one charger/PS at a time, of course) to the bus bars under the cooking range (nearby where the Parallax charger is/was originally situated, not quite under the sink), with only the Astron working ?relatively? okay (as long as I don?t overtax it, current-wise), then I can deduce that there are no ciruit breaker/fuses/battery solenoid switch concerns? Could the new batteries have contributed to any of this failure (in 2 months)? I metered (VOM) the Parallax removed from it all, usually reading zero, rarely about 8-9, but never more. Does it definately sound like I need a new charger/p.s.?
Now we have a need for the propane furnace, however, and that appliance sucks CURRENT (blower,mostly). I consulted with two persons, they both said that the Astron SHOULD be fine (IF I?m running nothing else DC!). Got back from vacationing, and hit the AC for propane heat. Started fine, ignited fine, but after 15-20 minutes, the Astron Power supply?s rear heat sink and 4 transistors were getting a bit warm to the touch, so I shut the heat off. Ran it again briefly this morning, with eventually the same warm result. Just as a test, I pulled the Astron out, and reinstalled the Parallax (batteries still removed from the loop, but the Parallax is rated 45 amps alone). Still nothing from it, even for powering low-current thermostat controls on its own (is it safe to say that the Parallax is shot?)
I take it that, from the fact that the Parallax won?t power the AC thermostat/fridge control on its own (but the Astron will), I can definitely say that the Parallax is ?dead?, and in need of replacement, no? By bypassing the batteries and going direct from both power supplies (one charger/PS at a time, of course) to the bus bars under the cooking range (nearby where the Parallax charger is/was originally situated, not quite under the sink), with only the Astron working ?relatively? okay (as long as I don?t overtax it, current-wise), then I can deduce that there are no ciruit breaker/fuses/battery solenoid switch concerns? Could the new batteries have contributed to any of this failure (in 2 months)? I metered (VOM) the Parallax removed from it all, usually reading zero, rarely about 8-9, but never more. Does it definately sound like I need a new charger/p.s.?