BAC Forum
General Boards => Technical Support => Topic started by: Joel Ashley on February 11, 2021, 04:52:45 AM
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Finally installed 4 new Fullriver 6v AGM house bats, reset the Magnum remote battery type okay, but went to reset the Heliotrope HPV-30D controller’s dipswitches and couldn’t find them.
A number of times I’ve advised others here where the switches were supposed to be, according to my Beaver manual and the solar manual. But removing the cover myself today, I don’t see what the books illustrate! There are two dipswitch sets on the main circuit board, one with 4 switches and another with 6. But neither looks right... the switches are set totally wrong, so they can’t be the one. Plus, there’s supposed to be an equalization switch with it that I need to turn off (AGMs don’t like equalizing episodes much), and that’s not seen either.
Anyone (Fred?) know where the darned switches are? Do I need to take the controller entirely off the bay wall to see them? Nothing under the controller’s cover looks anything like the manual’s illustration.
Even BCS techs years ago couldn’t find the solar system’s fuse, for removing when disconnecting batteries, etc. so today when I got a small spark attaching cables, I removed the white negative wire on the controller’s side that goes to to the panel. If there’s a fuse, and switches, I sure don’t know where they are. :-\
-Joel
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Joel
Good question. Am Solar may be a good place to start. Heliotrope is no longer in business but I believe your HPV-30d controller has dip switches on the back if memory serves me correctly. If not, now may be the time to update to a MPPT controller which is more efficient and the current technology with solar energy. Fred
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Good article on PWM vs MPPT solar controllers:
https://www.solar4rvs.com.au/buying/buyer-guides/choosing-the-right-solar-charge-controller-regulat/
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I did email AM Solar, but they’ve been pretty busy; when I tried communicating with them last summer, about the costs of going lithiums, they didn’t get back to me for weeks. And phone messages were latent also. The HPV-30D controller is as Fred notes outdated, but it works. I just need to reset the switches if I can find the things. When this impending Portland winter storm thing is past, I’ll go out and look again; indications in the main Monterey manual are that they could be far in the back of the controller where it’s doggone hard to get old eyes in the proper position for focus 🥺.
The manual’s diagrams don’t show the extensive circuit board electronics that are in the way, and it’s text talks about the HPV-45 model, rather than the one actually in the coach. Big help. And no images or documents are online, given the metamorphosis some time ago from Heliotrope Inc. to AM Solar; but you’d think there’d be some documents and more than one photo hanging around. If I hear back from AM Solar, I will run the idea of an newer controller past them, Fred, but don’t really want to get into any involved transition if it’s costly and not “plug n’ play”.
My Magnum’s Remote manual doesn’t mention more than one AGM setting, but after calling Magnum (and waiting on hold in que for 45 minutes) to make sure things were correct for my older Version 1 Remote, they had me set the program for “AGM2”. Not sure what the difference is between AGM1 and AGM2. It may have something to do with the modern Fullriver type. I’d also asked about equalizing, as I’d read that cycle should be avoided with gels and absorbed glass mats, but the Remote manual had equalizing listed in an AGM chart. Magnum said the chart in the Remote’s manual was incorrect. A couple things in that manual are ambiguous or erroneous.
After the call I ran into the amp-hour setting options, in 200ah increments. The manual isn’t clear about if it’s for each battery, an in-series set of 2, or the total for all 4. Since the Remote was already set at 400 for the 4 wet cell Interstates, which had about the same individual 220 ah rating as the new AGMs, I assumed the manual meant for a set of two in-series (12 volts) and left that setting alone.
I also noted that after getting to Float Mode the voltage on my Magnum MS2012 remote said 13.9. With wet cell batteries it would’ve been 13.4v. At that point the BIRD would’ve engaged the Big Boy to charge the chassis set. I’m just wondering how that works with these AGM’s and the higher float point. Does the inverter wait until 13.9 now before the BIRD makes the switch, or does the BIRD still start leaching to the chassis set at 13.4v? I.e., is the inverter’s charger in “charge” or is the BIRD, which has no battery type settings to change?
Joel
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Joel,
AGM-1 setting was for the original "GEL" batteries which were replaced by AGM (auto glass mat) current type. AGM-2 is the correct setting on Magnum chargers. 400 amp hour setting is the correct capacity for 4 6-volt batteries, 2 in series and 2 in parallel. Any luck on the dip switches?. Fred
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Thanks, Fred. We are under unusual heavy snowfall, and I probably won’t go kneel in the many inches of it to peruse the controller until it melts off next week. Freezing rain and ice storm expected also, so unless I get ambitious I’ll just be patient. That’s better than I was last night out in just a shirt in 27 degree snow, lubricating the entry door lock that had been getting sluggish. In my haste to get it done and back inside the house, I bent/cracked the 🔑. Ordering a new one or two today. $16 dumb and careless mistake. :o
Hey, but at least I finally got the HydroHot working again a few weeks ago, and new batteries all around as of Wednesday. Just in the time of nick! Even though it’s been winterized for a couple years, I like to have the HH on and set at 40F when we get the rare subfreezing weather, just to protect any freeze-susceptible products left stored inside or in a bay.
By the way, I was just reading a manual from Monaco for the HPV-30D, and it indicates it IS an MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) controller.
Joel
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Joel
By the sounds of things your getting the Beaver all ready to roll again . Any travel in your near future ??
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Man we sure hope to, Eric. For years Lee has wanted to see the Utah parks, but I was really kinda hoping to join a BAC rolling rally like they’ve had 2 or 3 times in that regard. And my catch-and-release fly fishing has been out of commission way too long. Health issues interfered with the Parks rally last time, and has kept us sidelined for over 4 years.
I can only hope Monty Rae’s CAT starts and runs okay after such a “rest”. It barely has 1000 miles since a full service by Henderson’s Line-up and new tires. I treated the tank at last fill up 7 miles before home storage late in 2016, and kept it topped up after many exercises of the HydroHot and genset. This virus thing has screwed up our medical visits, and Lee hopes to restart her virus-interrupted pain management program. A lot depends on that.
I’ve got the HydroHot running and all new batteries; the 14 year-old ones pretty much began failing at 12 years. The coach could use a good cleaning and “wax”, and I need to re-engineer a flashing/guide strip on the arguably infamous folding eave of our garage, so I can get the Coach out of the backyard. Then it’s off to Bend for some professional maintenance and paint. Our entry window fogged up again while just sitting here, and it’s seal failed, so we’ll see if the installer is willing to put another in, or convert to sandwich panes. Yeah, hopefully this spring sometime.
Another question, the Magnum MS2012 is floating the new Fullriver AGMs at 14.9 volts. The manual implies it should be significantly less than that, like 13.1v. The wet cells floated at the prescribed 13.4v. Is something askew? I set the Magnum Remote at AGM2, per Magnum’s advice. Haven’t heard back from them re. the 14.9 thing.
Joel
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Joel,
The 14.9 volts is not good and will hurt the AGM batteries. Unplug the coach until we find out what is causing it to stay at that voltage. On Monday call Magnum and be patient, and when it is your turn they will guide you to confirm the correct settings. Hope to see you on the road soon! Fred
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We are in the midst of an ice storm, and no power til Sunday night, if then. So I cranked the genset up and I am heating the coach for livability as the wife is not happy at 60 degrees in front of a fanless gas fireplace in the house. And we can cook out there.
While out there charging phones and camp lights, I pressed the charger button on the remote, and it went into "Charger Standby" mode, and has settled for several hours at 12.7-12.9v, 0-12 amps. Tbe Aladdin is in generally close agreement. The amps seem to vary with the heat exchanger cycling, as they and the HHot pumps are probably the only 12v things running. Except for running the generator so long, I think we're good, and the charging issue is fine until I can reach or get an email back from Magnum. If I'd had to shut down the generator to save the batteries, getting thru the ice storm would be a little more uncomfortable.
The Remote supposedly has a Battery Saver feature to prevent overcharging, and the manual only warns about numbers over 15.5v Just doesn't sound right, huh.
Joel
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In the "set up" menu, if you rotate the knob to #09 screen (just after the remote contrast screen) that should be the battery saver screen and then select auto and save.
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Here is the page on the ME 50 RC . Fred
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Mine must be different. I don't have the remotes model/manual handy at the moment, but the screen under "Tech" says it's version 1.2. There is no #9, nothing past Contrast.
But the genset and HHot has been running 10 hours mostly with the charger on Standby and was at 12.7 volts when I put it back to Charge a bit ago. It started off in Float and has been at lowering amps, as usual, but staying at 14.0v after 14.1v for 15 minutes.
I have never seen it say "Full Charge".
Joel
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Well, hmmmm. Here it's an hour or two after my last post, and I was about to shut things down on the coach for the night. 20 minutes ago it was 21 amps 14.0 volts. I did a double take. It now DOES in fact say "Full charge", and 0 amps 13.4 volts.
Joel
As I go out the door and shut off the genset, the Remote over the door says 13.1v. 0 amp.
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Joel,
The 14.9 volts is not good and will hurt the AGM batteries. Unplug the coach until we find out what is causing it to stay at that voltage. On Monday call Magnum and be patient, and when it is your turn they will guide you to confirm the correct settings. Hope to see you on the road soon! Fred
Hi Fred-
Just got our power back at home after 4 days out... ice storm. Used the coach genset and 12 gauge cords to run fridge, freezer, tv, phone and camp light chargers, the gas fireplace%u2019s fan, and an LED trouble light in the kitchen. Used our 40 year-old Craftsman propane camp stove to cook on... first it%u2019s been used in about the whole 40 years! Used the coach microwave once, but walking the 8 feet between Coach and garage was getting dicey on an ice-covered foot of snow, esp. carrying foodstuffs, so I limited the trips.
That said, I watched the Magnum Remote closely while out there. When first plugged into the house last week, just before the storm hit, it was 14.9v. That%u2019s when you said it was too high. Then the power went out and I was between a rock and a hard place - use genset and risk the new batteries but power our home, or not. The genset won. The charger went %u201Chigh%u201D for awhile, then I remembered I could put it on %u201Cstandby%u201D, so that worked. But Sunday I put it back on and it settled around 14-14.1 volts, and later went to Full Charge at 13.1v.
Today after power came back for the house and the Coach mains had been off all night with no genset, the Remote said 13.6v. I just got off the phone with Scott at Magnum, and I%u2019d related to him the whole story. He said all the numbers I reported are okay. Even the one instance of 15.1v bulk charge for awhile. So I guess for some batteries it%u2019s fine to go that high.
You did have me fretting a bit there, Fred. But I appreciate your concern and thank you for your input, without which I might not have called Magnum again to confirm all my Remote%u2019s settings.
Now for probably 3 trips back and forth to Pacific Pride with the 5g diesel container, assuming 0.5G/hour used.
Joel
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Joel, that is good news, not real sure what the hyroglifiks mean, Fred
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Not sure where all the % signs came from either, Fred; they weren’t there when I sent it. A cyber-gremlin somewhere in between seems to have transformed my apostrophes into %u2019 similations.
Joel
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Glad all your hard work paid off and kept you and your bride safe! Fred
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The major differences being that hieroglyphics are readable and mean something to those who are literate in it, and was a common form of communication and documentation, albeit, hundreds to thousands of years ago.