Help with AC to DC converters

[milkmania]

What do you guys/gals think of RV power centers like this one? https://wfcoelectronics.com/product/wf-8935-35-amp/ I found a local person on Craigslist selling this exact model for $250. Seems like this would be plug and play and I could still add batteries and solar later if I ever wanted to? And it would only be 5X as expensive!

He's also selling this electric RV oven for $350 (started to build a tiny house but gave up, so both these items are new in the box). I have an old Magic Chef propane stove/oven salvaged from a camper, but the actual oven part is just so small that I can't really use it for anything that I normally cook. It says this RV oven draws 1400W so it's basically a space heater in a little box.

There's some reviews on youtube, but I didn't watch them
https://tinyurl.com/yyz782gg

I also had the salvaged magic chef.... pulled it out, added a Blackstone griddle and separate Air Fryer... does everything I want!

 

[musigenesis]

There's some reviews on youtube, but I didn't watch them
https://tinyurl.com/yyz782gg

I also had the salvaged magic chef.... pulled it out, added a Blackstone griddle and separate Air Fryer... does everything I want!

How hot does your magic chef oven get? My bread hobby is leading me to crazy thoughts like building my own bread oven.

 

[DeMac]

......My plan to mount these on the wall of my closet is maybe not a good one, since that would mean clothes would be hanging right next to them.

with relation to electrical panels in closets:
NEC 240.24D Overcurrent devices shall not be located in the vicinity of easily ignitable materials, such as a clothes closet....

-Blah, blah, blah
Your bus, do as you wish.
Big n o for RVs,
but skoolies,
whatever.

 

[musigenesis]

with relation to electrical panels in closets:
NEC 240.24D Overcurrent devices shall not be located in the vicinity of easily ignitable materials, such as a clothes closet....

-Blah, blah, blah
Your bus, do as you wish.
Big n o for RVs,
but skoolies,
whatever.

No, I'm on board with regulations that reduce my chances of burning to death. It seems like mounting the stuff in the cabinet under the sink is also not a good idea.

 

[milkmania]

How hot does your magic chef oven get? My bread hobby is leading me to crazy thoughts like building my own bread oven.

Only used it a couple of times before I gave up on it... horrible for hot spots, but I watched videos where they were adding clay tiles to the bottom and it seemed to work for them.

I like my bread too... youtube Blender Rolls ->

SUPER EASY, I made these when I still lived in sticks & stones
New item by Brian

 

[Mountain Gnome]

A battery charger can do all of that and more.
Nowadays there are inverter battery charger that can charge at 40 amps at 12 volt, do a desulfate, start help.. alternator check.. have a digital voltage gauge.
The electronic ones are based on a switch mode power supply and are lightweight and the size of a shoe box.

Seems a good tool to have.

Johan

This thread was my next question!


I have one of these (Black & Decker) chargers. I just installed my stereo sound system, running for now off one starter-battery doing time as a "house" deep-cycle (either that or it sits on the floor unused for the next 5 years and dies anyway). I get about 3-4 hours before my voltage is below 12V; then I would charge.


One day I turned on the overhead lights (now converted to LED strips) with the charger charging the battery, and realized it was OK. But that was under a 1-Amp load. Then again I forgot and turned on the radio while charging. Seems no problem.


I only worry about the electrical pulses from the charger affecting the electronics in some undesirable way, but I'm guessing the worst would be noise in the sound, even if undetectable to my ear. I know my home stereo sounds better at 2:00AM-4:00AM when the A/C power supply is "cleanest" (since most people are not switching their stuff on and off throughout the neighborhood). Maybe it is just less ambient outside noise, but my house is pretty quiet inside, even during the day. But it is so much clearer at a very low level at that time. I record old LPs to digital formats then (definitely less vibrational noise from outside that gets "into" the needle and the recording that way).


But I was worried about the actual components being damaged.


Now I run the radio with the charger on all the time. Love the amp-meter built in. With a full battery, it tells me I' pulling 3-4 amps at half-volume with 2 type A/B amplifiers. And I wired those 40-amp-fused amplifiers with 4-gauge wire....why? Oh yea, long runs. I like overkill on my stereos.


Next is 4 deep cycles, and a pure sine-wave inverter for the computer monitor (my computer seemed to run fine off my cheep 35-year-old inverters that don't say "pure sine", but it has that nice external travel charger that even works at 220V in Europe)



Thanks!

 

[kazetsukai]

Hey Musigenesis, what's the total current draw of your 12V circuit? You can get 30 amp DC power supplies pretty cheaply. https://www.amazon.com/MENZO-Univer...olt+power+supply+20+amp&qid=1611659503&sr=8-3

Beware- I've had a few of these (variants of the above link) go up in smoke on me. They will be ticking along just fine until your water pump kicks in with a surge load, and then *poof*.

"LED" Power supplies are junk IMO, get something designed to charge batteries of the same voltage range.

 

[milkmania]

Beware- I've had a few of these (variants of the above link) go up in smoke on me. They will be ticking along just fine until your water pump kicks in with a surge load, and then *poof*.

"LED" Power supplies are junk IMO, get something designed to charge batteries of the same voltage range.

I know you're referring to rossvtaylors post and link, and as you mention they'd work for short term and they're not ideal... I was determined to give it a try and I'm only out $20 if everything goes nipples up. (just think how long their .06 cent fan is designed to last)

I monitor my little chinese converter daily (it's located out in the open) and my longer term solution will be Intelli-Power 9100.

relating to skoolies...
We're in a little known area where we're trying to make something into something it wasn't intended for... That's the part that I like most about it, see if something works... it's great and share it. And if it doesn't work... keep the fire extinguisher nearby, but share that info too!

Pull the grenade & throw the pin.

 

[musigenesis]

Beware- I've had a few of these (variants of the above link) go up in smoke on me. They will be ticking along just fine until your water pump kicks in with a surge load, and then *poof*.

"LED" Power supplies are junk IMO, get something designed to charge batteries of the same voltage range.

Can you give me a recommendation for a good battery charger I could use instead of the LED power supply I just bought? It was only $30 and I'm not averse to using something else. When I search for "battery charger", though, I get a million different things and I don't know what to get.

 

[rossvtaylor]

Can you give me a recommendation for a good battery charger I could use instead of the LED power supply I just bought? It was only $30 and I'm not averse to using something else. When I search for "battery charger", though, I get a million different things and I don't know what to get.

I've had good luck with those cheaper switching power supplies. But if you want something more skookum, look for Astron brand power supplies or the old Radio Shack desktop power supplies (you may find one used...I have one that's been going strong for almost 20 years). Astron makes good stuff, which I've used to power radios and other 12V components. But an Astron's going to cost closer to $150 or maybe more?

EDIT after an ebay search...skip the old Radio Shack one...I think it's not got enough output ooomph for you.

 

[BeNimble]

Harbor Fright has a $50 50-amp battery charger...these things are just transformers with rectifiers just like my rollaround one I've had for decades and still works (although the timer stopped working years ago, still have not fixed it) I've used it to power 12v things, but always have some kind of battery connected to it when I do, as the transformer doesn't control voltage very well at all.

 

[rffffffff]

Can you give me a recommendation for a good battery charger I could use instead of the LED power supply I just bought? It was only $30 and I'm not averse to using something else. When I search for "battery charger", though, I get a million different things and I don't know what to get.

I think if you keep them cool and don’t run it at 20-30a full time you’ll likely be okay. I’m all for finding an old pc on Craigslist that no one wants and using the power supply from that, as they’ve been pretty reliable and usually have 25-50a 12v supplies in them, but it’s not the prettiest option. Generally if you over-rate supplies and under use then they’ll stay okay... if you run a 30a supply at 30a all the time you’ll have trouble. The surge current of the pump may exceed the rating of the supply momentarily which could explain the fried supplies mentioned.

 

[Doktari]

I realize the OP is plannng in using grid power but will mention for others intending on using a generator then purchasing a PFC (power factor corrected) power supply/charger is worth considering. Over the long haul it can result in significantly reduced generator run time to charge batteries.
A power supply I like is the Meanwell 15 volt adjustable power supplies. Such as a:
https://www.amazon.com/Meanwell-RSP...rds=meanwell+rsp-500-15&qid=1612059779&sr=8-1
They are sometimes available cheaper on eBay.

 

[Redneckotter]

To Musigenesis

Just checked Amazon and you can get that exact same unit with free shipping for $148.98 brand new. Save you $100 bucks and it is pretty good. I replaced my burned rv unit with this one and run everything with it including a new 11 cu ft 2 door 11ov fridge, new 20 110v hot water heater, mandatory coffee pot, 42 inch flat-screen, insane souns system and more. Going on 9 months and no hiccups with. 110 or 12 volts. I am retired in an oceanside rv Park and plugged into permanent 30 shore power. Fs was a 1951

 

[Redneckotter]

Ran out of letters

My first bus was a retired Portland Rose City Bus, 1953 flat nose with a row of little windows above the regular ones, HUGE rear 6 cylinder gas engine mounted sideways, 2 speed automatic (?) with floor shift , push it forward to go forward, centered for neutral, pull it back to reverse. 35 in low, 70 in high on flat ground, same either direction. Took it all over Wash, Or, and Cal for several years including winters in Stovepipe Wells. 7 buses later I wish I was young enough to still be in the game.

 

[rossvtaylor]

My first bus was a retired Portland Rose City Bus, 1953 flat nose with a row of little windows above the regular ones, HUGE rear 6 cylinder gas engine mounted sideways, 2 speed automatic (?) with floor shift , push it forward to go forward, centered for neutral, pull it back to reverse. 35 in low, 70 in high on flat ground, same either direction. Took it all over Wash, Or, and Cal for several years including winters in Stovepipe Wells. 7 buses later I wish I was young enough to still be in the game.

Nice bus! That sounds like our 1949 GM "Old Look" bus...down to the 2-speed tranny and the little windows. First is just an early torque generator...two vanes in a bath of hydraulic fluid...and second is a direct lock...pretty simple, but not terribly efficient. Ours is named Jimmie. Do you have a photo of that ole gal? I like seeing paint options on those. We got ours in really rough shape, being used as a storage container, and it will need a repaint.

OP - my apologies for the thread drift! I got all excited reading about his bus...

 

[Redneckotter]

Nice bus! That sounds like our 1949 GM "Old Look" bus...down to the 2-speed tranny and the little windows. First is just an early torque generator...two vanes in a bath of hydraulic fluid...and second is a direct lock...pretty simple, but not terribly efficient. Ours is named Jimmie. Do you have a photo of that ole gal? I like seeing paint options on those. We got ours in really rough shape, being used as a storage container, and it will need a repaint.

OP - my apologies for the thread drift! I got all excited reading about his bus...

Rossv--Thanks for the response. Have pics from buy to build in storage somewhere, might post them on a build thread if I can find them just for fun. Worst downside to driving was it just "neutraled"when letting off gas, no help at all on the hills. Where can we take this so as not to screw up the original poster? Would love to swap stories. Maybe start a "nostalgia" thread about early or old builds folks started out with.

 

[Bluthebus00]

Hey neighbor! Glad to hear you're making progress on the rig!

The only thing I didn't see mentioned on your initial list was a breaker or a fuse for the battery.
Even though it's only being used as a capacitor in your setup, it should still be protected so the battery can't fry anything should anything happen. (forgive me if it was mentioned. I didn't read the entire thread).


Here's the power converter / 3 stage battery charger I'm running in my bus. It's rated for 55amps which is overkill but does the job very nicely. It can run all of my 12V fixtures and appliances while also charging my house batteries. Also the voltages are adjustable so you don't push your batteries too hard when charging them.

Charger / Converter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F8MC440/

I'm using a couple different monitors to check on things.

The first is mounted in the driver's area for convenience as well as monitoring: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JHH5YP4/

The main 12v meter is a part of my RV system monitoring / control system: https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Garnett-Technologies-Model-709-SeeLeveL-II-p/709-1003.htm