DT220 control panel Frankia (2 Viewers)

[Peter S]

hi

We have just purchased privately a 2005/2006 I7300BD. I have been working my way through the above controller but cannot work out how to turn the power outlets on when the motorhome is just set to 12V.

The outlets work fine with the mains hooked up
The lights work fine on both 12V and mains
The water pump works fine on both 12v and main

Is there a sub menu I am missing, a switch somewhere that needs switching or what am I doing wrong?

In all my meddling, trying to understand the above situation, I took out the fuse to the main battery and now have "charge!" displayed next to the leisure battery. When I go through the sub menu I have a 50%? and 52A?. What do I need to change this to to get rid of this error message.

Why oh why did I start fiddling, although if the outlets had been working I would not have touched it.

BTW, the mh is absolutely mint and we love it to bits - we just need to sort this out as we are going away on Monday.

Help please

 

[dabba]

DT220 Control panel

Hi Peter,

The outlets will not work unless you are on hook up as they are 230V. I have the same controller on my Adria Vision and the very same problem you have advised. Its not a very user friendly device, or maybe its just an age thing ! i just dont get how to set up the leisure battery from the panel. I have a Exide Gel G85 ( 85 AH ) leisure battery and cant get the display to go over 50% and the charge symbol to go out.

I have had this motorhome for only one month so i am a virgin too but it is fun !

Let's home one of these experts can help both of us out.

Regard's

Dave.oh:

 

[Tony Lee]

Without knowing the inns and outs of your particular control unit, many battery monitors use 50% charge as a minimum safe level and that display is just telling you to hook up to the mains and allow the battery to recharge. If you are hooked up, then "Charge" is what it is doing and 50%? and 52A refer to the state of the battery.

Once is it fully charged, the controller should reset itself to show the battery StateOfCharge to be 100%. Will need to leave it charging for a day perhaps.

Other displays you might see depending on your controller are "Absorb" and "float" and these too refer to separate parts of the charging cycle.

Have a look at

Link Removed

this may be the instruction book for your controller

Given that your MH is fairly new, I'm surprised the instruction books aren't with it.

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[Tony Lee]

Forgot to add -

If you need 240V when you are free-camping, you will need to install an inverter to change the 12V DC to 240V AC. Given the (likely) small size of your battery and lack of solar power, adding an inverter may not be practical for anything other than charging phones and maybe a laptop.

 

[Frankia]

Yes the read out and setting up of the control panel is a bit confusing.

1) To set the battery state up (from memory) do the following:

a) Press the battery button on the left (shows Ahs remaining)
b) Whilst this is lit press and hold "Menue" button for a few seconds (shows nnnAh maxx?)
c) Press "Menue" button again briefly (nnnAh starts flashing)
d) press + or - button untill the display reads the Ah of your battery / ies.
e) Press ok (the max battery Ah is now set)
f) Press battery button (You may now see that the Ah is different to what it said before and the Charge? is flashing - this is ok just take the 'van off charge and use it by either running the engine or putting it back on charge - after a while it will settle down and read the correct state)

It appears to count amps used and amps in without regard to say a separate solar charge or a discharge from anything not running through the EBL. But once it has had a disharge and recharge it comes back to normal.

By the way it may ask you for a code (see the download of the instructions above) If it does enter code 6181 by using the ok and + and - buttons.

Hope this helps.

 

[Peter S]

Thanks for the detailed info chaps:thumb: Good to know others have already wrestled with this stuff.

Dave - I feel your pain

Frankia - assuming by your ID you have one as well, do you have the same issue with power outlets? Is the invertor route the only answer? It makes sense I guess.

If the invertor is the answer, do you need one per outlet?If this is the case, how on earth does the fridge work on 12V?

The MH instruction manual from Frankia is in german so is not much help - I will try to get an english version this coming week. I have got an english version of the panel book, although the advice on here is far more helpful than the book to be honest. I'm an engineer by trade and I wrestled with it for hours. I will download this one from here to see if its the same or a better version - thanks.

Thanks again for all the advice, - just need to get my head around the 230V/ outlet issue now

Pete

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[Peter S]

Quick update:

I left the MH on charge all night and, as suggested, the "Charge" message has not gone so thats one thing not to worry about any more.

I have also been looking at the power outlets. Below the normal 240V outlet, there is another outlet in the kitchen and by the TV. It looks like a cigarette lighter style outlet but is smaller in diameter. Is it possible that this is a 12V outlet, and I need some sort of adaptor/ invertor to plug into it.

Also, the TV I fitted has one adaptor for 12V and another for 230V, so I guess i need to swap over to 12V when I am running off the battery's??

Really sorry if I am asking some dim questions but there is so much to take in, and so little time to do it before we go away tomorrow that its possible that logical thinking has gone out of the window.

 

[JeanLuc]

Firstly, I would phone or e-mail Frankia and ask them for an English manual. They may post one, or tell you where to download it from their website.

Regarding 230V when not on hook-up, unless you are a very competent auto-electrician, I would forget trying to link the installed mains outlets to an inverter. It is quite a tricky thing because you have to ensure isolation between the mains coming into the van and the inverter circuits. Also, as previously stated, unless you have a large battery bank, anything other than modest use of an inverter will drain power in a short time. I have a 150W inverter powering a separate 230V socket for charging laptops / mobiles / camera batteries etc.

The small round sockets you have noted are standard Euro DIN 12V. These are fitted by many continental manufacturers, rather than the US-inspired Cigar-lighter socket. You can get an adapter from many sources: e.g. Roadpro (see below)

Philip

Link Removed

 

[Frankia]

Thanks for the detailed info chaps:thumb: Good to know others have already wrestled with this stuff.

Dave - I feel your pain

Frankia - assuming by your ID you have one as well, do you have the same issue with power outlets? Is the invertor route the only answer? It makes sense I guess.

If the invertor is the answer, do you need one per outlet?If this is the case, how on earth does the fridge work on 12V?

The MH instruction manual from Frankia is in german so is not much help - I will try to get an english version this coming week. I have got an english version of the panel book, although the advice on here is far more helpful than the book to be honest. I'm an engineer by trade and I wrestled with it for hours. I will download this one from here to see if its the same or a better version - thanks.

Thanks again for all the advice, - just need to get my head around the 230V/ outlet issue now

Pete

Hi Pete

As others have said:

1) The round cigar outlets are 12v and need an adaptor if your t.v. etc have standard cigar plugs on them.

2) if you want to run 230v appliances whilst not on hook up then you need to run an inverter - either fit one near the battery/ies and have a dedicated 230v socket fitted somewhere convenient for the appliances you wish to run. (You can only use a hair dryer for a few minutes before risking flattening your batteries but small t.v.s etc may run for quite a bit longer) or you can have a small inverter (max 150w) near to an appliance running off one of the cigar plugs agin for say a small t.v. which doesn't have 12v input.

3) The fridge has 2 electric elements and a gas heater - one is a 230v and only runs if on hook up. The other is a 12v element and is wired with a signal wire from the alternator which means it will only run on 12v when the engine is running.

It is better to use only 12v gear, if you can, especially if you are not too conversant with electrics as the draw from an overloaded 12v circuit can be dangerous.

Happy travelling:thumb:

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[johnnerontheroad]

Peter,

I have put a DT220 manual in the downloads user manuals accessories. sorry I did not include a discription. I hope this helps.:thumb:

Dave

 

[JeanLuc]

Inverters

I have just put an article I wrote about installing an inverter, in the downloads miscellaneous section, in case that helps your researches and deliberations.

Philip

 

[Peter S]

Guys

I can't thank you all enough. :thumb:

I am now completely clear on the questions I asked. I need to lay my hands on the adaptors for the smaller 12v outlets but other than that I am up to speed and ready to go..... until the next list of questions.

thanks again,

Pete

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