What does a CBE control panel do? (1 Viewer)

[two]

I have a German van which uses a PC180-CA control panel. It seems to be a pretty pathetic piece of kit but maybe I’m missing something as my m/h is supposed to be top quality and I’d like to think that what they’ve chosen to use is also good. Can anyone tell me how it actually looks after the batteries?

Somehow it would appear to take the output from a (CBE) charger to look after both cab and hab batteries, in spite of them being a different composition. The charger is correctly set to ‘Gel’ for the leisure batteries, so how on earth does it cater for a wet starter battery which requires a completely different charging regime? Can anyone say on what basis charge is passed to the cab battery? Maybe it doesn’t charge the starter, but I’ve been told that it does.

 

[andy63]

My chausson has a cbe PC180-TR Panel and says it charges the start battery though I've not seen much evidence that it does but not checked properly.. I also have it set for gel and start is wet..
The panel does have to be switched on to allow the engine to charge both battery banks as far as I can tell..
And obviously to power up the habitation side...ie lights pump etc..
Andy

 

[two]

Yes, I’d forgotten that it’s supposed to work both ways and enable the alternator to charge the habitation batteries. Something to disconnect when I get around to fitting a Battery to Battery charger.

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[Duckato]

Even though the thread is old the CBE chargers are documented here
http://www.cbe.it/en/switching-battery-chargers/

They do not appear to be designed for differing battery chemistry there is an internal switch to set the battery type

 

[Lenny HB]

W

Somehow it would appear to take the output from a (CBE) charger to look after both cab and hab batteries, in spite of them being a different composition. The charger is correctly set to ‘Gel’ for the leisure batteries, so how on earth does it cater for a wet starter battery which requires a completely different charging regime? Can anyone say on what basis charge is passed to the cab battery? Maybe it doesn’t charge the starter, but I’ve been told that it does

The starter battery only gets a low current trickle charge therefore does not cause any problems. Where as the leisure battery gets a much larger bulk charge followed by an absorption charge before dropping down to a tricke charge.

 

[andy63]

They do not appear to be designed for differing battery chemistry there is an internal switch to set the battery typ

They do have a battery type selector switch.... but the point the op made was that his hab batteries are gel , while his start battery is a wet cell...
These days they are considered to need different charging regimes..
I dont know whether thats taken into account in any circuitry in the control unit.
Andy

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[Lenny HB]

These days they are considered to need different charging regimes..
I dont know whether thats taken into account in any circuitry in the control unit

Schaudt have been doing the same as CBE for over 20 years, no different voltages for the starter battery just a low current trickle charge and doesn't appear to cause any problems. Gels & Flooded cells tend to be charged at the same voltage just the absorption time is different.

 

[andy63]

Schaudt have been doing the same as CBE for over 20 years, no different voltages for the starter battery just a low current trickle charge and doesn't appear to cause any problems. Gels & Flooded cells tend to be charged at the same voltage just the absorption time is different.

Cheers lenny...i was going to have aquick look at the recommend charging voltages for various types of lead acid batteries... i can never remember them...
I do know now , but didnt at the time of the original post that the on board mains charger on mine never mirrors the leisure battery charging voltage on the start battery... its always point 1 to point two volts lower on the start battery...
Andy..

 

[funflair]

Our CBE System uses the CSB2 battery master type thingy which regulates the amps to the starter battery between 0.1 and 4 amps it must respect voltage as I have never seen our starter over 13.8v where I see 14.4 or 14.6 on the gels.

Martin

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[Newfie]

http://www.cbe.it/sites/default/files/CSB2.pdf

Our CBE System uses the CSB2 battery master type thingy which regulates the amps to the starter battery between 0.1 and 4 amps it must respect voltage as I have never seen our starter over 13.8v where I see 14.4 or 14.6 on the gels.

Martin