Hi.... wonder if anyone can throw some light on this little pearler. Earlier this year I bought a Knauss Sport TI 2009 in UK. The previous owner informed me that two new 100 Ah leisure batteries had been fitted last August. ( I have the receipt) The other oddball was the solar regulator had also been replaced with a Photonic Universe 10 amp VS1024AU.
Having just got back from our recent adventure touring Northern Spain we had these issues during the trip. When motoring along the alternator was doing it's job charging both the starter battery and the leisure batteries. When stationary the leisure batteries where going totally flat with negligable use. Now here is the rub. For whatever reason the previous owner installed a 100 watt solar panel and connected this via the regulator to the leisure batteries. I can only assume this was done to trickle charge if the MH was in storage or on site for a protracted period without power. The curveball was measuring the regulator which indicated 14 volts'ish with 19 volts coming from the panel. I disconnected the batteries then charged them up from a 240c supply then re-installed them. Yes you have guessed it, same thing happened. Further investigation revealed the solar regulator was discharging the leisure batteries as the output was only 2 volts or less which may of appeared as apartial short. I disconnected the wires from the leisure batteries to the solar regulator leaving it as it was originally. I then recharged the batteries once again and everything worked as it should be with the Calira LG616-DS1/U. In summary it should work like this. I shall call the starter battery B1 and the parallel leisure batteries B2. B1 connects to B2 when B2 becomes 14.1 volts. If B2 drops below 13.2 volts B1 disconnects to preserve the starter battery.
This finally brings me to my questions.
a) having two solar regulators fail and one set of leisure batteries replaced why does this happen. One would naturally assume having the 14 volts solar regulator output connected across the leisure batteries and in instances the starter battery and also the alternator it wouldn't come to harm. As an observation using a PWM regulator do you get a pure DC output or are there artifacts from the regulation ? If so would an MPPT regulator overcome this issue?
b) since disconnecting the solar regulator wires when on mains the starter battery and leisure batteries fully charge illuminating the green LED on the wall control panel. This never happened when the solar regulator wires where connected.
c) At this link it details firmware chnages for the Calira unit. Mine doesn't have this being older but why is Truma detailed for the Control Panel ?
d) There is a switch on the Calira LG616-DS1/U to select either AGM or liquid batteries. In my installation I cannot get the cover off to determine this as a panel has been installed afterwards. You cannot see the switch at all. Is the default AGM as it certainly has an impact on the operation of the Calira.
e) I cannot see anyhwere on the cct. diagram ( line drawing really) an AC input to the Calira only G in a circle for the alternator.
f) additonally I have a VB05 adjacent to the LG616-DS1/U and a VB04 under the passenger seat. The VB04 is the curveball here as I cannot find any details or interconnects.
Any thoughts very much appreciated.
atb Neil
Having just got back from our recent adventure touring Northern Spain we had these issues during the trip. When motoring along the alternator was doing it's job charging both the starter battery and the leisure batteries. When stationary the leisure batteries where going totally flat with negligable use. Now here is the rub. For whatever reason the previous owner installed a 100 watt solar panel and connected this via the regulator to the leisure batteries. I can only assume this was done to trickle charge if the MH was in storage or on site for a protracted period without power. The curveball was measuring the regulator which indicated 14 volts'ish with 19 volts coming from the panel. I disconnected the batteries then charged them up from a 240c supply then re-installed them. Yes you have guessed it, same thing happened. Further investigation revealed the solar regulator was discharging the leisure batteries as the output was only 2 volts or less which may of appeared as apartial short. I disconnected the wires from the leisure batteries to the solar regulator leaving it as it was originally. I then recharged the batteries once again and everything worked as it should be with the Calira LG616-DS1/U. In summary it should work like this. I shall call the starter battery B1 and the parallel leisure batteries B2. B1 connects to B2 when B2 becomes 14.1 volts. If B2 drops below 13.2 volts B1 disconnects to preserve the starter battery.
This finally brings me to my questions.
a) having two solar regulators fail and one set of leisure batteries replaced why does this happen. One would naturally assume having the 14 volts solar regulator output connected across the leisure batteries and in instances the starter battery and also the alternator it wouldn't come to harm. As an observation using a PWM regulator do you get a pure DC output or are there artifacts from the regulation ? If so would an MPPT regulator overcome this issue?
b) since disconnecting the solar regulator wires when on mains the starter battery and leisure batteries fully charge illuminating the green LED on the wall control panel. This never happened when the solar regulator wires where connected.
c) At this link it details firmware chnages for the Calira unit. Mine doesn't have this being older but why is Truma detailed for the Control Panel ?
d) There is a switch on the Calira LG616-DS1/U to select either AGM or liquid batteries. In my installation I cannot get the cover off to determine this as a panel has been installed afterwards. You cannot see the switch at all. Is the default AGM as it certainly has an impact on the operation of the Calira.
e) I cannot see anyhwere on the cct. diagram ( line drawing really) an AC input to the Calira only G in a circle for the alternator.
f) additonally I have a VB05 adjacent to the LG616-DS1/U and a VB04 under the passenger seat. The VB04 is the curveball here as I cannot find any details or interconnects.
Any thoughts very much appreciated.
atb Neil
