Adding a Breaker
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 10,060
Likes: 491
From: Bristol, TN.
I used to carry a 15 amp battery charger on my truck. When folks just wanted a temporary fix until they got back to their dealer, I loaned it to them and they would ship it back to me. Finally someone stole it. The 15 amp ran everything in everything.
I have put my clamp meter on many a power converter. What impressed me most was how little power they actually drew. Some times when I am checking a system I put my clamp on the main or else just put my Progressive box on at the shoreline. That way I can watch what draws what.
Furnace is the big DC draw at about 8 amps. Boards are next to nothing. A slide motor ramps up the draw, but comes right back down and if you have a working battery it shares the load. Having a good battery makes a difference.
Folks worry a lot about this stuff, but in the field it is mostly a non-issue. All converters eventually fail, but usually they live a reasonable life before they croak.
Steve
I have put my clamp meter on many a power converter. What impressed me most was how little power they actually drew. Some times when I am checking a system I put my clamp on the main or else just put my Progressive box on at the shoreline. That way I can watch what draws what.
Furnace is the big DC draw at about 8 amps. Boards are next to nothing. A slide motor ramps up the draw, but comes right back down and if you have a working battery it shares the load. Having a good battery makes a difference.
Folks worry a lot about this stuff, but in the field it is mostly a non-issue. All converters eventually fail, but usually they live a reasonable life before they croak.
Steve
Cargo Master
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,171
Likes: 20
From: Denton, TX
If I had a little more electrical knowledge I'd figure out what failed.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 1,728
Likes: 80
From: New Jersey
FYI, my FiL works in the electronics industry dealing some interesting electrical control components. Resoldering and testing the board was child's play for him. As he put it, 120 volts goes in, 13.6 volts should come out. it is a battery charger. We will had this big resistor to generate load. Then measure for voltage drop and and amps with amp clamp. It passed the test bench. Handed it off to me and said if I can reinstall and give it a whirl with a full load.
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