Topic: Xantrex Technologies (Heart Interface) [August 2001]
Presenter: Mike Swenson
Heart, Trace and others merged to form Xantrex technologies.
Heart Interface Inverter/Charger. It is really three things: (1) Power converter, converting batteries to 120 V AC; 2) Uses the same components to make DC from incoming AC power. Inverter/charger combo is an efficient way to do that. (3) It transfers power, from shore power or generator, through to the AC power outlets. If both generator and shore power are available simultaneously, CC has installed a "transfer switch" which will select one only -- and the priority is for generator. That's for where you're plugged into less than 30 amps. Perhaps want to consider using a generator while plugged into 20 amps.
Inverters: Should you leave it on or off? The inverter doesn't care . It takes about 1 amp to run it once it's on. But it also powers up the TVs, microwave, DSS, which causes a substantial drain. Probably at least 4-5 amps of battery power is being used. Short answer is treat it like a light switch -- turn it on while you're using it, and off when you're done.
When you're running the generator, that power automatically transfers through the inverter, so it will use generator power (or shore power) and excess power will be used to charge the batteries. When you store your coach, even if plugged in, best to turn the inverter off (in case of a power failure, you'd drain your batteries).
Three stage charging: Bulk charge (75-80%); acceptance (tops off); and float (constant voltage at about 13.4 volts. This is enough to keep it fully charged, but not gassing.
Lead acid wet cell batteries (have removeable caps, need to be maintained -- watered). Disadvantage is the maintenance, i.e. adding water properly. Gel batteries are sealed, and require no maintenance. But standard gel battery can't be cycled as much, and sensitive to charging. The newest type, AGM, packs lots of power, recharges rapidly, are maintenance fee -- but they are expensive.
There is a problem w/Heart's 2500 Freedom unit using AGM batteries. AGMs readily accepts lots of current. The charger is running full tilt and thus gets hot and shuts itself down. Once it cools down it starts again. Thus you get a cycling efffect. CC now uses the "white" Freedom 25 instead of the "black" units. They are working w/CC to try to find a solution. The inverter is running normally -- but need a solution to the overheating condition. One solution Country Coach is looking at is using a product called "TC 2+2", which reduces incoming amperage when batteries begin to heat up.
He speculates this same problem could happen with the Heart 2000 watt model, since the technology is the same -- but it is less likely, and the problem has been primarily associated with the 2500 W inverter.
Power share: Let's you plug into 20 or 15 amp outlet w/out tripping the breaker. If you reduce charger to 20, the max it will use is 20 amps. This reduces the charge rate too, of course, meaning it will take much longer to recharge the batteries.
Microwave is rated in watts, relating to the "cooking watts". However, microwaves are very inefficient, and it typically takes almost twice the power to deliver the "cooking watts". Thus an "800 watt microwave" is likely to require 1600 watts of power to run.
Link 2000 and Link 1000 are both controllers (for equalization, etc); and monitors. A link 10 can provide the monitoring function only, and can be mounted anywhere.
Equalization requires either a link 1000 or 2000 to initialize it, or a standard remote product.
Freedom Remote panel is newest, easiest to connection == shows LED approximates on voltage and amps; provides for power sharing; and can initiate an equalization process.
CC is now going to Trace inverters. They used Invertrex for about a year. Now going to Trace 2000, which has the option of automatic generator start feature. Heart makes a stand alone auto start which is programmed to start the generator when the house batteries get to 11.5 volts -- and runs the generator for a pre-set two hour period and then shuts it off.