Can my rig charge lithium

[Johnynorthland]

I have a 2019 Redhawk 25R. I’m thinking of replacing my house, lead battery with a 200 Ah lithium, (if it fits), and then eventually adding solar, and thinking of swapping my absorption fridge for the new 12V. Does anyone know if my Factory converter/charger can charge a lithium? Or is there something I need to do or add to the system to make it charge properly?

[RetiredOne]

If you have the same converter as me, the PD 4060K, it can charge lithium. You need to flip the output mode switch from LA to LI.

See page 3 of this manual.

[Johnynorthland]

Originally Posted by RetiredOne

If you have the same converter as me, the PD 4060K, it can charge lithium. You need to flip the output mode switch from LA to LI.

See page 3 of this manual.

Awesome info! Thanks. I’ll look through my manuals or am I better off taking the panel off the converter vent cover and look for the model number? I think mine is under the main circuit breaker panel.

[RetiredOne]

You should be able to see the model number by just opening up the cover where the breakers and fuses are located. There should be a big white sticker with the model number.

[Rolle]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthland

Awesome info! Thanks. I’ll look through my manuals or am I better off taking the panel off the converter vent cover and look for the model number? I think mine is under the main circuit breaker panel.

The PD4060K can charge lithium. But it is important to understand that the charge profile is very basic. Output is constant 14.6V. No float.

14.6 V is great for charging most Lithium batteries. Unfortunately it is not so great to maintain 14.6V over longer periods. So if you plan to stay on shore power for many days you might want to invest in a charger that goes in to float after the batteries have been charged full. Another alternative is to charge full and then switch off the converter.

[Johnynorthland]

Originally Posted by Rolle

The PD4060K can charge lithium. But it is important to understand that the charge profile is very basic. Output is constant 14.6V. No float.

14.6 V is great for charging most Lithium batteries. Unfortunately it is not so great to maintain 14.6V over longer periods. So if you plan to stay on shore power for many days you might want to invest in a charger that goes in to float after the batteries have been charged full. Another alternative is to charge full and then switch off the converter.

I do have a Pad 4060K! That was great info, thanks. I didn’t remove the panel cover, is the switch easy to get to? I guess it’s best to change the converter, do you have any recommendations on a replacement?

[Rolle]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthland

I do have a Pad 4060K! That was great info, thanks. I didn’t remove the panel cover, is the switch easy to get to? I guess it’s best to change the converter, do you have any recommendations on a replacement?

I would not buy a PD converter. They do not have one that goes in to float. Yet. They are working on that.

I would keep the 4060K. Just switch it off When the batteries are full. 60A charge is great when you run the generator.

If you plug in, slower charge gives you longer service life. And when plugged in a 25A charger should be plenty.

For long term storage you do not want to store the Lithium at higher capacity than 30-50 %.

If you want a charger that goes in to float, look at Victron which can be useful when plugged in for longer periods.

They have an inexpensive 10A, 15A or 25 A. They all go in to float. You can also change the bulk voltage. 14.6 V is quite aggressive if you have prismatic cells. Battleborn wants 14.6 V as the balancing take place at higher voltage.

https://www.amazon.com/Victron-BlueS...6568673&sr=8-3

[Johnynorthland]

Thanks for that info. I’m curios, What about AGM’s do they charge differently then regular lead acid? Would I have to worry about over charging and floating them?

[GABob]

Thinking of putting a cell booster antenna on the ladder. From what I've read I think a few of you have run lines down your vents. Any comments on how you've done that would be most appreciated.

[GABob]

Apologies, thought I had a new thread started.

[Johnynorthland]

Originally Posted by Rolle

I would not buy a PD converter. They do not have one that goes in to float. Yet. They are working on that.

I would keep the 4060K. Just switch it off When the batteries are full. 60A charge is great when you run the generator.

If you plug in, slower charge gives you longer service life. And when plugged in a 25A charger should be plenty.

For long term storage you do not want to store the Lithium at higher capacity than 30-50 %.

If you want a charger that goes in to float, look at Victron which can be useful when plugged in for longer periods.

They have an inexpensive 10A, 15A or 25 A. They all go in to float. You can also change the bulk voltage. 14.6 V is quite aggressive if you have prismatic cells. Battleborn wants 14.6 V as the balancing take place at higher voltage.

https://www.amazon.com/Victron-BlueS...6568673&sr=8-3

Where is the switch to turn it off? Is there a breaker for it?

[Rolle]

I would think you have a circuit breaker (110V/15A). Just switch the circuit breaker off.

[glangdon]

You shouldn't have to turn anything off leave everything On. Most modern Lithium Batteries today have BMS (Battery Management system) built into the battery. If you're lucky you get one with Bluetooth built in. that will tell you what the battery management system is doing and soo soo much more. This means when the converter can continually supply the 14.6v charging power and the battery will manage if it needs it or not. You should follow the guidance of your battery manufacturer.

[ARoamer]

If your plans are to go solar and have enough solar watts you may not need to worry about the power converter depending on the converter type. My converter a PD4560 does not do lithium, but has a boost button, the “blue” wizard button on the existing converter's DC fuse board. When pressed this forces the converter to 14.4 vdc for 4 (supposedly per an e-mail) hours, then returns to a lower voltage.

""The PD9200, PD4000 & PD4500 Series Charge Wizard will initially jump to 14.4-volts in the Boost Mode when first connected to 120 VAC power and will remain there until the battery voltage reaches 13.8-Volts, then automatically drops down to the Normal Mode of 13.6-Volts.""

13.6v won't do a full charge on lithium, but it's fairly close, and your solar should make up the rest. I have my converter breaker off and I plan on only using it if my solar cannot keep up. Haven't turned it on yet....

[bluztoo]

Progressive Dynamics (PD) does make a two-stage lithium charger for about $200 on Amazon. That may have been refurbished. That’s a good bet if you don’t want to pay for a Victron. I paid for the Victron Multiplus cause of all the other features. There are other manufacturers as well.