I) Power-On Indicator; V) Application Notes; A) Start Up; B) Constant Versus Occasional Use - NewMar PT-24-20W Installation & Operation Manual

I) Power-On Indicator

This green LED will glow whenever the charger is receiving AC
power.

V) Application Notes

A) Start Up

1) Before powering up your charger, check for tight electrical
connections to each battery in your system. Switch off any DC
loads on the batteries. Apply AC power. Observe the DC ammeter
on the front panel. This meter displays the total DC output of the
charger, through all banks. It will give some indication of the
overall state of charge of your batteries. If the meter is reading
mid-scale or higher, it is an indication that the batteries are in
a relatively low state of charge. The charger, sensing this, is
supplying high current to the batteries. If the meter needle is at
or near the bottom of the scale the batteries are at or nearing full
charge.
2) Apply a load to the charger by switching on some lights, a
pump, or some other DC appliance. Observe the charger meter. It
should read approximately the same as the expected current draw
of the appliance. As current is demanded from the battery system,
the charger will automatically increase its output in response
to the increased load demand. When load current exceeds 10-
20% of the charger's rated capacity, the charger will go into the
absorption mode and remain there until current drops below 5-15%
of capacity or until the time-out circuit cycle is complete.
Note: The Phase Three charger is self-limiting and will rarely blow
an input fuse. If the input fuse should blow upon first application
of power, disconnect AC power to the charger and consult the
TROUBLESHOOTING section of this manual.
If the input fuse does need replacing, be sure to replace it with
the same type and value for continue protection. The fuse value is
specified on the lower left hand of the corner of the charger panel.

B) Constant Versus Occasional Use

In general, it is recommended that the charger be left connected
continuously to the AC distribution system so that it will be in
operation whenever AC is available. This will maintain batteries at
peak voltage and will automatically compensate for the natural
self-discharge of the battery system. When a load is applied to the
battery system, the charger's output will automatically increase to
supply the current which would otherwise draw battery voltage
down. Repeatedly allowing batteries to become completely
discharged before recharging will greatly shorten their life.
Leaving the charger on continuously will prevent this.
While the output regulation of the charger will minimize battery
12
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gassing and water loss, monthly checks of the electrolyte level
(for wet lead acid batteries) are still strongly recommended. Some
water loss is an inevitable aspect of the charging process, and
maintaining the correct electrolyte level in your batteries is the
most important you can do to assure their maximum performance
and long life.

C) Proper Load Sizing

The Phase Three Charger is rated for continuous duty (e.g., the
PT-40W can deliver up to 40 amps continuously, 24 hours a day,
seven days a week). While the charger cannot be damaged
by overloads that exceed this continuous rating, excessive load
demands may draw battery voltage down faster than the charger
can resupply it. If the battery voltage continues to drop and the
output current is at maximum while the charger is in service,
check to see that your average DC loads are not exceeding the
charger's rated output. If they are, you may wish to consider
adding another charger in parallel to provide sufficient power
for your requirements. (See section III-E, Multiple Unit in Parallel
Wiring.)

D) Operation with Engine

It is perfectly acceptable to allow the charger to remain on
when the engine is started and while it is running. The current
limit feature of the Phase Three Charger will protect against any
damage due to the high current demands of the engine cranking.
Output diodes will prevent any back-feed of current into the
charger from the alternator while the engine runs.
As the alternator starts to charger the battery, the charger output
will decrease. When the battery voltage exceeds the rated output
voltage of the charger, it will shut off and stay off as long as the
batteries are in this high state of charge. If the battery voltage
should drop below the charger's rated output voltage, it will
automatically return to service.
E) Operation as a DC Power Supply (stand alone DC Power Source)
Most battery chargers are not suitable for powering electronic
devices directly, without a battery attached to the output, as the
high ripple and pulsing DC output (i.e., rectified AC output) can
interfere with the operation of the device. The Phase Three charger
is different. It employs a circuit that produces an extremely
well-filtered DC output. Therefore the charger is able to power
virtually any DC powered device (within the unit's rating) without
the battery attached in-line (if, for instance, the battery must be
removed for any purpose and AC is still available). All but the
most sensitive DC powered electronic devices will function as
normally as if powered by a battery. In addition, the current
limiting circuitry enables the charger to handle the high start-up
surges associated with inductive loads, such as DC motors in radar
sets.

VI) TROUBLESHOOTING

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