I don't use it but I believe it is to lock out the charger if the wire has voltage applied. So if there is power into that wire the charger will not engage. Remove the voltage and it allows the charger to operate. That is my understanding. How much voltage? I do not know. Write Elcon with that question.

Be nice and I am quite sure they will respond.

Pete

[winzeracer]

I am considering an Elcon PFC-3000. I have 26 CALB 40ah for a nominal pack voltage of 83.2volts.
Here is the rest of my parts list http://www.winzeracer.com/April_22__2012.html

I want to be able to quick charge in about 2 hours( up to atleast 80%) , so I would be charging at about .5C-.7C. The recomended for these batteries is .3C.

What are the big dangers with quick charging?

I have read that generally Lifepo4 can be charged up to 1C. I am ok with shortening the life of the batteries, as this is on an electric shifter kart and will not be in use tons, and is not my transportation.

I am leaning toward running a miniBMS, however I have read quite a few of Gottdi's post on this subject and am open to not using bms. However since I will be pushing all my components to thier limits, i think I want the added piece of mind, and the ability to charge up closer to HV cuttoff.

Thanks,
Brock
www.winzeracer.com

[mizlplix]

Any current transfer beyond the recommended rate is not a good thing and affects the battery's service life. Other than that, keep your charge/discharge in the 80% range (3volts and 3.5 volts). Do not try to fill the battery or drain the battery completely. That is the regions where most of the damage happens.




All my documentation says is that it is an "interlock" wire.

I always try to be nice to everyone.....Or I hide the bodies quickly.

Ty, Pete!

Miz

[dtbaker]

Originally Posted by mizlplix

Ok, for those with some Elcon know-how...
What is the small green wire by the Anderson connector for?
What is output voltage?
What does it indicate?

The intent of the green output wire is to use it as a safety interlock to prevent driving off when you are plugged in charging. It outputs pack voltage when NOT charging, which you can fuse, run thru your pot-box ksi, and then to your controller ksi. When charging it cuts to 0 volts, and you can't drive off (without KSI voltage to controller).

However..... it is NOT really a foolproof interlock because it switches from 0 volts to pack voltage when the charge is 'complete', and NOT when the charger is plugged or unplugged. The creates the situation where in the morning, when charger is 'done', it returns voltage to KSI, and you CAN drive away while still plugged in.

so... while it is intended to be used as an interlock voltage thru KSI, it is not really done correctly. I have sent a request to Elcon that they change it to output 0 volts as long as charger is plugged in in future models, but gotten no response.

I did wire it in as an interlock like this http://www.envirokarma.org/ev/galler...harger2ksi.htm , but discovered that voltage returns to pack voltage when charge is 'complete'....

[mizlplix]

Cool! But, that is a strange thing for it to do. I really racked my brain to guess what that would be good for and I draw a blank.

EXCEPT....If you were sitting in front of the Big Screen watching the Big Game and were waiting for the car to recharge so you could go buy more beer, It would let you know when charging was done if connected to honk the horn...

You would need an enable/disable switch for when you didnt need it, though.

Miz

[jaspersk]

What is the normal delivery time for this charger? I placed an order March 23. I was told it would ship around April 20. When I ask the distributor for an update he just says he'll tell me when it ships. So hard to be patient with a car ready to hit the road.....

[mizlplix]

Sorry, but if it was coming from Sacramento, then it is an ELCON.

If it is coming from China, it is a clone and will have no name on it.

A lot of dealers sell chargers. Some are the Brand name, some are "back door" knock-offs. The difference? A Sacramento ELCON can be sent back for 2 way shipping (and 2 weeks) and be reprogrammed if you need to for some reason. A clone cannot, you are stuck with it. Same for any repairs.....

I have 2 PFC2500 chargers. 1 is real and sez ELCON and has a fan on it. The other came from China. It is without a fan and needed to have one put on it for the AZ climate.

Both work the same though.

The Chinese one took 6-8 weeks if I remember correctly.

Please PM me when you get it and tell me if it has ELCON written on it or not.

Miz

[jaspersk]

I assumed all Elcon's were built at a factory in China. I guess I was wrong. Not long after posting the note above, I got an email with UPS tracking showing the package shipped from West Sacramento. Can't wait for it to get here.

[dtbaker]

Originally Posted by jaspersk

I assumed all Elcon's were built at a factory in China. I guess I was wrong. Not long after posting the note above, I got an email with UPS tracking showing the package shipped from West Sacramento. Can't wait for it to get here.

the generic units are built in china. the sacramento guys are the US distributor, and the only ones that can (re)program them to your specific voltage/curve.

[Coulomb]

Originally Posted by mizlplix

I have 2 PFC2500 chargers. 1 is real and sez ELCON and has a fan on it.

Interesting. I see you have provided pictures here:

http://www.diyelectriccar.com/forums...&postcount=283

I can't see how the fan is mounted, or where it connects to. Is it just a 12 V fan that you have to connect to your auxiliary battery? Or does it hook into the internal power supply from the charger?

Maybe it's a mains fan, but then in the US there would be the problem of whether it's a 120 V or 240 V fan. The charger will take either, but I don't think that a 240 V fan would be very effective at 120 VAC.

You do seem to get a bit more from Elcon USA than TC Charger in China. Plus hopefully much better support. Did your American charger cost much more than the Chinese one?