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WS500 switches to float early

  • J
    I\'ve been looking at and logging the data from the WS50o installed on my boat. It often (almost always) switches to Float from Accept early, and always due to a transient when a house load shuts off. The scenario is, after the charge has dropped to below about 50 or 60A during Accept, a house load switches on. Typically this is the inverter powering something, but it can also be the windlass or some other load. The voltage dips, then the WS500 increases field to pick up the load, bringing the voltage back to the set point. Then the house load switches off and the WS500 instantly goes into Float. At Float voltage, it charges at about 1/3 or 1/4 the rate, greatly lengthening the finishing charge on the AGM bank. I can send it back to Accept with an $FRM:A and it returns to where it left off, but the next similar transient will again switch it to Float. If it is charging heavily enough (like >60A) I have not seen this happen. In an AGM system, there should be no hurry to switch to Float, far better to average this over several minutes. A few extra minutes at Accept voltage is much better than a chronic undercharge due to switching to Float early. Different in an LFP system, of course. The switch back from Float to Accept on the other hand, seems heavily filtered. I have numerous examples of this captured with Putty. Is there some setup thing I\'m missing? I\'ve attached an example, charging at about 23A in Accept, espresso machine is switched on drawing about 800W from the inverter. When it is switched off, WS500 switches to Float, and is now charging at 8A.  
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  • R
    Hey Jon,  I have included Al from Wakespeed in this reply and hopefully he can give you some feedback on this one. @al-thomason
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  • J
    Thanks, seems like this would be easy to fix (assuming I haven\'t broken it myself somehow). It would also fix another problem I have: Due to the topology of the boat wiring, the alternator is connected to the engine start battery, and charges the house through a Blue Sea automatic combining relay. This works fine, except: the Blue Sea has a 30 or 90 second delay before connecting (depending on voltage). In that 30 seconds, the regulator goes through ramp, Bulk, Accept, and switches to float, seeing only the engine start battery which is pretty much always charged. This happens in just a few seconds after the 15 second ramp delay. By the time the combiner combines, it is in float and will not switch back, in spite of the very heavy charge into the house. Delaying the ramp does not help, since the Blue Seas delay begins near the start of ramp (at 13.5V), whenever that is. If the switch from Accept to Float was qualified either by time (say 5 minutes within the criteria window of voltage and amperage), it would solve both of the problems I am seeing.
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  • R
    Al, any thoughts on this one? @al-thomason
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  • J
    Hmm... crickets on this? I bought the Wakespeed to solve this problem (switch to float early), replacing a Balmar 614. The Balmar did not have the hardware necessary to address it, the WS500 does - if the programming was done to take advantage. At this point it isn\'t much better in this regard than the Balmar. The cause is nearly the same - inability to properly handle changing house loads. The Balmar had to guess at the house vs. charge current, the WS500 can measure it - but seems to jump the gun.
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  • R
    You may want to reach out to Wakespeed directly.  Here\'s the link to their contact information
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  • J
    Yeah, I\'ve called and emailed before starting this thread. So far, no reply to either. I\'ll give that another try.
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  • g
    Jon, I have a similar issue: system drops to Float early. I dont think I am pulling amps down at the time. No luck getting any response from Wakespeed. ANy luck at your end?
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  • R
    Al, can you help out on this one? @al-thomason
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  • A
    Gregory, Hello.  I have reached out to support to have then follow up to your question.  Please be looking for that and sorry for the delay.  (In short, all the phases are documented in the WS500 Communicators and Configuration guide) I might a suggest updating to the latest firmware, 2.5.0 if you are having other issues.  Please be looking for the Email from support if have any other questions. -al-    
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  • g
    Thanks Al, I will upgrade the sw today.
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