Converting Parallax 7345 Charger/Converter to PD4655V system

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whemme
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Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:05 pm

Converting Parallax 7345 Charger/Converter to PD4655V system

Post by whemme »

This post covers the replacement of an existing single-stage Magnetek or Parallax 7345 (or earlier model 6300 series) Charger/Converter section in your power panel to a modern 3-stage Progressive Dynamics PD4655V Charger/Converter section.

Listed below are good reasons to replace your Magnetek/Parallax single-stage charger/converter with a modern 3-stage unit.

1) Your Magnetek/Parallax unit has quit working
2) If your coach is left plugged in for extended periods of time such as during extended stays at RV campgrounds or when in storage and with the house battery master switch turned ON, the existing single stage unit will over-charge your batteries and cause cell water loss requiring frequent addition of distilled water to be all battery cells. This is also damaging to your batteries and will shorten their life.
3) For those that do some amount of dry camping, the existing pair of deep-cycle batteries will last only about 2 days before they become fully discharged especially if it is cold out and the furnace is running frequently. It will take the single-stage Magnetek/Parallax charger/converter approximately 3 days to recharge the batteries back to the 90% level using either shore line power or running the generator. A modern 3-stage charger/converter will bring your discharged house batteries back to the 90% level in only 3 hours - that's 3 hours vs 72 hours. Would you really like to run your generator for 3 days to recharge your house batteries?!

Progressive Dynamics has 3 different 4-stage units that could be installed in place of the Parallax 7345. The 1st unit they produced is their PD9160A but it is no longer being recommended for installation because of its relative installation difficulty. The same is true of the 2nd unit they produced which was their PD9260C - also relatively difficult to install. Their 3rd unit, the PD4655V, is now the recommended unit because it is a much easier installation. All three units work equally well, it is only because of the ease of installation that I now recommend the PD4655V.

The 4 stages or modes provided by the various Progressive Dynamics units are as follows and are selected automatically by the unit based on the charge condition of the house batteries:

BOOST Mode 14.4 Volts - Rapidly brings RV battery up to 90% of full charge.
NORMAL Mode 13.6 Volts - Safely completes the charge.
STORAGE Mode 13.2 Volts - Maintains charge with minimal gassing or water loss.
DESULFATION Mode 14.4 Volts every 21 hours for a period of 15 minutes to prevent battery stratification.

It is highly recommended that you consider installing the PD4655V unit rather than either the PD9160A or PD9260C units at this time due to the much simpler installation effort required.

The PD4655V unit can be purchased currently for $197.50 from BestConverter.com at the following website link: http://www.bestconverter.com/PD4655V-55 ... JiiFxxM-Ho. An image of this unit is shown below at the bottom of this post.

The whole series of Progressive Dynamics various PD4600 units along with the 4600 Series Remote Pendant can be viewed by clicking on the following website link: http://www.bestconverter.com/4600-serie ... c_133.html

Also, it is possible to change out an earlier Magnetek 6300 series Charger/Converter using additional special instructions found and provided at the very bottom of the other detailed instructions provided in the website link.

Click on the blue Download button in the window below titled Progressive Dynamics PD4600 Series Converter-Charger Installation Manual.pdf to view and/or print out a detailed factory replacement guide and operation manual for the PD4655V unit.

If you are going to install the PD4655V Charger/Converter replacement unit, then pay attention to the following important information: The PD4655V unit will come with a replacement DC power distribution and fuse pc board as shown in the photo below. The reason that Progressive Dynamics supplies a new DC fuse board to be installed is because it contains a manual push-button mode control switch (called the Wizard Mode Button) and a mode annunciator LED for the 3-mode changer/converter circuitry. The switch and annunciator permit you to have manual over-ride control of the unit's three charging modes and an annunicator to tell you which mode the unit is currently in.

However, I highly recommend that you do not install this new pc board. The reason is changing out the existing DC fuse board and installing the supplied replacement can be difficult and challenging. This is especially true if your coach happens to be equipped with the newer P model of the Parallax 7345 Charger/Converter. The P model can be identified by the fact that all of the DC distribution wires leaving the DC fuse board are multi-colored groups of 3 wires each in colors red, orange, yellow, green, & blue.

If you want these optional functions, then this same switch and annunciator function can be obtained thru the installation instead of a 4600 Series Remote Pendant. The 4600 Series Remote Pendant that is available from BestConverter.com separately for $24.95 or for only $15.00 if ordered with the PD4655V Charger/Converter. Click on the following link for a view of this Remote Pendant: http://www.bestconverter.com/Remote-Pen ... JijfxxM-Ho

The connector on the end of the cable of the 4600 Series Remote Pendant is plugged into the mating socket on the PD4655V unit to complete the installation. The remote pendant can be mounted anywhere outside the cover of the Parallax power panel system so it is convenient to view and operate. It is recommended that you purchase and install the optional 4600 Series Remote Pendant if you want to be able to monitor the mode status of the PD4655V and to be be able to manually over-ride its automatic mode selection and place it into one of the 3 modes of your own choice.

NOTE: Also review another post on this same topic by Bruce Hinde in this same Coach Modifications section titled Installation Procedures for PD4655V Charger/Converter.
Attachments
Parallax 7345P DC Fuse Board Photo.jpg
This is what the DC fuse board looks like in a Parallax 7345P model charger/converter. Believe me, you do not want to replace this fuse board with the one supplied with the replacement PD4655 charger/converter. Install instead the modified PD92201 Remote
(226.96 KiB) Downloaded 6706 times
This is an image of what the PD4655 Charger/Converter section looks like.
This is an image of what the PD4655 Charger/Converter section looks like.
PD4655 Charger-Converter Image.jpg (117.45 KiB) Viewed 26533 times
Progressive Dynamics PD4600 Series Converter-Charger Installation Manual.pdf
Click on the blue Download button to the right to view and/or print out a detailed factory replacement guide and operation manual for the Progressive Dynamics PD4600 Series of charger/converters.
(2.6 MiB) Downloaded 1963 times
This is a picture of the supplied replacement DC Power Distribution and Fuse PC Board that I recommend to not install!
This is a picture of the supplied replacement DC Power Distribution and Fuse PC Board that I recommend to not install!
Replacement DC Power Distribution and Fuse PC Board.jpg (15.29 KiB) Viewed 26539 times
PD92201 Pendant Modification for PD4600 Series Usage.pdf
Click on the blue Download button to the right to view and/or print out a detailed factory replacement guide and operation manual for the Progressive Dynamics PD4600 Series of charger/converters.
(275.26 KiB) Downloaded 1408 times
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad

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