Community Forums

woodosgood · 10-06-2017, 02:05 PM

I wanted to ensure I had all the correct (optimum) settings on the Magnum and Precision Energy Management system components. I called Newmar Customer Service and they connected me with someone from Magnum and we reviewed all the settings. I made changes to the type of batteries, the generator run time, the low voltage cuttoff, and other settings.

The folks at Magnum were very helpful and patient and if you want to make sure yours are set right, give Newmar a call and have them contact Magnum. Before you call, it will be helpful to know the brand, number, and amp hours of your house batteries. Take a photo of a label on one of the batteries before you call and that should tell you everything you need to know (except how many batteries you have). You will also need to be in your coach during the call so you can make any changes.

I also talked to Precision and found there are no settings that an owner can make but I did get an education on what the data on the screen is telling me (one is the name and sequence of which appliances will be shut down if more power is demanded than is available).

I am not providing you with my settings because you may not have the same equipment as my coach.

Kiawah · 10-06-2017, 02:35 PM

You should actually have multiple configuration settings that are different, based upon 'scenario'. At least two.

For instance, one scenario is if you are at a 20 amp or 30 amp shorepower. In this case, you want to minimize the amount of 120vac current that the charger uses to charge your house batteries, so that the bulk of the remaining 20 amps can be used for the other devices (refrig, tv's, mwave), or if on 30 amps also a h2o heater or A/C. If you don't limit the charger, you have a higher probability of tripping the breaker. You don't want the charger using 10 amps of your only 20 or 30 amps available. Many people have storage facilities that only have 20 amps available.

Another 'scenario' is if you are boondocking. In that case you are running off batteries, and at some point you will need to run your generator to recharge your batteries. In this scenario, you want the charger running with maximum current, so that you minimize the generator run time. So you want to have Magnum settings that allow the charger to run at full capacity. Your generator has plenty of current available, you want everything running full blast.

I have a chart I built/reference when I get to a site, which I use to both reconfigure the Magnum and also turn on/off some of the high current devices. My scenarios are (20 amp shore, 30 amp shore, 50 amp shore, and boondocking/generator).

It's just a matter of optimizing your electrical consumption, based upon what you have available.

DrPhil · 10-07-2017, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiawah

I have a chart I built/reference when I get to a site, which I use to both reconfigure the Magnum and also turn on/off some of the high current devices. My scenarios are (20 amp shore, 30 amp shore, 50 amp shore, and boondocking/generator).

You're gonna tell us about your chart and then not share???

Kiawah · 10-07-2017, 08:30 AM

Quote:

You're gonna tell us about your chart and then not share???

My specific settings couldn't be used. I've installed a Magnum BMK, added additional batteries, and upgraded the RC50 with a ARC50 which has different configuration parameters (I manage via SOC).

Just go through the Magnum manual and put each configuration setting into three main buckets.

- Those settings that you accept the Magnum default
- Those that you modify specific to your coach, overriding the Magnum defaults (which you don't change based on scenario)
- and then those that are scenario specific, that you change on a regular basis.

Then there are a few which may occasionally get changed, like quiet times.

Keep the first 2 documented in your operations binder, in case you need to re-enter them after a Magnum reset. The scenario's can go on an easy reference card, just a small subset of the settings.

DrPhil · 10-07-2017, 09:59 AM

Hmmm. I guess I thought I saw the magnum and precision controls talking to one another when specifying 20 or 30 amps. Specifically it seemed to manage the charge control amperage automatically. Am I mistaken?