Community Forums

dirwin · 06-10-2023, 11:41 AM

I have two battery drawers (each with 4 6v batteries) and two charger/inverters.

1. Are the batteries on one drawer a distinct bank connected to one charger, or are the two battery drawers one single bank?

2. If there is one large bank, why the two chargers?

3. If the banks are separate then what advantage does this provide?

Gary.Jones · 06-10-2023, 12:17 PM

The banks are not separate. The banks are combined. There are two separate inverters simply because until just a year or so ago, ALL Entegra diesel pushers had two separate inverters and therefore a level of redundancy inside the coach. I know my Cornerstone has two Magnum inverters. I believe one is 3,000 watts and the second inverter is 2,000 (might be wrong on the individual ratings)(both may be 3,000 watts). Redundancy is considered a good thing when it comes to your power.... Only 1 inverter would give me a very bad case of the "willies". !

Gary

dirwin · 06-10-2023, 12:33 PM

Thanks Gary,

So if there is one battery bank does that mean that both chargers are charging the single bank?

My two chargers do not always show the exact same voltage or current draw.

Does this mean that I could turn off one of the charger/inverters and the full battery bank would still charge? (maybe slower)

Since my fridge is off the second inverter I assume that the inverted power is split between the two units but drawing off the same singe bank.

Thanks again.

Poppedclams · 06-10-2023, 09:14 PM

following

757driver · 06-11-2023, 11:29 AM

You have two trays of 4 batteries each. One inverter is connected to the top set and one inverter is connected to the bottom set. 12v house power is either fed off of the top or bottom tray.

Even though it looks like two distinct battery banks it is just one large bank of 8 6v batteries. The two trays are connected together on the right side (battery side) of the two inverter catastrophe fuses located on the back wall behind the batteries.

One of your inverter/chargers is 2800 watts and the other is 2000 watts. The larger inverter has a 120 amp charger and the smaller one a 100 amp charger. It is not unusual to see one charger (usually the larger one) act as a master and the other one a slave especially during low charger demands such as float.

Even during bulk and absorb if both chargers are set up the same (as they should be) the larger charger will contribute more AH to the batteries than the smaller charger.

Yes, you could turn off one charger or the other and the remaining charger will charge the battery bank albeit a lot slower but I see no reason to do that.

Gary.Jones · 06-11-2023, 12:24 PM

dirwin

Oh, the answer to your question #2 is that if you have only 1 inverter, if it goes out, you are really in a bad spot..... Viva redundancy!

Gary

SouthTX · 06-12-2023, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

dirwin

Oh, the answer to your question #2 is that if you have only 1 inverter, if it goes out, you are really in a bad spot..... Viva redundancy!

Gary

Yes, redundancy is important. I have a backup charger, but only one inverter.

We left on a trip last week and found that we didn't have AC power in the coach. Had 120 AC at the pole and from the gennie, but couldn't access it. Tried everything and finally got it working, but nothing made sense. Apparently, the transfer relay shut things down until the charger cooled - it was set to charge at the max rate and it appears that the fan failed. It was tough to troubleshoot because the inverter would come back to life at random intervals regardless of all the things I was trying.

In calling several shops looking for someone who could repair it, I was told by two different shops that they no longer worked on Magnum equipment because they couldn't obtain repair parts. A third shop - which sells lots and lots of this type of equipment - said they stopped selling Magnum because the word was out that Magnum was going to get out of the RV/Boat type equipment business. All unconfirmed information, but it made switching to a Victron system an easy choice.

I've always had good service from Victron equipment and it turns out that the equivalent inverter/charger is about $1000 less expensive than the Magnum - if it were available. Of course this is partially offset by the need to add a communications dohicky, but the Victron system also provides wifi and BT capability.

Gary.Jones · 06-13-2023, 07:43 AM

That is the first time that I have heard any information about Magnum going out of business. I, frankly, have a hard time believing that, because they have been the "gold standard" on inverters for a very long time and they are the equipment that is interfaced with the VegaTough software that you have on board. I'd advise making darn sure that the information you are getting is the straight story because interfacing another manufacturer into your coach is going to be a big pain in the butt, IMHO.

Hopefully someone else with full information from the manufacturer come on here to straighten us all out.

Gary

brobox · 06-13-2023, 08:09 AM

I store in an aircraft hanger with 20 amp shared power. During Snowbird season when the hanger is full with boats and RV's. I have to drop down to one charger so there is enough power that everyone can have their chargers on. It keeps the batteries charged fine, and leaves enough amps for everyone else.

Mark_K5LXP · 06-13-2023, 08:34 AM

Are the two inverters feeding separate circuits or somehow bridged/switched to feed the entire coach?

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

RayandWendy · 06-13-2023, 08:44 AM

The 2 inverters feed separate circuits. If you look at your sub panel breakers you'll see they are color coded according to which is inverter 1 and which is 2.
Later...
Ray

SouthTX · 06-13-2023, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary.Jones

That is the first time that I have heard any information about Magnum going out of business. I, frankly, have a hard time believing that, because they have been the "gold standard" on inverters for a very long time and they are the equipment that is interfaced with the VegaTough software that you have on board. I'd advise making darn sure that the information you are getting is the straight story because interfacing another manufacturer into your coach is going to be a big pain in the butt, IMHO.

Hopefully someone else with full information from the manufacturer come on here to straighten us all out.

Gary

I was surprised, too, and don't have any information other than what I said. Two shops said they couldn't get parts and another said the *rumor* in the industry was that Magnum was going to quit the RV/boat business. The invertersrus.com website shows all the Magnum inverter/chargers out of stock. Don't shoot the messenger, I was just sharing what I have run into trying to fix/replace my Magnum.

I'm not afraid to tear into the Magnum to replace the transfer relay, but with the availability of repair parts in question the brand swap is really my only option.

The problem I'm running into, now, is that there are so many flavors of Victron inverter/chargers that every source tells me that I need something different. Once I get that sorted, I think the changeover will be relatively painless.

The fact that my 2019 Aspire was the last non-VT model was a major factor in my purchase decision. I'm an analog kind of guy resisting being drug into the digital world.

As for the actual conversion, Victron makes an inverter/charger with basically the same footprint as the existing Magnum MSH3012RV. What I was most concerned about was replacing the Magnum ARC remote as the Victron uses an HDMI panel rather than RJ12 cable. However, the Victron Cerbo gives me full BT and wifi control of the inverter/charger as well as SOC info from the smart shunt.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but so far things seem to be falling into place. I'm counting on the accumulated knowledge of this forum to get me over the glitches that are inevitable and appreciate the education I've already received.

brobox · 06-13-2023, 10:29 AM

Here is the latest on Google dated Feb 23 regarding Magnum. It looks like they have fallen to a Venture Capitol company much like Rand McNally
Who acquired Magnum?
3 Rivers Capital
3 Rivers Capital (Pitt has acquired Magnum Systems (Lenexa, Kan.) marking the Pittsburgh-based private equity firm's first investment in the Industrial Automation industry.Feb 15, 2023

It might be the reason Entegra is no longer using Magnum in their coaches. The techs could have run into the same problem Rand McNally owners have for continued support in their dash GPS's. Venture Capitalist have a way of totally changing a company's direction. At least Evens Tempcon parts and service is readily available even though they are long gone (twice).

South TX,
Since our coaches were built, I also had a 19, Magnum it looks like it's going a different direction as did Rand Mc Nally that was sold in bankruptcy, but still installed in the 19 coaches. They dropped RV's and are strictly Fleet Truck and the trucking industry. Evens Tempcon sold out to Pro Air and Pro Air sold in Bankruptcy. Pro Air replaced "something" in my coach in Aug, now there are no records what was done. The new company also got out of the RV business and are strictly busses now.

I owned an orphaned, Travel Supreme, now it looks like we are headed for orphaned vendors on the Entegra as we are finding out when service is needed. I've been there with the TS, you made the right move going forward.

Gary.Jones · 06-13-2023, 10:49 AM

I just got off the phone with Magnum Inverter customer technical service and I went through the main points contained earlier in this thread.

First, the fellow I talked to says, "Absolutely not true" that Magnum has gone out of business or is anywhere close to going out of business.

Second, he says that they did have trouble with COVID supply issues and there were times when they were having trouble getting their hands on units Stateside.

Third. He says they have new units available and are definitely back to shipping replacements.

Now, that is a human that I talked to on the phone, but it satisfies my curiosity as of this moment that this "going out of business" is just a rumor, one of many that start on any forum. I am wide open to confirming or disconfirming information, but want to covey to the group what I am being told by a factory rep.

Gary