Herald / Oragon panel charging light
I've moved this thread to a new topic; so to consolidate my conundrum, the green light on my Zig Mkiii switch panel is not going on anymore even when I'm connected to a 240v supply. The red light comes up when I switch to aux battery and there is 12.5v from the output of the Zig battery charger . Can anyone advise please whether they think the output from my BC is insufficient ( should be 13.8v ?) or perhaps the pcb behind the panel is shot which isn't allowing the switch from 230v via the BC to happen or of course the green diode has maybe blown ? I'm not sure how that panel switch works in principal. Anyone ?
Thanks
Comments
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I had the the 240v supply connected to the input of the BC and measured from (firstly) the red number one spade outlet across to the black number 3 spade outlet . Then secondly from number two spade outlet - which is piggybacked with another red wire, across
to the black number 3 outlet ,0 -
Do your 12v lights work when on Aux battery or EHU?
When the Aux battery is fully charged the Zig charger voltage will drop to stop the battery being over-charged.
What is the no-load voltage of the Aux battery with one lead disconnected?
What is the output voltage of the charger unit, also with one battery lead disconnected?
The red LED may be coming on because there is a poor connection (i.e. high resistance) between the Aux battery and the Zig panel. Check that the connections on the Aux battery are clean and check the other ends at the Zig unit.
I had more or less the same situation last summer and to avoid wasting time following the (buried) existing leads and examining them I cured it by running new leads from the Aux battery to the Zig panel.
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On that basis I can only suspect that the voltage you measured was that from the battery and that the charger was doing nothing. I expect that you have done the usual basic checks, fuses etc. so it certainly sounds more serious. I have no direct knowledge
of your equipment and rather hope that other readers may be able to assist you in more detail. I will keep watching the thread with interest....agreed, sounds like the charger is not charging and you are reading the baytery level....
if the battery was partially discharged, i would expect 14.4? v or thereabouts from a charger...
a 'reading' of 12.5v suggests a partially discharged (80% full) battery.
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I agree with the diagnosis of a duff charger / fuse / MCB tripped. Was the power light on the charger illuminated?
I've fitted an additional LED in my van which is connected to a terminal on the charger. This lights when the charger is charging the aux. battery. Only an LED needed - no other components, so costs very little (from Maplins).
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Latest update ( popping back in to warm up and update site.
The charger is pumping out 13.8v from both red outlet spades with the van / aux battery disconnected, so thats good news. I'm getting 13.8 up to the switch / control panel but I'm back to my ioriginal head scratch; why wont the diode light go to green (
indiscating full charge and high input supply) when I switch it across. Its only showing the red dode light when I flick thw switch to that circuit. Is that panel switch a yes/no switch or a left circuit / right cuicuit switch. I can see I'm going to have
to splkt it open to find that out because if its a left / right circuit switch which isn't doing its job then thats where the fault MUST be - surely ?Watch this space. .
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I found the Zig panel on my last van was very unreliable and so I rebuilt it. The high/low voltage circuit is a fairly simple voltage comparator, and I believe it has a preset adjustment. It is possible that it has simply drifted off the correct setting.
Electronics do tend to be affected by cold.My current van has a volt meter in the Zig, so no problems with that. One modification you might consider is that you can buy small digital voltmeter modules for a few pounds.
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Is the 13.8v at the panel with the charger 'on' or 'off'?
If it's with the charger 'on' turn it off and check voltage at the control panel again because you may be reading the charger voltage and not the battery voltage at the panel.
What is the voltage at the battery terminals/posts with no load on the battery, and the charger 'off'?
With 13.8v feeding the panel the LED should show green regardless of whether it's fed by the battery or the charger, but if you have poor or corroded connections at the battery terminals or the panel the voltage will get through but not enough current to trip the LED to green because the corrosion will produce a high internal resistance which will allow the voltage to pass but very little current.
As you're no doubt aware it's a bit like looking for a water leak when you have to work your way around the 'pipes' from the known good source until you find the 'leak'.
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Many thanks to all who have given their time to help me on this. If nothing else its reminded me how hopeless I am at electrics. I know its purely logical but ......... Anyway, I've thrown the towel in and asked my sons friend who is a wizz with electrics
to come over. I hope they dont want to be paid in beers !!0 -
Anyway, I've thrown the towel in and asked my sons friend who is a wizz with electrics to come over. I hope they dont want to be paid in
beers !!Don't let him at the beers until the job's done!
Electrics can be very frustrating as you can't 'see' anything but it takes a wiser man to know when to stop than to carry on and c*ck it up completely.
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Final chapter on this one. Turns out the fuse in the glove box had blown and was therefore not allowing a current from the aux battery back to the control panel and therefore wouldn't work without outside 240v supply PLUS the green LED light on the panel
had gone awol. Not being a clever person I just coyldn't fathom it and ( apparently) made the mistake of assuming the lightfailure and none aux supply were one and the same fault. "All's well that ends" Thanks again for your help. Martin0
