PD9140A Has Gone Bad

[gary berry]

Hey All;

It looks like my IntelliPower PD9140A has given up it's magic smoke. Is this still the AC to DC Converter to use or is there a better one?

Gary Berry in Prosser, WA
1973 GMC Stretch

 

[Ken B]

Why don't you contact Progressive Dynamics Service department in Marshall, Michigan.

https://www.progressivedyn.com/

They will fix and return it you. Mine has been plugged in and running 24/7 for 14 or 15 years except while traveling down the road.

Address: 507 Industrial Rd,
Marshall, MI 49068
Phone: (269) 781-4241
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

 

[gary berry]

Hey Ken;

Thanks for the info. The problem was that I'm looking to take off on a 4 month walkabout and I don't have time to wait for delivery times. Was
looking for something that might be better, but I've been really happy with this unit. So as it turns out, the PD9140A that I have just blew both of
it's output 25A fuses. It really destroyed them. Found some new ones and installed them. Plugged it in and it's running fine. At the time they blew, I
was running the generator and the engine and had shore power attached. Not sure which combination caused them to blow, but right now I just have it
plugged into shore power and the batteries are charging. Thanks again for the tip.

Gary Berry
73 CL Stretch
Prosser, WA

 

[Ken B]

OK Gary,

I have never been inside that unit so I do not know if those fuses are on the input side (120 volt AC) or on the output side (12 volt DC).

If I wanted a spare, I would buy the same thing again. You are one of the few people that have reported to have a problem with one.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

 

[Rdenney]

Those fuses are on the 12-volt outputs, and they are primarily there to
protect it from a big mistake, like wiring a battery backwards. Ask me how
I know.

Hitting the boost solenoid when the chassis battery is really low and the
coach is plugged in could to it, too, if there's no other protection.

Rick “unit should never draw more than about 5 amps in the 120-VAC side”
Denney

On Sat, Dec 14, 2019 at 5:47 PM Ken Burton via Gmclist <

> OK Gary,
>
> I have never been inside that unit so I do not know if those fuses are on
> the input side (120 volt AC) or on the output side (12 volt DC).
>
> If I wanted a spare, I would buy the same thing again. You are one of
> the few people that have reported to have a problem with one.
> --
> Ken Burton - N9KB
> 76 Palm Beach
> Hebron, Indiana
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
--
'73 X-Glacier 230 "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
Offlist email: rick at rickdenney dot com

 

[shawn bennear]

not to sound idiotic, but one of these would replace my original and still running buzzbox? Is 40 amp enough?

Shawn
--
http://www.gmcmotorhomeworld.com

1977 Palm Beach, 403 V8 w headers.

 

[Jim Hupy]

Visit their website, or look in Applied GMC site as well. Lots of choices.
If you think towards the future, you might upgrade to 65 amps or so.
Remember, you can weld quite nicely with 40 amps at 12 volts.
But, the old BUZZ box has got to go. They have tried countless
batteries, including 3 of mine.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon

On Sat, Dec 14, 2019, 7:47 PM Shawn Bennear via Gmclist <

> not to sound idiotic, but one of these would replace my original and still
> running buzzbox? Is 40 amp enough?
>
> Shawn
> --
> http://www.gmcmotorhomeworld.com
>
> 1977 Palm Beach, 403 V8 w headers.
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

 

[Jim Hupy]

Darn spell check. I meant Fried, not tried.
Jim Hupy
Salem, Oregon

> Visit their website, or look in Applied GMC site as well. Lots of
> choices. If you think towards the future, you might upgrade to 65 amps or
> so. Remember, you can weld quite nicely with 40 amps at 12 volts.
> But, the old BUZZ box has got to go. They have tried countless
> batteries, including 3 of mine.
> Jim Hupy
> Salem, Oregon
>
> On Sat, Dec 14, 2019, 7:47 PM Shawn Bennear via Gmclist <

>
>> not to sound idiotic, but one of these would replace my original and
>> still running buzzbox? Is 40 amp enough?
>>
>> Shawn
>> --
>> http://www.gmcmotorhomeworld.com
>>
>> 1977 Palm Beach, 403 V8 w headers.
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>>
>

 

[Rdenney]

40 amps has always been enough for me, but I don’t run a huge battery bank.
It’s abundant for the single house batteries that GM used. For two, it’s
marginal for charging them if they are depleted, but still adequate.

Rick “more amps will need bigger wires” Denney

On Sat, Dec 14, 2019 at 10:47 PM Shawn Bennear via Gmclist <

> not to sound idiotic, but one of these would replace my original and still
> running buzzbox? Is 40 amp enough?
>
> Shawn
> --
> http://www.gmcmotorhomeworld.com
>
> 1977 Palm Beach, 403 V8 w headers.
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
--
'73 X-Glacier 230 "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
Offlist email: rick at rickdenney dot com

 

[Matt Colie]

Gary,

While not an EE, as a ship's engineer I have been taking care of batteries and doing electrics on on small (less than 200 ton) vessels for a long
time. I will advise that unless you have a special case, you stay in the 40 amp neighborhood. Even if the house bank has been upgraded from the Grp
31 that is usually in the front of coaches our age. There are two issues of importance.

First is the gauge of the existing wires. They were sized for the 40 amp converter. The next stop is 60, and while that is not likely to be a fire
hazard, the additional will just heat things.

Then, if your coach is still as built, the conductor to the house bank is too long and small to ever get over 30 (27.5) amps no matter what you do.
Trust me on this, I think I worn out the BTDT shirt.

My house bank was a pair of GC2s and is now 105s (slight upgrade), and there was nothing I could do to recover the house bank from either shore power
or APU in less than a good number of hours. That is OK, the bank likes the slow charge better.

Glad you found the blown fuses, but were I you, I would keep a watch on things. The conditions that blow those fuses are not common and unless there
has been a failure they should be good for a long time.

Do you have the Wizard pendant for the 9140? If you do not, it is worth getting it. That will make the PD much more correct and the bank will love
you for it.

Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan
OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit

 

[Matt Colie]

Gary,

While not an EE, as a ship's engineer I have been taking care of batteries and doing electrics on on small (less than 200 ton) vessels for a long
time. I will advise that unless you have a special case, you stay in the 40 amp neighborhood. Even if the house bank has been upgraded from the Grp
31 that is usually in the front of coaches our age. There are two issues of importance.

First is the gauge of the existing wires. They were sized for the 40 amp converter. The next stop is 60, and while that is not likely to be a fire
hazard, the additional will just heat things.

Then, if your coach is still as built, the conductor to the house bank is too long and small to ever get over 30 (27.5) amps no matter what you do.
Trust me on this, I think I worn out the BTDT shirt.

My house bank was a pair of GC2s and is now 105s (slight upgrade), and there was nothing I could do to recover the house bank from either shore power
or APU in less than a good number of hours. That is OK, the bank likes the slow charge better.

Glad you found the blown fuses, but were I you, I would keep a watch on things. The conditions that blow those fuses are not common and unless there
has been a failure they should be good for a long time.

Do you have the Wizard pendant for the 9140? If you do not, it is worth getting it. That will make the PD much more correct and the bank will love
you for it.

Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan
OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit