PINNED ZXD2400 Old + New 0-60V 0-50A Power Supply & Charger

[Burgerman]

The difference is that good batteries like odyssey AGM are 2.5mOhm. And so very solid. Which will start a big truck in siberia winter. And charge from 0 to 90% in one hour. With adequate charge current @14.7V and heavy cables. No inrush current limit.

MK gel, sonenschein gel, move gel, haze EV gel, are 4 to 5mOhm which is DOUBLE the impedance and double the surface charge effect which slows charging and reduces torque. And reduces max current by more than half. And so they drop to a lower current faster when charging too.

All other brands of AGM or gel seem to be even worse and are 6 to 8 or even 10mOhm. Or more... So run away!

Even GOOD gel batteries (MK gel, sonenschein gel, move gel, haze EV gel) start off good, but after charging for a few weeks with a crappy mobility charger end up like the bad ones... The incorrect charge voltage used to try and speed up charging (above the 13.8 to 14.1 safe level) shrinks and creates voids in the gel. The fact that they stop charge too soon, also then allows them to sulphate. Both these things increase impedance, and decrease capacity... And take ever longer to complete a full charge.

Theres one more thing.
IF you charge at 12A via an Anderson connection an heavier cables, then it sits at that 12A or more for longer. Much longer. Because the resistance of long thin bus cables, XLR connectors etc means that the voltage at the battery under charge is closer to the battery voltage.

A battery while under charge has a higher voltage than one just sat there. Due to surface charge. So the difference between charge voltage and battery voltage may be a fraction of a volt. Only heavy cables allow big currents to flow from charger to battery.

So it may be both of these things.

As an asside, the lower the impedance, the more of that batteries Ah you can actually use at the high rate we need. An odyssey battery of 68Ah will take you further than an 85Ah cheap chinese 8mOhm AGM

[Burgerman]

Not finished yet.
Hope it could catch the last flight before Chinese New Year, or will be put after till mid February.

What are the chances?

[shirley_hkg]

Modification completed today. Heading south from central China

Scheduled to ship this Friday.

[Burgerman]

[Burgerman]

Best settings for 60 to 80Ah GEL via the XLR charge port.
Increase to 25A for Anderson...

Whatever the charger!
28.20V (prsume room temperture)
12A max (XLR charge limit)
Transition to Float 0.35A (ADJUST as needed to get approx 7 to 8 hours CV on a deep discharge cycle)
Float 8 hours @ 27.0V (or 4 hours at 27.2V, or 2 hours at 27.6V or indefinite storage at 26.6V)
Set to "brown" so auto off when float timer ends.

[Burgerman]

Best settings for 60 to 80Ah AGM via the XLR charge port.
Increase to 25A for Anderson...

Whatever the charger!
28.80V (prsume room temperture)
12A max (XLR charge limit)
Transition to Float 0.30A (ADJUST as needed to get approx 8 hours CV on a deep discharge)
Float 8 hours @ 27.2V (or 4 hours at 27.6V MAX or indefinite storage at 26.6V)

[Burgerman]

Best settings for 60 to 80Ah ODYSSEY/OPTIMA via the XLR charge port.
Increase to 50A for Anderson...

Whatever the charger!
29.20V (presume room temperture)
12A max (XLR charge limit)
Transition to Float 0.30A (ADJUST as needed to get approx 8 hours CV on a deep discharge)
Float 8 hours @ 27.2V (27.6 for 2 to 3 hours) (indefinite storage at 26.6V)

[Burgerman]

USER
ADVANCED
FACTORY

Menus. Top and bottom halves, and for FACTORY teres a middle and lower middle too...

USER MENU top half

USER MENU lower half

ADVANCED MENU top half

ADVANCED MENU bottom half

FACTORY MENU 1 of 4

FACTORY MENU 2

FACTORY MENU 3

FACTORY MENU 4 final...

[shirley_hkg]

2 sets, catch the last flight before Chinese New Year.

[Burgerman]

Whoohoo, I think mines is one of them!

Now I have 2 of the newer ones... Will clone all the user/advanced/factory settings, so both the same. And both 0-70V and 0-50A. Will leave max watts set to 3000 though. I dont want to cause any issues. What this means is that it will stay at 50A max in use at up to 60V (60 X 50 = 30000) but if the voltage rises above this the current will fall away automatically (and safely) to 43 Amps max @ 70V

Not that I am likely to use it at 70V anytime soon!

Notice that I have max Amps set low at 12A here. So that my carers cannot destroy my XLR input or controller/loom wiring inadvertantly.
And that it is set for 70V max...

[biscuit]

How do we reset the machine to how it was when we got it, please? I made various changes, I'm not 100% sure what they were. Probably screen brightness & idle and zero thresholds for current (and maybe voltage) as I had issues with these two.

Also, in the user menu
auto start up
auto output after start up
what do these two do?

[Burgerman]

How do we reset the machine to how it was when we got it, please? I made various changes, I'm not 100% sure what they were. Probably screen brightness & idle and zero thresholds for current (and maybe voltage) as I had issues with these two.

Not sure. But why would you? Just set as needed.
There is a setting though that resets it to default setting, I think, just dont remember what its called.

Also, in the user menu
auto start up

TURNS ON AUTOMATICALLY IF YOU CONNECT TO WALL...

auto output after start up

STARTS RUNNING OR CHARGING AS SOON AS IT STARTS UP, NO NEED TO PRESS GO!
Only use that if you set correct charge parameters and lock the screen settings. Then it turns it into a plug in and go device like a mobility charger.

[shirley_hkg]

How do we reset the machine to how it was when we got it, please? ?

Try :
Fast Auto Calibration in Advance Menu.

[shirley_hkg]

Happy Chinese New Year to all.

youtu.be/1ZjDsRnpW74

[Raro]

happy new year shirley!

[Burgerman]

Lets hope its a better one!

[Burgerman]

I learned a thing today.
I had some H9 hardness screen protectors sent for my new RC transmitter. They were the wrong size... Replacements on the way.
I asked the manufacturer if they could be cut. They said not without some fancy expensive equipment as it really was a mix of glass/plastic and it would crack/shatter etc.

Well rather than throw away, I took one of the 3. And snipped a corner off with some high quality large scissors. Guess what. You can cut it PERFECTLY with a super clean edge. What? Supposed to not be possible...

So I measured the ZXD large screen "aperture" in the aluminum case. And marked this 0.2mm smaller as a rectangle using my vernier (a fancy ruler) and a steel ruler as a straight edge.
I marked it by SCRATCHING the edge with a scalpel blade. Then I cut with the scissors along the lines.

Cleaned the ZX screen. Removed the protectors backing film, and applied the cut protector. Its perfect. Invisible. No edges, no bubbles and no clue its on there. It has a better glossy shine, it is VERY hard to scratch, and it is easy to clean.

So I cut a 2nd one ready for my newest ZXD that is still on its way!
Knowing this, I am now eyeing up the R-Net joysticks...

[slomobile]

Is there any chance that SCPI compatible firmware is in the works for the ZXD?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_ ... nstruments

[shirley_hkg]

Asked to pair an 8 foot long XLR cable to another ZXD, I come to think if it is useful to use the 4-wires mode with long path.

Added a voltage probe to the XLR, so that exact voltage will be delivered to chair's end, despite of any cable length.

[Burgerman]

Its a bit overkill though. You could have done that with an anderson connector on the rear as then no cable needed to reach from front to back? Thats how I would have done that. But I am OCD...

And the user can:
And set the ZXD in its internal menu to 12A and 29.4V max. For safety. And to auto turn on. And to auto start. Make it plug and play if this is its sole purpose?

[biscuit]

transition current 0.03A not 0.15A

33Ah is half the battery so you need about half the current plus a bit to test. So 0.10A approx. Test. At 0.03 it may never work.

If it doesn't work, what might the symptoms be??

I'd like the transition to be at about 0.05A to completely charge the 33Ah battery (and hopefully take 8 hours to do it, though I have my doubts, as even the PL8 has only ever reported 5 or so hours at CV.)

[biscuit]

I don't like schlepping out to the garage, call me lazy. I'd prefer a full charge and straight to storage voltage.

[Burgerman]

Just set to 26.8V and in power supply mode. That will charge it full, a bit slower, and safe to leave for a day or two or even a week or so.

Leave forever?
Set to 26.4 to 26.5V.

Leave a week?
26.8.

Charge in 24 hours or so, up to 36 hours max? 27.6V.

Charge overnight is more critical, as you can spend too long at the charge voltage esily, so 8 hours at 28.8V gel, 29V AGM.


ALL will end up full...

[biscuit]

Charge overnight is more critical, as you can spend too long at the charge voltage esily

Don't I know it!
The ZXD has totally come into its own. Compensates a lot for the loose screws in my brains. And my crazy busyness when that happens can be at short notice with a nicely charged, not overcharged battery.

I always thought AGMs must be charged at 28.8V and gel at 28.2V?

[Burgerman]

Theres a lot of ways to charge a lead battery.

In CYCLIC USE as in where we do not get long enough to cycle and then charge a deep cycled battery overnight then we have to charge at a voltage that is higher. That ensures we get a charge that is as near 100% as we can (so keeping sulfation damage at bay) in the limited time we have available. So 8h at the specific voltage that is allowable. This RAPID CHARGE voltage is a balance. Between a bunch of things:

-SPEED. As we only have 8 hours. So we need the higheest voltage with the least amount of damage caused.
-ELECTROLYTE LOSS OR DAMAGE FROM GASSING caused by elevated voltage.
-POSITIVE PLATE CORROSION caused by elevated voltages over long periods. Like full 8 hours on an already full battery...
-CELL BALANCE which is achieved in lead by controlled overcharge. So the full ones cant get "fuller" but the low ones can continue to charge. This means a voltage MUST be above the natural full disconnected state of charge. So anything above around 13.15 volts does that.

Now if the battery is already pretty full, it will be overcharged if we dont have a way to limit the charge time. And here we can set a typically 0.4 to 0.15 A point to stop charge or go to float at a lower voltage.

The above is for CYCLIC OPERATION where we have a limited time to charge a battery overnight.

Now, if time isnt an issue we can use a lower (slower to fully charge) and safer for the battery voltage. This causes less gassing, less heat, less recombination, no gel shrinkage, and less grid corrosion.

What voltage to choose?

How much time do you have?
Manufacturers will typically state a cyclic charge voltage (designed for a complete charge of a empty battery in an 8 to 10 hour period. So this may be 14.2 to 14.4V gel, 14.4 to 14.9V AGM. This will do that. But tortures the batteries...

And they also typically state a float charge voltage, maybe 13.5 to 13.7V.
That will charge a discharged battery to 100% in around 30 hours.
It will charge a partly discharged one in 20 hours.
After these times, however its gradually but slowly being overcharged.

So we can choose a lower voltage. Like 13.25V and then it will take a few days 3 or 4? to fully charge a flat battery. But its now not time critical at all. You can and should leave it connected indefinitely if you cant to store a battery.

Does that make it easier???

[biscuit]

So the ZXD settings I am using are good.

power supply mode. That will charge it full, a bit slower, and safe to leave for a day or two or even a week or so.

Power supply mode will not make me happy or my batteries either. I need fully charged batteries for a day's runaround 2 days in a row, then 1-3 days languishing at home while I recover. Boom and bust energy expenditure. Contrary to NHS advice. Necessary at present, not forever. Exhausting and fun in equal measure.

Sunshine or a few million ££ would make things easier. Or .
Thank you for the explanation.

[Burgerman]

Then set a LOW transition, of 0.25A and a high charge voltage for gel of 28.2V. And a low ish float of 26.8V.

Then it will charge 99.5% rapidly in around 5 to 10 hours. And then it will slowly add that final 0.5% over time if and when time allows.

Check that it did go to float, after say 12h max. Then leave it set that way! And do the lottery. Move to trumps florida. And buy a puppy.

[Burgerman]

Olde well used one V newest updated one.

Both are 0-60V 0-50A.
Both built on the same base unit, the ZTE ZXD 2400.
Both bomb proof electrically, both 3kW output max.
Both can do 3 stage charge.
New one adds lithium as well as 3 stage lead, and power supply modes.

Both have rear 240V or 120V AC IN.
Both have rear Anderson 50 connectors output connectors.
Both have 4mm pos/neg binding posts, front.
Both have a ground connector, rear on new one, front on old one.

New one adds a rear voltage sensor connection in the event you want super accurate voltage on the other end of the wires.

New one is a little lighter, and slightly shorter height which makes a surprising difference in use. Both are very dense and heavy/solid.

New one is MUCH quieter. Almost silent.

New one has easy to set large colour screen that makes it way way easier to configure. The old one was a pain as you had to remember how it all worked and juggle everything. Once you did it worked much the same.

New one has added an XT90 connector on the front.
New one seems better designed and much more intuitive and faster to configure.

Heres both side by side.

[shirley_hkg]

Poor madam won't see her man now, though she doesn't loose glamour much.

[Burgerman]

Well like many things. The free market capitalist forces have conspired and made a better widget, a more competitive product, and thats why capitalist free markets work.
In this case many small refinements = better overall more usable product for same price. So beating all competitors.

You either get better products, better service, better pricing, better performance, in order to stay on top, or someone else builds a better widget, maybe for less money, and you lose buisiness or go bust. And on it goes.

Its why in capitalist countries the living standards of even the poor are better than the majority in socialist run economies like venuzuala. And same is true across every socialist economy across half the planet, for the whole of the last century. Of which most failed, turned to capitalism or went broke like venuzuala/soviet union did. Including china.

Its why in the soviet union, or east germany etc you waited 10 years to get a 2 stroke car made from paper mache, the trabant... And it might be used. Same with a fridge etc. No food on the shelves.
And in the west we have literally hundreds of much better cars to choose from for next day delivery with fancy options and trim levels. And why the food shelves are full. Why the disabled in rich western countries have new rehab powerchairs, warm houses, air conditioning, a full fridge, carpets, modified adapted cars, (and an actual fridge!) and some folding to buy affordable shit.

Roll on the next version!
Its already good. Could be better, everything can be. Could incorporate wifi/BT control and software, graphing etc. Could be even smaller or lighter. Could be rubberised and waterproof. Could be more efficient. Its charge settings could be more specific with more choices. And it could be cheaper!

Lets see!