LEAPTREND DCC1212-20 DC to DC Charger User Guide

LEAPTREND DCC1212-20 DC to DC Charger

Important Safety Instructions

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This manual contains important safety, installation, and operating instructions for the charger.The following symbols are used throughout the manual to indicate potentially dangerous conditions or important notes

• Indicates a potentially dangerous condition. Use extreme caution when performing this task.
• Indicates a critical procedure for the safe and proper installation and operation of the controller.
• Indicates a procedure or function that is important to the safe and proper operation of the controller.

The manufacturer accepts no liability for damage by:

• Faulty assembly or connection.
• Damage resulting from mechanical influences or excess voltage.
• Modification or tampering with the unit without expressed permission from the manufacturer.
• Used for purposes other than described in this manual.

General safety
Risk of electric shock, fire hazard, or injury. To minimize risk:

• Ensure the positive and negative terminals for the charger do not come into contact
• Firmly secure cables and connections.
• Disconnect the product from the battery each time before cleaning or before making changes to the circuit.
• Do not use the product if physically damaged or with visibly cracked cables. Contact the manufacturer, customer service to prevent safety hazards.
• Do not attempt to repair the charger. Inadequate repairs may cause serious injury.
• Electrical devices are not toys-keep away from children

Installation Safety

• This charger is for 12V battery banks onl}! Make sure your voltage specification is within the input voltage range expressed.
• Install and store the product in a dry and cool place. Keep away from liquids! Do not expose the product to heat sources such as direct sunlight or other heating elements.
• Never mount in areas with increased levels of dust or gas-explosion risk!
• Ensure secure location where it cannot tip or fall.
• For installation on boats: if the electrical devices are incorrectly connected, this can lead to corrosion damage on the boat. rify installation with a qualified electrician or installer.
• Lay cables so they cannot be damaged by doors or be a tripping hazard. Damaged cables can lead to serious injury.
• Use ductwork or cable ducts if necessal”}( to lay cables through metal plates or other panels
• Do not lay AC and DC cable in the same conduit and do not pull on the cables.

Operation Safety

• Warning-Explosion Risk! Batteries can give off explosive hydrogen gas that can be ignited by sparks or electrical connections. Make sure the area is well-ventilated.
• Do not operate in salty, wet, or damp environments; in the vicinity of corrosive fumes; in the vicinity of combustible material; in areas with risks of explosions.
• Please be aware that parts of this product may still produce voltage even after disconnect ed or activation of fuse.
• Do not disconnect cables while the product is operating.

Battery Safety

• Warning-Explosion Risk! Batteries may contain corrosive acids or fumes. Avoid contact with battery acid. If your skin comes into contact, thoroughly wash the affected area with water. Any other injuries should seek medical care.
• Avoid wearing metal objects such as watches or rings when working with batteries. Short circuit risk!
• Use only rechargeable deep cycle batteries. NEVER attempt to charge a frozen or defective battery.
• Wear goggles, gloves, or other or protective clothing when working with batteries. Do not touch your eyes.
• Ensure proper cable sizing for batteries! Over-current protection devices should be on the positive line.
• Refer to your battery manufacturer for battery maintenance and care.
• When removing a battery, power off all loads first, then disconnect it from the circuit before removing.

General Information

The DC-DC Series battery chargers are the most effective way to charge your auxiliary or house batteries from the alternator/starter battery. Compatible with smart or traditional alterna -tor types, the DC-DC offers correct charging for AGM, Flooded, Gel, and even Lithium deep cycle batteries! Featuring a 3-stage battery charger and multiple electronic protections, owners can feel confident that their batteries are being charged optimally and automatically. Easily install the compact yet sturdy DC-DC on RV’s, commercial vehicles, boats, yachts, and many more applications.

Key Features

• Compatible with multiple 12V batteries: AGM, Flooded, Gel, Sealed, Lithium-iron Phosphate and Lithium-ion.
• Smart protection features include Over-voltage, Over-Temperature, and reverse polarity!
• Battery Isolation and Battery Charger in one.
• Compact yet built tough for all conditions.
• 3-Stage Battery Charger get your batteries to 100%.

Check the charging requirements from the battery manufacturer before charging your battery with this unit.

Product Overview

Identification of Parts

Key Features

1. Negative DC Input Terminal.
2. Positive DC Input Terminal.
3. Ventilation Fans.

Key Features

1. 1.RJ11 Temperature Sensor Port (Model: RTSDCC, requires separate purchase).
2. ERROR LED.
3. Battery Type switching.
4. D+ Ignition Terminal.
5. LC Terminal – Current Limiting Terminal.
6. Positive DC Output Terminal.
7. Negative DC Output Terminal

Size

Optional Components

DC-DC Temperature Sensor (Model: RTSDCC)

CAUTION
Do not use Lithium batteries.

The RTSDCC comes in handy for reading incoming temperature values from the house battery bank while adjusting the charging voltage of your DC to DC On- Board Battery Charger. Featuring a temperature operation range from -4°F ~ 176°F / -20°C ~ +80°C, the sensor will be important in the overall lifespan and performance of your house battery bank by applying higher charging voltage to counter the increased resistance due to low temperature. Simply connect the RTSDCC to the charger and place the sensor on top or on the side of the house battery bank and the charger will take care of the rest with temperature compensation.

Installation

• Cannot tip over or fall down
• Avoid additional heating of the product
• For installations in small， enclosed spaces, the minimum clearance around the battery charger must be at least 5cm.

Location Considerations

When selecting a location for the DC-DC, make sure that the unit is as close as possible to the battery you will be charging (auxiliary battery). The charger may be mounted on the cabin of the vehicle, along a chassis rail, the inner guard of a vehidle, behind the gile or headlight or even on the side of the radiator. However, you want to make sure that the area is not susceptible to moisture or other substances as well as potentially high temperatures. The DC-DC would operate best if there is some air flow.

installation

• Have at least 5cm of clearance from all areas and ensure some ventilation for best performance.
• Trace the mounting holes with a pencil/pen when placing the DC-DC against the desired area.

Use 4 x screws to secure the dc- <lc onto a surface

Wiring and Fusing

Battery Ring terminals are recommended for 12V input and output connections. The following is a reference incorporating a critical 0-3% max voltage drop and may not cover all unique applications that may exist. When the battery charger is sending the rated amps, the input side may experience a draw higher current draw by a factor of up to 50%. Larger wire sizes generally improve performance, whereas smaller wire sizes may reduce performance, especially if undersized. When considering wiring, fusing, and connection options, think big and short as possible as heavier components and shorter wire length offer less resistance and voltage drop. Terminal Size Limitations may apply. The installer is responsible for ensuring that the correct cable and fuse sizes are used when installing the DC-DC battery charger

3-10% Non-Critical Voltage Drop

Grounding

Depending on the application, the grounding point may differ. The DC-DC share a common negative ground meaning that there should be only one common ground point between all batteries and electronics typically seen in either chassis/body ground, a canopy, a trailer, or even the vehicle battery negative connection. In most cases, connecting the starter and house battery directly to the DC-DC is enough for a grounding application. You will not ground the body of the DC-DC. In the illustration below, the two batteries are connected to the same chassis ground point

DC Output Wiring (House)

Only use 12V batteries. Damages due to connecting higher voltage batteries will not be covered in warranty

The DC-DC output will connect to the 12V auxiliary or house battery that you are intending to charge. These batteries may be a different chemistry from the starter battery. The DC-DC input and output terminals are isolated, meaning that the output voltage can be kept stable without interference from the input circuit. This ensures the stable and correct charging of auxiliary batteries.It is best to place the DC-DC closer to the battery you will be charging primarily.

1. Use a screwdriver to loosen the DC output terminals by rotating counterclockwise (CCW).
2. Connect a ring terminal cable from House Battery Positive to the Positive DC Output Terminal.
3. Use a screwdriver to tighten the DC output terminal by rotating clockwise (CW).
4. Repeat for the House Battery Negative to the Negative DC Output Terminal.

DC Input Wiring (Starter)

The DC-DC will not power on or operate until the D ignition cable is connected. When connecting the DC input, note that the DC-DC will still be off until the ignition cable voltage senses.
The DC-DC input will connect to the 12V starter battery that wil be used to charge your auxiliary or house battery. The starter battery may be a different chemistry from the house battery. The DC-DC input and output terminals are isolated, meaning that the output voltage can be kept stable without interference from the input circuit. This ensures the stable and correct charging of auxiliary batteries.

1. Use a screwdriver to loosen the DC input terminals by rotating counterclockwise (CCW).
2. Connect a ring terminal cable from Starter Battery Positive to the Postive DC Input Terminal.
3. Use a screwdriver to tighten the DC Input terminal by rotating clockwise (CW).
4. Repeat for the Starter Battery Negative to the Negative DC Input Terminal.

D+ Ignition Wiring

The D + terminal will be located on the output side but connects to the DC ignition circuit of the input starter battery. This may be in the engine bay fuse block for some sides. Refer to your own vehicle’s electrical diagram for D wiring placement may require splicing or cable adjustments to connect correctly to your ignition circuit.
The DC-DC will not power on or operate until the D+ ignition cable is connected to the ignition circuit where it will detect a 12 source to operate ON. The purpose is to toggle the DC-DC switch on when the vehicle is running with the alternator to prevent the DC-DC from operating incorrectly with just the starter battery leaving you with a drained starter battery. Use 18-16AWG copper cable. You may need a multi-meter to test your connections to verify the placement of the D+ wire.

Alternator Recommendation

Check your alternator and identify the number of terminals. Most alternators will have 3 wires connected (BATT+, BATT-, IGN). The following is an example and may not match your application. Refer to your vehicle’s documentation and part for actual wiring.

Engine Bay Fuse Block Recommendation

Review your vehicle’s fuse layout diagram to identify a fuse location that is live when the vehicle is running with the alternator. Key positions in the ignition are typically lock, accessory, on, and start.

LOCK

| Off position where no accessories will work, and steering is also likely locked.
---|---

ACCESSORY

| Accessories are given power such as radio and some other small electronics.

ON

| Turns on all your electronics. The key will default into this position after cranking in START. Splicing of fuse block will need to be live when the key is in reverting back to this position.
START| Cranks the engine on and reverts to ON position.

You may need to test the fuse location by checking the voltage with a multimeter and making sure it’s live only when the vehicle is in the Start/Run position. This will help in identifying where to connect if the fuse layout does not have an IGN position. The easiest connections when splicing can be made when using a fuse holder splice connector.

LC Current Limit Wiring

The DC-DC battery chargers feature 50% current limiting from the rated specification when connecting the LC Terminal to a 12V source. The current Limiting is instant and recommended to be connected to the same location as the D+ ignition cable. Alternatively, you can toggle current limiting to your liking by connecting the LC terminal to starter battery-positive terminal. In this fashion, current limiting will always take until removing the LC wire from the battery terminal to revert to the normal amp rating. Use 18-16AWG copper cable for the LC terminal and you may need to splice your own connections for the other cable end depending on your connection point.

 |  |
---|---|---
DCC1212-20| 20A| 10A
DCC1212-40| 40A| 20A
DCC1212-60| 60A| 30A

Operation

Assuming correct D+ ignition cable wiring, then the mode indicator will be on.

LED Indicator

Setting Battery Tpe

WARNING Refer to your battery manufacturer’s specifications when selecting a battery type via a mode selection switch. Damage due to incorrect battery settings will not be covered in the warranty.

Mode Selection Switch
The battery types that can be set to charge are the standard lead-acid battery (STD battery), colloid\ sealed lead battery (GEL battery), AGM battery, and Ithium iron phosphate (LFP battery).

• The mode selection switch (as shown in the figure below) can be configured to charge STD, GEL, AGM, and LFP batteries (just point the white part of the switch to the corresponding indicator).
• STD, GEL, and AGM have adsorbed charge and floating batteries.
• LP has an adsorbed charge, but no floating charge.
• The POWER mode can be used as a power supply.

Battery Charging Logic

• Bulk (Phase I) (Lead Acid + Lithium)
  In the beginning, a discharged battery will be charged with maximum current and voltage will be climbing steadily until reaching the absorption voltage setpoint.

• Absorption (Phase UO) (Lead Acid + Lithium)
  The battery reaches the absorption voltage setpoint and holds the voltage constant while the current gradually decreases until the battery is becoming full (within 10-20%). By default, absorption will not exceed 3 hours to prevent overcharging.

• Float (Phase U) (Only Lead Acid)
  After the absorption stage, the voltage of the battery wil reduce to the float voltage setpoint and current will also reduce to a low maintenance mode to prevent the battery from discharging and offsetting any self-discharge. Heavier battery discharge may set controller back to Bulk/Absorption to replenish energy lost while energy is available
  

• Lithium Activation
  This is an automatic process for Lithium batteries. Ensure correct lithium polarity when connecting to the DC Output
  The DC-DC have reactivation feature to awaken a sleeping lithium battery. The protection circuit of Lithium batteries will typicaly turn the battery off and make it unusable if overdischarged. This can happen when storing a Lithium pack in a discharged state for any length of time as self. discharge would gradualy deplete the remaining charge. Without the wake-up feature to reactivate and recharge batteries, these batteries would become unserviceable and the packs would be discarded. A small charge current wil be applied to the house battery to activate the protection circuit and if a correct cell voltage can be reached, it starts a normal charge
  

Troubleshooting

If the DC-DC is not functioning correctly, it may be undergoing an internal electronic protection and stop normal operation. This is not indicative of a defective unit but may require some troubleshooting to resume normal operation.

Electronic Protection

More Troubleshooting

Maintenance

For best DC-DC performance, periodically check the unit and related wiring monthly as well as the installation location:

• lnspect the wiring and note any wiring cracks, wear, tear, corrosion, or loose wiring and replace immediately. Inspect wiring terminals and ensure they’re tight as they may become loose during vehicle vibrations.
• Check that the battery charger is free of dust, liquids, or heat sources and ensure the DC-DC is receiving some ventilation. Improved ventilation improves performance.

Technical Specifications

Temperature Compensation
The temperature compensation is not to be used with lithium batteries

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