Inside Monitor Panel not showing 50 AMP

[roadmap]

Hi,

I have a problem that I thought I saw discussed months ago, but cannot locate it.

I have a 2005 Itaska Meridian, which has a inside monitor panel showing Amps and

any load being used by appliances etc. First, everything works fine. The problem is,

if I am hooked up to a 30 amp box/post, the panel shows 30 amps is coming in and

amperage draws for items being used is displayed as normal. If I turn on the generator

it shows 50 amp on the panel and again indicates if any appliances etc. are drawing

amps. If I hook up to a 50 amp box/post, it does not register any reading for input

amps, yet everything still works fine. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks In Advance,

Ken

[Tarheel]

Ken-

I had a similar problem this winter when I was plugged into 50 amps and my LED display showed only 30. An RV dealer who owned that campground spent over an hour trying to determine what was going on. The next morning he sent on of his guys back to work on it again. The first thing he asked me was if all of my breakers were turned on. I said I felt so, but went back and checked again. I found that the breaker for my engine heater was turned off. As soon as I turned it on, the LED display showed 50 amps. He explained why (which I can't remember), but that took care of it. It's worth a check to see if you might have the same problem.

****

[lp5151]

I have my 2008 Southwind in the shop as we speak for this problem. but, as per spec's when we are running the generator, nothing registers on the panel (but the specs say it won't). but when we plug into 50 amp shore power, only the 30 amp lights up on the panel, not the 50 amp. as of now, they have not figured it out.. the 20 and 30 amp lights on the panel work.. one thought is that even though we are hooked into a 50 amp style outlet, it may not be 50 amps and will only register as 30 amp. hopefully the shop will let me know later today what the problem is.

[SacsTC]

If they are set up like mine, (Intellitec EMS) You need to remove the plate from around the breakers so that you can see the house wiring. At the bottom is a PCB with a fuse. Remove the fuse, let sit for awhile, then reinstall the fuse. Also make sure ALL breakers are on after this is done because the brain takes a reading from both legs to determine incoming voltage.

[lp5151]

If they are set up like mine, (Intellitec EMS) You need to remove the plate from around the breakers so that you can see the house wiring. At the bottom is a PCB with a fuse. Remove the fuse, let sit for awhile, then reinstall the fuse. Also make sure ALL breakers are on after this is done because the brain takes a reading from both legs to determine incoming voltage.

i'll check it out... thanks

[tbutler]

Our coach has an Intellitec EMS monitoring system. When we are plugged into a 50 amp outlet which has the two hot legs hooked to the same phase wire it senses this and will register only 30 amps and the system limits the working appliances to a maximum of 28 to 30 amps. If the two legs are opposite phase, 240V, then the system registers 50 amps and everything works.

Check the power at the post with a meter if you are experienced with electrical wiring. If this is a 50 amp 240 volt outlet, each hot lead should register 110-120 volts to the neutral (middle blade) or ground (round prong). Then testing the two hot leads (outer blades) one to the other should register 220-240 volts. If testing one hot lead to the other registers 0 volts then you have a 50 amp outlet which is only supplying 120 volt current instead of the designed 240 volts.

Older RV's didn't have the computer sensors to detect current and as a result would function as a 50 amp system even if the current was only 110 volt. Newer RV's with the computers are too smart to fall for this and so they limit the appliances to 30 amps.

Even with the above information, I don't know of any motor home that uses 240 volt electric in any appliance or air conditioner. We were specifically explained all this when we picked up our motor home from the dealer.

It is not uncommon to find older campgrounds which are wired by splitting a single line to the two hot blades on the 50 amp outlet and thus not a true 240 volt supply.

[Cruzer]

It's sounds like your system is working fine but you just can't read any amps when on 50 amp shore power. If so, that's normal. Your Meridian uses an Intellitec EMS to shed loads when on 30 amp shore power. It samples the incoming voltage between L1 and L2. If it is zero it knows that you are not on 50 amps because a 50 amp split phase system would show 240 volts between L1 and L2. Next it tests for 12 volts at the generator run terminal. If it sees 12 volts it knows you are running on generator power so it displays the amperage but does no load shedding. If it does not see any 12 volts on the generator's B+ feed then it assumes you are on a 30 amp shore power feed and performs it's load shedding routines to keep the total draw beneath 30 amps. There is a current loop transformer on the neutral line that measures the amperage so that it can properly manage the load level. It will also display this current info on the LED display.

If the EMS sees 240 volts between L1 and L2 it knows you are on 50 amp shore power so it does not perform any load shedding. However, it also cannot display any amperage because the current transformer is on the neutral wire. On a split phase system the neutral wire only carries the current differnce between L1 and Neutral and L2 and Neutral so it can't read what is really being used. Therefore the ammeter is blanked out during 50 amp operationb, although the small LED that indicates 50 amp power will be illuminated. In order to properly measure current draw on a 50 amp split phase feed there would have to be two transformers - one on L1 and one on L2. Prceision Circuits, Inc makes such a system and I recently replaced my Intellitec system with the PCI system. The PCI system even has the ability to interface with a Magnum inverter to add it's output in prior to making any load shedding decision. It's technology is much newer than the aged Intellitec system.

[roadmap]

It's sounds like your system is working fine but you just can't read any amps when on 50 amp shore power. If so, that's normal. Your Meridian uses an Intellitec EMS to shed loads when on 30 amp shore power. It samples the incoming voltage between L1 and L2. If it is zero it knows that you are not on 50 amps because a 50 amp split phase system would show 240 volts between L1 and L2. Next it tests for 12 volts at the generator run terminal. If it sees 12 volts it knows you are running on generator power so it displays the amperage but does no load shedding. If it does not see any 12 volts on the generator's B+ feed then it assumes you are on a 30 amp shore power feed and performs it's load shedding routines to keep the total draw beneath 30 amps. There is a current loop transformer on the neutral line that measures the amperage so that it can properly manage the load level. It will also display this current info on the LED display.

If the EMS sees 240 volts between L1 and L2 it knows you are on 50 amp shore power so it does not perform any load shedding. However, it also cannot display any amperage because the current transformer is on the neutral wire. On a split phase system the neutral wire only carries the current differnce between L1 and Neutral and L2 and Neutral so it can't read what is really being used. Therefore the ammeter is blanked out during 50 amp operationb, although the small LED that indicates 50 amp power will be illuminated. In order to properly measure current draw on a 50 amp split phase feed there would have to be two transformers - one on L1 and one on L2. Prceision Circuits, Inc makes such a system and I recently replaced my Intellitec system with the PCI system. The PCI system even has the ability to interface with a Magnum inverter to add it's output in prior to making any load shedding decision. It's technology is much newer than the aged Intellitec system.

[roadmap]

Sorry for the delay to responding to

everyone's thoughts.. I got caught

with a wierd infectious disease, and

was hospitalized. Now I will check

out the ideas and thanks again to all.

Ken