Pro Power weirdness

[climateguy]

BTW only my most expensive power conditioner worked. I had a smaller/cheaper Panamax one that didn't work.

What power conditioner did work?

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[potato]

Does it work with some other load (like your drill) also attached?

 

[Ricks Lightning]

Does it work with some other load (like your drill) also attached?

Great question and I was going to ask the same. A dremel is a very small load and might not be enough for the invertor to recognize it. Add a load with the drill on and see if the dremel will start up. if so, kill the drill and see if the dremel will still operate or not. Remember the inverter in the bed is a larger capacity than in the frunk or cab. could be the issue it requires a larger load.

Rick

 

[Hammick]

What power conditioner did work?

APC H15

https://www.[banned site]/threads/h...wer-need-an-expensive-power-conditioner.4579/

 

[climateguy]

Does it work with some other load (like your drill) also attached?

I plugged in an extension cord with 3 receptacles on its end. I plugged the portable drill and the Dremel in. If the drill is on, then I try to turn the Dremel on, the Dremel still doesn't work.

 

[Grumpy2]

It must be the electronic variable speed controller inside the Dremel somehow doesn't like the Lightning generated AC?

 

[climateguy]

My guess is they filed the NHTSA because what they describe could be or was a safety issue. The report says "some" vehicles would display the popup message that they describe as "normal". The issue seems to be what about the other vehicles. If a user performs a ground fault detection test but no popup message appears and/or the power outlets being tested don't get turned off, then maybe ground faults can't be detected by that vehicle. I believe ground faults can be a serious problem especially to susceptible people.

Since I have not used the Pro Power system except for the last few days I've never performed a ground fault test. When I first saw this message saying a ground fault has been detected, I wondered if there was a ground fault that was not being detected that was somehow interfering with the operation of the Dremel tool, a fault that was only detected by the test. I believe there is no ground fault in my system but I have yet to figure out why the Dremel does not work.

I've appreciated all the suggestions for tests I could do to try to understand this. My next effort is to set the Dremel's speed to different levels prior to plugging it in to the bed outlets. Then I'll try other electric powered tools and devices I've got to see if other things are affected.

 

[chl]

Here's my theory - I have an MSEE degree so it is an over-educated guess really.

Many GFCI outlets are sensitive to noise on the power cord.

With a three prong item, most RF noise goes to the ground wire and does not affect the GFCI.

In a two prong (two wire) device the noise will be on the neutral which is grounded and that RF will induce a small current in the neutral that the GFCI will detect as a ground fault - an alternate path for current.

The dremel generates RF noise - the motor spins. It is a brushless motor and those have been reported to create RF noise. It is also on a two wire cord.

The reason a line conditioner works it that it filters out (to ground) the RF or other electrical noise. It smooths out the voltage/current as well.

As to why some appliances may not work with the Lightning outlets, the Lightnings are producing AC by doing an inversion and reduction of the HV battery output - changing DC HV to AC low voltage (relatively lower).

DC-AC inversion is typically 'noisy' - that is why Ford suggested the oscilloscope - to see how closely the AC resembles a sine wave or not.

Some appliances are sensitive to the AC from inverters because they are not perfect sine waves and the difference causes sensitive electronics to freak out (an electrical term).

 

[PreservedSwine]

Do you have a spray in bedliner by any chance?

 

[EVpower]

I checked three Dremel variable speed tools I have on the Lightning bed 120 volt outlets. All three tools worked fine with the full range of speed control. Two had three wire (grounding) plugs. The third has a non-grounding plug. All three of these tools are old designs with about three components in the speed control electronics and universal (DC) motors.

I'll second the suggestion to check the bed out receptacles connections.

Steve

 

[climateguy]

I checked three Dremel variable speed tools I have on the Lightning bed 120 volt outlets. All three tools worked fine with the full range of speed control. Two had three wire (grounding) plugs. The third has a non-grounding plug. All three of these tools are old designs with about three components in the speed control electronics and universal (DC) motors.

I'll second the suggestion to check the bed out receptacles connections.

Steve

Thanks for testing some Dremels in your LIghtning.

My Dremel is a model 398. An online manual is marked 1997.

 

[climateguy]

Do you have a spray in bedliner by any chance?

no liner of any kind

 

[Mmiketa]

It detecting a ground fault when you press the test button is exactly what is supposed to happen. It does exactly the same thing as when you press the test button on a GFi outlet indoors…it trips the GFI and then you reset it. Only with the ProPower it does the resetting automatically.

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