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Old 06-12-2018, 01:16 PM   #1
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1984 27' Airstream 270
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Project of the day: AC Power Protection

Most of the places I hookup to shore power, I either know and trust the source or I have wired it in myself, and mostly trust it
This year I will be trying out campground shore power for the first time so I figured it is time for some safe campground sex I mean power

I looked at the inline pigtail devices but they seemed either too cheap or too expensive so I picked up one of these:
Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C Portable Electrical Management System - 30 Amp
It has the remote display and seems to protect you from almost anything but sex!
Normally it is installed by cutting the power cord and splicing it in, but I decided to put it after the generator/shore power relay, that will protect my stuff from both sources.
When I powered it up by the generator I found out my AC volts were 135 so the power was cut off. I fixed that problem by slowing down the generator RPM's and now it is in range to not trip out.
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Old 06-12-2018, 01:50 PM   #2
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Thanks for the pictures..I'm planning a similar installation, and did not have a good idea if what the remote looked like. Looks like I need to build a bezel to flush mount the remote to keep DW happy...I'm not allowed to surface mount any boxes.

My normal and usual "engineering OCD" loves the labels on all the boxes!
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Old 06-13-2018, 03:37 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rmkrum View Post
My normal and usual "engineering OCD" loves the labels on all the boxes!
Yes, recently I get very carried away with labels and documenting everything.

My memory is not what it use to be, so I need to write it down for me or the next owner to figure out how I did that.
Here is my wiring diagram of my AC circuits. It has quite a few additions and modifications from the original.


Also, my remote is held on with VHB tape, so no holes, but still a less than perfect look.


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Old 06-13-2018, 05:44 AM   #4
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Nice installation. I'm a big fan of the Progressive EMS, and hardwired is definitely the way to go. Does yours buzz? You have a pretty tight turn on that wire, and mine will buzz if the wires aren't fairly straight going in/out of the box. Not sure why.
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Old 06-13-2018, 07:01 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by TheGreatleys View Post
Nice installation. I'm a big fan of the Progressive EMS, and hardwired is definitely the way to go. Does yours buzz? You have a pretty tight turn on that wire, and mine will buzz if the wires aren't fairly straight going in/out of the box. Not sure why.

I did notice a buzz when I turned it on one time, but other times it has been quiet. It may be just how well the relay pulls in?

I will keep a lookout for that in the future and see if I can find the source.
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Old 06-13-2018, 07:49 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WayneG View Post
Most of the places I hookup to shore power, I either know and trust the source or I have wired it in myself, and mostly trust it
This year I will be trying out campground shore power for the first time so I figured it is time for some safe campground sex I mean power

I looked at the inline pigtail devices but they seemed either too cheap or too expensive so I picked up one of these:
Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C Portable Electrical Management System - 30 Amp
It has the remote display and seems to protect you from almost anything but sex!
Normally it is installed by cutting the power cord and splicing it in, but I decided to put it after the generator/shore power relay, that will protect my stuff from both sources.
When I powered it up by the generator I found out my AC volts were 135 so the power was cut off. I fixed that problem by slowing down the generator RPM's and now it is in range to not trip out.
Oh crap.....one more thing to add to my list!!
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Old 06-13-2018, 08:08 AM   #7
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Oh crap.....one more thing to add to my list!!
Just think what it would cost to buy all this "necessary stuff" all at once, and it does not feel so bad a little at a time
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Old 06-13-2018, 10:54 AM   #8
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Just think what it would cost to buy all this "necessary stuff" all at once, and it does not feel so bad a little at a time
Now THAT I understand I've been buying bits and pieces for years and the way it's looking I will probably be buying bits and pieces for years to come
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Old 06-13-2018, 04:12 PM   #9
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At a park I was at , one of the units that hang from the shore power post , was in the dumpster .
Well I do electronics repair and worst case , recycling .
It had filled up with water - guessing rain water , looked it up on the internet & found they are warranted for that /
Cleaned out , tested & repaired - a good $400 ++ find , of course some abilities to repair .
Another " happy camper "
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Old 06-13-2018, 04:22 PM   #10
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When I installed a Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C in my Interstate I also mounted the list of error codes near the remote display, which I've found helpful. See photo below. That labeling on the remote bypass switch is also nice.
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Old 06-13-2018, 04:38 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boxster1971 View Post
When I installed a Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C in my Interstate I also mounted the list of error codes near the remote display, which I've found helpful. See photo below. That labeling on the remote bypass switch is also nice.
That sounds like a good idea, much easier than finding the list on the main electronics box cover! Especially since mine is at floor level.
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Old 06-14-2018, 08:43 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TheGreatleys View Post
I'm a big fan of the Progressive EMS, and hardwired is definitely the way to go. . .
So if you get a Fault, check the power post, all is fine, contact Progressive and they say, "oops, sounds like a Warranty issue", the hardwired unit uninstall, wait for new, re-install drill will disable your power grid? I like my Power post model.
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Old 06-14-2018, 09:01 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by james.mileur View Post
So if you get a Fault, check the power post, all is fine, contact Progressive and they say, "oops, sounds like a Warranty issue", the hardwired unit uninstall, wait for new, re-install drill will disable your power grid? I like my Power post model.
It seems like that would be a fairly rare occurrence. Is that something you personally experienced?

You can get a bypass switch for the hardwired model if you're concerned about failures. I believe the remote model includes the bypass switch standard. Worst case scenario, removing the front cover and bypassing the unit manually is a 10 minute job, tops.

I like my harwired design because it's hard to steal, impossible to forget, I don't have to carry it, and it takes a moment to bypass it, which gives me extra time to consider whether that's actually a good idea.

There's certainly nothing wrong with getting a portable model if that's what works for you. But I don't think the possibility of a failure is a compelling reason not to go hardwired.
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Old 06-14-2018, 09:24 AM   #14
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Didn't know about the built in bypass option. All good.
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Old 06-14-2018, 09:53 AM   #15
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Originally Posted by james.mileur View Post
Didn't know about the built in bypass option. All good.
Check the second photo in my first post. The version with the remote has the bypass switch on the remote. I dont know what they do on the other hard wire version.

On the post version I was also concerned about theft. A thief could unplug it and plug you in direct and other than the lights blinking, you would not know it was gone till it was time to leave.

The hard wire version is safe inside, out of sight and out of the weather. The way I wired it, it also protects against the generator screwing up.

Being able to glance at the remote to see the voltage & amps is what sold me.

One thing I dont like about the remote is that they used red LED digits. LCD or a mellower color of LED would be much better for cabin ambiance
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Old 06-14-2018, 10:08 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by WayneG View Post
Check the second photo in my first post. The version with the remote has the bypass switch on the remote. I dont know what they do on the other hard wire version.
There's a bypass switch accessory you can purchase to add to the non-remote option.

http://www.progressiveindustries.net...ass-switch-kit
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Old 06-14-2018, 06:02 PM   #17
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See photo below. That labeling on the remote bypass switch is also nice.
MIKE - you take the prize for maximum remote-display-compartment-real-estate utilization. You better hope the next display you install is less than 2-sq.in. coz I think that's all you got left Yeah, I shouldn't be making fun of you coz AS installed my SeeLevel display BEHIND the compartment
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Old 06-14-2018, 06:17 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by james.mileur View Post
Didn't know about the built in bypass option. All good.
For those of us who have not yet installed, purchased, or decided whether to go hardwired vs. portable post mount, it is great to know the remote version includes the bypass -and- appreciate JAMES.MILEUR pointing out the absolutely easy use of the portable post mount. Some may not have the DIY ability or time to have shop install it, so the more options, the better for us to choose from.

WACHUKO - wanna sell your portable post mount cheap? I may bite
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Old 06-14-2018, 10:52 PM   #19
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Alex, if you are serious...let me know. I am thinking about it... need to see where it would go and what is required to install it...
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Old 06-15-2018, 04:01 PM   #20
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MIKE - you take the prize for maximum remote-display-compartment-real-estate utilization. You better hope the next display you install is less than 2-sq.in. coz I think that's all you got left Yeah, I shouldn't be making fun of you coz AS installed my SeeLevel display BEHIND the compartment
Alex - If you liked that one, which was all I had on my iPhone, check out this photo of my last upgrade when I added a green LED to indicate when my batteries were connected together by the BIM. In a past life I did Human Factor evaluations of military aircraft display systems.
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