| Buzzzzz Box ? [message #71093] |
Mon, 18 January 2010 03:06  |
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gmcdude76
Messages: 102
Registered: December 2009
Location: Northern Ca
Karma: 1
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Ok heres a photo of my I THINK is my "buz box" but she aint a buzzin no more  .i have tested it on the generator with no luck.havent tried it hooked up to a shoreline yet.i show its connections it doesnt have any(plugg) to disconect.its hardwired into the fuse panel.previously when i was on a shorline i dident here anything buzzin.
Heres a link to my site/buz box?
http://donsgmcdudes76photos.shutterfly.com/42
Gmc76Birchaven 23'94947
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| Re: Buzzzzz Box ? [message #71094 is a reply to message #71093] |
Mon, 18 January 2010 04:49  |
Rusty
Messages: 197
Registered: October 2005
Location: Philadelphia Pa
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Good for not much more than a doorstop although a few here may be interested in cannibalizing it for vintage electronic components.
Go with a new Progressive Dynamics charger / converter, your batteries will love you - may as well also get the Yandina combiner, just search for them on here to get educated
Rusty
75 Glenbrook
Philadelphia Pa
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| Re: Buzzzzz Box ? [message #71104 is a reply to message #71094] |
Mon, 18 January 2010 08:13 |
bukzin
Messages: 840
Registered: April 2004
Location: North California
Karma: 0
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This box is one of the design weakness's of the GMC coach.
If you own stock in one of the battery companys
or if you just enjoy changing them often, keep this
box as is.
Otherwise do as several have suggested and get the
electronic combiner and a replacement box.
See Gene Fishers site for excellent details.
Bukzin
1977 Palm Beach
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| Re: Buzzzzz Box ? [message #71152 is a reply to message #71093] |
Mon, 18 January 2010 20:36 |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
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""Ok heres a photo of my I THINK is my "buz box" but she aint a buzzin no more .i have tested it on the generator with no luck.havent tried it hooked up to a shoreline yet.i show its connections it doesnt have any(plugg) to disconect.its hardwired into the fuse panel.previously when i was on a shorline i dident here anything buzzin""
The GMC net ""approved"" converter seems to be the PD unit, but frankly, you may want to consider Iota units. They are much quieter and from what I can tell, much more reliable. Sorry to go against the common grain, but how else do we learn 
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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| Re: Buzzzzz Box ? [message #71158 is a reply to message #71093] |
Mon, 18 January 2010 21:05 |
jknezek
Messages: 1057
Registered: December 2007
Karma: 5
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I'm not going to dispute that the Iota might be quieter since I've never heard one, but short of opening the cabinet door and sticking my head in on the extremely rare occasion my PD fan is running I don't think I've ever heard the PD make noise either. Anyone have a noisy PD or am I just missing something?
Thanks,
Jeremy Knezek
1976 Glenbrook
Birmingham, AL
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| Re: Buzzzzz Box ? [message #71168 is a reply to message #71109] |
Mon, 18 January 2010 23:49 |
bukzin
Messages: 840
Registered: April 2004
Location: North California
Karma: 0
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| mcolie wrote on Mon, 18 January 2010 07:07 |
| bukzin wrote on Mon, 18 January 2010 09:13 |
This box is one of the design weakness's of the GMC coach.
If you own stock in one of the battery company's or if you just enjoy changing them often, keep this box as is.
Otherwise do as several have suggested and get the electronic combiner and a replacement box.
See Gene Fishers site for excellent details.
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I will have to take issue with that statement.
Thirty plus years ago, the electronics to what a PD unit does do were simply not available to any but the military and even they did not effectively implement the multi-stage charging that a PD or other will do. And at cost for current loads that are amazing. I personally believe that the person that selected this made a good choice at the time. Remember, there also were no maintenance proof batteries except in pursuit aircraft.
They also elected to stay with bias tires (radial truck tires did exist)and single group 27 for a house battery. Those less than good choices in my opinion. Let's not go near the cab HVAC that was a joke even when new.
Just my take on the scene.
Matt
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Matt,
You make some good points.
I got 3; wanna swap straight across?
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Bukzin
1977 Palm Beach
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| fan noise [message #71169 is a reply to message #71158] |
Tue, 19 January 2010 00:01 |
bukzin
Messages: 840
Registered: April 2004
Location: North California
Karma: 0
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I hear mine whenever I am trying to get to sleep.
Bukzin
1977 Palm Beach
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| Re: Buzzzzz Box ? [message #71171 is a reply to message #71093] |
Tue, 19 January 2010 00:50 |
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gmcdude76
Messages: 102
Registered: December 2009
Location: Northern Ca
Karma: 1
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So now i know what the heck it be.how does one find out if its working.i know the obvious methuds but i dont have a volt meter or a tester at hand.i have (listened)while the generator is on and here nothing.when i was on a shoreline i dont recall it makeing a noise either?
mine appears to be hardwired in so the only thing i have done is pull the fuses for the bb to see if it had any effect of my(mystery)power drain?I inititally was told i had a power drain that wouldent effect my power system.but it actually does knock my batterys down low enough i cant fire up my generator.
I had bone dry batterys when i bought the gmc.i refilled them and they do hold a low charge but still in the green zone.i also read the notice from gmc about the gen light staying on when the engine is running?the notice stated the pre 76 Birchs had this flaw so i come to think its not a power drain at all.
So if were not to far off the main topic(lol)this is what my current delema is...
Gmc76Birchaven 23'94947
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| Re: [GMCnet] Buzzzzz Box ? [message #71173 is a reply to message #71172] |
Tue, 19 January 2010 05:31 |
Rusty
Messages: 197
Registered: October 2005
Location: Philadelphia Pa
Karma: 0
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>>So if were not to far off the main topic . . .
Your main topic was 'To buz or not to buz'
What we're telling you is, not to buz
Rusty
75 Glenbrook
Philadelphia Pa
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| Re: [GMCnet] Buzzzzz Box ? [message #71220 is a reply to message #71152] |
Tue, 19 January 2010 16:37 |
Rick Denney
Messages: 430
Registered: January 2004
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Bob de Kruyff writes...
> The GMC net ""approved"" converter seems to be the PD unit, but
> frankly, you may want to consider Iota units. They are much quieter
> and from what I can tell, much more reliable. Sorry to go against
> the common grain, but how else do we learn :)
The Iota DLS-45 with the IQ4 smart charge controller looks to me to be
about the same as the similarly sized PD unit. More reliable? Where do
you get that information? The PD units have been quite reliable, but
so few of the Iota units have been used in GMCs that I don't know how
we would have a feel for their reliability, though I think they make
good stuff.
It's about the same price as the PD unit with Internet discounts.
But it has basically the same features, including a muffin fan for
cooling, which is the only thing in either box that makes noise. The
PD has an external heatsink and I don't see one on the Iota, so I'm
not figuring that the fan will run any less often on it. In any case,
the fan noise of my PD converter is not loud and it's unhearable in
any case if the generator, air conditioner, or furnace are running.
Either choice seems to me a worthy one.
Rick "seeing no basis for a brand war" Denney
'73 230 Ex-Glacier "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
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| Re: [GMCnet] Buzzzzz Box ? [message #71223 is a reply to message #71171] |
Tue, 19 January 2010 16:47 |
Rick Denney
Messages: 430
Registered: January 2004
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Don writes...
> So now i know what the heck it be.how does one find out if its
> working.i know the obvious methuds but i dont have a volt meter or a
> tester at hand.i have (listened)while the generator is on and here
> nothing.when i was on a shoreline i dont recall it makeing a noise either?
If you intend to do any of your own work on your coach's electrical
system, or even if you just want to check the condition of the
batteries, you'll need a digital voltmeter that reads at least in
tenths of volts. These are really cheap these days at all the home
centers, discount centers, and at places like Sears. Any volt meter
with a digital readout that reads in tenths of volts will work--even
the cheapies that sell for ten bucks.
> mine appears to be hardwired in so the only thing i have done is
> pull the fuses for the bb to see if it had any effect of
> my(mystery)power drain?I inititally was told i had a power drain
> that wouldent effect my power system.but it actually does knock my
> batterys down low enough i cant fire up my generator.
I don't recall (and you don't say) what year is your coach, but early
coaches used three batteries with a separate battery for the
generator. In those coaches, as delivered from GMC, only the generator
will charge the generator start battery. If that battery is in bad
shape, it might not hold a charge between the times you run the
generator, irrespective of what is happening with the converter.
> I had bone dry batterys when i bought the gmc.i refilled them and
> they do hold a low charge but still in the green zone.i also read
> the notice from gmc about the gen light staying on when the engine
> is running?the notice stated the pre 76 Birchs had this flaw so i
> come to think its not a power drain at all.
I doubt that a dry battery will ever come back to life. The buzz box
will indeed dry them out if left plugged in for extended periods
without frequent checking. The voltage of the buzz box is 13.6
volts--too high for float charging it it will cause the electrolyte to
boil off.
If your buzz box doesn't read 13.6-13.8 volts, then it is not working
as designed, but even if it is, replacing it with a multi-stage
charger converter such as the Progressive Dynamics or Iota units that
have been discussed is worth the money.
Rick "http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=3677"
Denney
'73 230 Ex-Glacier "Jaws"
Northern Virginia
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