NEMA-5V Operation Manual

Pole Mounting: Mounting kits are available for different diameter poles. Purchase directly from the distributor.

Input Power: A small switch box mounted on the lower panel contains three on-off switches, a fuse holder, and a 9 position terminal strip. Before opening the cover to the switch box, remove the in-line battery fuse as well as any outside power inputs.

There are two terminals for 120/240VAC power connections (marked "AC").

Four terminals are for the 120VAC or 240VAC jumpers (marked "120/240/120").

One terminal is for chassis ground (two interior panels) ("GND").

Two terminals are for the DC power input ("-DC & +DC").

The DC power input must not exceed 32VDC.

A temporary 120VAC line cord is connected to the box's terminal strip. This is used only for factory and customer test purposes. During installation, this should be replaced with fixed wiring using 1/2" flexible conduit and the supplied conduit clamp.

When making new input power connections, it's important to use crimp-on terminals. Wrapping the power wires around the terminal screws is asking for trouble. Purchase a suitable crimping tool from Amazon.

When feeding input power lines through conduit or through the switch box input grommet, it helps to use a bit of masking tape to keep the terminals together until they're in-place inside the switch box.

Input Power Jumpers: There are provisions on the terminal strip for jumpering for 120VAC or 240VAC operation. The factory setting is jumpered for 120VAC operation. If changing to 240VAC operation is needed, refer to the following photos (click to enlarge).

There is a machine screw protruding from the exterior bottom of the NEMA box which connects to chassis ground (two interior panels).

Two "D" holes are available in the bottom of the box for "N" type RF connectors.

Switch Box Switches: There is a junction box with three switches and a fuse holder.

"Battery" The battery connection to the charger.

"Application" The battery and charger connection to the application power terminals.

"Input Power" The input power (AC and/or DC) connection to the charger.

"AC Input Fuse" Use a 2A fuse for 120VAC operation (factory installed). Use a 1A fuse for 240VAC operation.

Normally, the Input Power and Battery switches are left on. This allows the charger to charge the battery and keep it maintained. The Application Power switch is turned on or off as needed.

Turn The Battery On First: Nothing bad happens if this recommendation is ignored.

When restoring the box to service, a solar panel in low light won't generate enough power to properly operate the charger. Starting up under battery power allows the charger to operate normally.

If the box is powered from the AC mains, it doesn't matter what switch sequence is used.

Storing the NEMA Box: Fully charge the battery, then turn off all switches to avoid draining the battery. At normal room temperature, the box should be powered up every 6 months and the battery recharged for 24 hours. In hot environments this should be done every 3 months.

Application Power Terminals: A four terminal strip, mounted on the side of the battery charger, is the source of power for the customer's application. Besides the power connections, the two LED signals are also brought out to the strip. Any connection to the LED signals must be high resistance (LEDs & CMOS inputs are fine, TTL or transistor base inputs are not). 

Power Isolation: The "-" terminal of application power terminal strip is connected to panel ground. This may be removed if it's desired to float the application power. However, the maximum voltage isolation between the floating application power and ground is 150V.

Caution: Although the charger portion of the unit is current limited at 5.0A and is thus short-circuit proof, there is no current limit for the battery. A short circuit at the application "+" and "-" terminals causes a huge battery current surge which damages the charger's battery-cutoff circuit.

Although there are polymeric fuses in the charger (and an in-line fuse for the battery), their responses are too slow to protect the MOSFET battery-disconnect switch in the charger.

Before initially turning on the Application Power switch, check the resistance between the "+" and "-" application terminals to check for shorts.

Application Panel: The top panel is blank and is removable for installation of the application equipment. Remove the five crews (6-32 x 3/8") at the bottom of the panel and two top corner screws (10-32 x 3/8"). The clearance under the panel is approximately 3/8".

If laying the NEMA box on its back during assembly, place support under the open door to avoid hinge damage.

Removing the Bottom (Charger) Panel: It's unlikely that the bottom panel will ever need to be removed. However, here are the steps:

Turn off all switches.

Remove the battery in-line fuse.

Remove the batteries.

Disconnect and remove the input power wires from the switch box terminal strip.

Disconnect the fan wires from the charger.

Remove the top panel.

Loosen the inside grounding wire from the bottom machine screw.

Remove the two bottom corner 10-32 x 3/8" screws (will need a 6" blade Phillips screwdriver).

Battery Life: As the following graph shows, battery life is dependent on the number of charge/discharge cycles as well as the depth of discharge.

Applications that use a solar panel for input power subject the battery to a charge/discharge cycle every 24 hours. Battery replacement probably will be required yearly.

If the input power is from the AC mains, then the battery is just for standby duty and should last 4 years or so.