OmniPower Power Caddy III User manual

POWER CADDY
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POWERCADDYIII
Model: B: Power Caddy III
Instruction Manual for:
Self-Contained Power System
Version 09
POWER CADDY III
Model: B: Power Caddy III
Instruction Manual for:
Self Contained Power System

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CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION....................................................................................... 3
2. USING THE POWER CADDY III: ............................................................. 4
3. CONNECTIONS TO THE POWER CADDY III......................................... 6
4. SWITCHES, & INDICATORS.................................................................... 7
5. TROUBLE-SHOOTING............................................................................. 8
6. PRECAUTIONARY ADVICE..................................................................... 8
7. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION................................................................. 9
8. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS CONTINUED ...................................... 10
9. WARRANTY............................................................................................10
10. ANNEXURE 1 .....................................................................................11
10.1. GENERAL........................................................................................... 11
10.2. BATTERY CHARGER......................................................................... 12
10.3. OPERATION....................................................................................... 12
10.4. LED INDICATORS..............................................................................13
IMPORTANT: read this User Manual carefully before using the unit!!!

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1. INTRODUCTION
Thank you for purchasing a “Power Caddy III ”
Your Power Caddy III is a versatile unit specifically designed to provide power when
normal Utility power is not present or frequently fails. It can provide instant emergency
power for many situations where either power has failed or when a ready source of
portable power is needed for leisure activities such as weekend getaways, camping or
boating activities.
It’s very user friendly and has the added benefit of being clean and noiseless. It requires
virtually no maintenance and is inexpensive to operate.
It has a number of advanced features allowing you to:
✓Have virtually instantaneous back-up power when a mains power failure
occurs –with a seamless changeover.
✓Charge 2 x 100Ah 12V batteries.
✓Equipped with a long design life semi-sealed lead calcium battery. (Optional:
Fully-sealed AGM + Gel deep cycle, high cycle fully-sealed hybrid battery.)
✓Accidentally tip or tilt or turn-over the unit without fear of spilling acid from the
fully sealed internal battery (only possible with optional fully-sealed battery).
Original Lead Calcium battery must stand upright as it is only semi-sealed.
This manual describes the simple steps to use the unit and explains the operation of the
Power Caddy III so you can understand what you can (and cannot) connect to the unit
and what to do if you have a problem.

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2. USING THE POWER CADDY III
For how long will you get power back-up?
The back-up time is load related and depends what is plugged into the unit and how
long it needs to operate. See table below:
600 W for 60 min
350 W for 2 hours
250 W for 3 hours
200 W for 4 hours
150 W for 6 hours
120 W for 8 hours
THESE ARE CALCULATED BACKUP TIMES WITH A NEW AND FULLY CHARGED
BATTERY AND MAY VARY WITH ENVIRONMENTAL, BATTERY CHARGE AND
LOAD CONDITIONS. BASED ON 800VA WITH 12V 102AH BATTERY.
Power Caddy III can power an assortment of appliances covering most of the standard
home entertainment and household low power appliances you might want to connect to
it. The more equipment connected to the unit, the shorter the back-up time.

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These items should not be used with the “Power Caddy III”
This list is not exhaustive and should include any items/appliances with similar power
profiles to the items/appliances above.
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/4 plate electric hob
Electric stove
Electric heater
Electric kettle
Hair dryer
Iron
Microwave oven
Geyser
Toaster
Vacuum cleaner
Air conditioner
Power tools

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3. CONNECTIONS TO THE POWER CADDY III
Supplied with the Power Caddy III is a 3-pin 15A SA cable with a 3-pin ‘G-ST18i
connector’. This cable is for the built-in battery charger in the Power Caddy III. Connect
this cable to an AC mains wall socket to charge the unit. You should leave the unit
permanently connected. If you wish to disconnect the Power Caddy III, ensure the
battery is “fully charged”. Never leave the unit standing with a discharged battery;
you will damage the battery and void the warranty.
If you’ve decided to take the unit away for the weekend, place the unit where you need
it, plug in your equipment, turn it ON and you’ve got instant AC power.
AC Input
AC Output
Master Switch

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4. SWITCHES, & INDICATORS
At this point, you’re ready to start using the Power Caddy III.
Step 1 is to connect the Power Caddy III to an AC mains outlet, switch it on to get the
battery charged. Note that all our units are shipped to the customer fully charged.
When you connect mains the charger LED will be stable and once the Inverter picks
up the State of charge it will go into Absorption/Storage Mode, at this stage the
Charger LED will flash.
Check the indicators on the TOP of the Power Caddy III that:
•The ‘Inverter’ LED is lit green
•The “Charger” LED is initially is amber, indicating that the battery is being
charged. When the battery is in Absorption, the “Charger” LED will flash;
once the battery is fully charged, the “Charger” LED will continue flashing
indicating the battery is in storage mode.
For more detailed information on the indicators please refer Annexure 1.
It will take about 6 - 12 hours to recharge the battery.
When charging is complete, you can switch OFF the “Master Switch”. If you’re going to
take the Power Caddy III away for the weekend you can unplug the charger cable and
use the Power Caddy III as and when you need it while camping or for other leisure
activities. If you are using it for home back-up power, you should leave the unit
connected to the AC mains and switched on, so that the battery is always charged and
ready for use.
Step 2. Use the Power Caddy III when and where you need it.
You can now connect the equipment you need to the AC power outlet connector on
the Power Caddy III. You can do this by plugging the equipment directly into the
output socket. Switch ON the unit when ready.
If you’re using the Power Caddy III at home or in the office and Utility power is cut-off,
switch ON the “Master Switch” and the inverter in the unit will immediately start.
In standby mode the AC power will be available to the equipment you’ve plugged into
the AC power outlet.

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5. TROUBLE-SHOOTING
6. PRECAUTIONARY ADVICE
The manufacturer has taken all possible precautions to protect this unit against
overload, over temperature, reverse polarity, etc. If excessive overload, excessive
temperature and/or reverse polarity are applied to the unit, the protection circuit will work
but with excessive mishandling they may give in after a while and this can cause
damage to the unit. It is therefore up to the user to connect the correct loads and to use
the unit within the specified parameters.
The user must also ensure that no reverse power is fed back into the output sockets of
the system.
The unit must not be kept or operated in direct sunlight and should never be placed in a
moist or wet environment.
In the case of overload, the Power Caddy III will need to be reset by switching the unit
ON and OFF again.

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7. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION
MODEL
B: Power Caddy III
Inverter:
Power Control / Power Assist
Yes
Transfer Switch
16A
Input Voltage Range
19 –33V
Output Voltage and Frequency
230VAC +-2% 50Hz +-0,1%
Continuous Output at 25°C (Non-linear load)
800VA
Continuous Output at 25°C
700W
Continuous Output at 40°C
650W
Continuous Output at 65°C
400W
Peak Power
1600W
Maximum Efficiency
92%
Zero Load Power
7W
Zero Load Power in search mode
2W
Battery Charger:
AC Input Voltage Range and Frequency
187-265VAC 45 –65 Hz
Charge voltage ‘absorption’
14,4V
Charge voltage ‘float’
13,8V
Storage mode
13,2V
Charge current house battery (at 25°C)
35A
Charge current starter battery
1A
Battery temperature sensor
Yes
Common Characteristics
Operating Temp. range: -40 to
+65° (fan assisted cooling)
Humidity (non- condensing):
max 95%

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8. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS CONTINUED
Miscellaneous:
1 x Multi-socket outputs
YES
Audible alarm: Battery Low / Overload
NO
Auto temperature-controlled cooling fan
YES
Dimensions W x D x H mm
250 x 470 x 360
Net weight kg (with packaging)
28.4 kg (31kg)
9. WARRANTY
We warrant this product against defects in equipment, materials and workmanship for a
period of 12 months from the date of purchase and will repair or replace any defective
item within the Power Caddy III.
The unit must be returned in its entirety to the Dealer from which you purchased the
unit. Proof of purchase must be retained.
Warranty is subject to the unit being used in an adequately ventilated, suitable
environment and excludes any fault attributable to incorrect use, misuse or service by
unauthorised personal.
The warranty is void if the fault is due to the end user or third party causing in particular,
improper or negligent handling, such as ‘short circuit’ and /or ‘reversed polarity’ or by
improper use or operation.
Warranty repairs do not include any shipping, transportation or reinstallation costs.
The Dealer limits liability for any damage caused to external devices connected to the
Power Caddy III to the cost of the Power Caddy III.
It is the responsibility of the end user or third party to ensure sufficient care is taken to
protect the Power Caddy III from incorrect connection and overload when connected to
external devices.
No claims will be considered where the Power Caddy III is used for applications outside
the functional specifications for which it is intended.
Severability
If a part of the terms and conditions set out above is held invalid, void or
unenforceable due to any particular national or international legislation, it shall not
affect other parts of the terms and conditions remaining.

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10.ANNEXURE 1
English Manual for MultiPlus 500VA –1200VA
10.1. GENERAL
Multifunctional
The Multi gets its name from the multiple functions it can perform. It is a powerful true sine wave
inverter, a sophisticated battery charger that features adaptive charge technology ana high-speed
AC transfer switch in a single enclosure. Beside these primary functions, however, the Multi has
several advanced features that provide a range of new applications as outlined below.
Uninterrupted AC power
In the event of a grid failure, or shore or generator power being disconnected, the inverter within
the Multi is automatically activated and takes over supply to the connected loads. This happens so
fast (less than 20 milliseconds) that computers and other electronic equipment will continue to
operate without disruption.
Parallel and 3-phase operation capability (800VA and 1200VA models only)
Up to 6 inverters can operate in parallel to achieve higher power output.
Operation in 3-phase configuration is also possible.
PowerControl –Dealing with limited generator or shore side power
With a Multi Control Panel a maximum generator or shore current can be set. The Multi will then
take account of other AC loads and use whatever is extra for charging, thus preventing the
generator or shore supply from being overloaded.
PowerAssist –Boosting the capacity of shore or generator power (800VA and
1200VA models only)
This feature takes the principle of Power Control to a further dimension allowing the MultiPlus
Compact to supplement the capacity of the alternative source. Where peak power is so often
required only for a limited period, it is possible to reduce the size of generator needed or
conversely enable more to be achieved from the typically limited shore connection. When the load
reduces, the spare power is used to recharge the battery.
Programmable relay
The Multi is equipped with a programmable relay that by default is set as an alarm relay. The relay
can be programmed for all kinds of other applications however, for example as a starter relay for a
generator.

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10.2. BATTERY CHARGER
Adaptive 4-stage charging characteristics: bulk –absorption –float –storage
The microprocessor-driven adaptive battery management system can be adjusted for various
types of batteries. The adaptive function automatically adapts the charging process to battery use.
The right amount of charge: variable absorption time
In the event of slight battery discharge, absorption is kept short to prevent overcharging and
excessive gas formation. After deep discharging, the absorption time is automatically extended in
order to fully charge the battery.
Preventing damage due to excessive gassing: the Battery Safe mode
If, to quickly charge a battery, a high charge current in combination with a high
absorption voltage has been chosen, damage due to excessive gassing will be prevented by
automatically limiting the rate of voltage increase once the gassing voltage has been reached.
Less maintenance and aging when the battery is not in use: The Storage mode
The Storage mode kicks in whenever the battery has not been subjected to discharge for 24
hours. In the Storage mode float voltage is reduced to 2,2V/cell (13,2V for 12V battery) to
minimise gassing and corrosion of the positive plates. Once a week the voltage is raised back to
the absorption level to ‘equalize’ the battery. This feature prevents stratification of the electrolyte
and sulphating, a major cause of early battery failure.
Increasing service life of the battery: temperature compensation
The temperature sensor (supplied with the product) serves to reduce charging voltage when
battery temperature rises. This is particularly important for maintenance-free batteries, which
could otherwise dry out by overcharging.
Self-consumption –solar energy storage systems
When the Multi is used in a configuration in which it will feed back energy to the grid it is required
to enable grid code compliance by selecting the grid code country setting with the VEConfigure
tool. Once set, a password will be required to disable grid code compliance or change grid code
related parameters. If the local grid code is not supported by the Multi an external certified
interface device should be used to connect the Multi to the grid.
10.3. OPERATION
On / Off / Charger-only Switch
When switched to ‘on’, the product is fully functional. The inverter will come into operation and the
LED ‘inverter on’ will light up.
An AC voltage connected to the ‘AC in’ terminal will be switched through to the ‘AC out’
terminal, if within specifications. The inverter will switch off, the ‘Charger’ LED will light up and the
charger commences charging. If the voltage at the ‘AC-in’ terminal is not within specifications, the
inverter will switch on.
When the switch is switched to ‘charger only’, only the battery charger of the Multi will
operate (if mains voltage is present). In this mode input also is switched through to the ‘AC out’
terminal.
NOTE: When only the charger function is required, ensure that the switch is switched to ‘charger
only’. This prevents the inverter from being switched on if the mains voltage is lost, thus,
preventing the batteries from running flat.

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10.4. LED INDICATORS

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