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ATS-5070 Rebuild
Today I'm at The Reef RV Park in Rocky Point, and I hired Gabriel to take apart my ATS-5070 so we can inspect it an overhaul it if necessary.
I could have done the work myself, but the last time I got inside this ATS box I "wrenched" my neck and I only took off the cover and took some voltage measurements. So at $25/hr I decided to pay Gabriel, a licensed electrician in Mexico to do the work, and he was very capable and knowledgeable.
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My 2004 Itasca "Horizon" 40AD has a "true" 70A neutral, Parallax ATS-5070 they stopped making ~10 years ago. However, it uses high quality, heavy duty, old style, 8-pin relays, made by Deltrol Controls. (I just confirmed this.)
After Gabriel removed the "guts" from my old ATS box, you can then turn it over to see the relays:
The "Hot Relay" is a Deltrol Controls 900QR, but you order it from an authorized Deltrol Controls Distributor using part #21080-84.
The "Neutral Relay" s a Deltrol Controls 900QR-1C, but you order it from an authorized Deltrol Controls Distributor using part #21082-84.
Note: The neutral relay is the same relay with micro switch added to it.
I bought mine on Ebay. The guy selling them new acquired stock from Raytheon who was building military hardware of an unknown type. Probably ATS boxes.
However, I also found Galco Distributors will sell them to you a little cheaper. Both relays run about $120, including shipping. (See previous posts.)
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I'm pretty sure Magnecraft also makes a true 50A relay, but these are harder to find and you may not be able to just buy one of each. However, I will list their part numbers just in case you find a distributor that will get these for you.
Magnecraft "Hot Relay" part # 199PX-14
Magnecraft "Neutral Relay" part # 199PQMKKX-1
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When we inspected my relays and while there was some slight pitting on the contacts, nothing looked worn, and there was no signs of anything getting too hot.
I would have replaced the old Deltrol relays with new ones, but then I noticed these relays were rivetted on to the backing plate using really heavy duty rivets.
That normally would not have stopped me, as rivets can easily be drilled out, but I didn't have a work bench handy and the contacts in both my old relays looked so new, I decided to put the old one back in my RV.
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We did find 2 loose neutral wire screws... and Gabriel put 1/16" turn on them, but again no burning or major signs of wear after 110,000 miles and 17 years of use and probably some abuse.
Note: Maybe if you hook up to low power and run your ACs that will shorten the life of these Deltrol contacts. I'm just guessing.
I definitely would not buy the cheap relays being made in China. And now that I have seen the inside of my Paralax ATS-5070, I really don't think you can find a better, newer design out there.
Note: I'm also not a fan of using Contactor Type ATS boxes for true 50A-Service. These contactors have reduced "inductive load" limits, and that means your ACs will definitively put these Contactor relays to the test if you run more than 28A inside our coach. Also, a number of people are reporting their new ATS (50A-Service) boxes are failing inside of 1-2 years. So IMO, you should stay away from these, especially if you have an Onan 7500 or Onan 8000 that product more output current than newer Onan 10,000+ model generators.
=== IN TH END ===
So if you decision comes down to rebuilding your ATS-5070 vs buying a newer design, I would still buy Paralax and get there ATS-503 if you don't mind spending $350.
Or you can rebuild your existing ATS-5070 for $130 if you are willing to put the time into disassembling your old relays and installing new Deltrol Controls relays.
Note: We found the Full Bridge Rectifier is just a 4-pin connector you can remove easily. And you can easily test if any of the diodes are bad. Mine were not, but I had a replacement FBR ready just in case.
...Same goes for the timer circuit, but again my timer was obviously working the way it should. I.e., you can hear the delay before switching from AC-Generator or from Generator-AC.
Note: With ATS-5070 you can automatically switch both ways, and with some newer "Contactor" type ATS-50A-Service boxes you can no only go from AC-Generator power, but then you have to unplug your AC cord before you switch back from Generator to Shore power. The assumption is you never need to go from Generator to AC, but that's not true.
Today I changed my generator oil while hooked up to 50A and I just turned the generator on and the ATS did the work. Then I turned my generator off and the AC inside my RV kept working.
Note: Switching power to an AC or refrigerator is one thing, but if your cable box power goes down you will have to wait for it to boot up again, and that can take minutes.
Anyway, now we all know you don't have to throw away your ATS-5070 and there is a very good argument you will be better off rebuilding it.
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