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RE: MFGR Battery charging specs
And, agreed. That is a great line.
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mexbungalows
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05/25/12 02:13pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: MFGR Battery charging specs
And I meant no disrespect, ever. (cyber hand shake)
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mexbungalows
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05/25/12 02:11pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: MFGR Battery charging specs
First of all, I had and have no issue with how you do things. Entiendes? But a lot of folks including myself read these threads and many including myself, learn from them.
You posed a question. It had few technical details. Enough for you. But your amperage draw figure could have wandered anywhere from 8.6 amps to close to 11 amps depending on the type and brand of inverter you used. A 55 amp hour battery tested over 180 minutes with an 11 amp draw is going to withdraw a lot more ampere hours than it would at 8.6 amps.
It doesn't take lab grade equipment to do the measurements here. But arriving at a solution with too few known components is hard. Unless you want to settle for guesswork.
Since I have apparently offended you, I shall make it a point in the future to not respond to any of your posts on the forum. That's the least I can do.
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mexbungalows
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05/24/12 04:26pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Anyone know if Costco is still selling Golf Cart Batteries?
If you have the time, and dirt cheap power, the gentler the charge rate the better. As long as the batteries get to 100% state of charge.
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mexbungalows
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05/24/12 12:54pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: MFGR Battery charging specs
AGGHHH!!! NO method of trying to understand what's going on is stupid.
Some methods are less accurate or less complete than others. "X" times a variable renders guesswork. Algebra. If two out of three factors are known....etc., etc.
Try reconnecting that lamp to your battery, using your inverter, use an ammeter and see what I mean. Seeing is believing.
But then again, perhaps this just isn't an important exercise to undertake. Your decision :-)
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mexbungalows
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05/24/12 10:35am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Impressed with wired from Genuine dealz
When I stumbled across their website about eight years ago I bookmarked it and have ordered a lot of wire from them. Ancor gets a little carried away with their position in the marketplace.
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mexbungalows
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05/24/12 10:27am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Battery
Shucks I don't even trust a battery that's supposed to be brand new. Start there.
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mexbungalows
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05/23/12 09:34pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: MFGR Battery charging specs
Hi John,
I had to shoot from the hip on this one. I feel a lot more comfortable when my feet are on more solid ground. Thanks for understanding.
BTW many digital MultiMeters have 10 amp DC amperage measuring capabilities. This makes projects like yours a lot more fun.
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mexbungalows
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05/23/12 09:24pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: MFGR Battery charging specs
I believe your battery to be healthy.
The amperage figure is used to determine the -validity- of assumption of inverter % efficiency, plus assumed voltage values gathered in the test. I am going to ass-u-me that your idea of amperage drawn from the battery is just plain too low. A really high end 200 watt inverter may acheive around 88% efficiency with a resistive load, but I am whistling in the wind here. If your inverter is large and not relatively efficient then even my guesstimates are about as worthless as a mud pie.
But I am going to go on a hunch here, a hunch that suggests your estimate of current drawn from the battery might be quite low. This would account for your surprisingly low end voltage point.
I'll never forget the day I ordered parts for my load test apparatus. One sheet 4X10 feet by 3/4" fabric based Bakelite. 500' of ten gauge nichrome wire, the same length of 12, 14, 16, and 18 gauge nickel chromium resistance wire. 49 glass standoffs, a pound of silver solder, 5 NIST grade manganin shunts. And a pair of Whole House Ventilator Fans. The board sat vertical both sides used. I used a dozen expanded scale Simpson volt meters from Meter Master, one HP seven digit LED voltmeter (not loop powered) and a 5-1/2 digit 4 terminal milli-ohm meter, volt meter. One A to D process control board with floppy disc software, sixteen mercury relays rated to 500 amps, and a spanking brand new 286 computer.
With a 0-60 volt 400 amp 3-phase power supply, that variable oscillator I described in an earlier post, and one heck of a connection to Southern California Edison. I was ready to...well...I wanted to be ready to..
But it took months to assemble everything*. Just turning the nichrome wire on a lathe to make coils took weeks! I had to hire a guru to sort out all the bugs in the software. Then soldering. I used a plumbers acetylene torch. Calibrated and compensated every micrometer of wire and connection alike. Everything had to be documented.
*That's when I had to resort to rebuilding and designing alternator to feed myself. Only a "fellow idiot" engineer would understand my motives :-) that drove me to 16 hour and many 20 hour days.
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mexbungalows
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05/22/12 07:39pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: external fridge fan
Pianotuna,
Use your handy-dandy IR thermometer plus a fridge thermometer and play around to see when to cut the fans in. If you use an old fashioned dial mechanical contact thermostat for AC, it will work perfectly and the contacts are good for an amazingly high amperage, around 20 or so. I used a 48V. surplus fan in addition to just barely move air across the condenser fins and WOW! The temperature inside the refrigerator (8 CF) Norcold dropped 4C on a 40C hot Mexico afternoon.
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mexbungalows
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05/22/12 06:55pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: MFGR Battery charging specs
A few gentle questions:
start and finish amperage values. Rounded to the .1 would be fine ?
starting voltage. Also to the .1 ?
Exactly 3 hours. 180 minutes ?
Recovered voltage > 30 min. ?
Ambient temperature ?
All the above will help, por favor.
Jeez I hate to do this, but if I don't I would be lying by basis of omission. Batteries are subject to a phenomenon known as Charge Efficiency Factor, or CEF, how much energy goes in versus how much energy gets stored. The differential (CER) ratio is key. And before anyone screams, many of you are sophisticated enough to both understand what the ramifications of CEF, and CER means in determining battery health. With the above data in hand I would garner a rough idea of the overall capacity of this battery. But what I would like to see is one or more discussions from you all. Nothing is more disturbing than a silent classroom.
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mexbungalows
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05/22/12 05:31pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: "CFL versus LED" An Interesting Link
See, I told you it was an interesting link...
And then I follow up and read this thread and learn things :-)
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mexbungalows
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05/22/12 05:01pm |
Tech Issues
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"CFL versus LED" An Interesting Link
CFL versus LED
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mexbungalows
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05/22/12 02:16pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: MFGR Battery charging specs
The most reliable way to determine if and when sulphation takes place in a VLR battery is by capacity, Amp/Hours. Theoretical calculations based on initial resistance readings may be misleading as batteries are reactive in nature. Sort of like deciding how much work a laborer can do by judging the size of his muscles or giving him a pick and shovel and watch him work :-)
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mexbungalows
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05/22/12 02:03pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Made In China Solar Panels You'd Better Move Fast!
I don't have all the answers. But I do have a lot of questions. My first one, is one of "agenda". Is there/was there an agenda behind the solar panel tariff move.
Did I miss something? BFL13, did Canada enact similar tariffs?
Washington DC is not part of our solar system, never mind part of the world or United States. Take a look at "their" exclusive no-holds-barred health care plan as just one tiny example. Trust them? Oh hell yes, like I would a Nigerian with my bank account information.
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mexbungalows
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05/22/12 11:37am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Electrical shock off of propane valve handle please help!!!
The electricity chose you rather than an alternative path to reach earth ground. I would use a digital multimeter. Pour a glass of water on the ground where you were standing, stick a meter test lead probe into the wet ground and touch the other lead to the tank valve. Set on AC VOLTS what does your meter tell you?
Next, connect an extension cord from an outlet in your rig, and connect the rig to shore power. Measure between NEUTRAL the longer of the two slots and earth ground, the probe stuck into the wet earth.
Lastly, do the same test as the one above except with the probe moved from the neutral pin slot to the hole used for electrical grounding. The other probe meanwhile stays in the wet ground.
What sayeth the readings?
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mexbungalows
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05/22/12 11:24am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Anyone know if Costco is still selling Golf Cart Batteries?
My comments were over abbreviated. My fault.
Go to the warehouse manager and explain your logic. It would be undeniable.
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mexbungalows
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05/22/12 11:18am |
Tech Issues
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RE: MFGR Battery charging specs
..... nearly as readily a flooded L/A battery.
Check with East Penn about the need if and when necessary about conditioning the battery. Stratification is absolutely a different issue than sulphation. I will guarantee that if and when sulphation forms in a VRB cell mat, cell-to-cell and mat-to-mat electrolyte density is going to vary. It's just not feasible to ascertain the degree of this unless the battery is sacrificed for autopsy. And conditioning a Valve Regulated Battery is an entirely different process than equalization in a flooded lead acid battery. The concept, voltage values, testing, safety protocols are all absolutely different.
Resellers almost never fixate on battery construction and service technique. Their job is to market the product.
Hope this helps.
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mexbungalows
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05/21/12 09:14pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: UPS for wall warts
Guilty! Seventeen years ago. It was a cold night and I was without LPG. Lesson learned.
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mexbungalows
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05/21/12 05:00pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Anyone know if Costco is still selling Golf Cart Batteries?
Golf course within 50 miles, SI!
No golf course within 50 miles, NO!
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mexbungalows
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05/21/12 01:07pm |
Tech Issues
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