Batter charging?

[John T]

I'm going to add one thing, corrosion between battery posts and battery cables. We used to use baking soda and distilled water, to clean battery posts and cables.

Dusty

That’s true and not being there it’s hard for us to help more. You still go south for the winter ????

 

[will-max dairy]

Great information thanks for the post. It’s hard to teach a newbie over the internet what takes entire libraries and years of experience to comprehend but hey we’re all trying our best to help.If you have any more ideas of what may be his problem please add them I’ve run out of things that could be the cause of his non charging grrrr

In 50 years of rving I’ve evolved from wet flooded lead acid to agm now LiFeP04 and never going back

Nice sparky chatting with fellow engineers.

John T long retired EE

My only "newbie" warning comes from a side job that I had, fixing those powered wheel chairs that many people have.

The wheelchairs used 12V Lead-acid marine batteries, just like boats, RVs, etc. Most of them, had a charge indicator that was just something like four dummy lights based on voltage, like a gas gauge.

What confused a bunch of users was "voltage rebound." They would be using their wheelchair around the house, it would say that the battery was no good. They would shut the wheelchair off. Then turn it back on. The dummy lights would now say that the battery was good! Even without putting it on the charger!

They would then start down the sidewalk (as they often used the things like ATVs), to the store. And about 25 yards from home? Battery no good again...

And sometimes, there they were... unable to walk home...and unable to drive home, because the little controller/battery gauge said the battery was bad... then they would turn it off and on again... and maybe get half way home... rinse/repeat.

When batteries get bad or weak, their voltage will drop under load. Then, if you unload it... the voltage may rebound... and a dummy light, or multimeter voltage measurement looks fine... but that voltage will drop like a lead balloon as soon as the battery is loaded again. (and I know, you know that...)

But the average everyday user?

I don't know how many of them told me that their batteries were fine...they needed new chargers, or controllers; "because it says the battery is good, if I just turn it off and back on again...the controller must not be reading the battery right"

A multimeter voltage measurement, or a dummy light... can only tell so much.

 

[John T]

My only "newbie" warning comes from a side job that I had, fixing those powered wheel chairs that many people have.

The wheelchairs used 12V Lead-acid marine batteries, just like boats, RVs, etc. Most of them, had a charge indicator that was just something like four dummy lights based on voltage, like a gas gauge.

What confused a bunch of users was "voltage rebound." They would be using their wheelchair around the house, it would say that the battery was no good. They would shut the wheelchair off. Then turn it back on. The dummy lights would now say that the battery was good! Even without putting it on the charger!

They would then start down the sidewalk (as they often used the things like ATVs), to the store. And about 25 yards from home? Battery no good again...

And sometimes, there they were... unable to walk home...and unable to drive home, because the little controller/battery gauge said the battery was bad... then they would turn it off and on again... and maybe get half way home... rinse/repeat.

When batteries get bad or weak, their voltage will drop under load. Then, if you unload it... the voltage may rebound... and a dummy light, or multimeter voltage measurement looks fine... but that voltage will drop like a lead balloon as soon as the battery is loaded again. (and I know, you know that...)

But the average everyday user?

I don't know how many of them told me that their batteries were fine...they needed new chargers, or controllers; "because it says the battery is good, if I just turn it off and back on again...the controller must not be reading the battery right"

A multimeter voltage measurement, or a dummy light... can only tell so much.

Sounds just like cheap rv indicator panels mostly for lead acid that had 4 lights intended to show charge levels. They were strictly voltsge based and same as you discussed not very accurate duh. I use a Renogy shunt based true battery energy monitor that accurately monitors and displays current in and out with amp hours used and remaining and of course costs more. The advantage of my lithiums is little voltage sag as they are used and I can draw them down 80% or more no problem, they charge much faster snd require no maintenance but can’t be charged at low temps. The SOK lithiums I bought two years ago cost me $1100 each are now 679. If I were starting all over I would use Epoch batteries and a Victron Combination Inverter Charger

If the OP needs a new converter charger I’d recommend a smart 3 stage Progressive Dynamics which is what I used back in my Fla or agm days and maybe some Renogy products.

John T

 

[Dusty MI]

John T, if you'r asking me, Dusty, yes we got here just this past week-end, this is most likely the last time we will spending in the land of warm weather and sunshine.

Dusty

 

[John T]

John T, if you'r asking me, Dusty, yes we got here just this past week-end, this is most likely the last time we will spending in the land of warm weather and sunshine.

Dusty

We get to the Zephyrhills Moose sometimes and spend the night in our rv. Similar this may be our last winter in Florida our health and eyesight are catching up with us but we had a good run

Best wishes Dusty my old sparky friend

John T

 

[Dusty MI]

John, we are at Country Air Village. If you can find your way here, it would be great to meet up with you.
Dusty

 

[Ray,IN]

We get to the Zephyrhills Moose sometimes and spend the night in our rv. Similar this may be our last winter in Florida our health and eyesight are catching up with us but we had a good run

Best wishes Dusty my old sparky friend

John T

Hi John,, we haven't been wintering in FL since April 2001, first the MH was in a body shop for a year, then I nearly died from septis, now neither of us are able to travel.
We're going to sell our MH, so I got a new toy after the engine failed in my MF135, now I have a MF451 w/loader.

 

[Dusty MI]

We get to the Zephyrhills Moose sometimes and spend the night in our rv. Similar this may be our last winter in Florida our health and eyesight are catching up with us but we had a good run

Best wishes Dusty my old sparky friend

John T

John let me know if you make it to Zephyrhills, maybe we can have a get-together.

 

[John T]

John, we are at Country Air Village. If you can find your way here, it would be great to meet up with you.
Dusty

We will see what the season brings it was maybe 7 to 10 years ago since we first met in Zephyrhills

John T

 

[John T]

Hi John,, we haven't been wintering in FL since April 2001, first the MH was in a body shop for a year, then I nearly died from septis, now neither of us are able to travel.
We're going to sell our MH, so I got a new toy after the engine failed in my MF135, now I have a MF451 w/loader.

Hey neighbor it was maybe 15 years ago I was at your place. Our FL winters may be about over also but we had a good run

John T