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Charging Batteries

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Charging Batteries - 14 October 2008 22:28:48   
John Bowie


Posts: 1438
Joined: 4 June 2003
From: Australind,Western Australia
Status: online 		Could be in the boat or 4by section but more electrical stuff gets discussed here.

I havnt been using my boat as much as I was last year.
The battery now sits 2- 3 weeks without a crank... I have put a trickle charge into it via a 4000ma charger.
How often should I do this? All I have is a green LED to say its full.
I have done a SG test and all cells are in the green.
Any thoughts on this?

Regards

John


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RE: Charging Batteries - 14 October 2008 22:43:23   
Daniel Mance


Posts: 6789
Joined: 5 June 2003
From: TLC Basement
Status: offline 		John i leave my batteries in the boat for months without a good charge regularly without too many problems. I try and kick the donk over once a month in the dormant period, but thats mainly to throw some oil around the motor more than anything else.

If i have a trip planned after a lay off, i'll test both batteries the week prior, and usually its all good. Sometimes i'll give them a little top up beforehand but not often.

One of my batteries is still going strong after 6 years so its obviously an ok method.

I'd say you do a lot more than the average guy. You shouldn't have any probs.

In the end, a lot comes down to the luck of the draw. Some batteries last forever, some die in a year...


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Mancey

On the v5 revision...
quote:

ORIGINAL: David Adams
I reckon it is a wishy washy decision. Talk about Nero fiddling while Rome burned.

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Post #: 2
RE: Charging Batteries - 15 October 2008 6:19:56   
John Bowie


Posts: 1438
Joined: 4 June 2003
From: Australind,Western Australia
Status: online 		Same for me Dan on the oil with the motor, My Bat is 5 years old and seems ok, But I was using it every week for 4 of those years and I think that has been a good thing for it.
Now I can go 4 weeks before I go for a run, (hope this changes soon).
Health wise I understand that a wet cycle Bat drops 3 - 5 percent charge weekly just sitting there. So in a month you could be down 20 percent. Not to serious if you top it monthly (as I understand it).
So my choice (availability) is to trickle charge a few days each month. I can pull start my donk so dual batts on the boat for me is just extra weight (arguable but in another thread).
Looking after the single crank/accessory Bat is vital.
As things get a little more worn or older I am mindfull I DONT want to be one of these blokes stuck at the ramp with a failed component due to lack of maintenance. Sometimes its just bad luck, mostly its because you havnt taken the correct preventative maintenace steps.

Regards

John

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RE: Charging Batteries - 15 October 2008 15:25:25   
David Adams


Posts: 2737
Joined: 5 June 2003
From: Sth of River, Western Australia
Status: offline 		John

Similar story to Mancey.

I have dual batteries and one is about 6 years old, the other is 1 year old.  I start the motor in the back yard about once a month if I am not going out.  Starts perfectly on the new battery but not so well on the old one.  If I charge up the old one then it is also fine.  That tells me another new battery is required to replace the 6 year old one.  On my list of things to spend money on.  Off topic but I just sent my perspex windows into a glass shop today as they are getting a little crazed.  Quote is $120 for 2 screens each about 800mm x 800mm so pleased with that.

So with new batteries they seem to last at least a month or more without needing a trickle charge.  Different story with older batteries though.   

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Post #: 4
RE: Charging Batteries - 1 November 2008 16:13:18   
John Bowie


Posts: 1438
Joined: 4 June 2003
From: Australind,Western Australia
Status: online 		After much reading and a few PMs (thanks ) I ended up with a good compromise
I bought a Projecta 7 level smart charger, no probs with over charging and it conditions your bat as well.
I have a couple of almost dead suphated bats in the shed so wel see what it can do to those.

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Post #: 5
RE: Charging Batteries - 3 November 2008 17:08:37   
steven johnson

 

Posts: 21
Joined: 19 October 2008
From: queens park
Status: offline 		Hi John

Think you will find you made a good chioce there, I have been using 2of  the older equivelent to the progecta AC250 for about the last 15 years in all my boats never had to replace a battery since. When a
battery fails in the Landcruiser the new battery goes in the boat and one from the boat goes in the car. The batteries are on charge whenever the boat is not on the water. These chargers float charge and do not over charge the batteries and the electrolyte level does not appear to be dropping. Previously we were changing batteries on a fairly regular basis as they would not get alot of use over winter, I think the model you descrided also has this same ability plus alot more I think its money well spent.

Cheers
Steve

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Post #: 6
RE: Charging Batteries in parralel - 10 November 2008 20:25:51   
John Bowie


Posts: 1438
Joined: 4 June 2003
From: Australind,Western Australia
Status: online 		OK I have had some great success with this new charger. It revived a couple of discharged batteries.
I now have 3 car batteries that are charged and not being used for anything other than pumping up bike tyres etc...
I also have my boat marine battery that I keep on float charge.
I realy cant be bothered changing the charger from battery to battery all the time.
Question:
Is it ok to hook the batteries up to each other in parrallel and just run the charger on the bank?
Ive had mixed feedback on this so I was just interested to see if this sounds plausable!

Cheers

John

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Post #: 7
RE: Charging Batteries in parralel - 11 November 2008 5:31:59   
Grant Taylor


Posts: 1882
Joined: 5 June 2003
From: A Murray River Somewhere....
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: John Bowie

OK I have had some great success with this new charger. It revived a couple of discharged batteries.



Hunter, out of interest.....the revived batteries? Do they hold their charge for a reasonable amount of time or do they drain far quicker than a newer one?

I'm assuming they had sulphated....??....and though you can bring them up to full charge, will they stay there. Could you experiment with these for us, please?


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SK

"There is an art, or rather a knack, to flying which involves throwing yourself at the ground and missing."

OFW # 12

"TH....Smithy's hooked a Mako"

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Post #: 8
RE: Charging Batteries in parralel - 11 November 2008 6:29:24   
Fraser Hocks


Posts: 3315
Joined: 16 December 2004
From: Bat country
Status: offline 		When i was younger and didn't have the cash spare, one trick id do is to poor out the old acid, and blast the plates with the hose pipe. IF the plates are thin this can damage them, but blasting them with water can remove the oxide that builds up on the plates. Then top the battery back up with fresh acid  (you could buy it from Marlow's at the time).  Got a good year out of an old battery using this method once.

I believe you can now get a liquid that helps get rid of the buildup by just dropping a bit in each cell. Sold as Battery conditioner or something?

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RE: Charging Batteries in parralel - 11 November 2008 20:19:05   
John Bowie


Posts: 1438
Joined: 4 June 2003
From: Australind,Western Australia
Status: online
quote:

Hunter, out of interest.....the revived batteries? Do they hold their charge for a reasonable amount of time or do they drain far quicker than a newer one?


Good question, Just used one of the revived Batts to run a compressor for a soft tyre. Dropped charge pretty quick (kinda expected this)
One of the other batts seems to be holding up.
More testing over time will tell.

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Post #: 10
RE: Charging Batteries in parralel - 12 November 2008 7:46:45   
steven johnson

 

Posts: 21
Joined: 19 October 2008
From: queens park
Status: offline 		Hi John

Not a good idea to attempt charging in parallel.
Your own observation proves this, the battery that is discharging quickly has a lower internal resistance which is causing it to go flat. The systems potential will reach a equilibrium voltage, but effectivly one battery will always hogg the charge and when not undercharge flatten the other batteries. When in parallel the only current limiting would be by the wiring linking the batteries if one of the batteries develops a internal short you have the potential to dump capacity of the other batteries into that damaged battery with potentialy disasterous consiquences.
The additive that is refered to is a Inox product, never had any sucess with this myself however the other option described does have better results but battery composition now days I think does not lend its self for long term fix as previously possible. (composition of the lead is not as good impurities added, ever feel the weight differnce between a good quality battery and average modern battery?)
Steve

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Post #: 11
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