I encourage all to read Mexi's ramblings carefully, several times. Have a couple of beers, and re read them several more times. Then distill the wisdom that is within them. Use your deductive reasoning skills to see where he's stretching it and where he's rock solid.
In short, I let the battery chemistry and the 14.4 voltage charging setting decide how much current my very unique surplus Telecom battery will take on. My 150 AH telecom takes on 20 to 21 amps when set at 14.4V and below a 70 to 75% SOC. That's it. It's no big deal. Run the generator with the Mega Watt 30 amp switch PSA unit for 45 minutes to an hour and 15 minutes every 4 to 5 days with the little Honda EU1000i, and things get shaken and stirred up as needed.
I don't force anything, it will do what it's going to do in it's sweet MaryAnn time. I strive to top charge it daily. Take a few notes the first few weeks of camping on any new battery and push it just a little bit, and you'll baseline really quickly, for the rest of the life, what the battery will and won't do. Sorry, it just seems like common sense to me.... YMMV... I've met a few great people from this board in person, and a few characters.... it's all good. Y'all know who you are. E'nuff said. One of them know's batteries, but smart phones kick his butt every time he gets a new one. Oh well... ;-) As long as you are good at something and share...
Unless you buy a pallet of them and wire them all together to cover surge loads the wifey might incur... these Telecom surplus AGM's are NOT good batteries for the big inverter toting /microwaving/hair dryer 120V amp sucking crowd to employ.
I am single, I am solo, I am in a 21 ft travel trailer, and I am frugal with my electrical consumption, so it works great for me, and for me only... YMMV, know the limitations of your power supply when off the grid and dry camping.
I have not dipped, dribbled acid, burned holes in any T shirts, Levi 501 blue jeans or underwear since getting my surplus telecom AGM battery. As such, the savings have been HUGE in replacement clothing. ;-)
Mexi has indicated to me that I should have no problems getting 10 years of life out of my battery. I don't doubt him... does anyone want to place a wager? My particular AGM just does not seem to drop that much in voltage in storage for 2 or 3 months at a time. Time to cycle it and do another Grand Teton trip or see the Black Hills of SD.
