Am I shortening my battery life?

Sands through the hour glass! I have read many of the words and appreciate what you have taken the time to write. I will need to wait until I get the power supply to put so many to the test.

The thousands of words I have written I fear have been covered by the shifting sands of time. Questions keep getting repeated and I despair.

Too bad Harbor Freight doesn't sell their manual charger anymore. You could just zap that single low SG 6V with just that (it had a 6V setting). Had to do that on one of my 6's when I discovered an interconnect wire that had pulled out of the lug which left one of the batts lower in SG than the others.

Battery history: About 1yr old. Due to health issues we have only boondocked the 5r for two weeks. During that time I only let the batteries discharge to 12.2V. Every four days I plugged into the eu2000 for four hours. Then measured the batteries at about 12.7V. Never been zapped, top charged or anything other than through the converter. We have intentions to do much more boondocking so I will be adding two additional Crowns (CR235) and want to know the best way to get the most out of them. We also intend to add an inverter so DW can watch the tube and movies. Thanks again for all of your feedback!

How many times have you zapped battery # 2?

5% of amp hour amps to 16.0 volts?

Do a normal discharge and at the bottom of the cycle recheck voltages.

More than one way to render a cat hairless...

Batteries by the numbers: Ambient air temp is ~72 degree's. Batteries have been at rest for four days, no charge in, no drain.
Battery bank total voltage =12.73V

Battery 1 = 6.39v
SG C1,2,3 = 1.295

Battery 2 = 6.34
SG C4,5,6 = 1.280

SG range appears to be .015
Any thoughts on readings or condition?

The SG meter is a bit hard for me to read but I'm sure I am very close in my visual readings. I may wait a few weeks to purchase the power supply because DW has surgery on Monday and recovery is about 6wks so I will be chief cook and bottle washer as well all other chores.

Morning, Thanks for deciphering some of the Crown info. Made note of 14.5 TC and 15.5 EQ! Can you tell me what C20 as it relates to charge rate please? I do have a good Fluke meter and SG meter, but not an amp meter or probe. Yes We do most of our camping off the grid. Currently 14days is the most at a time due to work issues. So far the 5r stays connected to shore power and the batteries via the converter when we are not out. I have already purchased the second set of CR235's but they have not been installed as I need to build a battery box for all four. I can order the power supply and work on the TC and EQ charge before I install the second set to get the charging correct. I will check the SG today even though the batteries have been disconnected from shore power for three days, but are still powering the Victron, propane alarm, stero, ect. parasitic draws. Again thanks for the additional guidance!!

sjturbo wrote:
NinerBikes, I was not able to c&p the pages from the MFG. battery manual, but I will try again to link to the pdf. Page 5 discusses charging. FYI the mfg. indicates 100% SOC to be 12.6 or higher or 6.3 for 6v. Also SG 1.265 or greater. Link: Battery chargingThanks!

So, do you camp off the grid? Do you store your batteries off the grid too?

Key notes, for your Crown brand batteries.

14.5V to top charge.

15.5V to equalize charge, 1x a month, or so, when in heavy usage or deep discharges.

End results after an equalize charge should be at least 1.265 specific gravity for the battery acid. Slightly higher, I suspect, if the battery will do it (it may not?) would be anything over that, perhaps 1.270 or 1.275

1.265 Specific Gravity is supposedly your baseline.

Those are the numbers you need to engrave on your cheat sheet while you own these batteries. You need a device that has an adjustable charge controller voltage to make those numbers happen. 14.4V is close, but it is not 14.5V You should run 14.5V until your amps come down to a C20 charge rate on your battery pack.

I have zero experience with Crown Batteries. I have some experience with some tough loved Trojan scrubber T-1275 batteries. My T-1275's are somewhat unique.

I am going to defer to Mexico Wanderer. PM him if you have to, the voltage on those Crowns sounds a little low to me.

I would order that unit, pay the guy with a credit card or paypal, and get a few wiring bits, and get your pair of crowns fully topped off, and then equalized as a separate step. You do own a digital multi meter, and a good specific gravity meter?

Once you have the pair of Crowns fully "tuned up" charging wise, with a full 100% top charge and an equalize session, only then would I consider buying another pair of Crowns. Learn to maintain what you currently have, correctly, before starting in on a new, very expensive pair of Crown Batteries. Your money... but that little unit, if you adjust with and get the voltage right, should very well do the job. Sometimes, just by pushing the voltage a little bit, you can accomplish things that all the amps in the world at a lower voltage just won't get done, chemically speaking with lead, and sulfur and H20, in terms of getting that sulfur completely off the plates, as best you can, before it hardens and gets really stubborn.

NinerBikes, I was not able to c&p the pages from the MFG. battery manual, but I will try again to link to the pdf. Page 5 discusses charging. FYI the mfg. indicates 100% SOC to be 12.6 or higher or 6.3 for 6v. Also SG 1.265 or greater. Link: Battery chargingThanks!

Thanks! Mind and fingers are out of sync. I do watch milli and micro closely when tweaking. Very familiar with pots. Very touchy on the guitar pedals I build also. I will try to post mfg. specs. this afternoon. Still don't know why link is not clic and go.