Forum Discussion
78 Replies
- MEXICOWANDERERExplorer
BFL13 wrote:
There was mention earlier of a time factor to recharge. I first noticed "progressive capacity loss" when it took less and less time to do a 50-90 when doing several in a row.
So however you define your full recharge, as long as you can measure your starting point and finishing point (I use "morning voltage" at 12.1 as my 50% starting point) and stick to the same routine, you should be able to tell if the AGMs are losing capacity the same way. No hydrometer required.
Another clue using time is that your constant amps stage lasts less time before tapering starts as part of the above, so you already know without having to wait till the end.
Every battery charge can be displayed in profile. Amperage voltage and time. Time spent in bulk, time spent at absorption. Trends and tendencies. This is why it is so important with AGM to manufacture a new battery profile then use it for comparison throughout the lifetime of the battery. Loss of capacity is sulfation shrouding. - AlmotExplorer IIIAbout applying it to any AGM - one would think that "Conditioning" described in Lifeline manual for restoring the capacity (and useful to extend the battery life, as the research shows), - could be useful to other AGMs as well. But other manufacturers don't mention it in their manuals.
- mena661Explorer
red31 wrote:
Oh, my mistake. I should've given some background on this. Not everyone is familiar with that blog. That particular blog was open to the public but now you have to pay them to get access to it. It contains some info on conditioning/equalizing Lifeline AGM batteries (among many other things...it's a great read). It turns out this info can be applied to other AGMs as well. If I were MEX I would say ANY AGM.
I thought this was in reference to a 'labor rate' needed to rise the learning curve! my bad :h - red31Explorer
mena661 wrote:
you have to pay for it now :R)
I thought this was in reference to a 'labor rate' needed to rise the learning curve! my bad :h - full_moseyExplorerObviously, I mis-remembered the sailor's report! I thank you all for the clarification.
And yes, Lifeline is a fine and well respected maker of AGMs.
HTH;
John - mena661ExplorerAlmot, thanks for saving that. Maybe sometime I'll pay them and save that info for later sharing so we dont have to try and remember this stuff in the future. Lifeline did indeed replace their batteries for free with a new set. Justin Godber was on scene with the sailors and provided the training.
- AlmotExplorer IIII think Mena is right, you have to pay to read that sailors blog now (I've lost that bookmark since could not access the site anymore). But saved a clip on my hard drive, here it is:
" Justin Gobar at Lifeline, who provided us with new batteries, is advising us on how to care for them. Put broadly, there are four ways that will yield different lifetimes based on daily 50% deep cycles:
1. Fully charge after each discharge. (We understand that is not feasible (in our case).) Estimated life: 6-9 Years.
2. Fully charge at least once a week and equalize once a month. Estimated life: 4-6 Years.
3. Only charge to 85% and equalize once a month. Estimated life: 2-4 years.
4. Only charge to 85% and never equalize. Estimated life: 1 year. "
The clip is same cryptic as it was years ago when I read the blog first.
"Provided" - was it for free?
"N years" - with how many cycles per year? 365?
"Fully charged" leaves room for interpretation, though there are guidelines on what to consider full, ex. float current= 1%C. - mena661Explorer
full_mosey wrote:
Lifeline did NO such thing!!! That sailor was not getting the expected life from those batteries (it was HIS blog not Lifeline's...read the blog, there's a lot of good info there...oh no you can't you have to pay for it now :R) and instead of Lifeline saying you maintained them wrong and telling them to piss off (like most companies would do), they stepped in to help train them on proper care and maintenance AND provided them with a replacement set of batteries. That is fantastic service IMO! That sold me on Lifeline AGMs even though the general consensus in the sailing community is not good on AGMs in general (look that up for yourself). IMO, the way they do things is not conducive to AGM use even though they are the perfect customers for them. Some sailors have made them work though. In a RV environment, they can work and work well.
Lifeline funded that sailor's report at least to the cost of the batteries. I don't mean to say we should suspend belief on the report, just keep that in mind. - BFL13Explorer IIThere was mention earlier of a time factor to recharge. I first noticed "progressive capacity loss" when it took less and less time to do a 50-90 when doing several in a row.
So however you define your full recharge, as long as you can measure your starting point and finishing point (I use "morning voltage" at 12.1 as my 50% starting point) and stick to the same routine, you should be able to tell if the AGMs are losing capacity the same way. No hydrometer required.
Another clue using time is that your constant amps stage lasts less time before tapering starts as part of the above, so you already know without having to wait till the end. - pianotunaNomad IIIHi Mex,
Close to fully charged may be applying 13.2 volts for 168 hours with no load on the battery bank. That's for a flooded battery. I have NO clue what an AGM might desire.
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