Battery equalization in southern California
I'm looking for a place or a person in southern California that can equalize my 2 Trojan t105s. I called a couple local battery shops and they didn't know what I was talking about. I know a few of you...
Forum Discussion
Honestly, folks, if the 2 batteries had not been gifted to me by the local golf course for experiments, I'd not be monkeying around with trying all this stuff. I'd have long ago gone to Sam's Club or Walmart and got a pair of GC2 jugs locally, and not be messing with any of this.
But they were free, and I have the time to spend trying to follow somewhat in some Canadians footsteps for giving a big 12V battery a whirl. Seeing someone here with a brand new group 31 at 115 or 125 Amp hours, and seeing my 150 Amp hour Trojan exhibit the same behavior is not coincidence. Warm, to downright hot weather seems to perk these big 12V batteries right up, while cold or winter weather, even down in Quartzsite, seems to stifle or hinder their performance and ability to recharge them. Is it temp related, voltage related, or how much more you run them down with longer nights and running heaters in the winter, I don't have the answer to that one. What is known is that batteries need more voltage to recharge, the colder it gets. We had a really hot spell of 4 or 5 100F + days last week when I was dinking around with this. Giving a battery 15.04V at 100F is different than giving it 15.04V at 35 or 40F on a cold winter morning here in So Cal, let alone BC or north of the 49th. It will take more voltage, the cooler the temps get, according to MexicanWanderer... How much is a subject for debate... all I know is I don't want to roast my electrical controller on my Dometic refrigerator trying to equalize a battery that's being a PIA for my application.
MexicanWanderer provided the link to the source for the power supply as a battery charger, with some explicit caveats. I just provided the money, the gas, the generator and a stubborn battery or two.
I believe in trust but verify... always. In my situation, this flat out works. I didn't buy it to equalize, I bought it to be solely a bulk charging device for dry camping, but it turns out I got a bonus feature, perhaps, out of it with the amps it is capable of flowing at constant voltage, on a bit bigger than most battery.
But they were free, and I have the time to spend trying to follow somewhat in some Canadians footsteps for giving a big 12V battery a whirl. Seeing someone here with a brand new group 31 at 115 or 125 Amp hours, and seeing my 150 Amp hour Trojan exhibit the same behavior is not coincidence. Warm, to downright hot weather seems to perk these big 12V batteries right up, while cold or winter weather, even down in Quartzsite, seems to stifle or hinder their performance and ability to recharge them. Is it temp related, voltage related, or how much more you run them down with longer nights and running heaters in the winter, I don't have the answer to that one. What is known is that batteries need more voltage to recharge, the colder it gets. We had a really hot spell of 4 or 5 100F + days last week when I was dinking around with this. Giving a battery 15.04V at 100F is different than giving it 15.04V at 35 or 40F on a cold winter morning here in So Cal, let alone BC or north of the 49th. It will take more voltage, the cooler the temps get, according to MexicanWanderer... How much is a subject for debate... all I know is I don't want to roast my electrical controller on my Dometic refrigerator trying to equalize a battery that's being a PIA for my application.
MexicanWanderer provided the link to the source for the power supply as a battery charger, with some explicit caveats. I just provided the money, the gas, the generator and a stubborn battery or two.
I believe in trust but verify... always. In my situation, this flat out works. I didn't buy it to equalize, I bought it to be solely a bulk charging device for dry camping, but it turns out I got a bonus feature, perhaps, out of it with the amps it is capable of flowing at constant voltage, on a bit bigger than most battery.
