Battery Life and Low Temps

pnichols wrote:
NinerBikes,

FWIW, I have had a digital four-place voltmeter and three-place ammeter in my coach battery bank's heavy gauge negative lead for at least 6 years. They're mounted right on our MH's dash so I can see what's going on with coach battery volts and current any time while camped or going down the road. I wired the ammeter's shunt such that negative current readings mean the coach batteries are seeing a net amperage out-flow (getting drained) and positive current readings mean the coach batteries are seeing a net amperage in-flow (getting charged). When the ammeter reads under 2 amps positive for my 200AH battery bank, I call this "fully charged" enough such that the batteries can go a few more similar camping charge cycles before needing a true full charge from either some main engine alternator pre-charge exposure or a potload of home time on the converter with hookups from a stick house outside wall outlet.

Did you check out my link I posted earlier to the no longer available 7455T dual-voltage, timed-high-voltage converter? This converter reminds me of what many are now trying to do by combining an (inexpensive) adjustable voltage power supply on a timer with a another (built-in?) RV battery charger. The 7455T was available quite some time ago well before these recent combined-power-supply charging discussions ... which makes me believe that some engineer(s) inside Parallax Power Supply L.L.C. knew what they were doing way back when. ;)

Yes, I looked at the link... and there's a theme here... some of the stuff you use is no longer available... It's great you've been at this a long long time, and stocked up on items you found either used, cheap, or was available back then,from a different era.... but most of the people here are Newbies and are looking for stuff that's hard to find, or well used, in the case of an EX650, is perhaps not easy or a good use of their time scrounging around for the old stuff. The EX650 weighs more than an Eu2000i... and puts out 550 watts at 110... the Eu 2000 puts out 1600 watts. 48 pounds, not 56. Just saying. Yes, the EX650 is quiet. It should be... a 70cc motor at 3600 rpms, all the time, doesn't work very hard for 550 watts. The little Eu1000i at 28 pounds, is a 49cc motor. It puts out 900 watts. Of course, to do so, it's going to have to work a little harder and make more rpms and a bit more noise. But I assure you, a 50cc motor making 550 watts will have less parasitic drag than a 70cc motor doing the same amount of work.

Based on power output alone, if a EU2000i puts out 1600 watts and goes used for $600, and an EU1000i puts out 900 watts, and in my case, I picked mine up used for $350, then what should a big heavy old EX650 sell for used at 550 Watts, with spare parts harder to find for it, if it needs them? I'd value one at $150 and not a cent more.