Battery shows 3/4 on shore power. Full on charger?

mojoroo wrote:

eric1514 wrote:

mojoroo wrote:
I don't have a voltmeter :-(. I am completely out of my element with electricity.

Get one anyway. They're cheap and you can learn to check battery voltage in no time. Don't believe your monitor panel that says your battery is 1/2 or 3/4 or fully charged. They are unreliable at best. With a $10 voltmeter you will know exactly what the state of charge is on your battery.

Good Luck,
Eric

I will look for one today. Thank you.

A voltage reading will give you a good indication of battery charge but can also be misleading. The true test is a hydrometer to check the Specific Gravity (SG) which on a fully charged battery in good condition will read about 1.265. Here is a useful link

The nice thing about using a hydrometer regularly is that it will show up a weak cell fairly soon, so you may be able to bring it up with an equalizing charge before it is too late.

Be very careful when dealing with battery acid. Your good jeans will soon be only be good for being your tattiest work pants. Go ahead: ask me how I know! :B :S

By the way, wool and polyester are impervious to battery acid. Pick up a classy pair at a use clothing store to use when servicing your batteries. (I'm going to do that one of these days.) Make sure your rinse them off thoroughly afterwards or you can transfer the acid to other surfaces with Oh **** results. :E