Charging Battery More Efficiently
I have a single Group 27 battery. I love to dry camp. I have a Honda eu1000i generator and a wfco (?) 55 power center. which is the most efficient way to charge the battery - connect the battery di...
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I tried a three-quarter turn pot and it was just too touchy. I think a quality three turn pot would be about right for me but finding a good 500- ohm 3-turn pot gave me a headache.
Look folks. The Mega or the Meanwell fixed at 14.8 volts makes a HECK of a good generator charger. Naio, find an electrical shut-off timer at the hardware store that woulb be easy to set at 1- hour or three hours. It would then shut the charger off automatically.
You're in camp. You want to use the charger because your battery meter says 12.1 volts. Look at a clock. Pry off a battery cap and set aside. Start the generaror/ charger. A hour later with a flashlight go look down into the uncovered battery cells. Is the liquid bubbling? If yes, the battery is charged. Note the tine - of course one hour. If the battery needs two hours to start bybbling so be it. However long it takes the NEXT battery charge will take as long so set the timer for as long as it took. When a battery starts bubbling at 14.8 volts it is charged. Get a friend or neighbor to help you with connecting the power wires to the charger. Hardware stores sell 3-wire extension cords that will work perfect when the end not needed is cut off.
Go to a Big Lots store and buy a cheap pair of jumper cables. the jumper cable label will have a size for the cables make sure the size which is a number is not less than number 10. number 8 is too large use only number 10 jumper cables. on one end of the cables cut off the clamps and use that end of the jumple jumper cable pair to connect to the charger.
Clamp the jumper cables to the battery post
Plug in the charger to the timer and the timer to the generator.
Start the generator. Set the timer for TWO hours.
Go have a beer. Your checking of the battery will be an hour away. And every hour thereafter.
Once you know how long it takes your battery to charge back up then your watch or clock plus the timer makes this a snap.
Look folks. The Mega or the Meanwell fixed at 14.8 volts makes a HECK of a good generator charger. Naio, find an electrical shut-off timer at the hardware store that woulb be easy to set at 1- hour or three hours. It would then shut the charger off automatically.
You're in camp. You want to use the charger because your battery meter says 12.1 volts. Look at a clock. Pry off a battery cap and set aside. Start the generaror/ charger. A hour later with a flashlight go look down into the uncovered battery cells. Is the liquid bubbling? If yes, the battery is charged. Note the tine - of course one hour. If the battery needs two hours to start bybbling so be it. However long it takes the NEXT battery charge will take as long so set the timer for as long as it took. When a battery starts bubbling at 14.8 volts it is charged. Get a friend or neighbor to help you with connecting the power wires to the charger. Hardware stores sell 3-wire extension cords that will work perfect when the end not needed is cut off.
Go to a Big Lots store and buy a cheap pair of jumper cables. the jumper cable label will have a size for the cables make sure the size which is a number is not less than number 10. number 8 is too large use only number 10 jumper cables. on one end of the cables cut off the clamps and use that end of the jumple jumper cable pair to connect to the charger.
Clamp the jumper cables to the battery post
Plug in the charger to the timer and the timer to the generator.
Start the generator. Set the timer for TWO hours.
Go have a beer. Your checking of the battery will be an hour away. And every hour thereafter.
Once you know how long it takes your battery to charge back up then your watch or clock plus the timer makes this a snap.
