Deep cycle or starter battery charging issues
I recenty moved from a class B to a small fiver. My old van had one deep cycle battery and I installed an isolator. This set up was good for several nights of light usage before I had to run the van t...
Forum Discussion
The 14.8 voltage bulk charge regimen is correct. Hearing that the Morningstar is fully programmable is great news. Balance 14.8 voltage TIME with what you see on a hydrometer, and it will be possible to tweak the time at 14.8 to obtain a rational level of charge before reverting to float. With a generator, the limit is money for fuel and regulations for run time. With solar it is the amount of time the sun is up. If a person is using a solar system to recharge the the panel limitation does not allow the 14.8 to raise cell gravity to 1.265 daily, more panels are called for to allow the 14.8 to be reached earlier in the day. The school of the hardest knocks taught me this formula as the on being the one most rational for systems that are confined to solar only charging. 14.8 is the maximum I allow for daily charging. There will be a little "over-run- after the 14.8 rate is terminated in which the batteries will still be "charging" (this is a chemical process, remember?). When the batteries revert to "float" the batteries should be at 1.265 corrected.
This formula allows for infrequent top charging, every 10 days or so, and the 2% of amp hour capacity top-charge will be rapid, just a couple of hours, to 15.0 volts. This should minimize the need for equalization.
Of course winter solstice requires a different regimen then summer solstice but then you can figure out the other ten thousand permutations.
This formula allows for infrequent top charging, every 10 days or so, and the 2% of amp hour capacity top-charge will be rapid, just a couple of hours, to 15.0 volts. This should minimize the need for equalization.
Of course winter solstice requires a different regimen then summer solstice but then you can figure out the other ten thousand permutations.
