Flooded Batteries on Float

Phil, from what I understand, LI batteries aren't supposed to be kept on float. You charge them up and then disconnect the charging source. Most of the BMS's I've seen come with a relay that shuts off the charger when the batteries are full.

Mex,

We are talking about batteries.

How do you think you and I can ever afford lithium RV batteries unless the electronics to keep them floated (oops .. charged) properly are coming from Ch**a!?

mena661 wrote:
Don't mean to be a downer but electronics started going overseas 30 years ago.

Yep .... including the IC company I worked in for nearly 33 years.

I used to travel a lot to their Korean and Asian manufacturing sites. However as of when I retired in 2003, their in-house wafer fabrication manufacturing sites were still located exclusively in the US or Scotland. However, while I was still working they had begun to also contract some of their digital products' wafer fabrication to contractors located in Southeast Asia.

I have no problem with the world's products being manufactured wherever in the world they can be manufactured the most efficiently without sacrificing product value or taking advantage of a workforce. What I have a problem with is low value and/or slave labor just to maximize profit margins via customers who are too fixated on price shopping instead of value shopping.

"If you can't afford to pay for the highest value form of the product, them maybe you shouldn't be buying any form of the product."

Following this shopping style would soon put the low product value slave labor boys where they belong - out of business. Of course plenty of retirement IRAs would suffer for awhile until the whole system corrected itself back to where the only products available were high value ones and the workers who made the products could themselves afford to buy them.

Notice that I used the word "value" instead of the word "quality". The difference between these two is a whole nuther forum topic.

pnichols wrote:
Well these are at least assembled in the US:

http://www.elementelectronics.com/producttypes/assembled-in-usa/

Here's a bunch of other US products:

http://madeinusaforever.com/

I got as far as the forty dollar flip flops and panicked. The self promoting banners and decals were interesting. A one quart sauce pan for a hundred ten dollars was a real eye opener as were some fifty dollar towel sets. Tell social insecurity to pay more so I can afford to by American.

Where the hell did the battery float issue go to!

I wanna talk about batteries! not poverty!

pnichols wrote:
Well these are at least assembled in the US:

http://www.elementelectronics.com/producttypes/assembled-in-usa/

Here's a bunch of other US products:

http://madeinusaforever.com/

Who makes the panels and the other components? There's only a few that make LCD panels and most are Chinese or Taiwanese. I don't think there is an American LCD panel manufacturer. Don't mean to be a downer but electronics started going overseas 30 years ago.

Well these are at least assembled in the US:

http://www.elementelectronics.com/producttypes/assembled-in-usa/

Here's a bunch of other US products:

http://madeinusaforever.com/

I do not have the money, tire rubber, postage and patience to stubbornly stick to made in USA only, gear.

Westend strengthens my point. I will add that even if you were to build an All-American computer, it won't be better than the best Chinese/Taiwanese one. They've been doing this for far longer and are very good at it. Also, much like Westend, I've enjoyed extremely good reliability from the custom built machines. Example: my last 4 custom built machines are all still in service. The oldest being 12 years old.

mena661 wrote:

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
(drifting further off course)

Aren't those high end desktop video cards made in the USA? I am soooo ignorant about computers. I know what a blue screen means though. A jokester company is selling a DVD that produces a blue screen with official Armageddon Warning. This is supposed to be funny when you pull it on a friend or co-worker.

In the case of Nvidia chipsets (US company), all video cards using their design are made by their respective manufacturers to Nvidia's very strict standards (they're so strict that there's essentially no difference between video card manufacturers). Same with AMD but they aren't a US company. If you own a desktop/laptop on the lower end of the price scale (say under $700-$1000 depends), the video will either be Intel or AMD generally (lower end Intel and AMD GPU's are on the CPU die ie on the processor chip itself). The reason why I say you'd have to build it yourself to even have a chance at all US made is because ALL off the shelf computers are built overseas, no matter who's name is on the case.

Phil, that's a good question on Wilson. Probably easy to find out with a quick search. Somehow I doubt all their components are US made though.

The other thing to consider after you get your "all american" computer is what are you going to use for a screen? AFAIK, all of them are made in Asia or possibly, Indonesia.
BTW, even building the motherboard will require board components (resistors, capacitors, inductors). Most of that lot is also built in Asia.
IMO, assuming a lesser product (electronics) because it is built in Asia is behind the times. I have an overclocked Abit Inc. branded motherboard that has been in continual use since the '90's.

Every time I open our Norcold fridge in the RV I get an "in your face" look at the big sign that says, "American Pride--Made in the USA" plus a sticker of "Old Glory" (if I have that name right) Gosh that makes me feel good! :)

I recall that in school (1950s) they told us about a Japanese trick in the 1930s to name one of their towns Usa, so they could put "Made in Usa" on their factory made things.

So I don't know which bunch of foreigners really made our fridge. All I know is it still works and it is 12 years old. So good job, who ever made it! :)