Mex's 20% AGM Rule Sucks.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
If you have to buy a



for fifty bucks on eBay

Set the pot for 14.4 volts then when you get home plug in the Megawatt for several hours. That'll make absolutely sure the batteries get topped off right then your converter can take over the float.

You do NOT need a converter change, and time spent at 14.4 volts at home is not that critical 3 hours, 5 hours then unplug the Megawatt. This will bypass the most common error in AGM management and can easily TRIPLE the longevity of an AGM. The best $50 you'll ever spend.

Hi guys, been gone a while with that Deka 155Ah surplus Telecom thick plate battery. Easy as pie to maintain. Put it on the Megawatt 350,s set the variable pot voltage to 14.4V with mega watt turned on, then turn it off, and connect the battery. Max amps I've ever seen that thick plate Telecom AGM battery take is 20 amps at 14.4V I'd say it's imperative to get it down to 40 or 50% SOC every year or two, and let it take 20 amps off the generator or the pedestal for maybe 4 hours. After that.... when I get back home, pull the battery, store it in the garage and as soon as I get home, put the Megawatt on it for 3 or 4 hours to let it taper charge down to anywhere to from .75 amp to .50 amp charge rate at 14.4V.

Battery just seems to keep on doing a really good job, I have to run it 2.5 to 3 days to get it down to 35 or 40% SOC, followed by 2 hours of generator time with the MegaWatt at 14.4V, then the rest of the day, the 150W 9 amp solar panel,again set at 14.4V gets to add another 40-50 amps, while camping. I try to do the generator and 20 amps is all she'll take thing a time or two on every camping trip. I always top off charge the AGM when I get back home.

I believe Mex is right, if I continue, I should see 10 years out of this battery, with the way I operate. Do an occasional 50% discharge, and set the volts to 14.4V and let it take all the amps it will handle to a 80% SOC, and then don't worry about the taper amperage rate, keep the volts steady. I feel a deep discharge helps stir up the battery chemistry. I DON"T do a hard drain rate on me telecom, running heavy draw in amps from it. I keep it under a 10 amp draw max, at all times. My Deka telecom doesn't like fast discharge rates, or fast charge rates, due to few plates, and the plates are very, very thick. Price I paid.... $125 for a near new 150 AH Telecom... I knew what I was getting into... works great for off the grid dry camping. Works great with the solar panel, for about a week... then it needs the clean up cycle, or a drive with the alternator on the Touareg, which also has an AGM battery, to get it topped off, to a new campsite. Lucky for me the Touareg also has that AGM battery and a max voltage that I can see on the Scan Gauge as 14.4 to 14.5V. Not enough to worry about, it just works well. The electric drum brakes on the trailer on hard braking session, seems to pull a lot of amps out of that battery.