Mex's Flash?

BFL13 wrote:
Sounds good, but I expect "SG lag" to ruin that plan. Worth a try at home for a test run though.

http://www.engineersedge.com/battery/specific_gravity_battery.htm

True, but even with the lag, you will get a timer setting, and SG reading (even with lag) and an idea of when to modify and drop your voltage.

The key is to know when the bubbling is getting too vigorous, the voltage at the battery terminals either climbing too fast, or how much time V at the battery terminal has been at 14.8V, that it's time to go to absorption voltage. Call it trends and tendencies. You don't have to get it perfect, close is good enough, before the temp of the battery electrolyte gets too hot. All these observation signs are correlated, there's multiple ways to skin a cat, or look at one observation or reading vs another, to know when to cut the generator or drop the voltage from 14.8V, and that bulk charging stage is over, next step, absorption charging voltage is now needed.

None of us mere mortals with batteries will ever get to the level of observations or perfection as MW does when it comes to balancing all the variables of costs of fuel, oil, motor time, rebuilds, cost of replacement batteries, replacement fuel, replacement generators.

We can do our best and strive to be close... take notes, learn, and try to do better. But that's about it... a man has to know his limits, try to break them to do better, without failing and doing destruction while trying. It's all about trade offs, even with my little Honda and single telecom battery. I charge hard, it's not the money issue or cost of repair to me... my priority while camping is quiet time... more than listening to any generator... so when mine runs, the sooner it gets shut off, and I get quiet time back, the better... my priority... YMMV on what is important to you.