My Screwy 31
First off let me say I am not stressing over this. It's just a battery, it is only money, it is meeting my overnight needs, but it is displaying strange behavior, and I am curious as to why. So th...
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@ ~ 370 cycles on screwy 31.
About 20 more cycles Since last report a month ago.
One morning, at 55 AH from full I turned the MeanWell to 13.6v, Lowered solar max voltage to 13.6 and let it go, for 5 days. Not cycled 1 amp hour.
On day six, I turned MeanWell upto 14.7v, and took 9 amps to get there, and 2 hours later it finally tapered down to 1.7amps. I didn't check SG.
Then the cycling started up again. 35 to 55 AH each night.
Last night at 1AM, 46AH from full. 11.9v under a 4.8 amp load. Rebounded to nearly 12.1v when load was reduced to 0.7a.
Not too bad considering it has been cooler.
Today Solar and MeanWell held 14.9v for 4 hours.
Hydrometer dip.
1.225, 1.265, 1.275
Switch loads to AGM, bump screwy 31 to 16V measured at battery terminals via the MeanWell. 6.19 Amps required to reach and attain 16v.
Weak cell did not respond at all for 25 minutes, then it jumped to 1.250 at minute 30
2.5 hours later
1.275, 1.280, 1.295
Amps had tapered to 5.59, and had started rising again by hour 3 hours to 5.83 when I terminated EQ cycle.
Electrolyte level is a little less than half way between tops of plates and bottom of hanging arms. Electrolyte kind of cloudy on weak sister cell, but not grey and no visible particles despite vigorous bulb squeezes down one side of cell and bulb filling from the other side.
Now where's my Whip? Time to start racking up the cycles.
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The "100 amp" PowerMax Adjustable voltage model stopped at 75 amps on a pair of NorthStar AGM's group 31's(100 AH each) in parallel via 00 gauge cable. They had a 10 amp load on them for 10 hours previous to starting charge cycle. 1 hour after load removal voltage had rebounded to 12.19v. NS says 50% is 12.11v.
Bumped Powermax to 14.7v unloaded, and disconnected PM from 116Vac.
Attached "100 amp" PM to parallel AGM's via 0 gauge cable. 3 feet one way. Plug in Powermax. Flip switch. 76.2 amps. 50 minutes later as battery voltage nears 14.7v, then amps begin tapering. Nearly 12 hours later, amps required to hold 14.7v finally tapered to 0.95a. Terminate charge.
Somebody.....tried to tell me that these 2 agms couldn't handle more than 75 amps when depleted to 50%. Effing BS! If the batteries were the limiting factor, amps would have tapered immediately, not 50 minutes later.
24 hours later batteries read 13.09v
10 days later batteries read 13.00.
Powermax returned to Bradenton Florida with Note attached after talking with proprietor.
No word back yet. This better be made right.
The unit was originally shipped from Bradenton. On the side of the shipping box, there was a check mark next to the PM3-75.
About 20 more cycles Since last report a month ago.
One morning, at 55 AH from full I turned the MeanWell to 13.6v, Lowered solar max voltage to 13.6 and let it go, for 5 days. Not cycled 1 amp hour.
On day six, I turned MeanWell upto 14.7v, and took 9 amps to get there, and 2 hours later it finally tapered down to 1.7amps. I didn't check SG.
Then the cycling started up again. 35 to 55 AH each night.
Last night at 1AM, 46AH from full. 11.9v under a 4.8 amp load. Rebounded to nearly 12.1v when load was reduced to 0.7a.
Not too bad considering it has been cooler.
Today Solar and MeanWell held 14.9v for 4 hours.
Hydrometer dip.
1.225, 1.265, 1.275
Switch loads to AGM, bump screwy 31 to 16V measured at battery terminals via the MeanWell. 6.19 Amps required to reach and attain 16v.
Weak cell did not respond at all for 25 minutes, then it jumped to 1.250 at minute 30
2.5 hours later
1.275, 1.280, 1.295
Amps had tapered to 5.59, and had started rising again by hour 3 hours to 5.83 when I terminated EQ cycle.
Electrolyte level is a little less than half way between tops of plates and bottom of hanging arms. Electrolyte kind of cloudy on weak sister cell, but not grey and no visible particles despite vigorous bulb squeezes down one side of cell and bulb filling from the other side.
Now where's my Whip? Time to start racking up the cycles.
------
The "100 amp" PowerMax Adjustable voltage model stopped at 75 amps on a pair of NorthStar AGM's group 31's(100 AH each) in parallel via 00 gauge cable. They had a 10 amp load on them for 10 hours previous to starting charge cycle. 1 hour after load removal voltage had rebounded to 12.19v. NS says 50% is 12.11v.
Bumped Powermax to 14.7v unloaded, and disconnected PM from 116Vac.
Attached "100 amp" PM to parallel AGM's via 0 gauge cable. 3 feet one way. Plug in Powermax. Flip switch. 76.2 amps. 50 minutes later as battery voltage nears 14.7v, then amps begin tapering. Nearly 12 hours later, amps required to hold 14.7v finally tapered to 0.95a. Terminate charge.
Somebody.....tried to tell me that these 2 agms couldn't handle more than 75 amps when depleted to 50%. Effing BS! If the batteries were the limiting factor, amps would have tapered immediately, not 50 minutes later.
24 hours later batteries read 13.09v
10 days later batteries read 13.00.
Powermax returned to Bradenton Florida with Note attached after talking with proprietor.
No word back yet. This better be made right.
The unit was originally shipped from Bradenton. On the side of the shipping box, there was a check mark next to the PM3-75.
