Solar and Lifeline
Hi y’all First thanks to all who have tried to help with this project I finally got my Renogy system up and running. 4 -100 watt panels on the roof. 30amp mppt controller, 2000w pure sine wave inve...
Forum Discussion
'Wrong batteries for the application'...... just because Lifeline has a detailed charging PDF which says no less than 20% charge current when cycled deeply.
As if this is not applicable to other brands of AGM.
Should just get the battery with the least doumentation as to its care and feeding, using that logic.
People buy lifelines due to the reputation, but then seem to think that such a high $$ battery is then immune from abuse, which is chronic undercharging or charging at too low an initial rate when deeply cycled.
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Anyone should have the ability to feed their bank high amperage occassionally, and do so more often the more often the bank goes without higher initial amps or goes many cycles without reaching 100%, determined by the 0.5% at Absortion voltage.
"initial amps' is a key word here, as it assumes a plug in charger, not the slow ramp up of solar.
The 'trickle charge it overnight' mentality is alive and well on pretty much any Automotive based forum. Some of the people saying to do so are incredibly skilled in other automotive areas, but regarding how a battery is properly charged, they are completely ignorant, and parrotting false opinions first formed 75 years ago, which seem to get hardened every passing year with more and more parrots squawking the same uninformed dribble.
Take the batteries to 50% overnight, before the sun rises hit them with as much amperage as one can muster to get them above 75% SOC quickly. Let one's solar then hold absorption voltage all day. Set float to absorption voltage, as no battery being cycled nightly for many nights in a row, should be subjected to premature efloatulation.
A tiny percentage of charging occurs at float, compared to absorption voltage, yet so many people anthropomorphize their batteries, and think they are being kind to the bank by prematurely ending absorption voltage, when there is enough sunlight and solar wattage to hold absv until the batteries are much closer to full.
While one might have significant solar wattage, this is not like it is available when the batteries are at their lowest first thing in the morning, and by noon the batteries likely cant accept anywhere near 20%.
Hitting my Northstar AGM with high initial current from its most depleted state is how I have achieved 1100 deep cycles over 5.5 years. I have closely watched its voltage retention in that time, and it is so incredibly obvious when it is time to hit it with high amps, and so obvious the days after it got that high amp blast, as its voltage retention under load is significantly better.
If Lifeline says no less than 20% initial current when deeply cycled, and Odyssey says no less than 40%, does that mean every other brand of AGM which does not specifically state 'please apply high initial current', does not benefit from it?
YOu do not have to apply high initial amperage each recharge cycle, but you should be able to do it occassionally. YOur AGMs will thank you, and I think even flooded dual purpose batteries respond better when they get higher initial amperage from a faily well depleted state and of course recharged to full after. Truly full, not smart charger 'green light' full.
As if this is not applicable to other brands of AGM.
Should just get the battery with the least doumentation as to its care and feeding, using that logic.
People buy lifelines due to the reputation, but then seem to think that such a high $$ battery is then immune from abuse, which is chronic undercharging or charging at too low an initial rate when deeply cycled.
---------
Anyone should have the ability to feed their bank high amperage occassionally, and do so more often the more often the bank goes without higher initial amps or goes many cycles without reaching 100%, determined by the 0.5% at Absortion voltage.
"initial amps' is a key word here, as it assumes a plug in charger, not the slow ramp up of solar.
The 'trickle charge it overnight' mentality is alive and well on pretty much any Automotive based forum. Some of the people saying to do so are incredibly skilled in other automotive areas, but regarding how a battery is properly charged, they are completely ignorant, and parrotting false opinions first formed 75 years ago, which seem to get hardened every passing year with more and more parrots squawking the same uninformed dribble.
Take the batteries to 50% overnight, before the sun rises hit them with as much amperage as one can muster to get them above 75% SOC quickly. Let one's solar then hold absorption voltage all day. Set float to absorption voltage, as no battery being cycled nightly for many nights in a row, should be subjected to premature efloatulation.
A tiny percentage of charging occurs at float, compared to absorption voltage, yet so many people anthropomorphize their batteries, and think they are being kind to the bank by prematurely ending absorption voltage, when there is enough sunlight and solar wattage to hold absv until the batteries are much closer to full.
While one might have significant solar wattage, this is not like it is available when the batteries are at their lowest first thing in the morning, and by noon the batteries likely cant accept anywhere near 20%.
Hitting my Northstar AGM with high initial current from its most depleted state is how I have achieved 1100 deep cycles over 5.5 years. I have closely watched its voltage retention in that time, and it is so incredibly obvious when it is time to hit it with high amps, and so obvious the days after it got that high amp blast, as its voltage retention under load is significantly better.
If Lifeline says no less than 20% initial current when deeply cycled, and Odyssey says no less than 40%, does that mean every other brand of AGM which does not specifically state 'please apply high initial current', does not benefit from it?
YOu do not have to apply high initial amperage each recharge cycle, but you should be able to do it occassionally. YOur AGMs will thank you, and I think even flooded dual purpose batteries respond better when they get higher initial amperage from a faily well depleted state and of course recharged to full after. Truly full, not smart charger 'green light' full.
