Solar float mode: Necessary?
As a practical matter, is float mode necessary with solar charging? As an alternative, the controller would simply stop charging when the battery was full. The next day the process would repeat. ...
Forum Discussion
So let's think about the algorithm at full charge w/o float. It could be like a battery charger. The battery is full, the charging stops. It should not be pushing unnecessary current at 14.4v and boiling the battery. The best way to view it would be that you take the charging profile of a 3 stage charge, lop off the right hand tail (float), and just stop at the end of absorption. I think some of you are imagining a 14.4v float. I'm imagining an actual or virtual stop.
It could either flat out stop the charge while remaining ready to provide current as needed, or it could idle with virtually no current, at 14.4v. I think the latter is the most common of the no float controllers.
As BFL is mentioning, is float mode stealing valuable electrons, preventing you from getting as fully charged as possible from solar? Of course, just lopping off the float would do the same. So if the battery is not truly charged 100%, why float? Why not keep absorbing, at a low current? This might be a sidetrack from the question of, is float necessary. This is more about the programming of absorption. ie Don't start float (or stop charging) until the battery has done X amount of absorption. So maybe two different issues.
It could either flat out stop the charge while remaining ready to provide current as needed, or it could idle with virtually no current, at 14.4v. I think the latter is the most common of the no float controllers.
As BFL is mentioning, is float mode stealing valuable electrons, preventing you from getting as fully charged as possible from solar? Of course, just lopping off the float would do the same. So if the battery is not truly charged 100%, why float? Why not keep absorbing, at a low current? This might be a sidetrack from the question of, is float necessary. This is more about the programming of absorption. ie Don't start float (or stop charging) until the battery has done X amount of absorption. So maybe two different issues.
