I slip on my galoshes and wade deep deep deep into battery issues. OPs sometimes complain they don't want to learn the technical side.So maybe it would be best to simply stick to reporting your favorite brand of charger to be used with a generator, how many hours of runtime to recharge his bank and then list the downsides (a plus versus minus list)There will be casualties. Like a driver who insists on eating a sandwich while texting. They choose to have a lifetime of 2-year chew & spit batteries.A person would think I immerse myself in battery care insanity with my bank...Is this over indulgence?24 cells at 24.2 voltsStart generator let it warm up.Twist an Intermatic timer knob to say 4.5 hoursWhen I hear the generator unload at 4.5 hours I stroll up the hill and shut off the engine.Every week I take a hydrometer reading of the weak sister cell.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:"I slip on my galoshes......."MEX - maybe you better define "galoshes" for the younger generators -....er- generation!:B

"....they slip on their dirtiest clean flip-flops, and go ask someone at Auto Zone"

I was headed south on Mex 5 at buttonwillow when I decided to get gas. My '67 caddy had the 429 inch engine with a 10MT starter and a 17 plate group 27 battery.These were the days of high compression engines and heat soaked starter motors. The fuel tank held 27 gallons.Sure as hell the starter fell flat on it's face and I prepared to wait 10 minutes of so to restart. Being the 10MT was brand new Delco and installed around a month earlier I wasn' the least perturbed. I upgraded to 1 AWG battery cables then.Out from the shadows of a service bay ran a pineapple skin youth holding a cheese grater type battery tester. He clamped in onto the battery terminals then flipped the toggle switch."Yep it's your alternator and I happen to have one! Lemme go see how much for labor".I'll let you fill in the blanks.

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:OPs sometimes complain they don't want to learn the technical side.I realize that responding to what appears to be another rant is not productive, but, - it is "can't learn", not "don't want to". Last time I checked, no chapters of physics were mandatory in US and Canadian high schools. You can't learn without understanding the basics first.(now I recall my answer to a similar rant several months ago on how to ask questions: OPs don't know how to properly ask because they don't know, period).

A Tip For Folks Who Are Trying To Help Others With Batteries

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Jun 08, 2019
Yep

Some people demand dragging Behind them with 300 channels of TV. 5-bar 5-G service, a bidet, 24-hour instant Kerug coffeemaker, and wonder why they can't boondock on a couple of scumbag grade 3 cell batteries.

They demand 'effortless'. Send their kids to school as a babysitting entity and then scream when the school spits out effortless miscreants and effortless mom & dad are forced to put the bail bondsman on speed dial. Effortless.

Employment today is no harder than it was 50 or a hundred years ago. But people are a **** site lazier.
pnichols
Explorer II
Jun 08, 2019
MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
I slip on my galoshes and wade deep deep deep into battery issues. OPs sometimes complain they don't want to learn the technical side.

So maybe it would be best to simply stick to reporting your favorite brand of charger to be used with a generator, how many hours of runtime to recharge his bank and then list the downsides (a plus versus minus
list)

There will be casualties. Like a driver who insists on eating a sandwich while texting. They choose to have a lifetime of 2-year chew & spit batteries.

A person would think I immerse myself in battery care insanity with my bank...

Is this over indulgence?

24 cells at 24.2 volts
Start generator let it warm up.
Twist an Intermatic timer knob to say 4.5 hours
When I hear the generator unload at 4.5 hours I stroll up the hill and shut off the engine.
Every week I take a hydrometer reading of the weak sister cell.

David .... that's about what I do when camping except for the walking up a hill part (absorption refrigs don't like hills): Run my twin AGMs down to 50%, idle the V10's 130 amp alternator for one hour to dump in a lot of amps, then run my 650 watt portable generator and the RV's stock 13.6 volt converter for 4-5 hours to bring the AGMs up to 90% or so full.

This procedure works like a K.I.S.S. champ for me ... sun or no sun. I guess I'm using a V10 engine and it's alternator, a small generator, and a stock converter to approximate your approach. (I retired from my EE career a long time ago and am interested in things other than over-messing with electricity, now.)
mordecai81
Explorer
Jun 08, 2019
BFL13 wrote:
mordecai81 wrote:
It's kinda funny, but I'm equalizing my 155 amp 12 volt right now.

Which brand /model of battery is that? I know a T-1275 is 150AH, but I don't know of a 155AH--would like to know in case I ever go that route again.

I see a 65 amp Boondocker in the picture. Is that with the adjustable voltage between 13-16.5 (same as PowerMax "LK")?

It's a USBattery 12v scrubber battery. My Boondocker is the manual version of the LK, I think. It does it's initial voltage setting for 15 minutes then drops down 1.0v so I have to dial it back up at that point. Kind of annoying, but workable.
mordecai81
Explorer
Jun 08, 2019
full_mosey wrote:
mordecai81 wrote:
It's kinda funny, but I'm equalizing my 155 amp 12 volt right now.

Are you stirring or cell balancing?

HTH;
John

Both, but mostly balancing. There has been a consistently weaker cell in this thing since new. It comes up to 1.270 if I hit it hard enough but it sure is stubborn about it.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
May 10, 2019
I've written this before
You need an ammeter to make this easy
Remove battery caps
Charge a cycled battery
If no bubbling of electrolyte is noted even after prolonged "charging" the battery is not charged
period.
BFL13
Explorer II
May 09, 2019
mordecai81 wrote:
It's kinda funny, but I'm equalizing my 155 amp 12 volt right now.

Which brand /model of battery is that? I know a T-1275 is 150AH, but I don't know of a 155AH--would like to know in case I ever go that route again.

I see a 65 amp Boondocker in the picture. Is that with the adjustable voltage between 13-16.5 (same as PowerMax "LK")?
full_mosey
Explorer
May 09, 2019
mordecai81 wrote:
It's kinda funny, but I'm equalizing my 155 amp 12 volt right now.

Are you stirring or cell balancing?

HTH;
John
mordecai81
Explorer
May 03, 2019
It's kinda funny, but I'm equalizing my 155 amp 12 volt right now.
mordecai81
Explorer
May 03, 2019
I fall into the "Pro MEX group", I guess. He got me really thinking about battery fundamentals some time ago and I've carried on from there by reading up on battery charging and maintenance from whatever sources I can dig up. I come at MEX's posts the same way I approach a "New Yorker" magazine one panel comic - knowing that there will be some posts that I simply won't get, but that doesn't bother me 'cause I like a challenge even if I don't get all the way to clarity. YMMV, of course.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
May 03, 2019
As electrolyte temperature drops maintenance voltage must increase to keep battery potential in stasis. An amperage inappropriately high at 80F may be perfect at 50F and inappropriately low at 30F

Several years ago I kept online records HERE on this forum of a generic 12 volt UNregulated 700 ma transformer. At 700 ma at 70F it maintained 13.45 volts. Th battery was a so-called deep-cycle Wal-Mart group 29

At 708 ma it maxed out. Temp was 50F and voltage had fallen to 13.18

In July voltage was 13.6(forgot the second digit.

Cell Activity was verified with a hydrometer.

During a narrow ambient temperature spectrum applied voltage was correct.

For 24/7 maintenance floating temperature is critical.

But battery tender products do an admiral job with temperature compensation. Within their amp hour capacity span.

Constant current maintenance is never appropriate. A 1,5% amperage to amp hour capability is acceptable.

Forum Discussion

A Tip For Folks Who Are Trying To Help Others With Batteries

About Technical Issues

Related Content

Trying to decide

Walmart and other free camping

23MBH Other Manufacturers

Trying to form a consensus

any others dome lights.