Battery life
I have a Class C rig with 6 X U2200 6V interstate batteries, they are about 5 years old, well taken care of, toped off regularly. This spring cleaned the corrosion off the terminals and did a regul...
Forum Discussion
Son of Norway wrote:
Some of the hydrometers sold in stores aren't very accurate. I had one that I had to throw away. I replaced it with one I got at a battery company which was about three times the price, but I trust the readings.
Miles
I agree with Miles. But having said that, a variation in SG of .25 is not huge, but would likely (hopefully) respond to a 15V overcharge (equalizing) charge.
By the way, in your post you typed 12.25V and 12.5V as reading on the hydrometer. a hydrometer doesn't measure voltage, it reads Specific Gravity, or the density of the electrolyte compared to pure water, which has a SG of 1.000. In other words, it tells you how much of your electrolyte is acid ad how much is water. As a battery discharges the electrolyte becomes less acidic.
Most (not all) new lead acid batteries at full charge have an SG of around 1.275 to 1.300. Some batteries are produced with a lower SG for various reasons, one being more tolerant of high ambient temperatures.
We would like to hear of the outcome. Please let us know.
As an aside, I have 6 2V 150 AH glass cells, designed for float application, that were manufactured in 1984. They are still in use in my ham radio station and will happily provide the 10 to 15 amps my 100 Watt transmitter needs the voltage does not drop on transmit. The SG in them varies from 1.235 to almost 1.250. An over charge brought them up from 1.230 more or less across the board, except for one cell that was at 1.225 and is now at 1.235.
