Solar or Generator for Boondocking
This is for a truck camper, no a/c. This would be to keep batteries charged. I was putting together a solar kit (on paper, for purchase at a later date) and started thinking about a generator and wh...
Forum Discussion
I really like the complete stop to charging that AGM batteries come to when they're at what I'm calling a "fully charged" condition, as this seems like a solid and unambiguous indicator of state of charge.
However, I have some self doubts about my view above, as several experts in these forums would probably say that AGM batteries may, or may not, be "fully charged" just because they don't accept any more current after X hours at too low of a voltage. I say "too low of a voltage" because I often charge our 230 amp hour AGM batttery bank all the way to a hard stop using only the stock 13.6 volt RV converter. Even on the engine alternator, they only see, maybe, 14.4 volts for a few minutes. There's an awful lot of discussion in the forums centered around the concept that "ya gotta have at least 14.XX or 15.XX volts boost voltage values to ever fully charge lead acid batteries. I'm wondering if this isn't referring to liquid lead acid batteries ... not dry cell lead acid battteries.
I got about 8 years (and probably they weren't done, even then) out of our last RV AGM battery bank using mostly the 13.6 volt low and slow converter approach to their charging. (They were also floated year after year on that same 13.6 volt converter.)
However, I have some self doubts about my view above, as several experts in these forums would probably say that AGM batteries may, or may not, be "fully charged" just because they don't accept any more current after X hours at too low of a voltage. I say "too low of a voltage" because I often charge our 230 amp hour AGM batttery bank all the way to a hard stop using only the stock 13.6 volt RV converter. Even on the engine alternator, they only see, maybe, 14.4 volts for a few minutes. There's an awful lot of discussion in the forums centered around the concept that "ya gotta have at least 14.XX or 15.XX volts boost voltage values to ever fully charge lead acid batteries. I'm wondering if this isn't referring to liquid lead acid batteries ... not dry cell lead acid battteries.
I got about 8 years (and probably they weren't done, even then) out of our last RV AGM battery bank using mostly the 13.6 volt low and slow converter approach to their charging. (They were also floated year after year on that same 13.6 volt converter.)
