* >>>On 2013/04/15 1:22 PM, Knowles Rich wrote: The Defense rests.
Sorry Rich, one more point for the prosecution.....Mike, did you measure
the 'specific gravity' of the electrolyte....I believe it should be
around 1.265....I stand corrected on that exact #, a senior's memory,
but the SG will give you a better reading of the strength of your
batteries.....if they can take a load. That's more important than a
voltage reading at a point in time.
The good thing is, if your batteries were to ever fail, you don't need
them to start your engine. No worries mate!
Bob Abbott
AZURA
C&C 32 - 84
Halifax, N.S.
On 2013-04-15, at 13:19, "Hoyt, Mike" <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
Bob
Using a Mastercraft 12 volt tester that was purchased in 1982 (approx)
and spent 8 years on a 1981 C&C 36 and then some more years on a
motorhome. It was still in original packaging and was $22.95 I
believe at Canadian Tire at the time. Since the 36 is long gone from
the family, along with the Motorhomes and sadly even my Dad I decided
it would be put to better use on a boat again. My existing multimeter
for some reason measures in scales of 10v, 250v and 500v for DC
current which is pretty much useless for testing 12v battery. BTW -
the last battery was purchased at GNB in Burnside in May 2011
I tested while sitting on the boat Friday evening I believe around
5:30 PM. It was approx 5+ degrees at the time and warmer inside the
boat. I had charged 2 - 3 weeks previously by setting battery switch
to BOTH and plugging in the Guest ChargePro 6amp charger for 12
hours. In the meantime I had run the stereo for 2-3 hours on one of
the batteries while playing with my traveler .... (rebuilding after it
exploded last Fall).
To be perfectly clear there is very little load on these batteries.
We seldom sail at night nor use the internal cabin lighting. The boat
spent 24 years with only a single battery with no issue and only
received a second after the crew insisted a stereo be installed. The
batteries are almost exclusively for instrumentation. The outboard is
pull start not electric start. My goal is to have a light use last
for 18 - 24 hours without charge on each battery with minimal
electronics use. On our former boat we managed 36+ hours on a single
group 24 with continuous use in similar conditions before switching to
battery two with no charging - so this should not be unrealistic. We
also have multiple handheld backups for the VHF and the GPS as well.
Mike
http://users.eastlink.ca/~mhoyt <http://users.eastlink.ca/%7Emhoyt>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* CnC-List [mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of
*Robert Abbott
*Sent:* Monday, April 15, 2013 12:10 PM
*To:* [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>;
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
*Subject:* Stus-List batteries
Mike:
14 volts seems a bit high.....when are you taking this measurement?
If you take your batteries over to Burnside to Maritime Batteries (or
Great Northern Battery) not sure what they are calling themselves
these days, they will do a 'load test' for you at 'no charge'....no
pun, let me try again, at 'no cost to you'.
Last year, I let the electrolyte go down in my batteries.....thought
they might be toast....took them to Maritime Batteries and they
rehabilitated them.....no cost to me......I gave the guy a good Cuban
cigar....he was a happy guy.
Bob Abbott
AZURA
C&C 32 - 84
Halifax, N.S.
On 2013/04/15 11:29 AM, Bill Bina wrote:
They likely have reduced capacity after that treatment. All 6 cells
may still be working, which is why you can get what appears to be a
good voltage reading. Unfortunately, a good voltage reading is only
half the battle.When a battery is that dead, it starts to sulfate
immediately, rendering portions of the lead plates non-functional.
That reduces how much f a charge tthe battery will really take, and
how much run time you get from them after fully charging. The only
real way to know the capacity of a battery is with a test using a
battery load tester. They are not very expensive.
http://www.harborfreight.com/100-amp-6-volt12-volt-battery-load-tester-69888.html
Most autoparts places that sell batteries will use one of these to
check your batteries for you, but you would have to take them to the
store.
Bill Bina
On 4/15/2013 9:45 AM, Hoyt, Mike wrote:
Our boat has two Group 24 deep cycle batteries with 140 min
reserve. I also have a Guest 1, 2, Both, off battery selector
switch. As we have an outboard motor with alternator (6 amp) and
therefore do not need a starting battery. The batteries are to
power lights, instruments, etc .. only and are charged using a Guest
Charge Pro 3 stage electric charger and when the Outboard engine is
running. Charge goes into whichever battery is selected on the
battery selector switch.
Last Fall while motoring two hours back to my mooring I had the
battery selector switch on BOTH to put some charge in each battery.
It was cold and wet and I did not turn off the instruments (Speed,
Depth, Chartplotter, VHF) on leaving the boat. The next weekend on
arriving I had two completely discharged batteries. Temperatures
were +5C and above in the intervening week.
I motored to the club where we were racing and then plugged in the
battery charger for just over an hour and we had sufficient charge
to race on Battery 1 for 2.5 hours and some time at dock listening
to stereo before that charge started to run out. Then I plugged in
charger and started recharging batteries. That was last week of
season and the batteries appeared to be fine
I have been since told that once a battery is fully discharged it
will never be the same and may be ruined. I have left the batteries
aboard all winter and approximately every six weeks plugged in the
Guest 3 stage charger to keep them topped up. They never seemed to
become discharged. This past weekend I measured the voltage and each
seems to be at 14 volts. They had not been charged for a period of
two weeks and the stereo had been on for a bit
Am I correct in assuming that these two batteries were not seriously
harmed by the complete discharge last Fall? Note that they are 2
and 3 seasons old.
Mike
Nut Case
_______________________________________________
This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album
http://www.cncphotoalbum.com
[email protected]
_______________________________________________
This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album
http://www.cncphotoalbum.com
[email protected]
_______________________________________________
This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album
http://www.cncphotoalbum.com
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
_______________________________________________
This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album
http://www.cncphotoalbum.com
[email protected]
_______________________________________________
This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album
http://www.cncphotoalbum.com
[email protected]
