Author |
Message |
Bob Wood so cal (4.63.41.14)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2003 - 10:29 am: | |
i have a freedom 2000 inverter/charger, and it has a provision for a battery temperature sensor, is it really that big a deal? this sensor is EXPENSIVE! i will be using 4 surette s530's. i really don't think they will be overcharged too easily? any info appreciated, thanks in advance, bob |
Henry Draper (146.129.147.120)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2003 - 12:28 pm: | |
Hi Bob, Wish Gregg'd had a sensor for you when you bought your inverter. I'll be curious to see what folks say, but in my opinion the answer is yes, it is a big deal. I've been sold on the concept that temp-compensated charging optimizes your battery charging protocol and therefor makes your batteries happier and longer lasting. Hope your project is going well! Henry Draper '64 Eagle Edmonds, WA |
Jack Conrad (Jackconrad) (207.30.189.109)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2003 - 1:39 pm: | |
I have the temp sensor on our 2500 watt Heart Interface inverter. This inverter has a 130 amp charger. I have noticed when charging our 4 6 volt golf cart batteries that the charge rate varies as the batteries charge. They start at 130 and drop to 15 when batteries start to get hot. As batteries cool, charge rate increases. This cycle continues until batteries are charged. Takes longer, but no cooked batteries and no acid residue on top of the batteries. Hope this helps, Jack |
Larry (208.18.102.138)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2003 - 1:49 pm: | |
What is needed for storage & when parked; Total Charge Management System allows the use of an optional "Charge Wizard" which plugs into the converter with a telephone type plug. This microprocessor greatly extends battery life. It constantly monitors your battery's condition and automatically selects one of four operating modes: NORMAL(13.6V), BOOST(14.4V),STORAGE(13.2V), or DESULFATION(14.4V every 21 hours to reduce crystal build-up/sulfation on battery's lead plates- the #1 cause of battery failure! This will also prevent water boil-over. Make sure your batteries are full, walk away, and forget it. |
Bob Wood so cal (4.63.41.14)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2003 - 5:18 pm: | |
looks like i will be getting the sensor. thanks everyone. and henry if you read this, i love this inverter! bob |
Tom Caffrey (Pvcces) (65.74.64.127)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2003 - 9:36 pm: | |
Bob, just a comparison for you. Here in Ketchikan, the voltage on our batteries reaches nearly 15 volts on the bulk charge. When a battery reaches 120 degrees, the maximum charge voltage will be only 13 volts. I had one deep cycle battery in our coach when I went to pick it up in Pheonix in June when the temperature reached nearly 120. After I ran the charger without the temperature probe, the battery ran away and started blowing gas hard enough to whistle. It continued blowing gas vigorously after it was disconnected from the charge circuit and made me believe that it might blow up or its gas might be ignited. I just got away from the coach and waited for it to do whatever it was going to do. It finally quit gassing without anything else happening. After it cooled off, I checked its voltage and the 12 volt battery was in the neighborhood of 6 to 7 volts. I tried charging the battery later just to confirm that it was shot. It was. That was a real scary situation. For what it's worth. Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576 Suncatcher |
ibrafting (12.228.69.149)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, November 21, 2003 - 3:43 am: | |
The temperature sensors can have an application for automatic generator starting as well. As the batteries get colder and colder their voltage drops, and if it drops far enough and your inverter doesn't know about the temperature it'll start your generator based on the voltage drop. Or I should say it can start your generator. I'm building a bus for lodging purposes at ski resorts. (most ski resorts have rv parking somewhere close, for $10 to $15 a night), so for 4 or 5 months of the year I'm expecting the batteries to be very cold. I both added extra batteries to keep up the available amp hours and worked with the inverter to get it to take into account the temperature and so on. I'll be driving it up into the snow pretty soon here to see if my guesses hold out. What i'm concerned about is what the freezing point of batteries are, and how long it takes to freeze one. Anyone know? Bruce |
Tom Caffrey (Pvcces) (65.74.64.127)
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Friday, November 21, 2003 - 9:05 pm: | |
Bruce, if you can keep the batteries charged up, they will not freeze even in a Fairbanks winter. In the extreme cold, I have heard of them freezing after trying to start an engine. If you let the batteries go completely dead, they will freeze almost as easily as water. How long that would take would depend on the mass and how fast they were allowed to lose their heat. For use in the Alaska interior, electric battery blankets are used to warm batteries, and to serve as insulation to slow their cooling while a vehicle is being driven. When the engine heater is plugged in, the battery blanket is powered at the same time. I never have seen anything about voltage being lower because batteries are colder, just capacity being reduced. I suppose that would mean lower voltage while cranking an engine, but not when the battery was unloaded. For what it's worth. Tom Caffrey PD4106-2576 Suncatcher |
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