Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » Re: [GMCnet] Battery charging confusion
| Re: [GMCnet] Battery charging confusion [message #105052] |
Thu, 04 November 2010 12:40  |
rallymaster
Messages: 662
Registered: February 2004
Location: North Plains, ORYGUN
Karma: -4
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Hi, Jay, and anyone else that's interested.
Might as well get a monitor, too. Like the Bogart Trimetric or the
Xantrex.
Outback has a good one also, but they're more expensive and may be
overkill for you. They work sort of like a gas gauge for your batteries.
Really nice to know just where you are, regarding % of charge or
discharge.
Look here for more info on monitors.
http://www.modmyrv.com/2008/06/09/rv-battery-monitor
And here for more than you ever wanted to read on 12 volt power
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/12VDC_Power/?yguid=295667607
Someday I'll think all my comments through and get it all together before
writing. But not yet, it seems.
RonC
On Thu, 4 Nov 2010 16:02:18 +0000 Jay Rabe <jayrabe@hotmail.com> writes:
>
> Thanks Ken,
>
> Yes, I'm planning on getting the remote temp sense accessory for
> whichever charge controller I end up with. I'm looking at both
> Morningstar and Xantrex.
>
> Thanks again.
>
> J
> 76 PB
> Portland, OR
Ron & Linda Clark
1978 Eleganza II
North Plains, ORYGUN
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Ron & Linda Clark
North Plains, ORYGUN
78 Eleganza II
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| Re: [GMCnet] Battery charging confusion [message #105055 is a reply to message #105052] |
Thu, 04 November 2010 13:15  |
jayrabe
Messages: 509
Registered: June 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Thanks Ron, yeah I got a Xantrex Pro-lite awhile ago. Great tool. Interesting data I'm collecting. I know my batteries are on their last legs, as they're 5 yrs old, but it's interesting to watch their charge/discharge cycles. I have the coach parked without shore power most of the time, and move it next to my house once a week or so to charge them up (city ordinance prevents parking next to the house all the time, regardless that the street is wide and I have plenty of frontage, but that's another story). I've pulled them out completely and charged them with a 6a charger, then when I put them back in and they gradually get down to ~50% or so, I move and connect to shore power and charge them, but they don't come back to a full 100%, maybe ~90% on the first recharge. And next time I do that, they only come back up to maybe 85%, and each time it's less. Just FWIW.
Thanks again for all your input.
J
76 PB
Portland, OR
> From: rallymaster@juno.com
> Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Battery charging confusion
>
> Hi, Jay, and anyone else that's interested.
> Might as well get a monitor, too. Like the Bogart Trimetric or the
> Xantrex.
> Outback has a good one also, but they're more expensive and may be
> overkill for you. They work sort of like a gas gauge for your batteries.
> Really nice to know just where you are, regarding % of charge or
> discharge.
>
> Look here for more info on monitors.
> http://www.modmyrv.com/2008/06/09/rv-battery-monitor
> And here for more than you ever wanted to read on 12 volt power
> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/12VDC_Power/?yguid=295667607
>
> Someday I'll think all my comments through and get it all together before
> writing. But not yet, it seems.
> RonC
>
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| Re: [GMCnet] Battery charging confusion [message #105062 is a reply to message #105055] |
Thu, 04 November 2010 14:34 |
idrob
Messages: 645
Registered: January 2005
Location: Central Idaho
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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| jayrabe wrote on Thu, 04 November 2010 11:15 |
Thanks Ron, yeah I got a Xantrex Pro-lite awhile ago. Great tool. Interesting data I'm collecting. I know my batteries are on their last legs, as they're 5 yrs old, but it's interesting to watch their charge/discharge cycles. I have the coach parked without shore power most of the time, and move it next to my house once a week or so to charge them up (city ordinance prevents parking next to the house all the time, regardless that the street is wide and I have plenty of frontage, but that's another story). I've pulled them out completely and charged them with a 6a charger, then when I put them back in and they gradually get down to ~50% or so, I move and connect to shore power and charge them, but they don't come back to a full 100%, maybe ~90% on the first recharge. And next time I do that, they only come back up to maybe 85%, and each time it's less. Just FWIW.
Thanks again for all your input.
J
76 PB
Portland, OR
|
Unless there is some power draw, you should not have a discharge of your batteries, certainly not enough to require a weekly charge cycle.
You might consider disconnecting one side of your coach battery and put an ammeter in series with it to see if you have some kind of a load that is always on. If you do, then remove the house fuses, one at a time, until the load decreases to zero. Better yet, start by removing them all and put them back in one at a time. You could have small loads on more than one circuit. Check out what is on that circuit (s).
I once found a motorized TV antenna on one of my rigs took power 24/7 even when the switch was in the OFF position. I had to add another switch to completely shut down the power to the critter, and then my batteries would stay up for all winter.
With no load, lead/acid batteries will stay charged for long periods of time and have few adverse effects. If they go down quickly, with no load, they are shot, for sure.
Rob Allen
former owner of '76 x-PB
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| Re: [GMCnet] Battery charging confusion [message #105063 is a reply to message #105062] |
Thu, 04 November 2010 14:40 |
jayrabe
Messages: 509
Registered: June 2009
Location: Portland, OR
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Pretty much done that. The only two things that seem to be drawing power are the refrig, even tho it's propane of course it uses 12v to monitor and cycle, and the xantrex itself. With everything seemingly disconnected, I'm still showing about 0.4a on the xantrex. Also did I read somewhere that the propane gauge draws power constantly?
J
> Unless there is some power draw, you should not have a discharge of your batteries, certainly not enough to require a weekly charge cycle.
>
> You might consider disconnecting one side of your coach battery and put an ammeter in series with it to see if you have some kind of a load that is always on. If you do, then remove the house fuses, one at a time, until the load decreases to zero. Better yet, start by removing them all and put them back in one at a time. You could have small loads on more than one circuit. Check out what is on that circuit (s).
>
> I once found a motorized TV antenna on one of my rigs took power 24/7 even when the switch was in the OFF position. I had to add another switch to completely shut down the power to the critter, and then my batteries would stay up for all winter.
>
> With no load, lead/acid batteries will stay charged for long periods of time and have few adverse effects. If they go down quickly, with no load, they are shot, for sure.
>
> --
> Rob Allen
> former owner of '76 x-PB
> _______________________________________________
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| Re: [GMCnet] Battery charging confusion [message #105064 is a reply to message #105063] |
Thu, 04 November 2010 14:46 |
k2gkk
Messages: 4452
Registered: November 2009
Karma: -8
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Senior Member |
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Monitors to detect propane leaks will take
an RV battery down in a month or less!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* D C "Mac" Macdonald *
* Amateur Radio K2GKK *
* USAF & FAA, Retired *
** Oklahoma City, OK **
* * * "Money Pit" * * *
* * ex-Palm Beach, 76 *
* * * * * * * * * * * *
> From: jayrabe@hotmail.com
> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
> Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 19:40:53 +0000
> Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Battery charging confusion
>
>
> Pretty much done that. The only two things that seem to be drawing power are the refrig, even tho it's propane of course it uses 12v to monitor and cycle, and the xantrex itself. With everything seemingly disconnected, I'm still showing about 0.4a on the xantrex. Also did I read somewhere that the propane gauge draws power constantly?
>
> J
>
>
>
> > Unless there is some power draw, you should not have a discharge of your batteries, certainly not enough to require a weekly charge cycle.
> >
> > You might consider disconnecting one side of your coach battery and put an ammeter in series with it to see if you have some kind of a load that is always on. If you do, then remove the house fuses, one at a time, until the load decreases to zero. Better yet, start by removing them all and put them back in one at a time. You could have small loads on more than one circuit. Check out what is on that circuit (s).
> >
> > I once found a motorized TV antenna on one of my rigs took power 24/7 even when the switch was in the OFF position. I had to add another switch to completely shut down the power to the critter, and then my batteries would stay up for all winter.
> >
> > With no load, lead/acid batteries will stay charged for long periods of time and have few adverse effects. If they go down quickly, with no load, they are shot, for sure.
> >
> > --
> > Rob Allen
> > former owner of '76 x-PB
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| Re: [GMCnet] Battery charging confusion [message #105095 is a reply to message #105063] |
Thu, 04 November 2010 20:56 |
idrob
Messages: 645
Registered: January 2005
Location: Central Idaho
Karma: 0
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| jayrabe wrote on Thu, 04 November 2010 12:40 |
Pretty much done that. The only two things that seem to be drawing power are the refrig, even tho it's propane of course it uses 12v to monitor and cycle, and the xantrex itself. With everything seemingly disconnected, I'm still showing about 0.4a on the xantrex. Also did I read somewhere that the propane gauge draws power constantly?
J
> Unless there is some power draw, you should not have a discharge of your batteries, certainly not enough to require a weekly charge cycle.
>
|
The propane monitor will draw significant power all the time from the batteries, and if you leave your refrigerator on all the time on propane, it will probably average about a .75 amp average draw. Yes, these will kill a battery over a couple of weeks.
If you measured .4 amps x 24 hours = 9.6 amp hours a day. Yep, will sure run things down.
Rob Allen
former owner of '76 x-PB
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| Re: [GMCnet] Battery charging confusion [message #105097 is a reply to message #105095] |
Thu, 04 November 2010 21:06 |
k2gkk
Messages: 4452
Registered: November 2009
Karma: -8
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Senior Member |
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When I learned what was killing the battery
in my travel trailer (the propane monitor)
I added a very nice battery disabling device
right on the battery terminal.
It is not literally a switch, per se, but
consists of a brass bolt that connects one
side of an insulator that separates two brass
bars. When you remove the bolt, no current
can possibly flow. I leave the bolt on the
coach floor just inside the door when it is
in its storage shed.
I had a similar situation on a small jet
boat. The clock in the music radio would
run the battery down. A simple high current
on-off switch from West Marine did the job
there.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* D C "Mac" Macdonald *
* Amateur Radio K2GKK *
* USAF & FAA, Retired *
** Oklahoma City, OK **
* * * "Money Pit" * * *
* * ex-Palm Beach, 76 *
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* "An unarmed man can but flee *
* from evil. Evil can NEVER be *
* overcome by flight FROM it." *
> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
> From: profmail@wildblue.net
> Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 20:56:37 -0500
> Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Battery charging confusion
>
>
>
> jayrabe wrote on Thu, 04 November 2010 12:40
> > Pretty much done that. The only two things that seem to be drawing power are the refrig, even tho it's propane of course it uses 12v to monitor and cycle, and the xantrex itself. With everything seemingly disconnected, I'm still showing about 0.4a on the xantrex. Also did I read somewhere that the propane gauge draws power constantly?
> >
> > J
> >
> > > Unless there is some power draw, you should not have a discharge of your batteries, certainly not enough to require a weekly charge cycle.
> > >
>
>
> The propane monitor will draw significant power all the time from the batteries, and if you leave your refrigerator on all the time on propane, it will probably average about a .75 amp average draw. Yes, these will kill a battery over a couple of weeks.
>
> If you measured .4 amps x 24 hours = 9.6 amp hours a day. Yep, will sure run things down.
>
> --
> Rob Allen
> former owner of '76 x-PB
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| Re: [GMCnet] Battery charging confusion [message #105132 is a reply to message #105100] |
Fri, 05 November 2010 10:54 |
k2gkk
Messages: 4452
Registered: November 2009
Karma: -8
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Senior Member |
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I believe one should keep the engine
starting battery separate from the
house battery(ies).
If necessary, one could/should carry
a decent genset or shorepower operated
battery charger to recharge the starter
battery if necessary. That's what I do
on my boat.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* D C "Mac" Macdonald *
* Amateur Radio K2GKK *
* USAF & FAA, Retired *
** Oklahoma City, OK **
* * * "Money Pit" * * *
* * ex-Palm Beach, 76 *
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* "An unarmed man can but flee *
* from evil. Evil can NEVER be *
* overcome by flight FROM it." *
> Date: Thu, 4 Nov 2010 19:57:53 -0700
> From: mr.erfisher@gmail.com
> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
> Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Battery charging confusion
>
> On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 7:06 PM, D C *Mac* Macdonald <k2gkk@hotmail.com>wrote:
>
> >
> > When I learned what was killing the battery
> > in my travel trailer (the propane monitor)
> > I added a very nice battery disabling device
> > right on the battery terminal.
> >
> >
> Just remember, these switches do not work well on GMC starting batteries
>
> http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showgallery.php?cat=5493
>
> the 300 amps drawn by the starter will drop a lot of volts from the starter
>
>
> wire your starter directly to the starting battery.
>
> gene
>
>
> --
> Gene Fisher -- 74-23,77PB/ore/ca
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