Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
kev
climber
A pile of dirt.
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 12:37pm PT
|
Hey now, no dissing Werner!
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 12:43pm PT
|
As I remember Optima got bought out by someone else and their quality control went down.
They'll work but for the money one can do better.
The Sears diehard platinum are damn good batteries and are rebranded EnerSys batteries which used to be Gates Power.
Deka makes damn good batteries that are rebranded under several different outfits.
There's a lot of good stuff out there now due to the EV, mobile and solar demand.
I do this stuff for a living full time.
We buy 20,000 dollars a year in mobile battery powered applications parts and various units.
I deal with dead flat batteries from different manufacturers all the time and know which ones survive coming back from dead.
I've brought back so called dead zero VDC battery from a good manufacture in two weeks.
It takes time and patience.
Other manufactures that are not at high standards you can't do it.
The battery is toast.
A 12Vdc battery should never go below 10.8 Vdc max, below that on cheap batteries they become damaged and their life span shortened.
There's soooo much more.
Good job Kev with your write up ......
|
|
Dapper Dan
Trad climber
Redwood City
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 12:45pm PT
|
The decline in Optima battery quality is largely internet message board lore and fable . It's like one of those rumors that everyone's heard , but no one's really sure where it came from, or if it's true , like Richard Gere got a gerbil stuck up his a**.
Optima's are solid batteries , coming form the 4x4 world they are still used by MANY people who are very hard on them . I've had several , including Red and Yellow top Optima's . They put out a ton of cold cranking amps , and they will honor a 3 year replacement if the battery fails .
Just like any 12v battery , you have to properly maintain them . Don't deeply discharge them , and hook them up to a trickle charger if they're going to sit for a long time ....
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 12:49pm PT
|
Yes that's true to some extent.
But for deep discharge rates in applications we are talking about here there are far better options.
The Optimas will not hold up as well when abused as batteries designed by some of the other manufacturers.
But if you like Optima then buy them for yourself .....
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 01:47pm PT
|
Here's the results of two different manufactures of the same battery size, amp-hr that were both abused to zero vdc and brought back.
The first photo shows a healthy battery that was put under load before taking the reading.
The second photo shows the same battery size and amp hr rating but came from the Goal Zero.
The Goal Zero never came back and after putting a load on it and the battery voltage never recovers and keeps dropping very fast.
The good battery that was recovered in the first photo from zero vdc, recovers, and the battery voltage rises back to around 12.8 vdc which is very good.
The Goal Zero battery is toast.
The third photo shows using an old UPS to charge at low current to bring back damaged batteries.
Damaged batteries should be brought back at low current over a period of time and not brute force charged.
|
|
kev
climber
A pile of dirt.
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 02:08pm PT
|
Nice Fluke!
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 02:34pm PT
|
OK then I was curious to the claim of Goal Zero true sine wave inverter.
So I put a scope on it under load.
Ho mannn!!! WTF??? LOL ....
|
|
guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 02:55pm PT
|
Equalization is the name of the game for long term battery life!
Then again if they sulfate up you can drop them off a wee cliff, roll them over on the talus and fire the muthers back up. Might just work.
I stick with Trojan 6 volt deep cycle "golf cart batteries." Period. Most forgiving, designed for top and and low end voltage and you cannot kill them by overcharging which is so very critical with all styles, ie, gel, AGM, flooded, etc etc......If one or two cells pack up you can always find lead acid batteries but try to locate gel or AGM in Timbukto or Arica Chile and you are sh#t outta luck.
Lots of good stuff here but I believe the simplest is the best in configuration of charging systems.
Especially for a van or camper. -KISS Keep it Simple Stupid
And whoa ECF, hope you have a nice fuse system built into your soul because it appears you are just about ready to blow the fuker? Yep, lots of us on ST are "hasbeens" from a climbing stand point of life but there are other things out there to get your rocks off mate.
|
|
SC seagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, Moab, A sailboat, or some time zone
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 03:09pm PT
|
Nice Fluke!
No shit!!
Mine's old. Not shiny. But does the job.
Susan
|
|
jonnyrig
climber
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 05:10pm PT
|
Beware the AGM batteries similar to the optima have a lower maximum charge voltage than your standard lead-acid batteries. Could be part of the reason that they get such a bad rap these days. Stuff a bunch of high-dollar batteries into an older truck that doesn't have a good voltage regulator, and the battery goes south in a hurry. Just saying. Make sure your solar charger limits the voltage to something less than the battery manufacturer's recommended max voltage.
BTW- try a truck stop for 12v accessories like micro and blender. Probly get an all-in-1 unit w dvd too.
|
|
BLUEBLOCR
Social climber
joshua tree
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 06:03pm PT
|
^^^ 10-4 rubberduck!
Lots of nice multimeters around here tho, Happie Hippy should be tuning in here;)
every van owner should own atleast a couple of Trojans.
that maybe where Happie hada short?
Cockadiddledo! You got the blueblocr 10-10'n on the side.
Break Break!
|
|
guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 07:24pm PT
|
A proper charge regulator can be adjusted for the specific type of battery you have installed. You are correct in even a minor over charging on gel and AGM can kill them. Then again regulators in their own right can fail. Here is one from our boat than went up in smoke one nice afternoon in NZ.
|
|
WBraun
climber
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 07:35pm PT
|
We use a lot of 6 volt golf cart batteries in the mobile electronic message signboard units here ......
|
|
pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 08:00pm PT
|
3000W inverter powered by three 12v deep cycle batteries maintained by 200W solar panels.
All you need and more.
|
|
JLP
Social climber
The internet
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 08:01pm PT
|
We use a lot of 6 volt golf cart batteries in the mobile electronic message signboard units here ...... Reminds me back when solar was way more expensive and less common to see on a climber vehicle - you'd sometimes see these guys with panels they so obviously ripped off from some highway sign out in the middle of nowhere. So - anyone looking for some free batteries?
|
|
Crazy Bat
Sport climber
Birmingham, AL & Seweanee, TN
|
|
|
May 22, 2016 - 09:59pm PT
|
If you dont want to mess with wires and crap get something like this, or a bigger better one. You have to charge it up at home.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-600-Peak-Amp-Jump-Starter-J309/14560015
Or you can get something like this or better to charge it or your laptop while driving. Of course you can use it with the jump starter to charge your laptop and phone.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Stanley-120-Watt-Power-Inverter/40573613
Get a 12 volt power cooler for your beer. It will probably drain your battery overnight, but they tend to have killer insulation in them. I cut the spigot end out of a 2 gallon water container and set it up in mine. A bag of ice can be swiggled into it and you dont have water sloshing all around. Running the cooler
it while I drive if I drive an hour a day makes the bag of ice last a couple of days. Of course you can also run the cooler off of the jump starter.
If you need a microwave, well.......you should not even be camping out
of your truck.
PS: I am a girl and even I have a fused 12 volt line ran to the back of my truck. LOL
|
|
Majid_S
Mountain climber
Karkoekstan
|
|
you guys never heard of belt driven 110-220vac generator?
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!