Just to add to the battery confusion, I have found the Rolls last longer and behave better is charged slowly. I have some very fast charging AGMs I have only had on set of gels. DT
--- On Tue, 6/30/09, Walt Ratterman <wratter...@sunenergypower.com> wrote: > From: Walt Ratterman <wratter...@sunenergypower.com> > Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Boost Controller in Senegal > To: "'Larry Crutcher, Starlight Solar'" <la...@starlightsolar.com>, > "'RE-wrenches'" <re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org> > Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2009, 5:19 PM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hello Larry and > others…. > > > > The slow charge rate for the > Gel’s you mention confuses me > further. I had just finished researching this last > week when I was in Sierra > Leone, where we were setting up the DEKA 225AH Gel > batteries on an Outback > system, and checking the charge rate. > > > > I downloaded a charging > instruction document from DEKA and was > quite surprised. > > > > On the bulk charge rate, Rolls > recommended 15% of C6. > > HUP recommends a minimum of 10% > to a maximum of 20% of C6. > > > > But….DEKA recommended, > for their GELS, “Maintain <= 30A per > 100AH of C20 Rating. That’s twice as fast as > the Rolls!! > > > > Maybe I am reading this > incorrectly. > > > > And, in the DEKA’s > advantages / disadvantages sheet, they list > quicker charging as one of the GEL’s > advantages. > > > > I can forward any of you this > DEKA charging sheet if you want, > but I don’t think it is OK through the list > serve. > > > > Thanks, > > > > Walt > > > > > > > > > > From: Larry Crutcher, > Starlight Solar [mailto:la...@starlightsolar.com] > > Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 1:37 PM > > To: wratter...@sunenergypower.com; RE-wrenches > > Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] Solar Boost Controller in > Senegal > > > > > > > > Hi Walt, > > > > > > > > > > You are right! Gel batteries will give > many more cycles than > AGM's. And they cost more so you you are not getting an > equivalent value by > them suppling AGM's. > > > > > > > > > > A very big downside to Gel is if you > accidently over-voltage > the battery, you can permanently ruin it. I have seen many > battery banks > damaged from accidental high voltage charging. For that > reason, I mostly sell > AGM (in my market). They also charge slower because of > the reduced charge > voltage required. Also they are not quite as efficient as > AGM so it takes more > power/time to fully recharge. > > > > > > > > > > > > On the plus side, an AGM battery can > be equalized if needed > but never a Gel battery. Hope this helps. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Kindest Regards, > > > > > > > > > > > > Larry Crutcher > > > > > > Starlight Solar > > > > > > (928) 941-1660 > > > > > > Renewable Energy Products, > Service and Installation > > > > > > > > > > > > Mailing Address (NO > SHIPPING): > > > > > > 11881 S Fortuna Rd. > > > > > > #210 > > > > > > Yuma, AZ 85367 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Shipping and retail store (NO > MAIL): > > > > > > 2998 Shari Ave > > > > > > Yuma, AZ 85365 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Jun 30, 2009, at 2:43 PM, Walt > Ratterman wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hello, > > > > > > > > > > > > Why do you say that AGM > batteries are a better choice? > > > > > > > > > > > > I have been reading about the > differences, and all I see > (comparing DEKA Gel versus DEKA AGM is that the cycle life > of the AGM (at 50% > DOD) is 500 cycles versus 1000 cycles for the > Gel. > > > > > > > > > > > > The AGM seems to have better > resistance to freezing, but of > course that is not a concern here. > > > > > > > > > > > > What are the benefits of AGM > that I am missing here? (This > could be important, because I was going to jump all over > the fabricator for > shipping AGM when the literature quotes GEL, and I was > thinking GEL would have > been a better choice. Maybe they were trying to right > think, but I would > need to be educated more here… > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks!! > > > > > > > > > > > > Walt > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From: Wind-sun.com > [mailto:wind...@wind-sun.com] > > Sent: Tuesday, June 30, > 2009 7:30 AM > > To: wratter...@sunenergypower.com; > RE-wrenches > > Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] > Solar Boost Controller in Senegal > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The AGM batteries are probably a > better choice than gelled, but > the fact that some are down to 5 volts is the real > problem. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > A typical AGM will lose around > 1-2% charge per month at 25 degrees > C. If they are at 5 volts, that indicates that they either > sat around for over > a year unused and uncharged, and possibly in a very high > temperature > environment. The 2nd possibility is that there is some kind > of constant load on > them, even when the units are not turned on - which would > be poor design. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > The Midnite controller is not > available yet, so your only real > choices with the panels you have are the Outback FM60 or > the Xantrex XW-SCC - > both of them are in the $600 range. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > .................................................................................................. > > Northern Arizona Wind & Sun - Electricity From The Sun > Since 1979 > > Solar Discussion Forum: http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/ > > .................................................................................................. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version > of virus signature > database 4193 (20090626) __________ > > > > The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. > > > > http://www.eset.com > > > > > > > > -----Inline Attachment Follows----- > > _______________________________________________ > List sponsored by Home Power magazine > > List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org > > Options & settings: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List-Archive: > http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org > > List rules & etiquette: > www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm > > Check out participant bios: > www.members.re-wrenches.org > > _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
