RE: [Elecraft] OT-SLA Battery advice
Dan, Did you ever get a meaningful response? I don't recall seeing one on reflector. I would believe that the longest battery life would be achieved by floating them continuously at 13.8 volts. I have come to believe that cycling SLA batteries shortens their life, even if the cycling is a result of self discharge. SLA batteries used in Emergency lighting, security systems, and UPS units are normally floated and they seem to enjoy a good long life unless something bad happens. 73, Don W3FPR > -Original Message- > > > Sorry to be a bother, but now I have 4 good SLA batteries to > preserve until > needed. I ordered a case (6) for my 3 (2 batteries each) bad > UPSs. I let the > smoke out of one, putting the cover back on (I thought it was > unplugged), I > fixed one, and one was good anyhow; it had simply been > overloaded. So, now I > need to assure these 4 will be good when I want them. I assume I simply > charge them once per period until needed. My question is "What is the > period?". Month, Quarter, 6-Months?, Year? By voltage? Do I need > to trickle > them at 13.8 the whole time? > > Dan / WG4S / K2 #2456 > > ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT-SLA Battery advice
They would be saved here in South Florida... Any 12 sla or otherwise was useful after Wilma hit Boynton Beach here. Power was finally restored to Pahokee in the western part of Palm Beach County yesterday, 110 days after the storm. 73 de Bob K3YT K2 sn 5150 ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
Re: [Elecraft] OT-SLA Battery advice
Hi I would try cycling them once or twice to assure they will meet specs. Connect each one to a variable power supply set for about 13.8-14.0 volts and let them charge until the current draw is just a few mA. Limit the maximum current with the power supplies current limiter or install a 2-5 ohm 10 watt resistor in series with the power supply and keep the maximum charge current below 1/3 of the amp hour capacity of the battery. For a 7 amp hour battery that would be 2.1 amps. After charging the battery then discharge it down to about 11 volts and see how long it takes. Multiply the time in hours by the current to get the amp hour capacity. This should be somewhere around the rating of the battery. You can use a old car headlight or a tail light as a load to discharge the battery. Do not allow the battery to discharge below 10 volts or you may damage it. A heavy load like a headlight will not give quite as much capacity as a lighter load like a tail light but you should get a feel for the condition of the battery with these tests. If the battery voltage falls off quickly under load or it will not take a charge then the battery is most likely shot and should be recycled. Don Brown KD5NDB - Original Message - From: "Dan Barker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Elecraft" Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 12:44 PM Subject: [Elecraft] OT-SLA Battery advice > I have a bunch of 1,200 VA UPSs for my computers. These run two batteries > each. 3 of them have bad batteries. I ordered a case (6 units) of BB7-12 > to > fix the bad ones. > > The bad UPSs each appear to have one good battery and one bad battery. I > hate to take 3 apparently good batteries to the dump, but I hate to have > my > computers crash during the 60 seconds it takes my generator to come on > line. > > Should I try to match up (How?) the used-good batteries with each other, > discard them, test them (How?) or just dump them in the "Battery" bucket > down at the local Recycling Center? > > Dan / WG4S / K2 #2456 > ___ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
