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Date:         Mon, 9 Jun 2008 14:31:49 -0700
Reply-To:     Mike Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Battery Woes/Choice
Comments: To: Jeffrey Vickers <jeff@VICKERSDESIGN.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <EF476E54-AB65-4719-A6E7-7E414EF4F93D@vickersdesign.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Hi Jeffrey -- you can sorta determine depth of discharge based on voltage, or you can get a more accurate handle on it by checking the specific gravity of the electrolyte with a hydrometer.

The wiki has some possibly useful stuff, at

http://vanagonwiki.net/index.php/Aux_Battery#Determining_Battery_State_of_Charge

and from there you'll find links to other possibly useful sites which write about how to determine battery state of charge.

-- Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana") 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano KG6RCR

On 6/9/2008 10:32 AM Jeffrey Vickers wrote:

> Speaking of not draining your battery past a certain point---how do > you determine what that point is? I recently charged up my batteries > and after a few hours, they both settled down to 12.75. Now that I > know the fully charged voltage, how do I determine the fully > discharged voltage so that I can find the voltage number that > represents 50 - 80% of discharge? I've seen a few charts but the > numbers don't match my numbers... > > Jeff / San Anselmo > On Jun 9, 2008, at 9:58 AM, Automatic digest processor wrote: > >> Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 07:38:27 EDT >> From: Frank Condelli <RAlanen@AOL.COM> >> Subject: Re: Battery Woes/Choice >> >> In a message dated 08/06/2008 1:31:31 P.M. Central Standard Time, >> LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes: >> >> The less a battery is drained/discharged the longer it will last. >> Strictly >> speaking, flooded batteries are not designed for repeated deep >> discharges, >> so when used in this manner, they fail prematurely. Frank was >> acutely aware >> of this fact, so chose to buy from a place that had a great warranty >> service, as did I. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> You do know that there is a good way to extend the life of the >> standard >> automotive starting flooded cell battery ? Koolatron and others >> sell a limiter >> that will shut off the drain on a battery once it reaches critical >> levels >> preset by the manufacturer of the gadget. I forget all the details >> of it but I >> got mine from Kootatron and it was made for their fridges to keep >> owners from >> wrecking the batteries in their vehicles. See the Koolatron website >> for >> details. >> >> Cheers, >> >> Frank Condelli >


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