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New batteries - problem


Johny London

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39 minutes ago, mchancox said:

It'll measure things like battery internal resistance, ability to accept a charge, etc to see that in the first place it is healthy. I guess we have all seen a battery declared as faulty but showing 12v+ on it but under lid it drops off to say 7v or less. So although a battery using a Volt meter may show a reasonable reading it may not be in good health. 

After telling it what type of battery and what the battery SAE, CCA, Ah is it'll then give you a percentage score at the end. Plus a print out so the customer can easily see what the gadget is reporting back. Sealey do a cheaper version. 

The bad ones are a waste of money. The good ones are a waste of money too, unless operated by someone who really understands what they’re doing. 

Case in point: I fitted a new battery to a car a few years back. Stupidly, I left the doors open a couple of weeks later and flattened it. I had AA Home Start at the time so called them out for a jump start. AA man had a Fluke battery tester which in his hands declared my battery dead. He gave me a print-out to ‘prove’ that it was EOL. Rather than argue I simply thanked him kindly and sent him on his way once he’d jump-started my car. That battery lasted another 3 years. 

Tony

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11 hours ago, WotEver said:

The bad ones are a waste of money. The good ones are a waste of money too, unless operated by someone who really understands what they’re doing. 

Tony

I knew these existed but never really paid any attention to them. For someone who 'really understands what they are doing' what will these testers tell you?

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On 13/11/2017 at 09:00, Dr Bob said:

I knew these existed but never really paid any attention to them. For someone who 'really understands what they are doing' what will these testers tell you?

 

"A percentage score", is about the closest answer we've had so far. (See post 295.)

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My guess is that most of them are "snake oil, unless prices have dropped massively in the last few years.

There are some very expensive (£10k ish 5 years ago) ones available which use the Coup de Fouet effect along with battery conductance available for commercial use, which work well but only with VRSLA batteries (gel & AGM).

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3 hours ago, Dr Bob said:

For someone who 'really understands what they are doing' what will these testers tell you?

Not much. They check voltage droop (so-called ‘internal resistance’) but not much else, despite how many pretty lights and in-built printers they may have. 

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On 13/11/2017 at 09:00, Dr Bob said:

I knew these existed but never really paid any attention to them. For someone who 'really understands what they are doing' what will these testers tell you?

Whether the battery is recoverable, completely life expired or in tip top health. It's then down to the edumacated operator to determine what they need to do next. 

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To change tac somewhat, I have been in touch with a company that is developing low cost lithium battery re purposing. They seem interested in the boating market and have asked me for details of my requirements, which I have provided. www.Aceleronltd.com - they are based in Hayes. I'm hoping I might be able to test an early product. A chink of light anyway and I will report back with any developments.

On another note - my battery desulfator has arrived and is now deployed :)

I had been wondering how physically large it would be - certainly looks beefy in the picture yet if it was then the power consumption would be rather high - considering the proportions of the heatsink. Yet it only consumes 200ma. On receiving it, I was not too surprised to find that the box was considerably smaller than I had hoped. But it didn't end there - the box contained the leads and the unit - and I can say that the thing itself is about the size of a standard box of Swan Vestas! A tad disappointing, but I can certainly see how they can afford to take a few returns - must have cost all of 59p to manufacture :(

However - the experiment continues. I have a good idea of how long my batteries last from 100% s/g reading, and it will remain connected for a month or so. Without a sizable and undoubted improvement in capacity, I shall take them up on their 60 day no quibble return offer.

Will report again but I can hear the told you so's all ready :)

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4 hours ago, Johny London said:

To change tac somewhat, I have been in touch with a company that is developing low cost lithium battery re purposing. They seem interested in the boating market and have asked me for details of my requirements, which I have provided. www.Aceleronltd.com - they are based in Hayes. I'm hoping I might be able to test an early product. A chink of light anyway and I will report back with any developments...............................................................

You may wish to read this before putting a Lithium battery onto your boat. 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/4721171/terrifying-tesla-video-shows-unstoppable-electric-car-inferno-that-took-35-firefighters-to-extinguish/

Basically if you damage the battery and it catches fire, your boat will be lost before it can be extinguished, though I admit I don't foresee many ways you could accidentally damage the battery pack to the extent it sets itself ablaze.

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Well, no worse than a full tank of fuel going up really, and I'm not going to hit any barriers at 70mph, but I do take your point.

They would be next to the diesel tank, and gas bottles too, but plenty of water around to put it out.

Would there be a need for lithium batteries to be marine certified, I wonder? If so, that would be the end of any chance of getting something reasonably priced.

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On 18/11/2017 at 17:22, Johny London said:

Well, no worse than a full tank of fuel going up really, and I'm not going to hit any barriers at 70mph, but I do take your point.

They would be next to the diesel tank, and gas bottles too, but plenty of water around to put it out.

Would there be a need for lithium batteries to be marine certified, I wonder? If so, that would be the end of any chance of getting something reasonably priced.

 

I'm reasonably sure I've read that a lithium battery fire is self oxygenating and immersion in water doesn't put it out. The temperature is also high enough the melt steel so the batteries simply eat through the baseplate and your boat sinks, but the fire continues. 

Even so, I'm intrigued and willing to take the risk of trying them out.

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13 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Think his is LAK. 

Yes but the whole design of these electric FES engined things has been called into question following this fire, as there is no requirement for any fire detection system. This chap was lucky as it caught fire after landing.

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1 hour ago, WotEver said:

The only motorised glider I’ve ever flown was a Falke and it was a horrid heavy thing. That one above looks featherlight by comparison so I can see the attraction. 

Yea, not much comparison with a Falke! These are a new generation of powered gliders with the acronym FES - Front Electric Sustainer. There is a propellor right at the front that folds into the fuselage when not in use, electrically powered.

E23FACC8-4755-4829-8F62-AB4FBD0E3BB3.jpeg.ed1c59e9e3335f5f7b425fa45a1c5353.jpeg

Although let’s be clear - being light is not a good thing in gliding most of the time. This is why gliders can carry 100kg or so of water ballast.

Edited by nicknorman
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7 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Yea, not much comparison with a Falke! These are a new generation of powered gliders with the acronym FES - Front Electric Sustainer. There is a propellor right at the front that folds into the fuselage when not in use, electrically powered.

E23FACC8-4755-4829-8F62-AB4FBD0E3BB3.jpeg.ed1c59e9e3335f5f7b425fa45a1c5353.jpeg

Although let’s be clear - being light is not a good thing in gliding most of the time. This is why gliders can carry 100kg or so of water ballast.

This is the last one I went in.

Gliding22.JPG

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