Blair=0AThank you for your input. It is very helpful. I'll do some more rea=
ding.=0A=0A Regards=0ABarry=0Awww.seismicvault.com=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A____=
____________________________=0AFrom: Blair Lade =0A=
To: psnlist@...................... Thu, November 1, 2012 4:00:04 AM=0ASubje=
ct: RE: station battery maintaining=0A=0A =0AHi Barry,=0Athere are a lot of=
 =E2=80=98smart=E2=80=99 battery chargers on the market these days. They wi=
ll =0Alook after your batteries pretty well.=0A =0AMight be worth asking yo=
ur local security, fire panel installer, local ham radio =0Aoperator or sol=
ar power supplier for recommendations.=0A =0AYou will need to make sure you=
 get one that suites the battery type (gell cell, =0Alead acid, Nicad, NiMh=
, NiFe etc) and that is has enough capacity to be able to =0Acharge the bat=
tery if you have a power outage as well as maintain the battery =0Aunder it=
=E2=80=99s 1-2amps continuous load=0A =0AI=E2=80=99d suggest that a 6 to 8 =
amp smart charger will do it nicely given your =0Aestimation of current dra=
in. .. (a bit bigger than a wall wart) =0A=0AIn Oz (south of the equator an=
d round the globe a bit), these are around the $60 =0Ato $100, I wouldn=E2=
=80=99t cycle the battery charger, just plug it in and leave it to =0Ado it=
s thing.=0A =0ABest life out of batteries is usually obtained if you don=E2=
=80=99t exceed a 20% =0Adischarge of the battery regularly, and with lead a=
cid & gel cells, unless they =0Aare specially made for deep cycle operation=
s or long life, 3 - 5 years tends to =0Abe about it.=0AHaving said that, we=
ll looked after, lives upto 10+ years are possible.=0A =0AIn general terms,=
 there is also no need to cycle a good battery to keep it =0Ahealthy (the e=
xception being some wet NiCad=E2=80=99s which do need this), just keeping =
=0Athat voltage at the right level with a smart charger is enough.=0A =0ATh=
ere is a lot of info about batteries on the solar power web sites, and also=
 =0Aavail from most battery manufacturers, it is quite well researched and =
=0Adocumented, so it is worth doing some reading.=0A =0ALead acid type batt=
eries (and probably most others) don=E2=80=99t like cold feet, so =0Adon=E2=
=80=99t place the batteries directly on concrete floors, a couple of bits o=
f wood =0Ato keep them off the floor is all that is required.. =0A=0AIf usi=
ng =E2=80=98wet=E2=80=99 lead Acid, NiFe or NiCad batteries, consider getti=
ng a plastic =0Acontainer that the battery can sit in (to contain any leaka=
ge and spillage) and =0Aget that off the floor by a couple of cm (inch or s=
o) on some wood.=0A =0AAlso, most storage type batteries don=E2=80=99t like=
 large temperature changes (don=E2=80=99t =0Aput them out side if it snows =
or you live in a desert..)=0A =0AIf your battery is of the design that allo=
ws topping up with water (=E2=80=98wet=E2=80=99 =0Atypes), you MUST use dis=
tilled or demineralised water, tap water just isn=E2=80=99t good =0Aenough.=
  =0A =0AMaintenance free car (auto) batteries around the 60 =E2=80=93 80 A=
hr are great for this =0Asort of application (even the cheapies at discount=
 shops provided they haven=E2=80=99t =0Abeen stored on the floor!!!) .=0ATh=
at should give you around 2+ days of backup (in your estimated loading) whe=
n =0Athe power goes off if they are fully charged and the smart chargers wi=
ll do that =0A4 you.=0A =0AHope that gives you a few pointers=0A =0ABlair L=
ade=0ASouth Australia=0A =0A =0A=0A________________________________=0A =0AF=
rom:psnlist-request@.............. [mailto:psnlist-request@............... =
On =0ABehalf Of Barry Lotz=0ASent: Thursday, 1 November 2012 2:05 PM=0ATo: =
psnlist@......................... station battery maintaining=0A =0AHi All=
=0AI have got my station components to work on 12 vts DC thru the use of DC=
/DC =0Aconverters.My thought was that the DC/DC converters are more efficie=
nt than wall =0Awarts and a UPS and the battery would last longer on a powe=
r outage.  I would =0Alike to have the system  run on a battery with someth=
ing to maintain the battery =0Ahealth while under an approx 1 to 2  amp loa=
d. . The problem is what to use to =0Akeep the battery charged but also hea=
lthy. I tried a 1.5 vt charger/maintainer =0Awhich worked for ~ 2 years. I =
am not sure whether it's the battery or the =0Amaintainer which is malfunct=
ioning. I can go into what I have done recently . My =0Aquestion is would a=
 possible scheme be to run a 6 amp charger on a wall timer =0Awork to cycle=
 the battery and prevent sulfation?  Maybe shutting off the charger =0Afor =
say 8 hrs each day then put back on a 6 amp charge would work. Alternativel=
y =0Ais there a product  I could use to have battery maintain charge and ca=
pacity for =0Aa reasonably long period of time.=0A =0ARegards=0ABarry=0Awww=
Blair
Thank you for your input. It is very helpful. I'll do=
 some more reading.
 
Regards
Barry
www.seismicvault.com
=



From: Bla=
ir Lade <blairl@...............>
To: psnlist@..............
Sent: Thu, November 1, 2012 4:00:04 AM
Subject: RE: station battery maintaining

=
=0A=0A=0A=0A =0A =0A=0A =0A=0A =0A=0A =0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A=0A
=0A=0A
Hi Barry,
 =0A=0A
there are a lot of =E2=80=98smart=E2=80=99=0Abattery =
chargers on the market these days. They will look after your batteries=0Apr=
etty well.
 =0A=0A
  
 =0A=0A
Might be worth asking your local sec=
urity,=0Afire panel installer, local ham radio operator or solar power supp=
lier for recommendations.
 =0A=0A
  
 =0A=0A
You will need to mak=
e sure you get one=0Athat suites the battery type (gell cell, lead acid, Ni=
cad, NiMh, NiFe etc) and=0Athat is has enough capacity to be able to charge=
 the battery if you have a=0Apower outage as well as maintain the battery u=
nder it=E2=80=99s 1-2amps continuous=0Aload
 =0A=0A
  
 =0A=0A
I=
=E2=80=99d suggest that a 6 to 8 amp smart=0Acharger will do it nicely give=
n your estimation of current drain. .. (a bit=0Abigger than a wall wart) 
 =0A=0A
In Oz (south of the equator and round the=0Aglobe a bit), these ar=
e around the $60 to $100, I wouldn=E2=80=99t cycle the=0Abattery charger, j=
ust plug it in and leave it to do its thing.
 =0A=0A
  
 =0A=0A
Be=
st life out of batteries is usually=0Aobtained if you don=E2=80=99t exceed =
a 20% discharge of the battery regularly,=0Aand with lead acid & gel ce=
lls, unless they are specially made for deep cycle=0Aoperations or long lif=
e, 3 - 5 years tends to be about it.
 =0A=0A
Having said that, well looke=
d after, lives=0Aupto 10+ years are possible.
 =0A=0A
  
 =0A=0A
I=
n general terms, there is also no need to=0Acycle a good battery to keep it=
 healthy (the exception being some wet NiCad=E2=80=99s=0Awhich do need this=
), just keeping that voltage at the right level with a smart=0Acharger is e=
nough.
 =0A=0A
  
 =0A=0A
There is a lot of info about batteries o=
n=0Athe solar power web sites, and also avail from most battery manufacture=
rs, it=0Ais quite well researched and documented, so it is worth doing some=
 reading.
 =0A=0A
  
 =0A=0A
=
Lead acid type batteries (and probabl=
y=0Amost others) don=E2=80=99t like cold feet, so don=E2=80=99t place the b=
atteries=0Adirectly on concrete floors, a couple of bits of wood to keep th=
em off the=0Afloor is all that is required.. 
 =0A=0A
If using =E2=80=98w=
et=E2=80=99 lead Acid, NiFe=0Aor NiCad batteries, consider getting a plasti=
c container that the battery can=0Asit in (to contain any leakage and spill=
age) and get that off the floor by a=0Acouple of cm (inch or so) on some wo=
od.
 =0A=0A
  
 =0A=0A
Also, most storage type batteries don=E2=80=
=99t=0Alike large temperature changes (don=E2=80=99t put them out side if i=
t snows or you=0Alive in a desert..)
 =0A=0A
  
 =
=0A=0A
If your =
battery is of the design that=0Aallows topping up with water (=E2=80=98wet=
=E2=80=99 types), you MUST use distilled=0Aor demineralised water, tap wate=
r just isn=E2=80=99t good enough.  
 =0A=0A
  
 =0A=0A
Ma=
intenance free car (auto) batteries around=0Athe 60 =E2=80=93 80 Ahr are gr=
eat for this sort of application (even the cheapies=0Aat discount shops pro=
vided they haven=E2=80=99t been stored on the floor!!!) .
=
 =0A=0A
That sh=
ould give you around 2+ days of=0Abackup (in your estimated loading) when t=
he power goes off if they are fully=0Acharged and the smart chargers will d=
o that 4 you.
 =0A=0A
  
 =0A=0A
Hope that gives you a few pointer=
s
 =0A=0A
  
 =0A=0A
Blair Lade
 =0A=0A
South Australia<=
/font>
 =0A=0A
  
 =0A=0A
 &=
nbsp;
 =0A=0A
=0A=0A
=0A=0A
=0A=0A
=
=0A=0A
=
From:=0Apsnlist-request@webtron=
ics.com [mailto:psnlist-request@............... On Behalf Of Barry Lotz
=0ASent: Thursday, 1 November 2012=0A2:05 PM
=0A=
To: psnlist@..............
=
=0ASubject: station battery=
=0Amaintaining
 =0A=0A
=
=0A=0A
  
 =0A=0A
=0A=
=0A
Hi All
=0AI have got my station components=
 to work on 12 vts DC thru the use of DC/DC=0Aconverters.My thought was tha=
t the DC/DC converters are more efficient than=0Awall warts and a UPS and t=
he battery would last longer on a power outage. =0AI would like to hav=
e the system  run on a battery with something to=0Amaintain the batter=
y health while under an approx 1 to 2  amp load. . The=0Aproblem is wh=
at to use to keep the battery charged but also healthy. I tried a=0A1.5 vt =
charger/maintainer which worked for ~ 2 years. I am not sure whether=0Ait's=
 the battery or the maintainer which is malfunctioning. I can go into what=
=0AI have done recently . My question is would a possible scheme be to run =
a 6 amp=0Acharger on a wall timer work to cycle the battery and prevent sul=
fation? =0AMaybe shutting off the charger for say 8 hrs each day then =
put back on a 6 amp=0Acharge would work. Alternatively is there a product&n=
bsp; I could use to have=0Abattery maintain charge and capacity for a reaso=
nably long period of time.
 =0A=0A
=0A=0A
 
 =0A=0A
=0A=0A
Regards
=0ABarry
=0Awww.seismicvault.com=0A
=0A
 =0A=0A
=0A=0A
=