SternWake
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- Joined
- Nov 30, 2013
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Remember, the batteries are your employees, not the other way around. One can go a bit nutty making sure the employees are happy, and they will never thank you.
Don't be afraid to use them. Play with your new clamp on meter over the inverter wire, you will see how many amps certain devices pull, and some simple math can get you in the ballpark as to state of charge, if you have a full starting point to calculate from. The ammeter and voltage readings together will allow you to learn approximately where the batteries are.
They are not going to go belly up if taken to 49% state of charge.
If battery voltage rises quickly to 13.7 in the morning on a little solar, this is indicative that they were not discharged much at all overnight.
I took my battery below 50% last night. I am receiving 6.2 amps of solar right now but only 0.2 of that is making it past my loads and into the battery, amp hour counter is saying 61 ah from full, battery voltage 12.1v.
Don't be afraid to work the battery. Be afraid of undercharging it day after day. You really want to see Absorption voltage held by 1:30 pm. Sooner is better. When other charging sources assist in getting battery to absorption voltage earlier, the solar has a battery chance of getting battery to the elusive 100% state of charge. When this is reached then discharge without guilt. When it is not, conserve a bit more. When it is no where near, then start fretting after a few days, as it becomes harder after that point to reach 100%, as absorption voltage needs to be held even longer, perhaps all afternoon, and a hydrometer might reveal that this was not enough either.
A morning alternator amperage blast on a depleted battery can do in an hour what the solar requires all day to achieve, so every and all charging sources should be utilized. When they are, then discharge without guilt or worry, within reason.
Don't be afraid to use them. Play with your new clamp on meter over the inverter wire, you will see how many amps certain devices pull, and some simple math can get you in the ballpark as to state of charge, if you have a full starting point to calculate from. The ammeter and voltage readings together will allow you to learn approximately where the batteries are.
They are not going to go belly up if taken to 49% state of charge.
If battery voltage rises quickly to 13.7 in the morning on a little solar, this is indicative that they were not discharged much at all overnight.
I took my battery below 50% last night. I am receiving 6.2 amps of solar right now but only 0.2 of that is making it past my loads and into the battery, amp hour counter is saying 61 ah from full, battery voltage 12.1v.
Don't be afraid to work the battery. Be afraid of undercharging it day after day. You really want to see Absorption voltage held by 1:30 pm. Sooner is better. When other charging sources assist in getting battery to absorption voltage earlier, the solar has a battery chance of getting battery to the elusive 100% state of charge. When this is reached then discharge without guilt. When it is not, conserve a bit more. When it is no where near, then start fretting after a few days, as it becomes harder after that point to reach 100%, as absorption voltage needs to be held even longer, perhaps all afternoon, and a hydrometer might reveal that this was not enough either.
A morning alternator amperage blast on a depleted battery can do in an hour what the solar requires all day to achieve, so every and all charging sources should be utilized. When they are, then discharge without guilt or worry, within reason.
