T-Pain Is On A Boat: Re: [Electric Boats] Battery issues

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Re: [Electric Boats] Battery issues

Back in the old, old days... When a cheap charger was basically just a small transformer, YES, the battery could easily discharge back through the charger if the charger was unplugged (I remember my father being VERY upset with when I unplugged the boat charger and forgot to plug it back in one night, long, long ago...)

One would expect that any *reasonable* charger should have a $.05 diode in it to protect against such a thing.

I don't know if current chargers are as bad about *discharging* the battery if the power to the charger is unplugged. But I have seen a number of cases where the today's "smart" chargers won't charge a battery if the battery voltage has gone down too low. Sample case, if you have a constant drain on the batter (i.e. lights, radio, etc.) and the charger gets unplugged for a LONG time, the battery may get discharged enough that even if the charger is plugged back in, it still won't charge, and the load takes the battery down to nothing...

From: Steve Dolan <sdolan@scannersllc.com>
To: "electricboats@yahoogroups.com" <electricboats@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 9:29 AM
Subject: RE: [Electric Boats] Battery issues

Where did I read something about cheap chargers not being isolated and power draining through the Negative? Something Like that….

Steve in Solomons MD

From: electricboats@yahoogroups.com [mailto: electricboats@yahoogroups.com ] On Behalf Of Roger L
Sent: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 9:48 AM
To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Battery issues

Interesting question! I'd have thought that they all did, but then I've been wrong often enough to learn something by now.

One of the best things I ever got was a clamp-on ammeter. Makes it easy to check, and I'm going to do that today. Let you know....

Roger L.

.............

----- Original Message -----

From: magicflyer@sbcglobal.net

To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2013 6:23 PM

Subject: Re: [Electric Boats] Battery issues

Are there any chargers that will sense the loss of power and protect the battery from discharge? I am using this charger. http://www.samsclub.com/sams/stanley-golf-cart-vehicle-6v-48v-battery-charger/prod1841149.ip

--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Robert Lemke <robert-lemke@...> wrote:
>
> Sounds like battery discharge through the charger when the circuit breaker trips. Nothing kills a battery like being discharged for any length of time.
> Bob
>
> --- On Sat, 4/20/13, magicflyer@... <potedenuni@...> wrote:
>
> From: magicflyer@... <potedenuni@...>
> Subject: [Electric Boats] Battery issues
> To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Saturday, April 20, 2013, 9:29 AM
>
> I have been experiencing battery issues. I have a 48v system (4x12 wet cell) on a fairly new trickle charger. After only a couple of months, all four batteries had to be replaced...wouldn't take or hold a charge. The new batteries have been in only about 6 weeks and already I am only able to get to 47.5v. I fear the new batteries are already shot. I have been having a problem with the shore power breaker tripping which leaves the boat with no power for several days at a time, but can't see how that would be damaging the batteries. Can anyone give me any pointers on common problems that might be damaging the cells?
>
> Thank you!
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>

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