Battery Charging June 23, 2010, 06:09:35 pm Yahoo Message Number: 113860Actually, two questions. 1) The manual for my '89LD says that you must disconnect the positive and negative terminals from the batteries, the positive on one and the negative on the other, when charging the two six volt batteries with a l2 volt external charger. I have charged many a battery on cars and trailers and never had to disconnect anything. Is there something special about the LD set up that really requires disconnecting the wires? And if so, why not just disconnect the negative wire? That would isolate the system.2) We have one summer event during the year where we are boondocking in the Northern Nevada desert with no hookups. I see that Harbor Freight (Fright?) Tools has a three panel 45 Watt solar set up that is pretty inexpensive (Around $170). I figure at best it would put out about 3amps of current. The only electricity we use during the week is minimal water pump running and occasional use of indoor lighting. I don't see the need for a controller, but wonder if 3 amps is enough to make a difference toward keeping the batteries at full charge. I do carry a voltmeter with me to make frequent checks.Given the age of the rig, and how little we need solar, I don't want to go Full Monty on panels.Thoughts?Thanks, Gary in Chico, CA
Re: Battery Charging Reply #1 – June 23, 2010, 06:21:30 pm Yahoo Message Number: 113863I've been keeping a trickle charger (1.5 amps) hooked to my house batteries when I'm not traveling. I haven't been disconnecting anything. Am I doing something else wrong?Becky Carrier__
Re: Battery Charging Reply #2 – June 23, 2010, 06:33:36 pm Yahoo Message Number: 113865"Am I doing something else wrong?Becky No. As small as it is, I doubt that it has much of an effect on the battery. As usual, check the battery water periodically.Larry
Re: Battery Charging Reply #3 – June 23, 2010, 06:33:55 pm Yahoo Message Number: 113866Gary I see no reason to disconnect the battery when using a portable charger. You are using something like a 6-10 amp charger? I don't know about the solar panel. HF stuff can be flakey. A 45-watt should help keep the battery up if you are not using the lights fan much.As for your Burning Man trip, some thoughts. Most of the good stuff is at night. I would want to seal myself away of the alkaline dust during the day in the LD, with the A/C and generator going full blast. The dust can get really bad. Friends that went last summer had respiratory problems for over a month after returning home. If I didn't have a generator, I would rent a Honda 2000 or 3000, depending on which would run the A/C and a HEPA air filter. Burning Man has a LOT of rules so I would check on the generator before proceeding.Have fun at BM and remember to take a lots of SPF-50 body paint. Larry.
Re: Battery Charging Reply #4 – June 23, 2010, 07:17:39 pm Yahoo Message Number: 113871I was told by a friend who has been there that the alkaline dust gets into EVERYTHING. He said he would never take his own rig to BM but might consider going in a rented rig. That killed our desire to ever go. Annie 09RB__
Re: Battery Charging Reply #5 – June 23, 2010, 07:31:08 pm Yahoo Message Number: 113873Did I SAY we were going to Burning Man? Oh, OK, that is indeed where we are heading. This will be our 6th year. Our oldest daughter insisted we attend some years ago. She had three requests... 1) Keep your @#$%# clothes on, 2)Don't embarrass me by doing drugs, and 3) Don't camp next to me. We wound up camping next to her by accident, coming
Re: Battery Charging Reply #6 – June 24, 2010, 01:02:14 pm Yahoo Message Number: 113899That is AWESOME you are going to BM! Age has absolutely nothing to do with experiencing such an insane/cool cultural phenomenon. Anyway, disconnecting the batteries while charging with an external charger is silly and completely unnecessary. (Take it from someone who was qualified as a Battery Charging Electrician on a submarine). The only caveat to that is ensure you're disconnected from Shore Power (or turn off your converter) - otherwise you'll be charging your battery from two separate sources which is not a great idea. I charge my batteries this way all the time using a B&D (Vector) 40 amp smart charger plugged into my Yamaha EF2400iS.Also I would put some type of charge controller
Re: Battery Charging Reply #7 – June 24, 2010, 03:20:09 pm Yahoo Message Number: 113903"I would put some type of charge controller in front of any solar panel you buy (even if you're just using a temp connection to the battery), PV panels put out voltages which aren't completely harmonious with your electrical system." Agreed. Your batteries may not mind (aside from possibly boiling off water), but if you get 18V out of those panels on a sunny day, you could blow lightbulbs and other 12V appliances--including your fridge, furnace, and water heater controller boards. Get a solar charging controller of some sort, even if just a cheap one.Andy
Topic: Battery Charging (Read 3 times)
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Topic: Battery Charging (Read 3 times)
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