13.1v - indication of problems or good news?

[IanH]

They have helped me many, many times. But then I've been getting good advice here for about seven years, rather than your seven months. So hang around, you may learn something

+1

 

[Plevier]

Sorry for being a downer but...
I'm afraid I picked this particular post to make an experiment and to make a point and play devils advocate....

In good faith someone will post a problem and then ,someone like me, will Google a reply and post it as gospel..the original poster will have no clue as to who is genuine , as you appear to be, and who is not , obviously me!.

I have followed many similar posts and they all follow exactly the same pattern, usually ending up with two people debating the minutiae of some totally insignificant issue and completely ignoring the point of the original post...sounding familiar?

I question who these forums are actually benefiting? Do any of the original posters actually take any advice given..or just get so totally confused and p*ssd off that they go else where. That's my next study...

Sorry that you had to met me in this way... but I hope that you can see my point.

All the best and no bad feelings?

R.

This forum is immensely valuable, there is a vast amount of genuine knowledge that members freely give. It has certainly helped me with problems I've had.

It goes wrong when for whatever reason, people start answering questions when they have no idea what they are talking about. They either guess or do a quick Google/Wikipedia and repeat some rubbish. This is a great disservice to posters looking for help, and detracts from the efforts of those genuinely helping.

Fortunately you can often pick out these posts by their very arrogant/dogmatic/overconfident/black and white character.

Please stop your pointless "experiment" that damages a useful resource. The only thing I would agree with you about is that there is a problem - but why add to it?

 

[Bosun Higgs]

Sorry for being a downer but...
I'm afraid I picked this particular post to make an experiment and to make a point and play devils advocate....

In good faith someone will post a problem and then ,someone like me, will Google a reply and post it as gospel..the original poster will have no clue as to who is genuine , as you appear to be, and who is not , obviously me!.

I have followed many similar posts and they all follow exactly the same pattern, usually ending up with two people debating the minutiae of some totally insignificant issue and completely ignoring the point of the original post...sounding familiar?

I question who these forums are actually benefiting? Do any of the original posters actually take any advice given..or just get so totally confused and p*ssd off that they go else where. That's my next study...

Sorry that you had to met me in this way... but I hope that you can see my point.

All the best and no bad feelings?

R.

Your post comes over as conceited / thinks he's a clever bugger but the thoughts behind it are realistic. We have a fair proportion of technical numpties on here made worse by some people's inclination to use the forum as an easy alternative to thinking. But at the same time, the forum gives access to real expertise with many posters having specialised knowledge as well as a willingness to help. Sure we occasionally get technical willie waving but so what?

Its a good community full of people trying to help each other. Welcome to it.

 

[duncan]

I would not worry too much about a .1 or .2
If you want to be really pedantic about it you have to use an industrially accurate meter and check each cell individually for acid content and specific gravity and a voltage of 2.109 to 2.201 volts.
Which on a standard run of the mill boat battery of course you can't.
If with a Good and to get a good meter you will have to pay £60 or more.
Any where between 12.6 and 12.9v after it has been left isolated for 6 hours is a "good Battery and it will do the job if it doesn't then Simples it not taking/holding a good charge get rid and re- place.
And if it was a good I mean by good make it will still perform.
Just don't expect too much.
ie run all your lights and TV and gizmo's for 6 to 8 hrs over evening and night and then expect it to start a 6cyl 300hp turbo diesel at 10am the next day.

Thank you David, and Troubadour, between you I think you have covered off the likely scenario.

Previously I had only ever charged using the alternator, and the 14.3v output from a relatively simple charging system would give me 12.8v standing voltage on all the batteries that the boats had. I knew that this was unlikely to be 100% capacity (because of the inherent issues of basic charging cycles) but believed that the voltage was normal at that level.

The maximum charge voltage being used by this charger was 14.8v at times in it's cycle, at other times it was 14.4v and the final float charge lower still.

My interim conclusion is that the battery is simply 'fully charged' for the first time in a long time, but there is an outside possibility that the electrolyte level has fallen and that SG is subsequently increased - this would not be a good long term situation so will be checked for levels and with a hydrometer (but is a bit of a pain to get out to check).

I will also check the standing voltage after a week (when I return to the boat)

Thank you for answering the question asked with your clear comments - appreciated.

 

[Plevier]

I really don't think you have much to worry about.
Even if your level is low and s.g high it's unlikely to affect life in cyclic useage. I'd be more concerned in a 10 year life industrial standby system.
Do make sure the plates are covered though. If the level goes below the top of the plates damage occurs quickly.

 

[ctva]

... Sure we occasionally get technical willie waving but so what?...

Fantastic phrase! So the new acronim (if that's how you spell it) is TWW