Dead batteries - do I have a charge problem...

[Chris_Robb]

i think you do davymac an injustice. despite the post you replied to davymac never referred to battery manufacturers. he used the expression " experts " ( note the inverted commas in his post ). perhaps you may like to read his post again.

Yes - I have read it again - still don't understand it, 12.6???? and the throw away comment at the end - "worse than an Anchor thread - which led to the Troll comment. So not sure why you think this is an injustice!

 

[DavyMac]

Yes - I have read it again - still don't understand it, 12.6???? and the throw away comment at the end - "worse than an Anchor thread - which led to the Troll comment. So not sure why you think this is an injustice!

Not meant as a troll, just a throw away comment that there seem to be some strong and conflicting views out there when it comes to alternator boosters, three stage charging, four stage charging etc. Knowing that there is no settled right answer might be useful to the OP and others.

Of course my typo (I meant 14.6) won't have helped my reputation.

 

[noelex]

All you need is 14.2 / 14.4 volt regulator in the alternator, and a charge rate of 10 / 20% of battery capacity, and charge early.

Monitor volts and amps, when you have 14.2 / 14.4 volt, with low amps, that is about as much as you will get in the battery. Motoring, to recharge batteries, for longer will not put much more into the battery, so is not economical just to gain another 1 /2% capacity.

Three stage charging, and high charge rates do not work, we proved this in 1983 when we designed our first multi-stage chargers. We spent most of the 1980's testing three stage charging, and it only acted as a fudge to incorrect primary charge cycle.

Brian

Sorry Halcyon I don’t quite follow the logic. The main purpose of multi stage charging is to put AHr 's into the battery as quickly as possible. In practical terms, given a long time scale,the final charge state is not higher than a lower constant voltage charge, but the battery achieves a higher state of charge for given time period (unless the charge duration is very long). This is particularly important on boats because we want to run a generator or engine as little as possible.
Could you elaborate on why / how "this does not work"

 

[Chris_Robb]

Not meant as a troll, just a throw away comment that there seem to be some strong and conflicting views out there when it comes to alternator boosters, three stage charging, four stage charging etc. Knowing that there is no settled right answer might be useful to the OP and others.

Of course my typo (I meant 14.6) won't have helped my reputation.

DavyMac - point taken, I am very interested in Halyons reply saying that their experments showed no value in charging above 14.2 or so. I have been of the Sterling Brainwashed ideas up to now.

Perhaps over the course of this summer I will change the dip switches on my Sterling to Gel (14.2) setting and just monitor any change in the amps going in in the important stage from 50% to 85% re-charged.

Sorry about the Troll label

 

[noelex]

DavyMac - point taken, I am very interested in Halyons reply saying that their experments showed no value in charging above 14.2 or so. I have been of the Sterling Brainwashed ideas up to now.

Perhaps over the course of this summer I will change the dip switches on my Sterling to Gel (14.2) setting and just monitor any change in the amps going in in the important stage from 50% to 85% re-charged.

Sorry about the Troll label

Your charge rate will drop significantly, providing your alternator can put out more current than the batteries will accept.