Battery short help needed

[babock]

Originally Posted by Modmike

By the way, this is fascinating, there was so much controversy about GM killing it and destroying the cars. Did you work at GM or did you won an EV-1? What did you think of GM's decision to scrap the product and destroy the cars?

I worked for GM(I am an Electrical Engineer) and did not work for them by the time they scrapped the cars.

It was a business decision. At the time, the battery technology wasn't as advanced as it needed to be so it was a money loser.

You should definitely install this system and run it 100% of the time and let us know how long your batteries last.

BTW, your batteries are marine type batteries and are not true deep discharge batteries. Consider switching to true deep discharge 6V batteries on your next set when these need replacing.

[Modmike]

Are you allowed to talk about it or give opinions or are you still bound by an NDA?

Not being cheeky, I am still bound by several because I used to work with tech and other types of IP.

I am fascinated by the whole EV-1 story after I saw the documentary. I also am hanging on to my 9 year old BMW until I can get an electric car.

Love the Tesla but it seems like every major automotive manufacturer is joining the fray. I hope it will drive the price down.

[babock]

I can talk about it. Not much to tell.

I currently do digital circuit design in a completely different sector.

Personally, I wouldn't buy an electric car unless it was a hybrid plug in. I was staying at a hotel one night and a Tesla owner arrived and was trying to find a way to charge his car. Was raining like crazy and he was out in the bushes of the hotel with his extension cord trying to locate an outlet. Was comical.

BTW, I noticed you live in Canada. An electric car suffers in very cold climates.

Another BTW..this is definitely a voltage pulse. It's voltage pulses at 22KHz:


When you have this pulsetech thing hooked up, use your meter on AC and see what the ripple voltage is and compare it to the spec on your battery and see if it complies. If you are using an RMS meter, it will be slightly off.

[Modmike]

Originally Posted by babock

I can talk about it. Not much to tell.

I currently do digital circuit design in a completely different sector.

Personally, I wouldn't buy an electric car unless it was a hybrid plug in. I was staying at a hotel one night and a Tesla owner arrived and was trying to find a way to charge his car. Was raining like crazy and he was out in the bushes of the hotel with his extension cord trying to locate an outlet. Was comical.

BTW, I noticed you live in Canada. An electric car suffers in very cold climates.

Another BTW..this is definitely a voltage pulse. It's voltage pulses at 22KHz:


When you have this pulsetech thing hooked up, use your meter on AC and see what the ripple voltage is and compare it to the spec on your battery and see if it complies. If you are using an RMS meter, it will be slightly off.

I am ideologically against a hybrid, I feel that dragging around a gas engine is a bad compromise. I do agree with you about Canada but we strangely have one of the highest adoption rates out here. Must be because of cheap hydro power.

You are, of course, correct in that it is a voltage pulse. What I should have clarified is that it is not used in the same way as the 16-60 volt long duration pulse used by typical desulfators.

The PulseTech uses a low voltage high frequency pulse. I measured the ripple as you asked and it is steady at 2.7 MV for about 4 or 5 seconds then hits 6.1 mv briefly and drops immediately.

Check my next post, I am about to open more debate!

[babock]

Your battery is likely an Exide battery. Their spec is no more than ±5% of the float voltage. I think most battery manufacturers have similar specs.

For example. if the float voltage is 13.4V then you can't exceed ±0.67V ripple.

[Modmike]

I have a read in a few places that it is likely an Exide but someone claims a Forest River rep told him it came from worldwide battery.

I checked the Interstate site that dodosmike referenced and it looks identical.
Apparently it's an SRM-27

[Modmike]

More on the PowerPulse desulfator (not the charger)

I just had a very pleasant conversation with PowerPulses lead tech, Rick Gregory.

I told him what I wanted to do with the PowerPulse and he told me not to worry about disconnecting it if the coach is charged at least once a month. The total draw per PowerPulse is 10mA and I would need 2 for a total of, you guessed it, 20mA.

Each PowerPulse can be connected up to 3 batteries, but the pulse is weakest at the last battery. Since I have 4 house batteries, he recommended 2. He also personally uses them on his cars.

He went on to say that the biggest advantage of desulfation is that it equalizes the cells across all battery banks. There is no need to disconnect them, be it parallel or serial, which makes for trouble free install and operation.

He also said that Newell installs one on every battery in their coaches. They told him that they no longer worry about battery condition on trade in because they are always like new. Newell was so impressed with the technology, they referred Rick to Tiffen, who now installs them on every coach in 2 of their higher end lines.

I think it's definitely worth it, especially at only $45.00 each!

[babock]

Originally Posted by Modmike

I have a read in a few places that it is likely an Exide but someone claims a Forest River rep told him it came from worldwide battery. Certainly looks identical. Apparently it's an SRM-27

Interstate doesn't make their own batteries so it's whoever they source that particular one through which could be Exide.

[Modmike]

I think you might have mis-read my post. It's not Interstate, its Worldwidebatteries.com. I did check both sites and Exide as well. The SRM-27 looks exactly like the ones I have, down to the carrying handle. The Exides and Interstate ones looked physically different.

[babock]

Originally Posted by Modmike

I think you might have mis-read my post. It's not Interstate, its Worldwidebatteries.com. I did check both sites and Exide as well. The SRM-27 looks exactly like the ones I have, down to the carrying handle. The Exides and Interstate ones looked physically different.

I clicked the link in your post and it took me to the interstate site.

[Modmike]

Originally Posted by babock

I clicked the link in your post and it took me to the interstate site.

OOPS!!! My Bad, I royally messed up, got confused with Worldwide and Interstate. Definitely Interstate, not sure about Exide due to physical differences.

[A32Deuce]

I guess Delco Remey does not make a dozen different batterys or they were sold to someone else. They use too!

[babock]

Originally Posted by A32Deuce

I guess Delco Remey does not make a dozen different batterys or they were sold to someone else. They use too!

I think you are thinking ACDelco. ACDelco doesn't make their own batteries anymore and likely never have.

[A32Deuce]

Originally Posted by babock

I think you are thinking ACDelco. ACDelco doesn't make their own batteries anymore and likely never have.

Plant was in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Correct name was ACDelco/Remy Battery Plant.

[babock]

Originally Posted by A32Deuce

Plant was in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Correct name was ACDelco/Remy Battery Plant.

Yes...looked it up. Closed in 1994.

[270S]

If you are like 99.99999% of all customers of the TT & RV industries, they treat you like you have no intelligence and HARD WIRE ridiculous items to the battery post so that the "Disconnect Switch" doesn't actually disconnect the batteries at all - completely.

Trace your coach and decide what if any items need to be hard wired. Move all of them off to a bus bar that is on the disconnect side of the relay so that they are not on unless you want them on - when BDS is activated.

In my case, I chose only the stairs to be wired to the battery post - they do not draw any power unless door is opened. Other items such as radios - only there to keep programming in memory, alarms - DUH, don't need if not inside/there, that is why you are disconnecting in the first place.

Even though the total draw appears low (1.5 amps), it isn't. In 5.5 days or less, my batteries would be dead. 1.5 x 24 x 5.5 = 200 amp hours!


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