Following the suggestion here that the charging voltage for Circuit C
was too high
("C: 14.6V, +0.01A")
I checked with an accurate meter. The voltage was 13.86V. That accords
with the very low residual charge rate. As I suspected, the van's
voltmeter is reading a bit high.

Bill

williamwright pretended :
Following the suggestion here that the charging voltage for Circuit C was too
high
("C: 14.6V, +0.01A")
I checked with an accurate meter. The voltage was 13.86V. That accords with
the very low residual charge rate. As I suspected, the van's voltmeter is
reading a bit high.

Bill

My caravans limited range analogue voltmeter is in the panel, by the
door - some way from the battery. It's reasonably accurate for an
analogue, but the daft part is that they have shared it's supply with
everything else - it measures across the main feed. Absolutely anything
you turn on, will cause voltage drop and the reading to decline
drastically. The only way to get a true reading, is with the main
isolator on, the rest of the isolators off and use a torch in the dark
to read it.

In article ,
williamwright wrote:
Following the suggestion here that the charging voltage for Circuit C
was too high
("C: 14.6V, +0.01A")
I checked with an accurate meter. The voltage was 13.86V. That accords
with the very low residual charge rate. As I suspected, the van's
voltmeter is reading a bit high.

That's still high for a float charge. Should be more like 13v.

--
*I brake for no apparent reason.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 28/04/2021 11:04, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
williamwright wrote:
Following the suggestion here that the charging voltage for Circuit C
was too high
("C: 14.6V, +0.01A")
I checked with an accurate meter. The voltage was 13.86V. That accords
with the very low residual charge rate. As I suspected, the van's
voltmeter is reading a bit high.

That's still high for a float charge. Should be more like 13v.

But the charge rate is 0.01A

Bill

On 28/04/2021 18:11, williamwright wrote:
On 28/04/2021 11:04, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Â*Â*Â* williamwright wrote:
Following the suggestion here that the charging voltage for Circuit C
was too high
("C: 14.6V, +0.01A")
I checked with an accurate meter. The voltage was 13.86V. That accords
with the very low residual charge rate. As I suspected, the van's
voltmeter is reading a bit high.

That's still high for a float charge. Should be more like 13v.

But the charge rate is 0.01A

That suggests the battery is fully charged and the current is there to
offset the self-discharge current.

In article ,
williamwright wrote:
On 28/04/2021 11:04, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
williamwright wrote:
Following the suggestion here that the charging voltage for Circuit C
was too high
("C: 14.6V, +0.01A")
I checked with an accurate meter. The voltage was 13.86V. That accords
with the very low residual charge rate. As I suspected, the van's
voltmeter is reading a bit high.

That's still high for a float charge. Should be more like 13v.

But the charge rate is 0.01A

Assuming the ammeter is as good as the voltmeter? ;-)

--
*Speak softly and carry a cellular phone *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 28/04/2021 11:04, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
williamwright wrote:
Following the suggestion here that the charging voltage for Circuit C
was too high
("C: 14.6V, +0.01A")
I checked with an accurate meter. The voltage was 13.86V. That accords
with the very low residual charge rate. As I suspected, the van's
voltmeter is reading a bit high.

That's still high for a float charge. Should be more like 13v.

13.8v is a nominal fully charged lead acid battery. I have one or two
PSUs kicking around that output that voltage for powering kits that is
designed for lead acid accumulators from the mains.

It probably is a bit on the high side for a float charge. A silicon
diode in series and a 1k resistor in parallel might help.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:
On 28/04/2021 11:04, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
williamwright wrote:
Following the suggestion here that the charging voltage for Circuit C
was too high
("C: 14.6V, +0.01A")
I checked with an accurate meter. The voltage was 13.86V. That accords
with the very low residual charge rate. As I suspected, the van's
voltmeter is reading a bit high.

That's still high for a float charge. Should be more like 13v.

13.8v is a nominal fully charged lead acid battery. I have one or two
PSUs kicking around that output that voltage for powering kits that is
designed for lead acid accumulators from the mains.

13.8v is the standard for a car, engine running. So tends to be the output
of a PS designed to be used with things like a car radio, etc. A fully
charged battery, left to settle, is under 13v.

It probably is a bit on the high side for a float charge. A silicon
diode in series and a 1k resistor in parallel might help.

--
*Many people quit looking for work when they find a job *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 01/05/2021 11:59, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:
On 28/04/2021 11:04, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article ,
williamwright wrote:
Following the suggestion here that the charging voltage for Circuit C
was too high
("C: 14.6V, +0.01A")
I checked with an accurate meter. The voltage was 13.86V. That accords
with the very low residual charge rate. As I suspected, the van's
voltmeter is reading a bit high.

That's still high for a float charge. Should be more like 13v.

13.8v is a nominal fully charged lead acid battery. I have one or two
PSUs kicking around that output that voltage for powering kits that is
designed for lead acid accumulators from the mains.

13.8v is the standard for a car, engine running. So tends to be the output
of a PS designed to be used with things like a car radio, etc. A fully
charged battery, left to settle, is under 13v.

It probably is a bit on the high side for a float charge. A silicon
diode in series and a 1k resistor in parallel might help.

For most people, car engines don't run for much of the time. They do
need to top up the starter drain reliably, it's not really a float
charge regime.

In article ,
newshound wrote:
For most people, car engines don't run for much of the time. They do
need to top up the starter drain reliably, it's not really a float
charge regime.

Quite. A car is unlikely to run continuously for more than a few hours.
Given the driver will want a comfort break of some sort, or indeed fuel.

A float charger could be running for weeks on end.

--
*Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.