Deka AGM Batteries [RE-wrenches]

[Joel Davidson]

Doug - What model Johnson Controls battery and when?

The (big for the tiny PV industry at that time) solar battery fiasco was
in the early 1980s when Arco Solar people promoted shallow cycle
Delco-2000 batteries and M61 30-cell solar modules. I advised them
against using these product in 1982. Others advised against using them
in 1983. Rob Robinson, SolarWest in Santa Barbara, trusted Arco Solar's
engineers and promoted the Delco-2000 and M61. By 1984, SolarWest was
getting complaints about failing batteries that, in part, led to that
company's demise. I think it was in late 1984 or early 1985 when I saw 2
semi-truck loads of Delco-2000 batteries at Arco Solar and asked why
they were getting more of those lousy batteries. I was told that they
were being sent back to Delco because they were no good, but Arco Solar
people never told the public not to use shallow cycle gel cell batteries
or 30-cells modules separately or in combination.

Doug Pratt wrote:
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brad Bassett [mailto:bsbassett at earthlink.net]
> 
> <snip> We ran into some very poor gel batteries a number of years ago
> that failed miserably (not East Penn) and probably contributed to the
> still heard complaint that gel batteries are not very robust. <snip>
> 
> Ah yes, the wretched Johnson Controls sealed 'Solar' batteries. Not only
> was the quality poor, but they never told us to turn down the charge
> controls to 14.1 volts maximum. What did us solar techies know about
> sealed batteries? Absolutely nothing! Most of them toasted in less than
> a year.
> 
> -Doug Pratt
> 
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