[RE-wrenches] Battery load tester purchase advice?

[Steve Higgins]

Since Surrette was mentioned, even if you used the house loads and
monitored the load current on the batteries with a DC current clamp... That
would work for us... there is a webinar on the procedure on our YouTube
channel.



On Aug 6, 2017 5:40 PM, "Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar" <offgridsolar at sti.net>
wrote:

> This is a bare bones but easy method. I am not sure Trojan would approve.
> You need a working bank and an inverter. A variac is used to set the AC
> voltage on an electric heater. A clamp-on DC ammeter is used to set the
> variac for the exact specified DC current (25A).
> A descent Variac is not that expensive and this set-up did work for
> Surrette, at one time. Interested to hear what is better and easier!
>
> Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
> "we go where powerlines don't"
> http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/
> e-mail  offgridsolar at sti.net
> text 209 813 0060
>
> > Esteemed Wrenches; My customer's saga of failing Trojan LC-16s continues,
> > unfortunately. It's 8 Trojan L-16 P AC in series/parallel for a 24v bank
> I
> > think I have strong warranty claim on at least one battery. Trojan's
> > warranty claim form requires a series of tests, including using a load
> > tester "approved" by Trojan (whatever that means). to put a load of 25
> > amps
> > on each battery and time down to 1.75 volts per cell, specific gravity
> > checks, etc.
> >
> > This situation is worth purchasing a load tester I think. I'd like one
> > that
> > can do 2v, 6v and 12v batteries. Searching online, 6/12v seems common,
> not
> > seeing anything that can do 2v other than the Fluke BT series, which is
> > way
> > out of my off-grid price range. And I'm not seeing an automotive variety
> > where you can set the load amperage.
> >
> > Anyone have product advice for something that they use and like? Any help
> > appreciated.
> >
> > DAN
> >
> > PS---backgrounder and images.......................
> >
> > Numbering the batteries 1-2-3-4 left to right:
> >
> > ~Battery #2 was installed as a replacement only one month ago (July 2017)
> > and has a late 2016 date code. The 2 hot cells have such low Specific
> > Gravity that they don't register on the hydrometer or refractometer.
> >
> > ~Battery #3 was installed as a replacement in mid 2016. I found the cause
> > of the problem that killed the original battery (the entire bank was
> > installed 2014), an incredibly poorly crimped interconnect cable from
> > AltEdirect (I posted here about it then). They offered to replace the
> > cable
> > (thanks, folks) but it's of more value to me in teaching my hands-on
> solar
> > college classes.
> >
> > ~Battery #3 has a 2013 date code, implying to me that it sat on the self
> > for almost 3 years before the distributor dumped it on me as a one-off.
> > Next time, I will demand the same date code on each battery.
> >
> > ~Battery #1 has NO date code. First time I've seen that.
> >
> > ~In any case -- all the problems seem to be on only the outer parallel
> > string. So the customer approved a complete re-cable, and I'm going to
> > build them all myself after the expensive AltE cable fail.
> >
> >
> > Dan Fink
> > Professor of Solar Energy Technology, Ecotech Institute
> > IREC Certified Instructorâ„¢ for:
> > ~ PV Installation Professional
> > ~ Small Wind Installer
> > Executive Director, Buckville Energy
> > NABCEP Registered Continuing Education Providersâ„¢
> > 970.672.4342
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>
> Dave Angelini Offgrid Solar
> "we go where powerlines don't"
> http://members.sti.net/offgridsolar/
> e-mail  offgridsolar at sti.net
> text 209 813 0060
>
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