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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>Have any of us here ever heard of a "world
renowned battery guru"? You have to wonder why, if they are world renowned, they
have to do home shows.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>Refractometers have been used quite
commonly in labs, but those are in the $500 an up range. Some pretty decent ones
for home use are in the $75-$150 range. I have seen some for sale for under $40
but have no idea how accurate they are. Refractometers are pretty commonly used
in beer brewing and in salt water fish tanks. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>One thing you have to be very careful of with
Refractometers is bubbles and/or any particles which will throw the readings way
off. You also need to rinse them in distilled water between uses, but that goes
for most hydrometers also.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri>But all that said, it kind of sounds more like a
wiring, wire size, or connection problem with the widely varying amperage
you are getting.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Calibri></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>..................................................................................................<BR>Northern
Arizona Wind & Sun - Electricity From The Sun Since 1979<BR>Solar Discussion
Forum: <A
href="http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/">http://www.wind-sun.com/ForumVB/</A><BR>..................................................................................................</DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=dan@foxfire-energy.com
href="mailto:dan@foxfire-energy.com">dan@foxfire-energy.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org
href="mailto:re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, February 13, 2010 6:04
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [RE-wrenches] Refractometer vs
Hydrometer?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 10pt">
<DIV>I'm confoosed.. . I got a call from an old client complaining that their
trace meter was wacky... seems it always read like 80% or something --
never reset?.. (48V -- 4 strings of UL16 -- 5 years old -- Off Grid). I asked
about the last time they equalized, and they proudly reported that they hadn't
had to eq. in over a year and a half because "an industry renowned battery
guru" they met at a home show advised them that they no longer needed to
equalize because their new Desulphators (that he sold them), made equalizing
unnecessary.. (One for every two batteries all neatly wire tied to the
cables.. blinking LEDs and everything) .. .. and that their specific gravity
levels were right on the money (as checked with their new refractometer Mr
Battery guy also sold them).. I asked them to check Batt. hi on the
trace meter, and it read like 57V .. I suggested they equalize with the
Gen Set..to 61Volts.. which did make the trace meter reset.. but they never
got the bank over 59 Volts.. in over 12 hrs... and the batteries were starting
to get hot... so I suggested they shut down, and I planned a trip down.... Got
on site, pulled the strings apart, and checked for dead cells.. everything
checked out ok... didn't have a hydrometer with me (seems they threw theirs
out .. on the advice of Mr. Battery guru).. so I took their word on the
refractometer readings... reconnected everything and fired up the gen set...
had 80 amp in (measured with a Fluke 337), 13 something on one string, 29 on
one, 24 on another and like 14 on the last. (the two lowest were on the
outside.. coolest? -- the bank was still kinda warm) ... I suggested
they let the bank cool completely, and try again in a few days... (Maybe even
eq each string individually as a last resort). In checking thru the set
points, I noticed many were wonky.. so I called tech support folks for the
latest.... they told me that the factory defaults for gen start / stop often
resulted in "Deficit Cycling".. and that proper settings were actually like 4
Volts higher (For both the 15 min. and the 2 hr start cycles).. they also told
me small desulphators were a waste of money, and that refractometers were
unreliable at best... now my customer is looking at me for answers... (I'm
sending them a good hydrometer).. I'm hoping you folks might set me straight
(er).. thanks db <BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR>Dan Brown<BR>President<BR>Foxfire Energy Corp.<BR>Renewable Energy
Systems<BR>(802)-483-2564<BR>www.Foxfire-Energy.com<BR>NABCEP
#092907-44<BR><BR></DIV>
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<DIV id=wmQuoteWrapper>-------- Original Message --------<BR>Subject: Re:
[RE-wrenches] ecoSolargy PV modules<BR>From: Keith Cronin
<electrichi01@yahoo.com><BR>Date: Fri, February 12, 2010 4:25
pm<BR>To: RE-wrenches
<re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org><BR><BR><MCE:STYLE></MCE:STYLE>
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<DIV>Bob</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>They have contacted me and seem eager to distribute their
products.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Keith</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; FONT-SIZE: 10pt"
mce_style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><BR>
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<HR SIZE=1>
<B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"
mce_style="font-weight: bold;">From:</SPAN></B> Bob Clark
<bclark@solar-wind.us><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"
mce_style="font-weight: bold;">To:</SPAN></B>
re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"
mce_style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</SPAN></B> Thu, February 11, 2010
5:02:17 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"
mce_style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</SPAN></B> [RE-wrenches] ecoSolargy
PV modules<BR></FONT><BR><MCE:STYLE></MCE:STYLE>
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<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"
mce_style='font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'>RE-Wrenches:</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"
mce_style='font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"
mce_style='font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'><SPAN>Does
anyone have experience with ecoSolargy PV modules: <A
href="http://www.ecosolargy.com/" target=_blank
mce_href="http://www.ecosolargy.com/">http://www.ecosolargy.com/#</A>
?</SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial','sans-serif'; FONT-SIZE: 12pt"
mce_style='font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";'></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Papyrus; COLOR: rgb(227,108,10)"
mce_style="font-family: Papyrus; color: #e36c0a;">Bob Clark</SPAN></B></DIV>
<DIV><B><I><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Papyrus; COLOR: rgb(227,108,10)"
mce_style="font-family: Papyrus; color: #e36c0a;">SolarWind Energy Systems,
LLC</SPAN></I></B></DIV>
<DIV><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Papyrus; COLOR: rgb(227,108,10)"
mce_style="font-family: Papyrus; color: #e36c0a;">P.O. Box
1234</SPAN></B></DIV>
<DIV><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Papyrus; COLOR: rgb(227,108,10)"
mce_style="font-family: Papyrus; color: #e36c0a;">Okanogan, WA
98840</SPAN></B></DIV>
<DIV><B><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Papyrus; COLOR: rgb(227,108,10)"
mce_style="font-family: Papyrus; color: #e36c0a;">(509)
826-1259<I></I></SPAN></B></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV>
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