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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hugh,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>One last point about the Solar Boost IPN
product: Once you have programmed the 2512iX charge controller from the IPN Pro,
the controller retains the information and can be installed as a stand-alone
unit. That means you can have a custom programmed charge controller for just a
little more than the Tristar you are considering.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I don't get your final comment. The group has
shared a vast amount of information in this thread. If you review all that has
been said, I think you will be able to make the right choice for your
customer.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Larry Crutcher<BR>Starlight Solar Power
Systems<BR><A
href="http://www.starlightsolar.com">www.starlightsolar.com</A><BR>928-342-9103</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=hugh@scoraigwind.co.uk href="mailto:hugh@scoraigwind.co.uk">Hugh</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> Wednesday, April 27, 2011 10:59
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [RE-wrenches] AGM battery
charging, more details</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>At 22:38 -0500 26/4/11, William Dorsett wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite="" type="cite"><BR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite="" type="cite">OK, I can see how you could input the amphr
capacity of a given set of new batteries, but would someone explain how a
controller which counts amps can adjust as the battery bank ages? As the
capacity of the bank drops over time, and this varies by different
manufacturers, it still seems that a controller which measures voltage would
track the SOC of the bank better than current counting.</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE cite="" type="cite"> </BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Keeping track of SOC by counting Ah is a challenge in itself, but the
battery manufacturers' instructions don't require this. Fullriver and
Surrette require the you make a transition between Absorption and Float charge
regimes/stages at a certain point where the charging current drops to a given
level (although the Rolls FAQ is puzzling in its wording there - suggesting
that you can charge at 0.25 x C20 indefinitely!). Most stand alone RE
system controllers do not possess the ability to monitor the battery current,
so they cannot follow these instructions. This is my concern. </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE>At 10:54 -0700 26/4/11, Rick Cullen - Blue Sky Energy, Inc.
wrote:
<BLOCKQUOTE cite="" type="cite">There has been some discussion in the past
few days regarding AGM batteries and charge control switching to Float
based on net battery charge current matched to battery size and that our
IPN-ProRemote product can provide this.</BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Rick's Blue Sky product fits the bill but it seems expensive in the
context of very small systems. Phil Smith of Barden Batteries in the UK
has told me that a correctly programmed Tristar controller will do a good job
even though it does not 'know' the battery current. This is good
news.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>I am still deeply puzzled about sealed batteries as I learn that you must
not make them gas but you have to be sure to charge them well (like any other
lead acid battery) or they will fail prematurely. That's why I would
like to be able to fit controllers that monitor the battery current and use
this to determine the transition to a float charge. </DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><U>Maybe it would help if somebody told me what sort of charging would
actually damage a sealed battery. Then I would simply charge them as
hard as the wind/sun allows while avoiding doing that.</U></DIV><X-SIGSEP><PRE>--
</PRE></X-SIGSEP>
<DIV>Hugh Piggott<BR><BR>Scoraig<BR>http://www.scoraigwind.co.uk</DIV>
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