<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Mac,</div><div><br></div><div>David Smead of Ample Power has many years experience with gel batteries and has published this about charging gel batteries:</div><div><br></div><a href="http://www.amplepower.com/gel/index.html">http://www.amplepower.com/gel/index.html</a><br><div>
<div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><br></div></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></span></div>Larry Liesner<br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>
<br><div><div>On Aug 3, 2013, at 9:46 PM, Mac Lewis wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">Ray,<div><br></div><div>Yes, this is an off-grid applications. I think you are right, the battery guy sold him what he had. Pretty pricey battery lesson twice!</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">
On Sat, Aug 3, 2013 at 6:42 PM, Ray Walters <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ray@solarray.com" target="_blank">ray@solarray.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<div>Mac;<br>
<br>
Is this off grid? The Intimidator is not a high cycle life
battery. I've had trouble finding exact ratings, but its probably
in the 250 to 300 cycles at 80% DOD. I'd expect 3 years max in an
off grid application. Also the Intimidators I've seen are
actually AGM, not Gel, but I don't know. I looked on Deka's
website but didn't find any good charge set points. This is
basically a sealed RV/ Marine battery. Definitely not a top
choice, but its what the battery guys have on the shelf, so that's
what they sell.<br>
You're on to the biggest problem, pulling off opposite corners of
the bank to balance the connector resistance between all the
strings. <br>
I go out of my way not to poo poo the customer's choice, but to
make sure and let them know you can't guarantee the performance of
the system. I had almost the exact experience just a few months
ago, where the customer had just bought a new set of
Intimidators. I just told him to use them up, no sense in
worrying about it, and when they were worn out, we'd get him
something better. I used AGM setting on the Midnite controller on
that system. Voltage set points should be his responsibility to
track down, if their gel. It keeps you from being responsible for
anything to do with the battery performance or life. When he
needs a new set, you sell him the right stuff, set it up right,
and low and behold you'll look good when they outlast his previous
sets.<br>
<pre cols="72">R.Ray Walters
CTO, Solarray, Inc
Nabcep Certified PV Installer,
Licensed Master Electrician
Solar Design Engineer
<a href="tel:303%20505-8760" value="+13035058760" target="_blank">303 505-8760</a></pre><div><div class="h5">
On 8/3/2013 5:31 PM, Mac Lewis wrote:<br>
</div></div></div>
<blockquote type="cite"><div><div class="h5">
<div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Hello
wrenches,</span>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">I am
looking for guidance with charging setpoints for a battery
that I don't have experience with. This system was put in by
another solar company and this battery bank failed after 1.5
years. He bought these batteries without consulting us, but
now we are stuck with them.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">It is a
Deka Intimidator Gel Sealed Battery 12V 225 Ahr. It is set up
as 3 strings of 4 batteries to give a 675Ahr bank at 48V. The
batteries were not wired at opposite corners, but
inverter/charger leads were connected to the middle string.
We will fix that and other things but I don't use Deka
batteries.</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">What
charger setpoints would you recommend for this battery bank?
Does anyone have a good tech contact at Deka? Anyone have
any results to report about this type of battery in a solar
application?</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px"><br>
</div>
<div style="font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:13px">Thanks
in advance</div>
<div><br>
</div>
-- <br>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><font face="'times new roman', serif" color="#305A78"><br>
</font></div>
<div><br>
</div>
Mac Lewis<br>
<br>
<span><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica,
sans-serif" color="#000000"><span style="font-size:small"><span style="font-family:arial;font-weight:normal;color:rgb(48,90,120)"><font face="'times new roman', serif">"Yo solo s que
no s nada." </font><span style="font-weight:700;color:rgb(104,104,104)"><font face="'times new roman', serif">-Scrates</font></span></span></span></font></p>
</font></b></span>
</div>
<br>
<fieldset></fieldset>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div><br></div><div><font color="#305A78" face="'times new roman', serif"><br></font></div><div><br></div>Mac Lewis<br><br><span style="font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:medium;color:rgb(255,153,0)"><b><font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="3"><p align="left">
<font color="#000000" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-size:small"><span style="font-family:arial;font-weight:normal;color:rgb(48,90,120)"><font face="'times new roman', serif">"Yo solo s que no s nada." </font><span style="font-weight:700;color:rgb(104,104,104)"><font face="'times new roman', serif">-Scrates</font></span></span></span></font></p>
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