Subject:
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Re: Recharging a Battery
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.robotics.handyboard
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Date:
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Wed, 22 Jul 1998 15:17:55 GMT
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Original-From:
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Curt Mills, WE7U <{hacker@tc.fluke.com}IHateSpam{}>
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Viewed:
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1143 times
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On Tue, 21 Jul 1998, TheHahns wrote:
> I have a 'sealed rechargeable' Lead-Acid battery. It's specs are 12 volts at
> 2.0 Ah.
>
> It also has a nifty chart on the outside saying:
>
> | Charging @ 20 Deg. C | Voltage Regulation | Initial Current |
> | Standby Use | 13.50-13.80V | No Limit |
> | Cyclic Use | 14.4-15.0V | .5A Max |
>
> Now, What would be the proper way to recharge this battery?
> What voltage at what amperage?
> AC or DC?
That's a Gel Cell I assume (that's what I call them anyway). Depending on
how you use your battery, you can charge it one of two ways (listed on the
chart on your battery).
I choose to charge my Gel Cells (I have a bunch of different types) from
an Astron 20A 13.8V supply (very little ripple) and I use no current
limiting. The batteries will take high current at first, and then the
current will drop as the battery charges. Make sure your wires you use to
connect them can handle the current. I typically discharge my batteries
most of the way when I use them, and then charge them up all the way and
let them sit a few months. I consider that to be "standby use".
If you don't discharge your batteries all the way before you charge them
again ("cyclic use"), then use the other method, which is slightly higher
voltage but only 500mA current. Think of how a battery in a car is used.
That's my idea of "cyclic" use.
The cleaner the DC, the longer the life you can expect out of the battery.
Stick a current meter on there and watch what it does as it charges.
I've also heard that Gell Cells will become useless if you don't use them
occassionally, but I don't know this for a fact.
Curt Mills, WE7U hacker.NO_*SPAM@tc.fluke.com
Senior Methods Engineer/SysAdmin
"Lotto: A tax on people who are bad at math." -- unknown
"Windows: Microsoft's tax on computer illiterates." -- WE7U
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Recharging a Battery
|
| I have a 'sealed rechargeable' Lead-Acid battery. It's specs are 12 volts at 2.0 Ah. It also has a nifty chart on the outside saying: | Charging @ 20 Deg. C | Voltage Regulation | Initial Current | | Standby Use | 13.50-13.80V | No Limit | | Cyclic (...) (26 years ago, 22-Jul-98, to lugnet.robotics.handyboard)
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