Keeping a battery charged

[94BULLITT]

My Case 450 crawler often sits for 3 to 4 months at a time at my woodlot. It's an old tractor and has no modern parasitic drains (as long as I remember to turn the switch off ). I used to have a terrible time with the battery; it would last 2 or 3 years. It's a big one and it's not cheap. On May 3, 2004 I replaced the battery yet again, but that fall I installed Power Pulse desulfator by Pulse Tech Corporation. A couple of years later I connected a 5 watt solar panel. Now, after more than 8 years the battery remains fully charged. The desulfator wasn't cheap either : $125, and the solar panel I got on sale at Princess Auto for $30 (IIRC), but they have now paid for themselves several times over.
The first photo shows the Pulse Tech unit in the battery box (the white wire leads to the solar panel). The other pics show the solar panel mounted on the ROPS screen.View attachment 281237View attachment 281238View attachment 281239.

You could do a testimonial for the solar panel company.

 

[Jkott]

You should only have to desulfate if the battery stayed discharged for an extended period of time. If you always keep the battery from new on a maintainer you don't need it. Sulfate is the coating on the lead plate when it rusts, or oxidizes, from being out of the acid (and in water) for an extended time. If you are famimiliar with the chemical reaction in the battery, the sulfuric acid reacts with lead to produce electricity, and in the process turns to water. Charging reverses it. Lead in the presence of water oxidizes. Oxidized lead does not react with the acid, so you have to desulfate it to give it some life back.

 

[herringchoker]

The Power Pulse desulfator (or conditioner) is what was available at the time (2004). The desulfator (conditioner) provides a continuous pulsating current that prevents sulfate buildup on the plates. No external power supply is required to run it - it is powered by the battery itself. Because of that, it can eventually drain the battery if it isn't re-charged. That's why I added the solar panel a few months later.

To quote from the manufacturer's literature:
"A battery loses charge in two different ways: 1) External drain - when the battery is supplying current, the lead anode grid is oxidized which immediately precipitates as lead sulfate. At the cathode, the lead oxide is reduced which also precipitates lead sulfate. Both conditions cause the lead plates to become choked of a free flow of energy; 2) Internal discharge - during even short periods of non-use, sulfation occurs on the battery plates. These sulfates are most damaging, as the normally spongy substance hardens and eventually crystallizes into a mass which totally impedes the ion flow to the plates, making recharging impossible. This sulfation is the number one cause of failure, and the reason seven out of ten batteries are discarded as "dead" while most are still full of life but choked of a free flow of energy."

I don't know about all this chemistry, but I do know that I tried it and it works. I wonder if some maintainers available nowadays have the pulsating current that serves to prevent sulfation, as well as a trickle charge function?

BTW, here is a link to a TBN thread re building your own charger/desulfator:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/166271-battery-rejuvenator.html

 

[meburdick]

The Power Pulse desulfator (or conditioner) is what was available at the time (2004). The desulfator (conditioner) provides a continuous pulsating current that prevents sulfate buildup on the plates. No external power supply is required to run it - it is powered by the battery itself. Because of that, it can eventually drain the battery if it isn't re-charged. That's why I added the solar panel a few months later.

To quote from the manufacturer's literature:
"A battery loses charge in two different ways: 1) External drain - when the battery is supplying current, the lead anode grid is oxidized which immediately precipitates as lead sulfate. At the cathode, the lead oxide is reduced which also precipitates lead sulfate. Both conditions cause the lead plates to become choked of a free flow of energy; 2) Internal discharge - during even short periods of non-use, sulfation occurs on the battery plates. These sulfates are most damaging, as the normally spongy substance hardens and eventually crystallizes into a mass which totally impedes the ion flow to the plates, making recharging impossible. This sulfation is the number one cause of failure, and the reason seven out of ten batteries are discarded as "dead" while most are still full of life but choked of a free flow of energy."

I don't know about all this chemistry, but I do know that I tried it and it works. I wonder if some maintainers available nowadays have the pulsating current that serves to prevent sulfation, as well as a trickle charge function?

BTW, here is a link to a TBN thread re building your own charger/desulfator:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/166271-battery-rejuvenator.html

Sounds like an interesting item, and that it was very helpful to you. From one of the other posts here, it *seems* as though that item is meant to keep a battery that's less than fully charged from "going bad". Most of the other things that I've personally seen / used or that were being described here appear to intend to simply keep the battery fully charged (which I think would eliminate the need for an item like what you have).

Either way, it worked for you, and it's kinda neat to learn about this stuff.

:thumbsup:

 

[gunnner]

The solar chargers i got are amorphus so they charge on cloudy days or even inside.

Wonder if you could post a link of your amorphus charger-----Having a bit of trouble locating one.
THANKS

 

[meburdick]

They ALL work that way. Any ambient light will operate the panel though direct sunlight gives the best performance.

 

[94BULLITT]

Wonder if you could post a link of your amorphus charger-----Having a bit of trouble locating one.
THANKS

I got these at lowes.http://www.sunforceproducts.com/product_details.php?PRODUCT_ID=65
They will not come up on lowes site but here are some that will.

 

[Mickey_Fx]

One of my favorite topics. If one is interested in a desulfator, it's hard to beat the one from Wizbang. They are low cost, made in the states, top notch construction and are based on a well know schematic known to get the job done. Powered from the battery itself. Gets the job done via high voltage (~60v) very short duration, medium (~1000Hz) freq pulses. I've had mine close to 10 yrs, still working. Son also has a couple he uses on his RV. The RV has a high end power monitor. When first installed batteries were down to ~30% of rated capacity. After having the desulfator attached for a week or so, another capacity test showed batteries were up to ~90% of rated capacity.

You can find this brand from several sources including Amazon. Amazon.com: Wizbang Battery Desulfator Solar Wind EV Marine Storage: Everything Else

Want to give a tip of the ole hat to Jkott for properly using the term "starved electrolyte" in one of his posts. That was the term used when this battery tech was first being developed by Gates Energy Products 25-30 yrs ago. I was working with them back then for a medical product application.

 

[yelbike]

One of my favorite topics. If one is interested in a desulfator, it's hard to beat the one from Wizbang. They are low cost, made in the states, top notch construction and are based on a well know schematic known to get the job done. Powered from the battery itself. Gets the job done via high voltage (~60v) very short duration, medium (~1000Hz) freq pulses. I've had mine close to 10 yrs, still working. Son also has a couple he uses on his RV. The RV has a high end power monitor. When first installed batteries were down to ~30% of rated capacity. After having the desulfator attached for a week or so, another capacity test showed batteries were up to ~90% of rated capacity.

You can find this brand from several sources including Amazon. Amazon.com: Wizbang Battery Desulfator Solar Wind EV Marine Storage: Everything Else

Want to give a tip of the ole hat to Jkott for properly using the term "starved electrolyte" in one of his posts. That was the term used when this battery tech was first being developed by Gates Energy Products 25-30 yrs ago. I was working with them back then for a medical product application.

Since the desulfator is power by the battery it self, do they drain down battery? So do you use a charger as well or do you do one then the other?

 

[94BULLITT]

One of my favorite topics. If one is interested in a desulfator, it's hard to beat the one from Wizbang. They are low cost, made in the states, top notch construction and are based on a well know schematic known to get the job done. Powered from the battery itself. Gets the job done via high voltage (~60v) very short duration, medium (~1000Hz) freq pulses. I've had mine close to 10 yrs, still working. Son also has a couple he uses on his RV. The RV has a high end power monitor. When first installed batteries were down to ~30% of rated capacity. After having the desulfator attached for a week or so, another capacity test showed batteries were up to ~90% of rated capacity.

You can find this brand from several sources including Amazon. Amazon.com: Wizbang Battery Desulfator Solar Wind EV Marine Storage: Everything Else

Want to give a tip of the ole hat to Jkott for properly using the term "starved electrolyte" in one of his posts. That was the term used when this battery tech was first being developed by Gates Energy Products 25-30 yrs ago. I was working with them back then for a medical product application.

They are powered by the battery itself? How many amps does it draw?

 

[gunnner]

They ALL work that way. Any ambient light will operate the panel though direct sunlight gives the best performance.

-----

Thanks--I did not know that---
I tried to order one from Lowes, but after filling out all the info they tell me the site is having problems ( why they could not tell me First-------Grrrrrrr !)

So I orded one from Amazon-----Schumacher (SCUSP200) 2.4 Watt Solar Charger
They know me well there---

 

[Mickey_Fx]

Since the desulfator is power by the battery it self, do they drain down battery? So do you use a charger as well or do you do one then the other?

The current they use is quite small, about 45mA if I recall correctly. Both myself and my son do have our RV connected to shore power all the time. But 45mA takes ~22 hrs to pull 1Ah from a battery. If you talking long term storage, I think it wise to have a small float charger at least connected.

Look at this link for tech specs. I just too a look and my rememberer seems to be working OK.

http://www.wizbangplus.com/Technical_Specifications.html

 

[gumshu]

-----

Thanks--I did not know that---
I tried to order one from Lowes, but after filling out all the info they tell me the site is having problems ( why they could not tell me First-------Grrrrrrr !)

So I orded one from Amazon-----Schumacher (SCUSP200) 2.4 Watt Solar Charger
They know me well there---

I order Solar panels from Amazon too. To be safe, you may also want to consider a "Charge Controller" too. I've had good luck with this one.
Sunforce 7 Amp Charge Controller : Amazon.com : Automotive

 

[meburdick]

-----

Thanks--I did not know that---
I tried to order one from Lowes, but after filling out all the info they tell me the site is having problems ( why they could not tell me First-------Grrrrrrr !)

So I orded one from Amazon-----Schumacher (SCUSP200) 2.4 Watt Solar Charger
They know me well there---

I order Solar panels from Amazon too. To be safe, you may also want to consider a "Charge Controller" too. I've had good luck with this one.
Sunforce 7 Amp Charge Controller : Amazon.com : Automotive

I posted this link earlier in the thread, but I'll throw it out again... This is a solar panel and maintainer in one. Develops 5W under optimal conditions.

Battery Tender 021-1163 5W Solar Maintainer : Amazon.com : Automotive

 

[sandman2234]

I acquired 4 solar panels that keep GPS units on semi-trailers charged when not connected to a truck. Gave one to a friend and plan on hooking another to the dual batteries I just mounted on the side of my JD2555. I got tired of having start issues and upgraded the twin 550 cca batteries to twin 1080 cca batteries. Probably only reason I haven't mounted one on the tractor is I don't know if there is a dioide to prevent discharging by the solar panel during nights and sunless Times.
David from jax