I found it at an old style auto supply distributor. The old kind with
belts of all kinds hanging on the walls, 2" of dust on everything and
Mathusala working on a big chaw of tobakee behind the counter. :-)

I did find them on the web though at several places. Here is one:
http://www.widgets.ws/prod/AutoBarnc...ry-Filler.html

Glen Wilson wrote:

On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 08:52:16 -0400, Glenn Ashmore
tempted fate with:


I built a retainer right next to the battery boxes for one of those
black plastic battery fillers. For you younger guys that is an artifact
once found in those extinct institutions called "Full service gas
stations". It holds two quarts of distilled water and you just pop a
cap, stick it in and it tops off the cell to the right level.


Cripes, where'd you find that? I'm tired of spilling water from those
little squeeze bulb thingys that hold about an ounce and drip half of
it onto the top of the battery.


Glen "Wiley" Wilson usenet1 SPAMNIX at worldwidewiley dot com
To reply, lose the capitals and do the obvious.

Take a look at cpRepeater, an NMEA data integrator, repeater, and
logger at http://www.worldwidewiley.com/

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 15:59:50 GMT, "Glen Wiley Wilson"
wrote:

On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 08:52:16 -0400, Glenn Ashmore
tempted fate with:

I built a retainer right next to the battery boxes for one of those
black plastic battery fillers. For you younger guys that is an artifact
once found in those extinct institutions called "Full service gas
stations". It holds two quarts of distilled water and you just pop a
cap, stick it in and it tops off the cell to the right level.

Cripes, where'd you find that? I'm tired of spilling water from those
little squeeze bulb thingys that hold about an ounce and drip half of
it onto the top of the battery.

I use one of those 1 litre water bottles with a pull valve on the cap.
Don't spill too much with it.


--
Peter Bennett, VE7CEI
new newsgroup users info : http://vancouver-webpages.com/nnq
GPS and NMEA info: http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter
Vancouver Power Squadron: http://vancouver.powersquadron.ca

JC Whitney has them for about $15 each...get some dock mates together and
order more than one so that the shipping and handling cost gets reduced.

Regards-
Charlie


"Glen Wiley Wilson" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 08:52:16 -0400, Glenn Ashmore
tempted fate with:

I built a retainer right next to the battery boxes for one of those
black plastic battery fillers. For you younger guys that is an artifact
once found in those extinct institutions called "Full service gas
stations". It holds two quarts of distilled water and you just pop a
cap, stick it in and it tops off the cell to the right level.

Cripes, where'd you find that? I'm tired of spilling water from those
little squeeze bulb thingys that hold about an ounce and drip half of
it onto the top of the battery.


Glen "Wiley" Wilson usenet1 SPAMNIX at worldwidewiley dot com
To reply, lose the capitals and do the obvious.

Take a look at cpRepeater, an NMEA data integrator, repeater, and
logger at http://www.worldwidewiley.com/

You can get one at pretty much any auto parts house.

"Glen Wiley Wilson" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 08:52:16 -0400, Glenn Ashmore
tempted fate with:

I built a retainer right next to the battery boxes for one of those
black plastic battery fillers. For you younger guys that is an artifact
once found in those extinct institutions called "Full service gas
stations". It holds two quarts of distilled water and you just pop a
cap, stick it in and it tops off the cell to the right level.

Cripes, where'd you find that? I'm tired of spilling water from those
little squeeze bulb thingys that hold about an ounce and drip half of
it onto the top of the battery.


Glen "Wiley" Wilson usenet1 SPAMNIX at worldwidewiley dot com
To reply, lose the capitals and do the obvious.

Take a look at cpRepeater, an NMEA data integrator, repeater, and
logger at http://www.worldwidewiley.com/

On 30 Sep 2003 22:21:31 GMT, (BOEING377) wrote:

Do those so called catalytic battery caps actually work? The are supposed to
use a catalyst recombine outgassing molecules back into H2O which drips back
into the battery cell. I am sceptical.

I think it's in Calder's boat maitainence book where he says they work
but you should remove them before equilizing your wet-cell batteries
because of the pressure buildup.
Mark Williams

Maynard G. Krebbs wrote:
On 30 Sep 2003 22:21:31 GMT, (BOEING377) wrote:


Do those so called catalytic battery caps actually work? The are supposed to
use a catalyst recombine outgassing molecules back into H2O which drips back
into the battery cell. I am sceptical.


I think it's in Calder's boat maitainence book where he says they work
but you should remove them before equilizing your wet-cell batteries
because of the pressure buildup.

The Hydrocaps are basically a large baffeled cap with a small piece of a
catylist in it. The catylist makes the hydrogen recombine with oxygen.
The reaction produces water which drips back into the battery and some
heat. The hydrogen in the water takes up a lot less space than the
hydrogen gas so the pressure inside the battery is slightly lower than
the air outside. This pulls more air in through the baffels so that
there is more oxygen to be combined with the outgassing hydrogen.

Like I said, the reaction produces heat. During normal charging the
heat is radiated off the fins on the caps but during equalizing the
battery produces a LOT more hydrogen. When all that extra hydrogen
starts recombining the caps can get hot enough to melt.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Surrette, says that they work fine and solve all problems, even during
equalization. Certainly if they don't work during equalization, they're
worth less (not "worthless", just "worth less").

I guess I trust Surrette -- the family has been making boat batteries for a
long time -- but I'll still have a vent above the battery box. I saw a
Hinckley 70 in Bermuda in 1996 that was going back to Maine to be repaired
after a battery explosion. They were gel cells, mounted under a bunk, with
no vent. Wasn't a pretty sight. Lucky there was no one in the stateroom at
the time. Even gel cells need venting.


--
Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com


...
"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:ejgrb.12352$62.2320@lakeread04...


Maynard G. Krebbs wrote:
On 30 Sep 2003 22:21:31 GMT, (BOEING377) wrote:


Do those so called catalytic battery caps actually work? The are
supposed to
use a catalyst recombine outgassing molecules back into H2O which drips
back
into the battery cell. I am sceptical.


I think it's in Calder's boat maitainence book where he says they work
but you should remove them before equilizing your wet-cell batteries
because of the pressure buildup.

The Hydrocaps are basically a large baffeled cap with a small piece of a
catylist in it. The catylist makes the hydrogen recombine with oxygen.
The reaction produces water which drips back into the battery and some
heat. The hydrogen in the water takes up a lot less space than the
hydrogen gas so the pressure inside the battery is slightly lower than
the air outside. This pulls more air in through the baffels so that
there is more oxygen to be combined with the outgassing hydrogen.

Like I said, the reaction produces heat. During normal charging the
heat is radiated off the fins on the caps but during equalizing the
battery produces a LOT more hydrogen. When all that extra hydrogen
starts recombining the caps can get hot enough to melt.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

Interesting. George Peroni at Hydrocap says to remove them before
equalizing. If they get to hot to touch either a cell is bad or you are
charging to hard. Peroni is an odd bird. If you both have the time he
will talk your ears off. Reminds me a lot of Mr. Surrette. I have had
the privilege of receiving sermons from both. :-)

Peroni takes a different position about equalizing. He claims that it
is not needed with modern 3 stage chargers and actually reduce service
life.

Jim Woodward wrote:

Surrette, says that they work fine and solve all problems, even during
equalization. Certainly if they don't work during equalization, they're
worth less (not "worthless", just "worth less").

I guess I trust Surrette -- the family has been making boat batteries for a
long time -- but I'll still have a vent above the battery box. I saw a
Hinckley 70 in Bermuda in 1996 that was going back to Maine to be repaired
after a battery explosion. They were gel cells, mounted under a bunk, with
no vent. Wasn't a pretty sight. Lucky there was no one in the stateroom at
the time. Even gel cells need venting.



--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

This was old man Surrette's son, IIRC, but they were cast out of the same
mold. Maybe it's genetic?

I only know what I read in Nigel Calder and learn from conversations with
people like Surrette and here. I certainly don't equalize blindly, only if
the hydrometer or a voltage test tells me that the cell voltages are
unequal.

It seems illogical, though, to put on caps to conserve precious distilled
water and then take them off for an operation that you know wastes a lot of
it. (Distilled water is easy to get in the USA, but try finding it in the
boonies....)


--
Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com


..
"Glenn Ashmore" wrote in message
news:K3srb.12618$62.7550@lakeread04...
Interesting. George Peroni at Hydrocap says to remove them before
equalizing. If they get to hot to touch either a cell is bad or you are
charging to hard. Peroni is an odd bird. If you both have the time he
will talk your ears off. Reminds me a lot of Mr. Surrette. I have had
the privilege of receiving sermons from both. :-)

Peroni takes a different position about equalizing. He claims that it
is not needed with modern 3 stage chargers and actually reduce service
life.

Jim Woodward wrote:

Surrette, says that they work fine and solve all problems, even during
equalization. Certainly if they don't work during equalization, they're
worth less (not "worthless", just "worth less").

I guess I trust Surrette -- the family has been making boat batteries
for a
long time -- but I'll still have a vent above the battery box. I saw a
Hinckley 70 in Bermuda in 1996 that was going back to Maine to be
repaired
after a battery explosion. They were gel cells, mounted under a bunk,
with
no vent. Wasn't a pretty sight. Lucky there was no one in the stateroom
at
the time. Even gel cells need venting.



--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

try rainwater, try carrying 2 gals of distilled water, try stream
water in rural areas, try carrying a handheld tds meter to test all
your water even ro watermaker water. I've been all over the boonies -
maybe hard to find in high dry deserts - so carry water.


It seems illogical, though, to put on caps to conserve precious distilled
water and then take them off for an operation that you know wastes a lot of
it. (Distilled water is easy to get in the USA, but try finding it in the
boonies....)