ME ME ME wrote:
SWS,
I remember when they said you could not store your battery on a concrete
floor or it would discharge. They recommended storing the battery on wood.
Is this what you are talking about when you say old batteries were "leaky".



NO!

The concrete fable is just that. Concrete is just a big heat sink.

Rob

On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:51:53 GMT, Gene Kearns
wrote:

On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 10:33:51 -0400, trainfan1
wrote:

ME ME ME wrote:
SWS,
I remember when they said you could not store your battery on a concrete
floor or it would discharge. They recommended storing the battery on wood.
Is this what you are talking about when you say old batteries were "leaky".



NO!

The concrete fable is just that. Concrete is just a big heat sink.

NO! The concrete fable was not a fable....

Concrete is also just a big sponge, absorbing water from the ground
beneath. During the days of battery construction using asphaltic
cases, a potential could be set up through the case, if there was
enough water on the outside of it.... held there by the damp concrete.

Once battery construction employed impermeable cases, this phenomenon
disappeared and ... over time.... became a fable.

Modern batteries have a lower internal resistance and can allow
unregulated power supplies to create a higher charging voltage than
those intended by the original motor designers.... assuming they even
foresaw the use of a charging system to run gee-whiz electronics,
rather than just replenish a starting battery....

Check the manuals for electronics.... many now support much higher
voltages than 12-14V. If they don't however, you risk frying
something....

What he said. :)

Later,

Tom

Gene Kearns wrote:

NO! The concrete fable was not a fable....

Concrete is also just a big sponge, absorbing water from the ground
beneath. During the days of battery construction using asphaltic
cases, a potential could be set up through the case, if there was
enough water on the outside of it.... held there by the damp
concrete.

What would keep the wood from absorbing moisture, then? Wood is just as
much of a "big sponge" as the concrete it's sitting on.

On 25 Apr 2005 10:36:22 -0700, wrote:


Gene Kearns wrote:

NO! The concrete fable was not a fable....

Concrete is also just a big sponge, absorbing water from the ground
beneath. During the days of battery construction using asphaltic
cases, a potential could be set up through the case, if there was
enough water on the outside of it.... held there by the damp
concrete.

What would keep the wood from absorbing moisture, then? Wood is just as
much of a "big sponge" as the concrete it's sitting on.

True, but it's not quite the same.. Concrete has lime - good old
acid/base chemistry.

Later,

Tom

In article ,
says...

On Sun, 24 Apr 2005 03:00:28 -0000, (gudmundur)
wrote:

It is generally accepted to charge at a higher current until 2.3v per cell
is reached, or 13.8v, then taper back the current until 2.4v per cell is
reached, or 14.4v. At this time a 'float' charge is allowed at 2.3v or back
to the 13.8 volts. At no time does a 'Real' charging system go over the 14.4
volt limit. I see mine up at about 15.5 often, and I am concerned about
damage to radios. As one poster mentioned, keeping my running lights on
holds the float voltage to about 14.5, and that is acceptable to me.

It's not a regulator - it's a rectifier.

What do you mean "hard" on batteries?

Later,

Tom