Optima Battery Problems

[cnynrat]

Good grief! Somebody pleeeeease delete this whole mess! Orrrrr, let's let the same angry consumer fill 35 more pages with tales of electrical woe.:mixed-smiley-030:

Why? I think there is a great deal of very valuable information here. Tough to wade through it all perhaps, but it would be a shame to simply remove it.

Perhaps we could get DWH and Teotwaki to collaborate on a Battery & Charging fundamentals thread.

 

[redthies]

Why? I think there is a great deal of very valuable information here. Tough to wade through it all perhaps, but it would be a shame to simply remove it.

Perhaps we could get DWH and Teotwaki to collaborate on a Battery & Charging fundamentals thread.

Yeah, you're right. I just felt like stirring the pot a little I guess. Maybe if the focus was more tech, less slander?

 

[dwh]

Why? I think there is a great deal of very valuable information here. Tough to wade through it all perhaps, but it would be a shame to simply remove it.

Perhaps we could get DWH and Teotwaki to collaborate on a Battery & Charging fundamentals thread.

Oh lord...no.

Get evldave to do it. He always includes beer.



Okay...okay...here we go:

Step One: Have a beer.
Step Two: Take the battery up to around 14 and a half volts. Unless it's a GEL, then only take it to 14.
Step Three: Have another beer.
Step Four: Drop the voltage to around 14 volts and let it sit there for however many hours it takes until the battery won't absorb any more.
Step Five: Time for a beer.
Step Six: Finish off the rest of the six pack, because you're done.

 

[Mc Taco]

dwh, I have to strenuously object to your steps of charging a battery. You were doing fine until steps four and five.

HOURS[/U] it takes until the battery won't absorb any more.
Step Five: Time for A beer.

Are you implying the consumption of only one beverage during this HOURS long wait? One would lose any sort of buzz they had going or best case might become dehydrated. Please update you reckless post as it does seem to endanger fellow ExPo'ers.









SARCASM DRIPPING!

 

[Hilldweller]

The only thing constructive I can add to what dwh has so eloquently written is in terms of design/execution of battery internals and how it relates to resistance. For my particular application, twin batteries in a base-camp oriented trailer build, I went with Optima for the low resistance and fast recharge times. I had already had another trailer with the Enersys product (Sears DieHard Platinum) and it didn't do what I wanted; it did as designed, wasn't defective per se, but was harder to live with.

We are, as a group, probably the best educated and picky bunch of bastards in the offroad community. We not only know our needs, wants, desires, but some of us have actually glimpsed the occasional white unicorn and have gone after it.
I truly pity any and all social media managers, especially any that dabble with the ExPo demographic...

 

[redthies]

We are, as a group, probably the best educated and picky bunch of bastards in the offroad community. We not only know our needs, wants, desires, but some of us have actually glimpsed the occasional white unicorn and have gone after it.
I truly pity any and all social media managers, especially any that dabble with the ExPo demographic...

Possibly the truest words spoken ever on ExPo.

Is this "social media"? Crap... Now I suck as bad as all the "wastebook and twater" people I make fun of!

 

[G35Vortec454]

I should have checked all of the Optima pages more carefully! Here is a nice bit of confusion....

Alternators are NOT chargers. Don't rely on your alternator to do the work of a charger.

An alternator is meant to maintain a battery, not charge it

http://www.optimabatteries.com/product_support/charging_agmbattery.php

This is the most stupid Ive ever heaRd, especially in the business of making batteries.

Anybody who says this is looking for somebody or something else to blame for an inferior battery. Ask Optima to explain the purpose of an automobile Alternator or Generator without using the word "charge". Also ask Optima to explain "maintaining a battery" without using the words "maintain" or "charge".

And as long as that is in their website I will continue to advise friends and acquaintances to stay away from Optima batteries. I ask you all do the same.

 

[dwh]

dwh, I have to strenuously object to your steps of charging a battery. You were doing fine until steps four and five.

Are you implying the consumption of only one beverage during this HOURS long wait? One would lose any sort of buzz they had going or best case might become dehydrated. Please update you reckless post as it does seem to endanger fellow ExPo'ers.

Oh, my god! You are absolutely correct. I KNEW I should have let evldave handle it. He would have included some pretty pictures as well.

Hrmm...fixing this won't be easy. It will take some serious thought. Luckily, I'm still nursing my morning coffee, so I have some serious thought juice on tap.

...
....
.....

Okay, I think I see where the critical flaw is...
Try this on for size...

Step One: Have a beer.
Step Two: Take the battery up to around 14 and a half volts. Unless it's a GEL, then only take it to 14.
Step Three: Have another beer.
Step Four: Drop the voltage to around 14 volts and let it sit there for however many hours it takes until the battery won't absorb any more.
Step Four Point One: Get in your hammock and take a nap.
Step Four Point Two: Wake up.
Step Five: Time for a beer.
Step Six: Finish off the rest of the six pack, because you're done.

 

[dwh]

Step One: Have a beer.
Step Two: Take the battery up to around 14 and a half volts. Unless it's a GEL, then only take it to 14.
Step Three: Have another beer.
Step Four: Drop the voltage to around 14 volts and let it sit there for however many hours it takes until the battery won't absorb any more.
Step Four Point One: Get in your hammock and take a nap.
Step Four Point Two: Wake up.
Step Five: Time for a beer.
Step Six: Finish off the rest of the six pack, because you're done.

Dammit! I suck at this! No wonder I don't do technical writing. But I do know a thing or two about computer logic! What this thing needs, is...A LOOP!
Hrmm...lemme try that...

Revised (after making another cup of joe):

Step One: Have a beer.
Step Two: Take the battery up to around 14 and a half volts. Unless it's a GEL, then only take it to 14.
Step Three: Have another beer.
Step Four: Drop the voltage to around 14 volts and let it sit there for however many hours it takes until the battery won't absorb any more.
Step Four Point One: Get in your hammock and take a nap.
Step Four Point Two: Wake up. Check battery.
If
"done", goto Step Five,
else
have a beer, goto Step Four Point One.
Step Five: Time for a beer.
Step Six: Finish off the rest of the six pack, because you're done.

 

[LandCruiserPhil]

When I first started trying to make sense of the charging of the different types of batteries I developed a huge headache. That is what led me to purchased a Xantrex stage charger with all points (bulk/absorb/float ) adjustable to accommodate what ever battery I ended up charging. This is good but I have failed to change any of the factory settings no matter what type of battery I'm charging.
But the ability that I can is priceless:sombrero:

 

[redthies]

I went from step 1 straight to step 4.1...

 

[TheAlmightySam]

I went from step 1 straight to step 4.1...

For some reason, step one executes as an infinite loop for me.

 

[teotwaki]

Now after all this talk about charging batteries and arguing over measurements you should know that you need calibrated lab measurements for measuring your beer feedback loop too



:friday:

 

[redthies]

For some reason, step one executes as an infinite loop for me.

I am probably older than you Sam, and need my beauty sleep. But step 1 reoccurs immediately upon waking up

 

[teotwaki]

I am probably older than you Sam, and need my beauty sleep. But step 1 reoccurs immediately upon waking up

to have some fun and split hairs.... isn't there a diference between "waking up" and "coming to"?