My sealed lead/acid 6v bike light battery came with the warning to never fully discharge it. I got a 'smart' charger for it and top it up every night when I get home (it's dark both legs of the commute). Is this a suboptimal regime for a SLA? The battery is a workable size for a pump, but I can't recall the AH rating. 3, I think. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Maybe I'm viewing this WAY too simplistically, but think about your car battery - most of the time it is being charged while the car is running, unless there's an unusually heavy electrical load being placed on it at the time. Typical car battery life - 5 years or so? Dave Seng Network Engineer, obviously not an EE. Juneau, Alaska > -----Original Message----- > From: E. Sullivan [mailto:sullivaned_at_pop.mts.kpnw.org] > Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2000 12:14 PM > To: p w > Subject: [Paddlewise] Memories > > > My sealed lead/acid 6v bike light battery came with the > warning to never fully discharge it. I got a 'smart' charger > for it and top it up every night when I get home (it's dark > both legs of the commute). Is this a suboptimal regime for a > SLA? > > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
The advice is correct. Lead-acid batteries do not develop "memory". NiCad batteries do. Completely discharging a lead-acid battery is the quickest way to shorten its life. The lead oxidizes. Try to recover lead from long-dead batteries and you won't find any. Only lead oxide. (don't ask me how I know that). Regarding "deep-cycle" and "starting" (lead-acid) batteries: The difference is in the lead plates. Starting batteries have holes or fins in the lead plates to present more surface area to the acid and give more power quickly. "deep-cycle" batteries have solid plates and discharge more slowly but provide power over a longer period of time. Bob ----- Original Message ----- From: E. Sullivan <sullivaned_at_pop.mts.kpnw.org> To: p w <PaddleWise_at_lists.intelenet.net> Sent: Thursday, February 03, 2000 1:14 PM Subject: [Paddlewise] Memories > My sealed lead/acid 6v bike light battery came with the > warning to never fully discharge it. I got a 'smart' charger > for it and top it up every night when I get home (it's dark > both legs of the commute). Is this a suboptimal regime for a > SLA? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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