I know Gary!  You only had to read it!  Imagine my difficulty, I had to
write it!

Josh

On Fri, Jul 5, 2019, 7:23 PM Gary Russell via CnC-List <
[email protected]> wrote:

> Arrgh!  My brain hurts.  😁
> Gary
> ~~~~~~~_/)~~~~~~
>
>
>
> On Fri, Jul 5, 2019 at 6:54 PM Josh Muckley via CnC-List <
> [email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Edd,
>>
>> As I recall you are still on a mooring right?  You're using the motor and
>> solar to keep the batteries "charged"?  If so then it is unlikely that you
>> are ever really getting all the way 100% charged.
>>
>> As others have mentioned the only good way to use voltage as a measure of
>> the state of charge is by reading the NO LOAD (and No CHARGE) voltage.
>> Seems simple enough.... But it's not.  There is also a  effect known as
>> surface charge.  This is the residual voltage that is greater than 12.7v
>> read after applying a charge.  Immediately after charge you'll see 14.7v
>> and slowly dropping over 24 hours until it stabilizes at 12.7v.  The
>> surface charge can  represent ~1% of battery capacity.  To remove the
>> surface charge you need to apply a relatively small load.  In your case
>> 4.5A-hrs....so 4.5 amps for 1 hour...or just let the battery sit
>> disconnected for ~24 hours.  With the surface charge removed the volts
>> should read 12.7v and every 0.1v below 12.7v is roughly equal to 10%
>> capacity.
>>
>> So during charge there are 3 different stages of charge (bulk,
>> acceptance, float).  You'll see volts climb steadily through the first
>> stage finally stopping at ~14.7v.  At the end of the first stage a lay
>> person might casually look at the battery voltage, see 14.7v, and think
>> that the battery is fully charged.  The reality is that it is only about
>> 80% charged.  Most battery monitors like your blue sea are kinda dumb.  At
>> best they measure A-Hr in VS A-Hr out.  Some reset to 100% charged when
>> 14.7v is reached.  Some keep accumulating A-Hrs from a pseudo-float while
>> actually still in the acceptance (2nd stage).  Some can be reset to 100%
>> manually.  Some need to be reset.  I say pseudo-float since charge sources
>> like solar can be sized insufficiently to actually change the chemical
>> state of charge to get the batteries out of the 2nd stage and sometimes not
>> even out of the 1st stage.  So while a charge current IS being applied (and
>> measured/accumulated by the battery monitor) the state of ACTUAL state of
>> charge is not actually changing.  I believe this is probably what is
>> happening in your case.
>>
>> Summary of stages of charge:
>> 1st = BULK = constant current and charger max current with steadily
>> climbing voltage up to ~14.7v
>> 2nd = ACCEPTANCE = constant voltage at ~14.7v with current steadily
>> lowering from max to ~2 amps.
>> 3rd = voltage maintained at ~13.6v.  If the current required to maintain
>> 13.6v goes above ~2amps then the charger will switch back to stage 2 mode a
>> d you'll see volts jump up to ~14.7.
>>
>> I know you asked for simple... Sorry.
>>
>> Josh Muckley
>> S/V Sea Hawk
>> 1989 C&C 37+
>> Solomons, MD
>>
>> On Fri, Jul 5, 2019, 12:23 PM Edd Schillay via CnC-List <
>> [email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>> Listers,
>>>
>>> Last year, I installed a Blue Sea battery monitor and I’m a little
>>> perplexed about the readings I am seeing.
>>>
>>> Last night, before an amazing fireworks display at Hempstead Harbor
>>> (thanks to fellow Lister Neal Gallagher for the guest mooring), I looked at
>>> the display. Out of the 450 amp hours in the House bank, we had used around
>>> 6 amps between using the electric head, cell phone charging, etc. for
>>> several hours — with the display showing 99% capacity.  But the voltage was
>>> showing 12.38, which I understand to mean closer to 75%.
>>>
>>> Someone on a YouTube video said that the Voltage reading is not really
>>> the one to go by, as the voltage will increase when you start switching
>>> things off.
>>>
>>> Is that all true? Is what I’m seeing normal? Can one of you Amperage
>>> Aces or Voltage Vixens explain this to me? (Please keep it simple - way too
>>> much Romulan Ale and Klingon Blood Wine flowing last night.)
>>>
>>> - Confused on City Island
>>>
>>> All the best,
>>>
>>> Edd
>>>
>>> -------------------------------—-
>>> Edd M. Schillay
>>> Captain of the ā€œStarship Enterpriseā€
>>> C&C 37+ | Sail No: NCC-1701-B
>>> Venice Yacht Club | Venice, FL
>>> www.StarshipSailing.com
>>> -----------------------------------
>>> 914.774.9767   | Mobile
>>> -----------------------------------
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent via iPhone X
>>> iPhone. iTypos. iApologize
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>>
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>>
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>> _______________________________________________
>
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> and every one is greatly appreciated.  If you want to support the list -
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