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Today's Topics:
1. Re: Optima Trials and Tribulations (John G. Lussmyer)
2. Re: Optima Trials and Tribulations (Roger Stockton)
3. Re: KillaCycle 7.82 @168 MPH!!!! (Joseph T. )
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Message: 1
Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 11:28:49 -0800
From: "John G. Lussmyer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [EVDL] Optima Trials and Tribulations
To: Electric Vehicle Discussion List <ev@lists.sjsu.edu>
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Ralph Merwin wrote:
> When I first tested the Optimas (July 2005), and possibly not correctly
> charged, they ranged between 25.5 AH and 39.6 AH. I cycled the lower
> capacity batteries several times and the capacity increased to over 32
> amp hours for each battery. I stopped cycling them once they were all
> over 32 amp hours, and I didn't cycle the higher capacity batteries at
> all.
>
Thanks, I just wanted to be sure that the Spec Sheet rating for Reserve
Capacity of 120 minutes was just the usual inflated value.
Sounds like you are getting 80-90 minutes just like I am.
> So, my thoughts on your pack are that the capacities are generally not
> bad, and that they may improve with a few cycles. You may have a couple
> that are either in need of more attention or that just may be weaker.
>
Yup, there are 2 batteries I've recharged and am retesting now. They
were at about 1/2 capacity of the others.
(and supposedly new)
> The fact that your batteries won't hold the specified voltage after a
> full charge is worrisome. This makes me think that the dealer may have
> pawned off some factory rejects as 'new' batteries.
>
> As a tangential data point, a customer I'm working with at work is from
> a major trucking company, and they use pallets of Optima group 31s. I
> asked him about the rumors of lower quality Optimas now, and he said
> their failure rate is the lowest among the battery manufactures they
> work with. He didn't say who other manufactures were.
>
The dealer I bought from told me the same thing.
BUT - how many of the people buying them for starting batteries would
even NOTICE that it had only 1/2 the capacity it should have? How
likely is it that there are a LOT of under-spec batteries that the users
just don't notice?
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 11:43:21 -0800
From: Roger Stockton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [EVDL] Optima Trials and Tribulations
To: "'Electric Vehicle Discussion List'" <ev@lists.sjsu.edu>
Message-ID:
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
John G. Lussmyer wrote:
> Has ANYONE else done reserve capacity tests on their Optimas?
> I'm just wondering if this is normal rating inflation, or if
> Optimas have really gone to hell.
I cycled all of the 20 blems Ralph donated to my EV project and after a bit of
TLC they were all at 80-100% of spec (52Ah @ 25A). I don't have access to that
data at the moment so can't offer you some specific numbers.
I do have access to some capacity data for 12 of them when I got them ready to
go into my EV (as I recall Ralph donated them about 1999 after they'd done
about a year of service in his EV, and I installed them in my EV May 2005!):
The first 6 yielded between 31-42Ah @ 75A on the first cycle. After a 4A for
16hrs comissioning cycle, they yielded 34-42Ah @ 75A (the strongest battery did
not improve at all due to the commisioning charge, but the other 5 all came up
into the 34-38Ah range).
I don't have the initial capacities of the other 6, but after the comissioning
charge they were in the range of 34-40Ah @ 75A (2 near 34, 2 near 38, and 2
near 40).
This is data for *blems* that were on the order of 7 years old and which had
sat largely neglected for about 6 of those years.
I'll send you .pdfs of those discharge cycles off list since I can't send
attachments to the list.
Of course, since these are not "fresh" batteries, my observations probably
won't help sway you from your view that Optima quality has slipped ;^>.
Cheers,
Roger.
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2007 14:46:38 -0500
From: "Joseph T. " <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [EVDL] KillaCycle 7.82 @168 MPH!!!!
To: "Electric Vehicle Discussion List" <ev@lists.sjsu.edu>
Message-ID:
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
What an amazing run!
Imagine the quarter mile time with the super batteries! :)
On 11/11/07, Marty Hewes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Did you video the girl?
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dan Frederiksen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: "Electric Vehicle Discussion List" <ev@lists.sjsu.edu>
> Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2007 4:58 AM
> Subject: Re: [EVDL] KillaCycle 7.82 @168 MPH!!!!
>
>
> > did you video the run?
> >
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------------------------------
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End of EV Digest, Vol 4, Issue 28
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