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Forum Index : Other Stuff : Battery Rescue?

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VK4AYQ
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Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539
Posted: 01:40pm 18 Feb 2014
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Hi Bub

If you ground the spark plug wire you kill some of the magnetic pulse field operating in the coil, a spark plug in a glass bottle sealed would work though.
The spark plug is in effect connected across the battery via the internal winding of the coil and the earth connection being the metal body of the plug connected to the earth - pole of the battery.

More modern circuits use a conventional coil and a trigger such as driven points to make it work.

All the best

Bob
Foolin Around
 
VK4AYQ
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Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539
Posted: 01:43pm 18 Feb 2014
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Hi All

I suggested this approach to Powerednut to do a comparison between Lead acid and Alm battery as he has the ability to log accurately the results, it would be very interesting to see the results.

All the best

Bob
Foolin Around
 
Georgen
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Joined: 13/09/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 462
Posted: 08:47pm 18 Feb 2014
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One 12V battery that I have, with opaque plastic box.
I can see some whitish sludge at the bottom.

Probably this sludge will never re-attach itself back on plates with charging or pulsating device.

Would draining and separating this sludge from acid be of any benefit?
George
 
VK4AYQ
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Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539
Posted: 01:02pm 19 Feb 2014
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Hi George

It is good to get rid of the sludge in the bottom of the cell, but in doing so you run the risk of shorting the plates as the sludge is conductive. on the old single cell batteries we lifted the plate pack out before rinsing the container out, sealed batteries are not so easy, I have seen people who cut the top off and lift out the plate pack but it is a lot of work for a risky fix.

All the best

Bob
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domwild
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Joined: 16/12/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 873
Posted: 09:06pm 19 Feb 2014
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What sort of desulphators are you guys using?

Have read of stories of chaps trying to resurrect batteries using electric fence chargers! One way of blasting the H2SO4 off the plates!

If I have a welder, which just has a transformer and therefore cannot give me DC, can I just whack a rectifier on near the fan on a heat shield and call it a DC welder + battery saver or am I too optimistic here?

As my welding is called multi-point tacking, am I going to get a better weld out of a DC welder despite my two left hands?

I actually found the thermal overload cut out too often during welding, so, shock, horror, I removed it and now wait for the secondary to burn out!

Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up.

Winston Churchill
 
domwild
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Joined: 16/12/2005
Location: Australia
Posts: 873
Posted: 09:08pm 19 Feb 2014
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Sorry, failed chem, PbSO4 needs blasting.
Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up.

Winston Churchill
 
Georgen
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Joined: 13/09/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 462
Posted: 11:14pm 19 Feb 2014
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[quote] I actually found the thermal overload cut out too often during welding [/quote]

My “hobby type” welder has low duty cycle (forgot exact percentage)

To be safe I set timer and weld up to 3 minutes or one stick, then wait about half an hour.

Have little welding jobs, so never got too worried where I put welder’s manual.
George
 
domwild
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Joined: 16/12/2005
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Posted: 01:02pm 20 Feb 2014
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Georgen, As I cannot get a continuous weld anyway I am hoping the fan cools the windings while I hammer away the flux and curse.
Taxation as a means of achieving prosperity is like a man standing inside a bucket trying to lift himself up.

Winston Churchill
 
Georgen
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Joined: 13/09/2011
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Posts: 462
Posted: 06:23pm 24 Feb 2014
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Strong fan is not bad remedy for overheating.

My AC unit during 40+ C weather performs much better with extra fan blowing air on it.

OK sometimes I cheated adding tiny droplets of water, using patio mister, when just fan blowing air wasn't enough, but often fan only was plenty.
George
 
isaiah

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Joined: 25/12/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 303
Posted: 09:24am 27 Feb 2014
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I have a 900 Sterling Rectifier 6 volt 5 amps. it is of vibrator type I believe and would like to know more about how and what this old unit will do to the battery?
Yes we have a few more old chargers around that haven't been checked out yet.
Isaiah
URL=http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1973-11- 01/The-Plowboy-Interview.aspx>The Plowboy Interview[/URL>
 
VK4AYQ
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Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539
Posted: 09:05pm 27 Feb 2014
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Hi Isaiah

The vibrator rectifier is very similar to the original desulphator I used on 32 volt batter packs, but may be lower frequency, it was connected across 3 cells (6 volts) and desulphated one cell, a slow process when moving it around the whole battery.

All the best

Bob
Foolin Around
 
isaiah

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Joined: 25/12/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 303
Posted: 06:03pm 28 Feb 2014
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Thanks Bob the old Sterling unit needs a little work on it but we may put it to use on a couple battery's.
It's been a long cold winter and we've been digging things out to play with inside where its warm and dry.
Bub is getting into making some led bulbs that will last. I bought two 3 watt off ebay and one got touched with 120 volt and only lasted a second the other one lasted about a month and at that time of 24/7 use it was quite dim.
Bub redone the one that got hit with 120v and has ran over a month at 24/7 and is still bright as when he finished it.
The 12 Volt ones are hooked to a ups back up.
Bub is going to try to make up some 120 volt ones when he gets more leds in.
Isaiah
URL=http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1973-11- 01/The-Plowboy-Interview.aspx>The Plowboy Interview[/URL>
 
isaiah

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Joined: 25/12/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 303
Posted: 07:50pm 28 Apr 2014
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We have a 6 volt cart battery we have been trying to rescue for several yrs and couldn't get much current out of it.
We drained it of the acid and mixed up a stiff batch of baking soda and charged on that for several days then dumped that and rinsed it with just water for a day,
Then we dumped that and mixed up about 1/2 gal of steam distilled water and 1 lbs of Alum hot and put this mixture in and it had enough current to light a 6 v. head light bulb for a while so we put it on the charger and the voltage came up to 7.3 and with the charger off it was just over 6v.
It ran the head light bulb for quite a while.
We got it on the charge for over night.
Will see what it dose tomorrow.
We are hoping it will come up to where it will start the tractor.
Will report more as it happens!? ''
Isaiah
URL=http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1973-11- 01/The-Plowboy-Interview.aspx>The Plowboy Interview[/URL>
 
Rastus

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Joined: 29/10/2010
Location: Australia
Posts: 301
Posted: 03:17am 29 Apr 2014
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Hi Isaiah,
Still keep an eye on the forum from time to time! You've got quite a recipe going on and the inital results are looking very promising! Well done! I'll keep following with interest,Kind regards Rastus.
see Rastus graduate advise generously
 
isaiah

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Joined: 25/12/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 303
Posted: 02:07pm 29 Apr 2014
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We are using a old car 6 volt head light for a load for this battery converted to Alum. twice today we turned the battery charger off and turned the head light on and after a hour it still had the light lit and was at 3.9 volts at the end of the test.
Turning the bulb off the battery climbed back up in the hi 5 volt area.
While this wont start a engine at this point it is a big improvement from what it was.
We may let it charge for 24 hrs and see what it dose.
Isaiah
URL=http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1973-11- 01/The-Plowboy-Interview.aspx>The Plowboy Interview[/URL>
 
isaiah

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Joined: 25/12/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 303
Posted: 08:33pm 09 May 2014
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Bad News the battery got very hot and boiled and dropped voltage down to 3 volts.
This may be due to a internal short that may have been making trouble from the start.
We have several 12 volt we may change to Alum after I get some garden in.
There is alot of info on utube for Alum conversions.
Will be back later.
Isaiah
URL=http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1973-11- 01/The-Plowboy-Interview.aspx>The Plowboy Interview[/URL>
 
Georgen
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Joined: 13/09/2011
Location: Australia
Posts: 462
Posted: 01:21am 10 May 2014
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Looks like one step back.

If it didn't boil, suppose 3V is of some use too.

(will have to wait for some more info later)
George
 
isaiah

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Joined: 25/12/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 303
Posted: 06:12am 10 May 2014
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Yes the old 6 volt may wind up on a mini mill for the summer.
I did a test on a small 12v battery yesterday with a diaphragm type water pump out of a old camper and it pumped water down to 4 volts under no pressure.
I was pumping water out of my little duck pond.
So one can get some good out of a battery that isn't
up to starting a vehicle.
Bub73 and I are going to work up a LED Strobe light to put out by the mail boxes for winter. The county snow plows have a tendency to hit the mail boxes while plowing.
I did set out a peace of 3 inch pvc pipe the white stuff and the most of it I painted red and we didn't have any hits this winter.We are thinking with the 10 foot length of pvc and a strobe light it should let the plow driver sere where the mail boxes are and would make use out of that battery at 3 volts.
Isaiah
URL=http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1973-11- 01/The-Plowboy-Interview.aspx>The Plowboy Interview[/URL>
 
isaiah

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Joined: 25/12/2009
Location: United States
Posts: 303
Posted: 07:35am 16 Jun 2014
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The old golf cart battery with the Alum is holding at 4 volts.
This was probably not a good test for a Alum conversion as the battery had some issues with lead acid.
We will try another one that is not so far gone.
Isaiah
URL=http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1973-11- 01/The-Plowboy-Interview.aspx>The Plowboy Interview[/URL>
 
VK4AYQ
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Joined: 02/12/2009
Location: Australia
Posts: 2539
Posted: 04:38pm 18 Sep 2014
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Hi All

Just an update on the original battery rescue.

Two of the batteries hooked up to the solar are still going OK they have been running with a desulphator attached to the bank, the plates look good with no visible sulphation, not bad for a couple of batteries that where dead and buried. another four years of usable life and still going.

The other two have been running my water pressure pump and have died again, once again four years extra life from dead and buried batteries is a achievement and shows the benefit of using the desulphator as these where running without one as a comparison.
The probably died due to my being sick and not keeping an eye on them as during the winter lower than usual solar input and a swadge of visitors not used to bush water conservation run them flat, when I got out of hosspiddle I had to wire in the 240 volt pressure pump again until I felt well enough to get the 12 volt setup going again.

Just for the record over the four years I have not had to top up the electrolyte on either pair of batteries.
On the solar batteries I let it have an equalization charge to 30 volts several times a week and on the 12 volt solar pump setup the regulator takes it to 15 volts on each daily charge cycle.

I will now hook a desulphator on them again and see if they will respond to TLC.

All the best

BobEdited by VK4AYQ 2014-09-20
Foolin Around
 
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