Interesting behavior - Firefly batteries, Balmar Smartgauge, small solar panel

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by rgleason

And Mainsail says not to trust clamping meter or link10 at these low currents
"The owner needs to use an ammeter to judge when 100% Full is reached, as per endAmps."
so what where does that leave us?

A good quality shunt will read to the .1 amp seemingly accurately, and repeatedly.

[john61ct]

Better accuracy is better of course, but tenths of an amp is not needed as much as tenths of a volt.

If your target endAmps is say 4A, even a $50 clamp will be good enough.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by rgleason

I suppose you should stop at 100%SOC?

Yes, and for FF tgat is .02C even when new, not .005C.

And like LFP, best to isolate once Full unless a load is active, better to not Float at all.

[rgleason]

I apologize for this digression, but when measuring both Specific Gravity and Link10 volts/amps (has a shunt with all connectors recently cleaned and tightened).

When measuring specific gravity with normal glass float with bulb you pull in battery electrolite several times, to adjust so the bulb is truly floating, and then release the bulb, the float will go down a little. You push the bulb just a little and the bulb with rise a little. So what is the best technique to get the right readings? There is quite a range there.

With the Link10 as the battery gets fuller toward 100%SOC the number of amps going in jumps around quite a bit, probably due to the field current being adjusted and the battery rejecting and accepting charge. I try to average those readings.

When using the Uni T Clamp on meter, clamped at the battery I find that the amps are higher than what the Link10 reads (although I have very recently cleaned and tightened all sensor and cable connections), and it also jumps around such that I cannot determine if the batteries are at the Trojan recommended

• Float= Constant Current 1%-3% of C20 as voltage increases, for 225ah this is 2.25a to 6.75a

and the clamping meter shows about that range jumping around. So how the devil do I determine 100%SOC? Will it ever go down to just showing 1 amp?

Both my measuring and reading skills need to improve I think. Heck I have a hard time seeing the numbers on the float bulb!


Also phantomracer, what fuel cell? and why?

[john61ct]

Start a new thread, they're free

[phantomracer]

Originally Posted by rgleason

I apologize for this digression, but when measuring both Specific Gravity and Link10 volts/amps (has a shunt with all connectors recently cleaned and tightened).

When measuring specific gravity with normal glass float with bulb you pull in battery electrolite several times, to adjust so the bulb is truly floating, and then release the bulb, the float will go down a little. You push the bulb just a little and the bulb with rise a little. So what is the best technique to get the right readings? There is quite a range there.

With the Link10 as the battery gets fuller toward 100%SOC the number of amps going in jumps around quite a bit, probably due to the field current being adjusted and the battery rejecting and accepting charge. I try to average those readings.

When using the Uni T Clamp on meter, clamped at the battery I find that the amps are higher than what the Link10 reads (although I have very recently cleaned and tightened all sensor and cable connections), and it also jumps around such that I cannot determine if the batteries are at the Trojan recommended

• Float= Constant Current 1%-3% of C20 as voltage increases, for 225ah this is 2.25a to 6.75a

and the clamping meter shows about that range jumping around. So how the devil do I determine 100%SOC? Will it ever go down to just showing 1 amp?

Both my measuring and reading skills need to improve I think. Heck I have a hard time seeing the numbers on the float bulb!


Also phantomracer, what fuel cell? and why?

Why a fuel cell? I don't have the real estate for a solar nor do I really like the look of it. Plus solar works really poorly at night when I need the power of the most.

However it is not inexpensive, nor is the fuel. It does work well and is really easy to install.

[phantomracer]

Originally Posted by phantomracer

Why a fuel cell? I don't have the real estate for a solar nor do I really like the look of it. Plus solar works really poorly at night when I need the power of the most.

However it is not inexpensive, nor is the fuel. It does work well and is really easy to install.

I have an EFOY fuel cell. Search the site for other threads about it

[Cpt Pat]

If the battery monitor indicates less that 100% SoC when you are sure the battery is at 100% SoC, it may be as simple as adjusting the charge efficiency setting on the battery monitor. Every monitor I've seen has a factory setting for charge efficiency that matches ordinary flooded lead/acid batteries.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Cpt Pat

If the battery monitor indicates less that 100% SoC when you are sure the battery is at 100% SoC, it may be as simple as adjusting the charge efficiency setting on the battery monitor. Every monitor I've seen has a factory setting for charge efficiency that matches ordinary flooded lead/acid batteries.

Not a Smart Gauge though, they work by magic.
Seriously, they just work and work best if you leave them alone

[phantomracer]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Not a Smart Gauge though, they work by magic.
Seriously, they just work and work best if you leave them alone

Hehe.. that's how i describe it to others too. It just works .. by magic [emoji1]

Since it is propietory, its the only way to describe it.

[john61ct]

But even the SmartGauge has a 100% reset, use as part of the setup, and hopefully only rarely after that.

With AH counting meters, best to reset 100% very frequently.

Their config parameters are inherently fuzzy and change over time, which is why SmartGauge is both easier and more accurate for SoC.

[a64pilot]

You don’t have to tell the SG your at 100%,it will through magic, very quickly figure that out. Mine seems to do very little learning, it seems good right off.
However it and my amp counting meter disagree In the middle of the night by quite a bit, it takes quite a long time before the SG starts counting down, but by morning, they match nearly exactly, but in the middle of the night the SG will read as much as 10% higher.

[john61ct]

Just meant there if needed.

I would go off the lower indicating one to be conservative, even though I'd trust the SG more.

[CarlF]

I just took a look at the Smartguage manual online. On page 4 they list the battery type settings. #5 is for "Carbon fiber lead acid". The OP might want to check if his Smartguage is set this way.

[john61ct]

Firefly is Carbon Foam, long after Gibbo designed SG.

Either Bruce or Maine Sail stated #3 AGM is the correct setting, but its degree of accuracy is not well tested yet.