Keeping New Batteries in the best condition

[BadFitter]

Thanks Tom and Gil. I've got another year to research and see where the technology goes.

[Anthem]

if you have the ability to set the generator auto start - i would set it at the 50% DOD point. AGM batteries are best cycled between 50-100 and not go lower. They also like to be "topped up" - as in they dont like to sit away from being charged all the way up. but I wouldnt set auto gen start at the first instance of a drop as you would cycle incessantly (the last little bit of AGM charge to top off takes a very long time in float). As someone else said - solar panels are a great match for AGM batteries.

as for battery monitor. the Victron BM712 is excellent, the balmar SG200 is excellent. Some of the ones that are paired with their units are also good. And as gil mentioned, these units are generally standalone unless paired or matched with their respective brand units (some have a relay that can fire off other relays though)

[Gil_J]

Anthem. DoD using battery voltage is impossible with a battery in use.

Les, what I said applies today, if you are using the Magnum networked AGS without the Magnum router or BMK.

[Dthomas9572]

Hello,

Currently my setting on my trace 4024 inverters is 23.8 when it drops to that or lower for 15 minutes....does that sound correct?

Thanks

[Anthem]

Anthem. DoD using battery voltage is impossible with a battery in use.

yes and no. It depends on your SOC method of calculation. The BMV712 after learning from your battery usage - uses SOC via discharge amp hours, peufkert efficiency and voltage, rather than straight voltage. But it correlates that with voltage as well.

But also this is dependent upon the ratio of discharge and how you are calculating it. If you are using your battery, and your rate of discharge is minimal (100w out of a 1000amp hour bank), the voltage drop corresponding with that fractional C discharge is so minimal to affect your SOC in a meaningful way - but you are still taking a batttery SOC while a battery is in use....

Basically saying that the battery is almost always being used (when not being charged with external sources like Gen, Shore, Solar, Wind) - but we are also taking SOC readings on those same battery banks all the time. While some might understand that the bank is under whatever load - that reading is still taking place as some sort of reference point. You dont always disable EVERY SINGLE draw off the battery(and in almost all cases, its impossible to remove all loads off the bank) - to get a SOC reading.

[Dthomas9572]

Hello,

Currently my setting on my trace 4024 inverters is 23.8 when it drops to that or lower for 15 minutes....does that sound correct?

Thanks

[Ck2hans]

Gil:
Forgive my ingnorance in matters of electricity, perhaps a dumb question.
I think my Featherlite (like most Featherlites) have four of the 8 4D batterys devoted (wired) for 12 volt and the other four are devoted (wired) for 24 volt. OR are all the battery's wired for 24 volt and 12 volts are tapped off of the 24 volt bus bar?
I ask this question because I am not sure how to determine total battery state after dry camping.

Chuck

[Gil_J]

Anthem, you've added a device to calculate SoC. Most don't have such and I bet the most of the few that do aren't using it signal generator operation. Even the older coach with the Link 2000 remotes didn't use it's ability to calculate SoC to trigger generator operation, even they could.

Because voltage alone us not a good indicator of SoC, most AGS systems use one or more triggers that require voltage to drop below a threshold and remain below the threshold for the time trigger.

[Dthomas9572]

Hello,

Currently my setting on my trace 4024 inverters is 23.8 when it drops to that or lower for 15 minutes....does that sound correct?

Thanks

[Gil_J]

Hello,

Currently my setting on my trace 4024 inverters is 23.8 when it drops to that or lower for 15 minutes....does that sound correct?

Thanks

That seems like a reasonable setting for when the coach is in use. The best way to tweak the settings is through use. If that setting has the generator starting too often or you could tolerate more frequent generator starts adjust the setting.

I like to preserve my batteries, so my settings are higher than the defaults. The Trace settings are very similar to settings prescribed by other manufacturers.

Here's the factory settings.
20200224_185659.jpg