Yet more on batteries

[Guest]

I notice that Telecom is changing a lot of their cabinetry on the side of the road. Inside a lot of these cabinets are banks of 6 volt batteries. Got up close recently and noticed 120ah written on the side of one. Some of the batteries they're now turfing out are actually quite new. Makes me wonder if 4 of these (480ah) rather than 2 very expensive 12v 120ah batteries would be the way to go. Anyone?

[tuffyluffy 76]

Ive got 4 X 6volts (440ah @ 12 vollt) on my cruiser as the house bank. Works great!

[Farrari 4]

I notice that Telecom is changing a lot of their cabinetry on the side of the road. Inside a lot of these cabinets are banks of 6 volt batteries. Got up close recently and noticed 120ah written on the side of one. Some of the batteries they're now turfing out are actually quite new. Makes me wonder if 4 of these (480ah) rather than 2 very expensive 12v 120ah batteries would be the way to go. Anyone?

 

4 x 6v @ 120ah would still only net you 240ah @ 12v unless you are going to convert you electrical system to 6v.

[tuffyluffy 76]

The standard off the shelf 6 volt batteries you can buy are usually 220ah.

 

Maybe Telecon have a el-cheapo version to match their network.

[Guest]

I notice that Telecom is changing a lot of their cabinetry on the side of the road. Inside a lot of these cabinets are banks of 6 volt batteries. Got up close recently and noticed 120ah written on the side of one. Some of the batteries they're now turfing out are actually quite new. Makes me wonder if 4 of these (480ah) rather than 2 very expensive 12v 120ah batteries would be the way to go. Anyone?

 

4 x 6v @ 120ah would still only net you 240ah @ 12v unless you are going to convert you electrical system to 6v.

 

Thank you, I won't steal those ones then. Brilliant, what did we do before forums?

[w44vi 17]

Thank you, I won't steal those ones then. Brilliant, what did we do before forums?

go to the pub

[wheels 543]

Sometimes those batteries are NiCad. I have a friend that got hold of a heap of them and went to huge trouble fitting them into his boat. Only to find they were all pretty much stuffed and he had to take them all out 6months later. But another friend gets the ones changed out of remote TV repeater sites. They change them out regularly and he seems to get a good run from those. His system is for Home off grid generation.

[too_tall 15]

I believe that most telecom gear is deep cycle 6 volt. There is a cabinet on the edge of our property - I have had a lot of batteries out of them. They change them every 12 months. They have been starting to use LiIon batteries in some setups. I am not sure why, what advantage/disadvantages they have, etc. They would not have the same current capability, however maybe they do have more storage capacity. They dont mind being deep cycles too much either.

 

Zen - the reason you would only get 120Ah @12v is because you would have 2 pairs of batteries, the pairs wired in parallel, but the batteries in each pair wired in series ( to give you 12 volts ).

 

Wiring batteries in parallel increases voltage, but leaves capacity the same. Wiring them in series increases the capacity, however, it does not increase the voltage at all ( think of car jump starting )

[PaulR 3]

Wiring batteries in parallel increases voltage, but leaves capacity the same. Wiring them in series increases the capacity, however, it does not increase the voltage at all ( think of car jump starting )

 

I think it's the other way round.

In SERIES (positive to next battery negative)

you have 6V + 6V + 6V + 6V = 24 Volts but all at 120Ah (or what ever the capacity is.)

 

In PARALLEL (all positives are connected together & all negatives are connected to each other.)

You have only 6V across the terminals,

but the capacity is 120+120+120+120 = 480AHr

[wheels 543]

Correct Paul.

[too_tall 15]

Bah... shite... I dunno how I got those two around the wrong way. Specially when I had just pointed out why he would only get 240ah @ 12v, and the car jump starting thing. I got my terms reversed. Sorry for any confusion!

 

Must proof read and check that I got things the right way around.

 

Thanks for pointing my cockup out!.

 

Good thing I actually know which way around things work - or else I would have lots of things that had let the magic smoke which once made them work out.

[Farrari 4]

Good thing I actually know which way around things work - or else I would have lots of things that had let the magic smoke which once made them work out.

 

 

Never let the smoke out of anything electrical. It is nie on impossible to recollect and put back. Everyone talks about volts, amps and watts but hardly anyone mentions smoke

 

Nothing electrical functions once the smoke is let out.

[wheels 543]

[

Must proof read and check that I got things the right way around.

 

Thanks for pointing my cockup out!./quote]

Welcome to the club most of the rest of us belong to

[too_tall 15]

 

Never let the smoke out of anything electrical. It is nie on impossible to recollect and put back. Everyone talks about volts, amps and watts but hardly anyone mentions smoke

 

Nothing electrical functions once the smoke is let out.

 

Actually, to the contrary, I have had things let out copious amounts of smoke yet continue to operate perfectly well. The most recent being a 20KW VSD in my cowshed ( Variable Speed Drive - controls the speed of electric motors ) which got drowned with a acidic cleaning solution. It was smoking a lot, making all sorts of noise and smell, yet, once we took it to bits, dried it out, cleaned off the charring ( which was shorting things out ) and reassembled it, it operated perfectly. I have notified the insurance co however - they are expensive things and I am sure its going to have its life span well compromised.

 

But. I do agree, that magic smoke is wondrous stuff. It makes anything from a TV to a computer, a phone to an aircon unit, all sorts. I just want to know how those cunning little chinese manage to pack it in so well when they make stuff. And why I can never put it back in.

[PaulR 3]

Wheels: I'm knot exactly sure but one reason the youth of today, that you have so much contact with recently, are so slothenly (??) Ok then just slow to move, is because they have knot been taught about turning all the switches OFF on the wall sockets.

 

The electricity, especially the stray and static stuff leaks out and lies on the floor of rooms, deeper in shag pile popular a few years ago, if the switches are left on. This makes movement harder when walking across rooms. It is knot so noticeable on yachts because of the much lower voltage, mostly 12V vs home's 240V. Carpet burns are further proof that this occurs and can burn one's body if insufficient care is knot used.

 

Further, leaving the switches ON with out plugs in them can be another way for the colours to leak out of the wires which happens just before the smoke starts pouring out.

 

It's easyto test for this when using batteries, because the more you have the sooner it occurs.

[PaulR 3]

I just want to know how those cunning little chinese manage to pack it in so well when they make stuff. And why I can never put it back in.

 

In its most condensed form the smoke is tightly packed within the black carbon brushes. So most hand tools have a very small supply; unlike too_Tall's cowshed,where they have really big brushes to keep all that mooing sh*t moving.

 

That 20KW would have really big smoke supply in those ones.

 

I would suspect that the larger brushes would have a heating wire inserted to preheat the carbon as well, otherwise the smoke would knot be so effective.

 

It is easy to test your equipment. Remove both of the carbon brushes and then reassemble and plug in. Now you can leave this tool fully powwered up and nearly never have a smoke leakage again; even in cowsheds, but don't throw away the brushes, you will still them.

[tuffyluffy 76]

The electricity, especially the stray and static stuff leaks out and lies on the floor of rooms, deeper in shag pile popular a few years ago, if the switches are left on. .

 

Mmmm, this all makes sence.

 

I now understand why my girly has carpet burns on her knees.

I thought it was friction, but no.

 

Myth busted

[Guest]

Thanks guys, incredibly helpful. I hadn't realised that the smoke was pre installed.

[PaulR 3]

Thanks guys, incredibly helpful. I hadn't realised that the smoke was pre installed.

 

The really good news is that spare carbon brushed are readily available and they are about the cheapest items on the spares price list thats worth buying and having onboard.

 

Another point to remember, especially if cruising in remote locations, is that it is vesy easy, practical and possible to file down a larger carbon brush to fit the hole size of a smaller one. Make sure your back is towards any prevailing wind, and the carbon brush and metal file are cold, and NOT in the sunlight. Think of the fire triangle, think safety, so minimise the heat, fresh oxygen and air being two sides so you will be safe. Doing this job exactly a sea level is highly recommended so that it is easy to extinguish any initial fires.

DO NOT DO THIS FILING IN THE COCKPIT OR ON DECK.

You have been warned. 100m astern in the dinghy is a safe distance and at night is better, but beware the full moon days of the month.

 

This will again save weight on board and save duplicating with un-necessary spares if this is a critical factor.

[wheels 543]

"Blue Smoke" is one of the biggest conspiracy stories out there. So big, it is even hard to find any actual conspiracy stories regarding it. That is because of a secret organisation running deep deep deep undercover, even deeper and more secret than the FBI, CIA, MIB, constantly scan the www for any conspiracy story that might pop up and it is mysteriously deleted. If the real truth ever got out, it would change the world. If you think about it, the real power of the world is held within that little electonic component. Not Money or Politics or Military Might, but that littlke electronic device. The rest all revolve around it. The myth that Electron holes carry the magic has been long considered now as just that, a myth. I mean think about it. A moving hole?!?!?! get real. It's about as real as Antimatter. No.... the real secret is the highly refined Blue smoke. So top secret, only a few people have ever seen it. Reportedly a very secret recipe exists and is actually known only partly by a special small number of people, thought to be mainly Asian, considered the modern day version of the "Templar Knights". Actually, it could be a very ancient secret. Readers may well want to look at this

phlogiston theory,

Each know only a part of the recipe and have to enter a special room deep underground to carry out there part of the making of the smoke.

It is believed to have started not long after WW2 in Japan. The US had thought that Japan was pretty much a non threat after they had laid waste to it with the Abomb. Actually it is now believed that this is where the very first "Blue Smoke" was actually found, from smouldering remains of equipment that was eradiated. So in some respects, the US was actually resposible in some ways, for their ultimate destiny.

The Japanese started to make wonderful little gadgets that became so enticing to the Americans, that they just had to have them. And so it all began. Today it is fast becoming obvious that it was all an elaberate plan and a modern day Version of the "Trojan Horse". The redistribution of power and Wealth make it fairly obvious just really who does hold World power.

There have been many attempts at creating Blue smoke and canning it. But as of yet, no one has ever found any version to work and so obviously there is some secret ingredient, some say maybe from nuclear reaction, that has not yet been able to properly activate the stuff.

In the last few years, it has been reported that there may actually be a new variation of the colour of the smoke. Some reports, although so far not substantiated, have suggested there may now be some other colours of smoke. Many of you will of heard about stories of Cold Fusion. Both in claims of having made it work and in lack of Lab tests being able to reproduce the claim. Well actually it is not cold fusion at all. It is secretly work being down in regards to the special smoke. It is now strongly belioeved within certain circles, that the "special smoke" could well be the secret key to Cold Fusion also.

Ofcourse, this is all rumours. No one has ever been able to prove any of it. It is believed a Reporter in England could have accidently uncoverded a story about this in the last week or two, but mysteriously he was found Dead the next morning. the Police have reportedly not found anything mysterious with his death, but also have not found why he died. Certianly some very high powered people have been seen rushing around trying to cover their tracks. It has to be asked I think, what really is going on in the background.

I have to go now. I am sure I heard the sound of an invisible black Helicoptor. But the low cloud here is obscuring any view.