RE: (ET) time for a new pack...

[<daveb seanet com>]

The 43.5v reading is while the charger is ON.  the 38.3 or 38.5v reading 
is 
several hours after the charger has turned off ie the pack is "at rest".

And you are right I dare not attempt to more for more than 10 minutes or 
even 
travel too far without mowing for fear of either damaging the pack or not 
being 
able to get back within 100 feet of the an outlet or both.

I'll be pulling the pack this wkend and trying out a pulsating 12v charger 
on 
the 4 batteries that match.  If they come up significantly higher charged 
in 
pairs then maybe I'll just look for two new batteries to match these four 
CarQuest batteries.  

Thanks for all the advice.  I am slowly overcoming my impatience and 
becoming convinced that I should probably wait till spring before putting 
in 6 
new batteries.

However I was hoping that the Harry Landis Charge Controller replacing the 
timer on the E-trak's charger would keep the new batteries in top shape 
through 
the winter without my having to babysit the pack. Just plug it in and 
forget 
it. Well check on it every other week or so.  Is this totally naive? 

dave barden
E12S
Seattle

> I got this 'conflicting' post that I'm including...
> 
> "
> oops.  I attempted to charge my e-trak several times with the disconnect 
> open 
> before I figured out that it should be closed.  Now it sounds as though 
> that 
> can be fatally damaging?  I think it is still working fine, I get a 
> voltage 
> reading of about 43.5v when the charger is on.  do I have anything to 
> worry 
> about something I should check for on the charger?
> 
> dave
> E12S
> Seattle
> > 
> > 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: daveb seanet com [mailto:daveb seanet com]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 08, 2001 4:41 AM
> To: Daniel Eyk; daveb seanet com; Jim Coate; Elec-Trak List;
> diggerdave bigfoot com
> Subject: Re: (ET) time for a new pack...
> 
> 
> Thanks to all who responded with battery advice and info.  Now I have 
> one 
last 
> question (yeah sure) ;^)
> 
> I am thinking that I'll have only about two months of tractor use left 
> this 
> year before parking it for the winter.  Not that I won't use it at all 
> during 
> the winter but it won't be used very often.  Would it be better to wait 
> till 
> spring to buy and install the new pack?  Our winters out here are 
> relatively 
> mild to most of you folks on this list.  also the pack I currently have 
> is 
> barely adequate as I am usually down near "empty" on the fuel gauge even 
after 
> a 10 hour charge, which produced a resting pack voltage of 38.3v several 
hours 
> after the charger shut off but before use.
> 
> thanks much, 
> dave
> E12S
> Seattle
> "
> 
> 
> OK, Dave, which is it, 38.3V or 43.5V?  43.5V is probably 'fully 
> charged' but 
38.3V is
NOT.  I repeat, 38.3V is NOT FULLY CHARGED.  Ignore that the ET is '36V'; 
it 
isn't.  I
doubt you can mow more that 15 to 30 minutes on 38.3V, but 42V or better 
should 
run 3 to 4
hours.  Voltage IS a reasonable measure of charge but the effect is 
decidedly 
non-linear;
an extra volt at the 38V level may represent 10 minutes mow time but an 
extra 
volt at the
42V level probably represents anything from 30 to 60 minutes more mow 
time.  I 
hate to
keep hammering at this but the best indication (other than checking the 
electrolyte
itself) for charge condition is voltage.
> 
> Second, get some experience at full charge/discharge on your old 
> batteries 
before getting
new ones.  In other words, get the new pack next spring.
> 
> Larry Elie
>