RE: (ET) Evaluate used batteries from golf course

[Klein Robert W NPRI <KleinRW Npt NUWC Navy Mil>]

Mark,

I've had a lot of luck in revitalizing old batteries with EDTA. A 
tablespoon per cell will help remove the lead sulfate from the plates. I 
brought two golf cart batteries back from the dead this way.  They had 
been run completely down, frozen, drained, exposed to air, neglected, etc. 
 I added good water with EDTA added, ran them through some heavy charging 
cycles and they worked amazingly well right up until a year later when I 
was experimenting with on off-gassing charge and blew the case apart, (but 
that's another story).  Note:  I used these batteries to cut my one acre 
lawn all suimmer as well as snow plowing in the winter.

Good luck... Sounds like a great deal.

Bob K

-----Original Message-----
From: Markus Lorch [mailto:mlorch vt edu] 
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2005 10:16 AM
To: elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
Subject: (ET) Evaluate used batteries from golf course


Hi guys,

I am going to follow the advice of many list members and will 
try to get some used 6V Golf Cart batts from a golf cart dealer. I hope 
I'll get them next to nothing and I told them that I'd want to come to 
their store, look at the old ones and pick some.

Now my question:
What to look for when I have to pick the best 6 that they have.

I'll probably only have time for a quick look and can't charge the 
batteries before I pick them. 

Here're my thoughts:

- measure their resting voltage
- put a reasonable load on them (not sure yet what, some sort of
  resistor in the area of 0.2 Ohm (30A)) and see if the 
  voltage remains relatively stable for a few minutes.
- avoid "empty" batteries (look for more than 5.5V) 
  and "dry" batteries 

Thanks for any hints

Markus



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