One of the best parts of Project BlueSphere, from my perspective, is I get to converse with a large pool of sailors and I need some advice. Here is the question:
I have no way of equalizing my batteries and I can tell that my 1 year old bank of Trojan T-105’s is not holding, or accepting a charge as it should. I have 4, T-105’s which are 6 volt batteries. They are hooked up in series to create 2 12v batteries, and those 2 batteries are wired in parallel to create my house bank.
I don’t have a smart alternator regulator and have no way of equalizing my batteries. I’ve recently discovered battery desulphators and I want to know if anyone out there has any personal experience with them. From what I have read they seem to really be the answer to sulphation problems. Here is some text explaining how desulphators work:
“The units utilize patented technology to produce a wide range of high frequency pulses known as RFP ™ (Random Frequency Pulsation) designed to dissolve both old and newly formed sulphate. RFP™ technology, sweeps the entire frequency range known to cause sulphation crystals to resonate and then safely dissolve them. Sulfuric acid, the main component in the sulphate crystals, safely returns to the battery’s electrolyte. The Specific Gravity (S.G.) of the electrolyte is now higher and able to generate more electrical energy-storage capacity than the previously sulphated batteries.
Additional advantages of using sulphation-free batteries include extended alternator and belt life, as the vehicle’s charging system no longer needs to work as hard trying to charge batteries that will not accept high alternator output current due to sulphation build-up. Much lower output current is now demanded from the alternator to keep clean, sulphate-free batteries fully charged”.
To further confuse me here is another link I’m looking at:
http://www.courtiestown.co.uk/batteries/batterydesulfators/batterydesulfators.htm
I’m also interested in the liquid “Equalizaton” treatments like the one at the following link:
http://www.batterystuff.com/battery-restoration/fluid/BE12oz.html
If anyone knows about this stuff please let me know.
I’m heading up to Jacksonville with a buddy of mine late next week. It sounds like he will be crossing with us to the Bahamas as well.
Man is it been windy!
Cheers.
Alex