[TR] An electrical query

[Jeff Scarbrough]

John,

I'm not so sure about the battery reading, assuming it's a regular
lead-acid battery, a reading of about 12.5 V or so (while off the
charger) seems perfectly normal to me.  When charging, you expect the
charger to show around 13.5 to 14.5 when loaded (or regulated), so I
wonder why you perceive a problem?  Is the battery life too short?  Or
is it a different kind of battery?

And as I look at Amazon, I see a 100W solar panel for about $140, and
a charge regulator for less than $150.  So I wonder what you're
getting for $600?  Are the electrons carefully selected by
specialists, and individually hand-gilded before use?

Jeff Scarbrough
Corrosion Acres, Ga.

On Fri, Sep 2, 2016 at 8:50 AM, John Macartney
<john.macartney at ukpips.org.uk> wrote:
> Hi, Listers
>
> There are lots of you out there with far more electrical know-how than me
> and I'd really appreciate your input - even though my question has nothing
> whatsoever to do with Triumphs, apart from getting in the name on this post.
>
> Liz and I often use our trailer home in the UK at locations where there is
> no mains electrical supply and so are totally dependent on the 115amp
> leisure battery in our caravan. As Liz has a medical condition which
> requires daily use of a mains operated nebuliser for prolonged periods, I
> recently bought an 800w inverter generator that cranks out 230v and also has
> a separate 12v plug and lead with crocodile clips for 'battery charging'.
> Nebulising probs are thankfully now  a thing of the past but the thing is,
> even after running the genny for about 6 hours, my leisure battery was less
> than half charged from the 12v outlet, wouldn't take any more and stubbornly
> stayed stuck at 12.33 volts. Fully charged, the reading should be around
> 14.4v. I've since decided the 12v supply isn't really suited to battery
> charging and is more for running a 12v TV or other trailer home accessory.
>
> As we enjoy going to 'more remote' locations than popular ones where 230v
> mains supplies are the norm, I'm still faced with a battery charging
> problem. It occurs to me that a way round this is to put my little but very
> trusty mains battery trickle charger (runs at about 4 amps) on the 230v
> outlet and see if this will work? However, I'm just a bit cautious this
> route might have some kind of corrupting influence inside either the
> generator circuitry or the charger - or both. Anyone BTDT and can advise? I
> carefully considered folding solar panels as an alternative re-charge source
> but good ones in the UK cost about $600 and that likely payback is longer
> than I can financially accommodate.
>
> All replies (off list) will be greatly welcomed.
>
> Cheers, Jonmac
>
>
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