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Sunday, August 12, 2012

Batteries, converters and toys

Something this morn'n got me to think'n bout all the stuff in my life what I just have to have. We talk'n toys here folks, so don't be get'n all excitis (excited). Anything what amuses or satisfies the male ego in a man is a toy. He ain't gonna be happy until he has that thing in his possession come rain or shine. Gonna rant and rave, bitch and moan "gotta have, gotta have"....make life miserable until it is his. Then he don't want it no more. Let it sit outside in the rain rust'n away....(trucks and cars, big ol' bass boats, motorcycles, hunnert hp lawn tractors, bicycles with no motors). All the other have to haves is stuffed in a closet, basement or out in the garage where the family car is supposed to be parked. The old Billy Bob is guilty of all the above. How bout you??? Women, be strong, stand your ground, he don't need it no matter what he says.

As you are aware from yesterdays post, my batteries were dead. Some ya might say "so what, charge 'em". Well it don't exactly work that way with all batteries. RV "house" batteries are deep cycle batteries, designed to never be discharged below 50% capacity. Unlike a "car" battery (lead acid cranking battery) what can be fully discharged and recharged many times with out damage, a deep cycle battery takes a beat'n each time it is abused in such a fashion.....like what I did to mine. The life span of a well maintained deep cycle battery is from 5 to 8 years. And them suckers cost any wheres from $100 to $300 each. A boondocking rig will usually have 4 6volt deep cycle batteries. Two is a minimum.

Ok, so here's the deal. I ain't the best battery maintainer by no means. But I seldom let the capacity drop below 50%. Yesterdays capacity drop was only noticed 'cause it were dark in here. Solar panels ain't seen no sunshine in days, so the converter (charges the battery bank) must not be working. That was already determined yesterday. So I yank the converter out of it's little cubby hole, drill out the pop rivets and remove the protective cover. Gonna fix it I betcha. Oh Oh.....what the hell, a capacitor is all swelled up and the solder joints are melted. There are no electronic stores in Douglasville, Ga. so's I gotta do something else. Jump in "that jeep" and heads up the road a piece to the RV parts sell'n place. Buy me up a brand spank'n new converter in just bout a minute and goes back to "da house". Install that sucker, a few sparks here an' there.....it work'n fine. I will be keeping the old converter to "fix" when I have nuttin else to do.

12 comments:

  1. You are lucky you can do all that stuff. I'd be sitting in the dark for a while, crying about the batteries and wondering what to do.

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    1. Don't feel bad bout sit'n in the dark. Not many people know the first thing bout batteries, much less to recharge them. It's a turn the key and go world we live in now days.

      So glad you got the swamp cooler operating. Good on the son.

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  2. Sure glad you're not there, sitting in the dark. I have to do that sometimes,,,lololol. Even with this city electric...
    Now,,,about that Billy Bike,,,hmmmmm,,,won't those "legs" charge up too?

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    1. Only way these legs gonna charge up is with the help of a electric motor....

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  3. I will be glad when they perfect a capacitor bank to act like a storage battery. You would be able to instantly charge it.

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    1. I would recommend ya Google "Supercapacitor". They already got 'em. Surface area is a big factor why they ain't in your car yet.

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    2. That is why I said "perfect" them. Seems there is always something getting in the way of progress.

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  4. Man, I hear ya on the "Gotta have it" thing! I get that way all the time it seems!

    Glad you found the problem with the batteries and got a new converter! Light again!

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  5. Well so typical of us men, start talking about cleaning up or getting rid of some of our toys and other stuff (junk) and end "storing" the converter for fixing "later". We all know that seven or six years from now you will discover it in the bottom of some closet and wonder just what the hell you kept it for.

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    1. LOL Bob, you make me laugh every time you comment. Truth be knowed, the first converter what had to be replaced, I carried around for 5 years.....gonna fix it ya know. But this one should be an easy fix.

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  6. Men aren't the only ones with the gotta have it gene. I have a big time "jones" for electronics and kitchen gadgits. Just saying....

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