Today's Message Index:
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1. 07:15 AM - Schumacher for battery maintenance, vote now! (Radioflyer)
2. 07:32 AM - Re: Schumacher for battery maintenance, vote now! (Robert L. Nuckolls, III)
3. 08:06 AM - Re: Schumacher for battery maintenance, vote now! (Radioflyer)
4. 09:22 AM - Re: Re: Schumacher for battery maintenance, vote now! (Robert L. Nuckolls, III)
5. 09:35 AM - Lancair battery fire (Robert L. Nuckolls, III)
6. 10:25 AM - Re: Schumacher for battery maintenance, vote now! (Radioflyer)
7. 11:03 AM - Re: Question about plumbing air, not electrons (Jim Berry)
8. 12:48 PM - Re: Re: Schumacher for battery maintenance, vote now! (Robert L. Nuckolls, III)
9. 07:05 PM - Drilling holes for toggle switches? (donjohnston)
10. 09:11 PM - Re: Drilling holes for toggle switches? ()
11. 10:10 PM - Re: Running Big Battery Wire Through Firewall (Corey Crawford)
Message 1
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| Subject: | Schumacher for battery maintenance, vote now! |
After several postings here about how this is the best no-nonsense maintainer for
Pb-acid chemistry I got myself one from Walmart. Model SEM 1562A. I put it
on an Odyssey PC625 and checked the voltages. The unit was charging at 15.6V.
After 3 hrs, the float charge kicked in, hovering around 14.6 volts. Later I believe
I found a review on Amazon from somebody who measured about the same voltages.
What I wanted was 14.6 charge/13.2 float since that was what was reported in this
forum as correct for the chemistry and for this unit. I think the original
units came with a 12/6V switch. This unit (same model number) has a 12/6V automatic
function with no switch. It seems the switch is not the only thing that
has changed.
I'm returning the unit and now will search for something else. Any suggestions?
--Jose
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=290755#290755
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| Subject: | Re: Schumacher for battery maintenance, vote now! |
At 08:11 AM 3/18/2010, you wrote:
>
>After several postings here about how this is the best no-nonsense
>maintainer for Pb-acid chemistry I got myself one from Walmart.
>Model SEM 1562A. I put it on an Odyssey PC625 and checked the
>voltages. The unit was charging at 15.6V. After 3 hrs, the float
>charge kicked in, hovering around 14.6 volts. Later I believe I
>found a review on Amazon from somebody who measured about the same voltages.
>
>What I wanted was 14.6 charge/13.2 float since that was what was
>reported in this forum as correct for the chemistry and for this
>unit. I think the original units came with a 12/6V switch. This unit
>(same model number) has a 12/6V automatic function with no switch.
>It seems the switch is not the only thing that has changed.
>
>I'm returning the unit and now will search for something else. Any
>suggestions?
Are you sure the "float" voltage you were measuring wasn't
being supported by the battery as opposed to the Schumacher
maintainer? I have several of the 1562 and they perform
as expected. After a battery is freshly charged, it may take
some time for its terminal voltage to drop down to maintenance
levels with NO charger attached.
Repeat the experiment but as soon as the charger shuts down
(drops below the 15.6 top-off), disconnect the charger and
watch the battery's open circuit terminal voltage. It might
take several hours for the battery to drop down to the level
at which the maintainer begins to support it.
Schumacher has been in this business a very long time. It
seems unlikely that they've produced a device that fails
to perform by design. Of course a defective device is anohter
matter.
Bob . . .
Message 3
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| Subject: | Re: Schumacher for battery maintenance, vote now! |
Well, what I did was to measure the voltages at the battery terminal with the Schumacher
powered on and attached. With the yellow light on, the voltage was 15.6
or thereabouts. When the green light came on, the voltage was very slowly
oscillating from 14.6 to just over 15. The battery has sat overnight, unattached
to anything and it is now at 12.86V.
Did I measure incorrectly? Is not 14.6 charge/13.2 float ideal and what I should
expect from a maintainer?
--Jose
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=290758#290758
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| Subject: | Re: Schumacher for battery maintenance, vote |
now!
At 09:01 AM 3/18/2010, you wrote:
>
>Well, what I did was to measure the voltages at the battery terminal
>with the Schumacher powered on and attached. With the yellow light
>on, the voltage was 15.6 or thereabouts. When the green light came
>on, the voltage was very slowly oscillating from 14.6 to just over
>15. The battery has sat overnight, unattached to anything and it is
>now at 12.86V.
>
>Did I measure incorrectly? Is not 14.6 charge/13.2 float ideal and
>what I should expect from a maintainer?
Sounds like you did good. I'd like to have that
maintainer to evaluate. I've got several 1562's
and they don't behave that way. I'd like to know
if Schumacher has changed the design or that one
is bad.
As far as a replacement, I also have several Battery
Tender Juniors that have been keeping my lab batteries
alive and well for years.
http://aeroelectric.com/Pictures/Battery_Chargers/Battery_Tender_Jr/Battery_Tender-Junior.jpeg
http://tinyurl.com/yjhhgra
If you'll send me your 1562, I'll ship it back when I'm
done with it and pay postage both ways. See front page
of website for shipping address.
Bob . . .
Message 5
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| Subject: | Lancair battery fire |
A few weeks ago there was some discussion on the
List about a Lancair battery fire. A B&C SB-1 regulator
was found to be water damaged. The pilot's narrative
told us that smoke started after he turned the aux
alternator on to "charge the aux battery".
I've become privy to data points concerning this accident.
The SB-1 was indeed water damaged in a way that might
indeed drive the aux alternator to an OV condition.
There was no evidence of a pre-flight test of the aux
alternator functionality.
The only wiring diagram offered as a reference for
assembly of the airplane was a B&C drawing not unlike
our figure Z-12.
It is unclear how the aux battery was wired into the
system.
The battery fire point of origin was not electrical.
The battery still had liquid in it (Gill 240) and
had no internal evidence of fire or overt damage.
The battery did out-gas. Point of origin for the
fire was probably spontaneous combustion due to presence
of non-standard materials in the battery box.
The full report and more details will come out later
this summer. But it's apparent that the designer, installer
and operator of this electrical system did not have
a clear understanding of the recipes for success that
would have prevented this particular incident from
happening.
In the mean time, B&C regulator products are getting
a sticker suggesting recommended installation orientation
so that drip water won't collect inside.
While the failed regulator probably participated in the
event. Like most accidents, it was a combination of several
errors of materials selection, installation technique, and
operating procedures which stacked up to severely damage
the airplane and put the passengers at much risk.
Bob . . .
Message 6
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| Subject: | Re: Schumacher for battery maintenance, vote now! |
I spoke to Alex at Schumacher technical support. He said this model is no longer
available with the manual 12/6 volt switch. The design has changed. The unit
is now microprocessor controlled and now only comes with the automatic 12/6V
feature. He said the voltages for the new version are set somewhat higher than
the older version because the microprocessor can monitor the levels better. He
also said that the float voltages I reported are normal, initially due to a
high recent charge on the battery, but that it will eventually settle to not more
than 13.4V. I think this is what you were also saying.
So, I put the battery back on the charger. The voltage started at 14.6V and within
5 minutes went up to 15.2V. An hour later it was at 15.2V and still charging,
yellow light on. I will wait until a few hours after float to see what the
float level is then.
If results seem suspicious after this test. I may take you up on your offer, thanks.
--Jose
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=290770#290770
Message 7
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| Subject: | Re: Question about plumbing air, not electrons |
Ron,
If your nylon fittings are Nylo-Seal brand, I recently asked this question of their
tech support and they recommend nothing on the threads. I did my pitot and
static lines with Nylo-Seal fittings throughout and both passed the manometer
test without leaks.
Jim Berry
RV10
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=290772#290772
Message 8
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| Subject: | Re: Schumacher for battery maintenance, vote |
now!
>
>So, I put the battery back on the charger. The voltage started at
>14.6V and within 5 minutes went up to 15.2V. An hour later it was at
>15.2V and still charging, yellow light on. I will wait until a few
>hours after float to see what the float level is then.
>
>If results seem suspicious after this test. I may take you up on
>your offer, thanks.
Give it even a day or so. It should settle down
to 13.5 or less.
Bob . . .
Message 9
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| Subject: | Drilling holes for toggle switches? |
When drilling holes for standard style toggle switches, what is the common method
for creating a hole with the keyway?
Or do you just use a round hole and not worry about the keyway?
-Don
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=290804#290804
Message 10
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| Subject: | Re: Drilling holes for toggle switches? |
I made a template or maybe someone sells them. you can also make one for circuit
breakers as mine had tangs too.
good luck.
Ron Burnett RV-6A coming along slowly
--
---- donjohnston <don@numa.aero> wrote:
============
When drilling holes for standard style toggle switches, what is the common method
for creating a hole with the keyway?
Or do you just use a round hole and not worry about the keyway?
-Don
Read this topic online here:
http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=290804#290804
Message 11
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| Subject: | Re: Running Big Battery Wire Through Firewall |
Because I was curious, I emailed Blue Sea Systems to get information on the
flammability properties of their Bulkhead Electrical Pass-through unit
(found here: http://bluesea.com/products/2201). For those also curious, thi
s
is the information I received back:
*PN: 2201 is molded in Zytel FR50 NC010, which has a UL94 V0 flammability
rating. I'm pretty certain the Zytel FR50 is an SAE approved under the hood
material though. Almost all electrical connector housings (Molex, FCi,
Deutsch, etc.) are molded in glass reinforced Nylon 6 6.
If you didn=92t already know, UL94 is the Underwriters Laboratory test
standard for plastics flammability. V0 is the best you can do. There are
constraints or design guidelines for different thicknesses of materials
though. A 1/16" thick section of a material will likely burn more readily
than one 1/8" thick, and each material tested comes with a rating at a
thickness, but they're not all the same. In our product's case, design
thickness has been handily exceeded.
Another gauge for plastics materials underhood is elevated temp properties.
The heat deflection temperature(HDT) is actually quite high for Nylon 6 6 -
especially when glass filled as ours is. One excellent feature of a VO
thermoplastics materials is that it can still be tough. Phenolics (think
Bakelite) have the best high temperature performance, but can be very
brittle.
Having written all of that, I must confess PN: 2201 predates my tenure here
at Blue Sea. I personally have not flame tested it, though I understand the
guy who's chair I took was fond of such activities. I can say from years of
experience that PN: 2201 has some good features to help keep it from meltin
g
or burning besides the plastics material. For one thing there is a large
(relative to molded component) brass heat sink in the thru-conductor that i
s
insert molded within.
Provided you don=92t plan on using it for welding for extended periods, and
that you size wires appropriate for your application(s), there are probably
very few if any better products on the market.*
Interesting stuff. I come from computer software, so all this materials
science is something new to learn.
--
Corey Crawford
corey.crawford@gmail.com
On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 11:48 AM, <robert.mccallum2@sympatico.ca> wrote:
> The plastic from which they're made, (at least most of them) melts, then
> burns leaving you with flames on the "wrong" side of the firewall and an
> open hole admitting more smoke and flames. Also you now have a
> bare, uninsulated, live heavy wire, (stud) arcing like crazy against the
> firewall sheetmetal. Doesn't seem like a "safe" penetration to me. The
> intumescent caulk idea swells up with heat keeping the hole sealed and
> insulating the interior from flames and smoke and preventing the wires, e
ven
> if they themselves are compromised, from shorting to the firewall.
>
> Bob McC
>
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