eTracer 40A settings with AGM battery

[ason]

Hi, I have a tracer 4215BN and 2pcs Banner running bull AGM (AGM 592 01) 92Ah
I wonder what settings is good for those batteries, have this options on my regulator

Over Voltage Disconnect Voltage	15
Charging Limit Voltage	14,8
Over Voltage Reconnect Voltage	14,8
Equalize Charging Voltage	14,6
Boost Charging Voltage	14,4
Float Charging Voltage	13,8
Boost Reconnect Charging Voltage	13,2
Low Voltage Reconnect Voltage	12,6
Under Voltage Warning Reconnect Voltage	12,2
Under Volt. Warning Volt	12,1
Low Volt. Disconnect Volt.	12,1
Discharging Limit Voltage	10,6
Equalize Duration (min.)	0
Boost Duration (min.) proper boost (aka absorb)	120

What i have read is that not charge over 14,8v and dont use equalize, so how do i setup this right, and what else should i do?

[VTSE]

You might find some help there

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[PNjunction]

Ason - ok, that 92ah Bull AGM is what is called a "dual purpose" vrla agm.

BUT, with a dual-purpose battery like this, it is best to plan for NO MORE than 25% DOD. While it *can* stand deeper cycling without immediate destruction, it is best not to do that too often, nor go too deep. In other words, take a "dual purpose" agm to 50% DOD regularly, and you may get only a year or less of cycling out of it. (Unlike a flooded SLI which will croak far quicker!) You may be able to squeak 3 or 4 years by limiting yourself to 25% DOD max instead.

That means you only have 23ah, or 276 watt hours to play with.

I like how their consumer tech manual states that their agm's need 0.1C minimum recharge current, so for you that's about 9.2A if you can regularly pull that from your array. Strive to anyway. One rarely sees a manufacturer stating minimum current requirement in order to sell inadequate "tenders" which if under 0.1C are so inefficient that they slow-roast the active material to death with a super lengthy recharge. Thanks Bull.

Max current charge is 0.3C, or about 27.6A.

You are correct in that this battery does not want to see more than 14.8v, BUT that is entirely dependent upon *at the battery* temperature compensation, not just ambient.

Your settings generally are ok, but it all really depends upon what criteria you fall into:

1) Daily cycler? (with this batt, no more than 25% DOD, less preferred!)
2) Weekend warrior with the batt charging all week long?
3) Standby storage - random emergency blackouts?

Daily cycler?
Run 14.6v boost AND 14.6v float. (max smoke)
If you cannot change raise the float setting, then 14.6v boost/absorb, and 13.8v float. If not doing daily cycling, drop float to 13.6v.

"EQ" when seen as an option for agm's, is NOT THE FLOODED EQ one normally associates it with. The term is mis-used, and should actually be called a "freshening" charge. For an AGM, that means just .1 to .2v higher than your normal boost/absorb voltage, for about 3 hours monthly.

But, it might just be easier to avoid using it if you are doing the "max smoke" of a 14.6v and 14.6v float daily anyway.

There are a whole host of combinations beyond just the simplest "max smoke" that might be useful in less agressive cycling settings, say the weekend-warrior usage.

For weekend-warrior use, then 14.4v boost/absorb, and drop your float to 13.6v. Enable the monthly so-called "EQ" (aka "freshening") for 2-3 hours at 14.6v.

Anyway, read up some more here about the max-smoke model, and use it if it fits you as a daily cycler. If that is not your style, then you can adopt *slightly* more conservative settings.

[ason]

Thanks, for a good answer!
didnt know that about my batteries,
where can I find that information?
And is there any good AGM battery in ebay.de or ebay.co.uk that works better with solar system?

In summer I use it as daily cycle, it will be fully charge everyday, now when it´s autom and in the winter I charge everyday, if i get sun, every other weekend.

The max smoke model I need to Temperature Compensated Hydrometer, and i dont know how to use it on my battery when they are sealed?

[Sunking]

The max smoke model I need to Temperature Compensated Hydrometer, and i dont know how to use it on my battery when they are sealed?

You cannot use a hydrometer on an AGM battery. Agm batteries are short term batteries. Replace every 2 to 3 years if they last that long.

Better question is why did you use AGM? You are paying up some 400% for the dishonor. AGM has its place in solar, but you need to justify their use and expense. Example

Extremely cold climate of -40F
Unusual mounting orientation on their sides
Aircraft where spills and gassing cannot be tolerated
Extremely high charge and discahrge rates.

AGM's cost 2 times more than FLA, and last half as long as FLA. So in th eend you are paying 400% more for AGM over FLA.

Anyway to charge an AGM is not much different than FLA. You apply a daily charge of 13.8 to 14.4 volts