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MEGAPULSE SUCCESS STORIES
- Index:
- Aircraft and marine
- Dead aircraft battery revived
- Super Cub aircraft battery revived (and other batteries maintained in tip-top condition)
- SA Mooney uses Megapulse for aircraft maintenance
- Aircraft Information Circular 61.6 dated 12 Feb 2009
- 36ft catamaran battery bank
- Truck manufacturers endorse Megapulse
- European truck suppliers endorse Megapulse
- Scania Trucks endorse Megapulse
- Mercedes-Benz endorse Megapulse
- Unibuss endorses Megapulse after 2-year trial
- Bama endorses Megapulse for trucks and electric vehicles
- Coca Cola fits Megapulse to the entire distribution truck fleet
- Reports after long-term use of Megapulse in truck fleets
- Fork-lift supplier fixes customers' problems
- EZGO TXT golf car batteries revived
- Club Car & EZGO golf car batteries revived
- Scooti golf car batteries revived
- Pezula Golf Estate residents choose Megapulse for Club Cars
- Bama endorses Megapulse for electric vehicles and trucks
- Aircraft and marine
Dead aircraft battery
After 6 years, the 12v 23Ah battery could no longer turn over the engine. Conventional wisdom said replace the battery. The 'dead' battery was removed from the aircraft and put on charge in the hangar with a Megapulse attached. As the battery revived, the SG could be seen to increase. No electrolyte was added during this time.
After 10 days, the SG registered 1.265 and the battery was returned to service. The engine cranked quickly and fired up within 2 seconds.
After the revived battery had been in service for 6 weeks, during which time it behaved flawlessly, the starter motor jammed. During the investigation by the aircraft agents in South Africa, the battery was seen, during 5 successive cranking attempts over a period of 5 minutes, to be discharging at 400A. After a new starter motor had been fitted, the engine cranked quickly and fired up as before within 2 seconds.
Before using Megapulse, the maximum charging current shown on the aircraft's ammeter had been ±8A. Now, an initial charging rate of 60A can be seen after starting, which lasts about 10 seconds, showing that the battery is in peak condition.
Flight tests with Megapulse fitted and operational show that all avionics are unaffected. - There is no buzzing or background noise on any of the radios.
- The VOR and NDB indications are as steady and correct as before.
- The ILS has been used to complete an approach to minimums and behaved flawlessly.
- The cockpit intercom and music system perform as before with no extraneous noise.
- The autopilot works correctly in all modes, as does the GPS.
Before Megapulse, the aircraft suffered mild porpoising in pitch, especially at slower speeds. Even after a full service and adjustment of the KFC200, the porpoising was not eliminated. However, since using Megapulse, this problem has disappeared. The only explanation we can offer is that at slow speed, greater movement of the elevator is required, in turn necessitating greater instantaneous power from the battery, which until Megapulse was connected, the dying battery could not fully provide.
Click here for more on why Megapulse should be used on aircraft batteries
In  AIC 61.6, the SA CAA has published guidelines regarding minor modifications which do not require certification. While the work must be done by an approved AMO in accordance with this document, it would appear that no other authorization is required. |
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Super Cub aircraft battery revived (and other batteries maintained in tip-top condition)
To: Megapulse South Africa
Attn: Neil Fraser
Date: 22 August 2011
- When I first heard about Megapulse in September 2010, I had been battling for a year with unreliable starting performance from my Super Cub's Gill 23Ah aircraft battery.
So much so, that I was convinced that at the aircraft's next MPI service due in January 2011, the battery, which by then was four years old, would be declared unserviceable and condemned to the scrapheap.
Mindful of the cost of a new battery I decided to purchase a Megapulse unit and put it to the test.
Taking advantage of a four month absence overseas, from October 2010 to January 2011, I connected an array of three batteries in parallel - one from my beach buggy, one from my BMW and the offending aircraft one - in my home workshop.
A trickle charger and the Megapulse unit were then connected across the array and this arrangement remained undisturbed for almost four months.
Upon my return to South Africa in late January 2011 I disconnected the trickle charger and the Megapulse unit and re-installed the batteries in the vehicles and the aircraft.
Because the vehicle batteries were then only about two years old it was not possible to judge whether the strong starting performance was any better than it would have been had there been no Megapulse connected.
The surprise was the performance of the almost five year old Gill battery in the Super Cub. Not only did it start the aircraft with ease, but when it came to the MPI in February, far from being condemned, it was given a clean bill of health and has been performing reliably ever since.
Having been somewhat sceptical about the Megapulse unit's capability at the time of purchase, I am now firmly convinced that it was a sound investment.
Sedgefield
Western Cape
South Africa
Cell No : 072 697 0722
- PS. Today I purchased a second unit to fit permanently to the Super Cub, being quite convinced that this product really works as advertised.
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SA Mooney uses Megapulse for aircraft maintenance
To: Megapulse South Africa
Date: 07 November 2011
- SA Mooney has been using the Megapulse for approximately 2 years. During that time we have recovered a number of expensive 24v batteries, and that has resulted in significant cost savings. I have even used the 12 volt Megapulse to recover an expensive battery on my BMW motorcycle extending its life to date by 12 months.
Provided the battery has weak rather than dead cells, the chances of the battery recovering are excellent and I would have no hesitation in recommending the product both in aviation and general automotive use.
SA Mooney Sales & Services CC
Port Alfred
Eastern Cape
South Africa
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36ft catamaran battery bank
To: Megapulse South Africa
Date: 18 June 2012
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We sailed our 36ft Catamaran “Savanna Blue” from South Africa to the Caribbean in 2000 and explored the tropical island paradise for almost nine years.
From the beginning, we fitted a Megapulse battery conditioner to the battery bank. We were amazed when after years we realized that the Megapulse unit almost doubled the life of our deep-cycle batteries. Furthermore we found that the batteries were always in top condition and never failed to start the twin Diesel Engines. When discussing boat gear at “happy hour”, fellow cruisers often remarked that they could not believe how long our batteries lasted. Finally when our cruising adventure came to an end and we became landlubbers again, we fitted a Megapulse unit to our “land-based yacht” - our trusted VW Kombi.
George
Southern Cape
South Africa
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Truck importers endorse Megapulse
Renault, Volvo and Scania have all seen great results here in Norway using Megapulse.
Bjørn Engesmo, Norsk Scania AS:
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“We have installed Megapulse on 50 vehicles delivered to Mesta at the customer's request. We are currently testing how Megapulse works with vehicles equipped with tail lifts because if it works as promised, this is where we see the greatest benefits. Meanwhile, based on our experiences with Megapulse, we are optimistic about the product. Normally, we are a bit sceptical about new products such as this one, but we do believe in Megapulse”,
says Engesmo.
Beginning October 2010, Megapulse has been fitted to all Scania trucks sold with a Gold Service Warranty. These Megapulse units are now provided with the Scania logo.
See test report from Scania below
Jan Bødin, Volvo Lastebiler:
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“We have vehicles running Megapulse with a charging unit on each vehicle. We feel that vehicles equipped with tail lifts in particular could benefit from Megapulse and so far we have received only positive feedback. We have previously tried both Ladac and Mascot products without any particular success. We want to test the product over a longer period of time before we go for it 100 percent, but we are happy with Megapulse so far. One example worth mentioning is a battery we had deemed ready to be discarded, which we connected to Megapulse and got back to full working condition. This was a positive surprise to us and obviously a reason to invest more in the product in the future”,
says Bødin.
Volvo has approved Megapulse for use with its trucks, and now lists Megapulse with a part number in its parts catalogue.
Dag Nordvik, Renault Trucks Norge AS:
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"We use Megapulse in all new vehicles in our distribution segment",
says Nordvik and continues:
“We really believe in this product and we have had good experiences with it so there is no doubt in our minds that Megapulse can help our customers. We have opted for Megapulse and a charging unit from the same provider on all vehicles, and we think the cost of around NOK 4,000 is a reasonable investment. Megapulse itself can be installed and ready to use for around NOK 1,000.”
Megapulse definitely works as advertised ...
- In Norway as anywhere else, a vehicle's electrical power source is an important component of any vehicle, and if it is not capable of functioning at 100 percent, help is needed.
Megapulse provides that help. The results of tests on both Volvo and Scania Man trucks have been very positive. At Renault there is no doubt, they will go for Megapulse. Its simple installation and low cost makes Megapulse a low-risk option. If you can get more use out of even a 5-year-old battery with this investment, there really are thousands of NOKs to be saved.
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Scania Trucks endorse Megapulse
Scania Trucks, after extensive tests lasting 5 years and with the in-depth experience gained over this period, fully endorse Megapulse as described below:
- Oslo, August 2011
Evaluation of Battery Conditioner - Megapulse First Aid for Batteries (FAB).
Scania AS of Norway has been testing Megapulse-MK4-24V in our contract vehicles and in Scania vehicles sold to Eastern ASKO AS since 2005. The Megapulse products were acquired from the Scandinavian Distributor of Megapulse products, Jens Kleven Trading.
All vehicles installed with Megapulse have been regularly monitored and battery measurements carried out and recorded. Selected vehicles are used in the distribution sector and are fitted with electric loading platforms.
We have learned from reports generated from tests carried out on 70 trucks from the period of 2005 to 2010 that Megapulse helps to reduce operating costs.
The tests entailed monitoring the batteries on the 70 vehicles fitted with Megapulse throughout the contract period of 5 years, and at the same time monitoring similar vehicles not fitted with Megapulse over the same 5-year period. The total cost over the period for battery replacement and electrical system faults for the 70 vehicles fitted with Megapulse was NKR 69,000 whereas vehicles not fitted with Megapulse incurred significantly higher costs, in fact more than 50% higher over the same period.
Based on our previous experiences, we were not surprised by the evaluation (below) made by ASKO East AS on 22 August 2011 on 5 vehicles fitted with Megapulse in 2007. The battery measurements carried out on the vehicles in question were performed in the afternoon, after all trucks had been on distribution runs from that morning. The battery cells were measured with an optical hydrometer with 3 decimals.
Vehicles tested on 22/8/2011:
- AE 17833 fitted with Megapulse in 2007
End voltage of 25.6V and all cells had acid weight of 1270 and clear electrolyte. The vehicle was also fitted with a second Megapulse unit on the cooling unit from Thermo King, and this battery measured a rest voltage of 12.8V. This battery is valve regulated so no cells were measured.
- AE 17376 fitted with Megapulse in 2007
End voltage of 25.6V and all cells had acid weight of 1260 and clear electrolyte. The vehicle was also fitted with a second Megapulse unit on the cooling unit from Thermo King, and this battery measured a rest voltage of 12.6V. This battery is valve regulated so no cells were measured.
- AE 22618 fitted with Megapulse in 2007
End voltage of 25.3V and all cells had acid weight of 1260 and clear electrolyte.
- AE 22648 fitted with Megapulse in 2007
End voltage of 25.2V and all cells had acid weight of 1250 and clear electrolyte.
- AE 18793 Joined 2007
End voltage of 25.4V and all cells had acid weight of 1250 and clear electrolyte.
In addition to the cost savings in terms of battery operation that our customers experience with our vehicles, the environmental benefit of Megapulse contributes to our vehicles in making them more environmentally friendly because each vehicle is fitted with 2 x 225Ah Lead Acid batteries weighing approximately 115Kg, Megapulse keeps these batteries in service longer helping to reduce the number of discarded batteries annually.
We also confirm that all of our SCANIA OMNI Biofuel buses delivered to Unibuss AS Oslo in 2007 and fitted with Megapulse, have to date experienced no battery related costs or electrical-related costs.
We are pleased to provide this reference to Jens Kleven Trading and we believe that Megapulse will be included as a "Green" cost reduction aid in our vehicles.
For Scania AS Norway, Department Technical Product Group.
Kjell - Erik Gisleberg
(Product Engineer)
Cell phone +47 91 13 86 06
Office phone +47 22 06 45 00
Email: kjell.gisleberg@scania.no
Bjorn Engesmo
Manager R&M Dep.
Cell phone: +47 41 65 69 65
Office phone +47 22 06 45 50
Email: bjorn.engesmo@scania.no
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Mercedes-Benz endorse Megapulse
Mercedes-Benz, Norway and their customers can directly attest to the way Megapulse significantly improves the battery performance of their trucks.
Per Dyblie, Sales Director Vans, Mercedes-Benz Norway had this to say in
an email sent to Mercedes-Benz Germany: -
After a request from Jens Petter Kleven I am pleased to give you some information about our experience with the product Megapulse.
It has been known for some time in Norway, and the result so far is astonishing: I am convinced about the effect this has on the electrical system on our vehicles. First of all it gives the batteries a "much better and longer life", which is the next step in avoiding a lot of electrical problems - both for customers and our workshops.
In Norway, with the climatic conditions we have, we are sure the product is saving us from a lot of problems. In Norway we have decided to have Megapulse on every Vito and Sprinter sold to end customers.
Our experience is that customers with even older vans are doing the same when they are having their new one: i.e. putting on a Megapulse We also know that big customers, such as the Coca Cola company in Norway, have made the same decision: putting Megapulse on their older models.
STOP PRESS!! “Our experience with Megapulse so far is astonishing, the effect Megapulse gives the electrical system on our vehicles is amazing. Batteries get a better and longer life, which results in avoiding electrical problems for our customers. In Norway with our extreme climate, Megapulse is saving us from a lot of problems. We now fit Megapulse on every Vito and Sprinter sold to our customers.”
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Unibuss endorses Megapulse after 2-year trial
Unibuss, Sweden have fitted Megapulse to all 460 vehicles in their fleet 2 years ago, and now report that not one battery has failed due to sulphation.
Nils Ellingsen, technical manager at UNIBUSS AS says this about Megapulse: - "To me it's all about predictability and that the buses run when they should. After two years of testing Megapulse in all our vehicles, I can genuinely recommend Megapulse."
The full report can be downloaded
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Bama endorses Megapulse for trucks and electric vehicles
Bama recommends Megapulse after conducting exhaustive tests over a 5-year period:
- Stokke, August 2011
Our experience with Megapulse
We first made contact with Jens Kleven of Kleven Trading (The Scandinavian distributor of Megapulse products) in August 2005.
After an introduction by Jens on the function, features and benefits of installing Megapulse on lead acid batteries, we decided to conduct an in-house test by installing the Megapulse on five of our order pickers which use 24V traction battery systems.
The result after one year of testing was very encouraging, following this positive result, management decided in August 2006 to install Megapulse on all our battery applications, as well as in all our distribution vehicles at the Stokke facility.
To date we have only replaced one traction battery (450Ah), and two AGM batteries on "snail mini mover equipment". In the same period we have not had any significant expenses in relation to Speed/Load controllers or other electrical equipment on any of our electric vehicles. We attribute the credit for this directly to the use of Megapulse.
We have a large number of petrol / Diesel and electric vehicles which have lead-acid batteries as their primary power source, these vehicles over the past 5 years have experienced a significant reduction in maintenance costs, and as a direct result of "healthy batteries", we have had a significant increase in production.
We have also experienced very severe winters since 2006 with up to 28°C below Zero, we have not had any downtime on the trucks, add to this that "the snail mini movers" have operated flawlessly in temperatures of 4°C for two consecutive shifts.
Our crews and managers confidently recommend Megapulse as a significant product in terms of cost reduction, safety and reliability.
Mathias Fon
Operations
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Long-term users report back ..
Coca Cola - Norway
- The Coca Cola company in Norway has been installing Megapulse since the beginning of 2005. Coca Cola has reported no problems with batteries in their distribution trucks over the 4-year period to 2009. Now in 2011, Coca Cola have fitted Megapulse to their entire truck fleet as a matter of company policy.
Fire & Rescue - Norway
- One particular Fire & Rescue unit was set up in 2001. In 2006 Megapulse was installed instead of replacing the batteries with new ones. In 2009, measurements of CCA, Specific Gravity and at-rest voltage showed these batteries were still in top condition 8 years after initial installation, thanks to Megapulse.
Thermo King - Europe
- Megapulse has been fitted to Thermo King refrigeration trailers in Europe since 2007. The company says:
- “Thanks to Megapulse, we have experienced a reduction in battery replacements and an increase in running time of refrigeration trailers when not in transit.”.
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Fork-lift supplier fixes customers' problems To: Megapulse South Africa
Attn: Neil Fraser
Date: 15 January 2011
- “In my business, I now fit Megapulse to forklifts.
“In one case, the battery was giving about half an hour of use before needing a charge. I did nothing to the battery except for fitting Megapulse, and educating the owner on correct battery use. After 6 weeks I went back and found they were using the machine for a full day on one charge.
“Another machine at a Cash and Carry wholesaler needed one new cell. They were getting about 2 hours' work on a single charge. I fitted one new cell to the battery pack and Megapulse. The customer was then also educated, and after a while - maybe 2 weeks - I went to see how things were going. The driver was quite convinced that someone else had been and fitted several more new cells. We pulled the battery out and found that no other cells had been fitted. They ran that battery pack to maximum capacity - in spite of my warnings - and now they need another cell.
“I have fitted Megapulse to my own forklift, which I am renting to the same Cash and Carry; so far so good.
“I rave about the product to all I meet; some think I'm crazy. The battery people see no possible benefit, but then they've never done any tests or even heard about it.
“I'm going to fit Megapulse to another customer's machines as soon as I can. He has 2 Tailift Flexi's and one old Hyster.
“Some other forklifts I've fitted are: Manhand, with Chinese batteries, an oldish 2001 TCM reach truck, a 1996 Daewoo.
“Another customer I have in mind has two 7 series Toyotas and one Nissan. I'll probably have to fit the units at my expense until they see results, which is what I've been doing all along - I'm that confident that Megapulse works.”
Forkmax cc
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EZGO TXT golf car batteries revived
To: Megapulse South Africa
Attn: Neil Fraser
Date: 04 February 2014
- With the batteries on my EZGO TXT 36v already being 2½ years old, I was awarre that soon I might be in for a new set of 6 x 6v batteries at an estimated cost of R10k - R12k.
Then I heard about Megapulse and decided to see if it could increase the life expectancy of my batteries, postponing the considerable expense of battery replacement. This was in October 2013.
Prior to fitting Megapulse, the batteries were subjected to the standard discharge test, which measures the time taken for fully charged batteries to discharge at a precisely controlled rate down to a given minimum voltage.
The results of this test are shown in the table on the left.
While Megapulse worked silently in the background, a total of 108 (18-hole) rounds of golf were played over a 4-month period prior to performing a second discharge test to evaluate the improvement in February 2014.
The results of the discharge test show that the condition of all 6 batteries has improved dramatically in terms of increased Ah, thus providing a longer discharge time (see table on right).
Increasing the time from 65 minutes to 103 minutes (a 38 minute, or 54.5%, increase) represents a significant number of additional holes of golf that can be played on a single charge.
What is not evident from the tables above is the increase in power that has accompanied the increased power storage. Full power is now available from 1st to 18th hole, with no noticeable reduction at the end of the game.
In summary the improvement is, in terms of new battery performance, an increase from 54.8% to 89.5%. By installing Megapulse, the cost of a new set of batteries has been avoided for the foreseeable future, while my golf car is performing better than ever.
Royal Port Alfred Golf Club
Eastern Province
South Africa
The full report can be downloaded
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Club Car & EZGO golf car batteries revived
To: Megapulse South Africa
Attn: Neil Fraser
Date: 13 March 2014
- “I purchased a new Club Car Precedent in May 2006.
“In September 2010 the batteries died after 4 years' service. I purchased good used batteries dated 2007 (i.e. ±3 years old).
For a short while, the golf car managed 18 holes, and that was sufficient for my purpose. However, by the end of October 2010, the performance was down to 9 holes.
“Fitted Megapulse in November 2010, and one month later the golf car was doing 36 holes on a single charge. This was the situation which lasted for the next 3 years.
“January 2014, the second-hand batteries were now over 6 years old. The car started playing up, and after doing a load test on the batteries, I found that one of them was "tired". The car was back to doing only 9 holes.
“13 March 2014, I purchased and fitted one new replacement battery, and the car is comfortably doing 18 holes again. I have not yet tested to see if the car will do more than 18 holes.”
“I fitted another Megapulse to my other golf car, a 36v EZGO TXT in 2011 when I noticed the golf car was struggling to complete 18 holes. The batteries were dated 2007 (i.e. ±4 years old).
“Subsequent to fitting Megapulse, the EZGO golf car also improved so much that it was easily able to do 36 holes between charges, and only gave final notice in November 2013, at which time I replaced the 6 x 6v batteries, and reconnected Megapulse.
“As a result of both the above experiences, I have supreme confidence that fitting Megapulse to my new batteries will keep them in tip-top condition for a much longer life than is typical without Megapulse.”
Riversdale Golf Club
Western Province
South Africa
The full report can be downloaded
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Scooti golf car batteries revived
To: Megapulse South Africa
Attn: Neil Fraser
Date: 18 November 2012
- I recently purchased a battery-operated Scooti three-wheeler golf cart.
Stilbaai is a very "hilly" course, and as such, these carts battle to complete the course.
Initially I found that the battery-status indicator went into the red after 15 holes, showing that the batteries were nearly flat, and the cart would limp in after 18 holes.
I purchased and fitted a Megapulse unit 3 weeks ago, and am very pleased to say that the battery-status indicator now shows a reading of half after completing 18 holes.
The batteries are now much stronger than when I purchased them, and they give me more "mileage"
Thys Cronjé
Stilbaai
083 630 1533
028 754 3671
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Pezula Golf Estate residents choose Megapulse for their golf cars
It started with one resident fitting Megapulse to his 2004 Club Car in September 2009. Soon after, the golf car's performance was significantly improved, and this was noticed by fellow golfers.
One by one, other residents found out the secret of the Club Car with the better performance, and requested that Megapulse be fitted to their cars as well.
Some improvements have been dramatic: one particular car had 'old and tired' batteries and was notoriously underpowered, being very slow in the hill-climb, and barely making it to the 18th hole. After a few weeks, this same car was keeping up with other cars up the hills and completing every game without a problem. The need for new set of batteries has been deferred indefinitely as the existing batteries are now more than adequate, having been recovered by Megapulse.
In another case, after completely recovering the performance of very old batteries, the time came to replace with new. After fitment, the owner complained that the golf car performance was worse than with the old batteries, until Megapulse had eliminated the sulphation in the new batteries!
After seeing the obvious performance improvement in other cars on the golf course, more and more owners are fitting Megapulse to obtain the same benefits for themselves. Some owners have fitted Megapulse to their new batteries, confident that this will result in longer battery life, and improved reliability and performance.
Those residents with holiday homes have discovered that Megapulse is just as effective with car batteries, eliminating the inevitable deterioration that results from long idle periods.
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Deep-cycle batteries 5 years on and still in 'new' condition
To: Megapulse South Africa
Attn: N A Fraser
Date: 27 March 2013
- In 2008 during the widespread Eskom power cuts, we fitted a 3kVA UPS system powered by two 12v 105Ah deep-cycle silver calcium batteries connected as a 24v battery bank, which we calculated would provide ±4 hours of standby power for lights, computers and network router, tv and the occasional use of electric kettle or microwave. We fitted one 24v Megapulse across the battery bank from new.
The system performed as expected for many years, but recently (March 2013), we noted that the standby time had reduced from at least 4 hours to just over 2 hours. The SG was measured with a hydrometer, and all cells measured 1160 - 1200 while still on float charge, indicating less than half charged.
The local supplier of solar-powered systems advised that, in their considerable experience, the Excis batteries in use typically last only 2-3 years at most in our sort of application, and we were lucky to have got 5 years out of them.
Investigating the problem further, it was discovered that the UPS charger was (and had been since new) undercharging the batteries with a float voltage approximately 1v under the recommended value for silver calcium batteries. On inspection, the electrolyte in each cell was completely clear, and the top of the plates appeared to be in good condition. The local supplier was asked if he could give our batteries an equalization charge at +30v to compensate for the long-term undercharging, which he did on the basis that it was unlikely to fix batteries that had already exceeded their normal life expectancy.
After 24 hours, the supplier called to say that after equalizing and fully charging our batteries, a 30A discharge test to 12.2v proved that our batteries were in 'as new' condition providing almost the full rated Ah, and were ready for collection after being recharged. He added that he had not experienced this before from ageing batteries like ours, and had to admit they were in excellent condition and fit for continuing use on our UPS.
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