wakefield area

[mapstar]

Yeah fingers crossed for the clouds to part. May be good later on tonight looking at some weather reports?

[Soupy]

No crash they just give me some funny looks

Tonight still looks cloudy, certainly high cloud at least. But you never know of the next few days. Hope it does something worthwhile.

[mapstar]

Yeah met check had it clear 10pm till 4am but looks like its wrong again?

[crashtestdummy]

weather has changed for next week in guernsey already so not going to bother checking it until im over there or im just going to be constantly annoyed

[mapstar]

Well I've gave in for tonight up for work at 5.Hope the weather picks up for you crash all that way!

[crashtestdummy]

2 chances fella and will have a good holiday regardless

[Soupy]

Damian, I have found an old 12v 85Ah battery in the garage. It was almost completely dry and had 3v left on it. I have filled it with de-ionised water am currently (excuse the pun) charging it up. It seems to be working and is up to over 10v after nearly 48 hours on charge, but the charge seems to very slowly leak when i test it with a voltmeter. If I can get it back to life I might need to pick your brains on making it into a portable power pack if you don't mind

[Nephalem]

Damian, I have found an old 12v 85Ah battery in the garage. It was almost completely dry and had 3v left on it. I have filled it with de-ionised water am currently (excuse the pun) charging it up. It seems to be working and is up to over 10v after nearly 48 hours on charge, but the charge seems to very slowly leak when i test it with a voltmeter. If I can get it back to life I might need to pick your brains on making it into a portable power pack if you don't mind

I can help if needed....see my thread here on my powertank effort....

[Soupy]

Excellent job Paul, I'll take all the help on offer, 2 and a half hours on my Maplins power tank would eventually drive me mad especially if i end up needing laptop and cameras to be powered as well.

[Russty]

I can help if needed....see my thread here on my powertank effort.... http://stargazerslou...wertank-effort/

That is a really neat job but it must weigh a shed load!

[crashtestdummy]

You may need a new acid kit for that battery soupy

[Soupy]

Might just need to get a new battery Crash...

[mapstar]

Damian, I have found an old 12v 85Ah battery in the garage. It was almost completely dry and had 3v left on it. I have filled it with de-ionised water am currently (excuse the pun) charging it up. It seems to be working and is up to over 10v after nearly 48 hours on charge, but the charge seems to very slowly leak when i test it with a voltmeter. If I can get it back to life I might need to pick your brains on making it into a portable power pack if you don't mind

I'm on night's tonight so just read your post soupy but I'll be glad to help.

The old battery may come back to life but I'd pretty much say it'll not hold charge for long as they don't like being dry or fully topped up with charge so maybe for reliability new is the way to go.

Leisure or deep cycle batteries are the best to get as they don't deteriorate like normal lead acid batteries do, being run down and recharged or cycled to give it its correct terminology.

Give me a nudge on what your thinking about and we'll get it sorted out ;-)

[mapstar]

Sorry missed a bit out "stored dry or anything other than fully topped up with charge"

[mapstar]

Also forgot to say great job Paul on the diy power tank, have you got your mount all sorted now for the next winscarr meeting?

[Soupy]

Cheers Damian, currently marking coursework so up late myself just incase we get a clear spell this weekend! I have taken battery off charge and will check it in the morning to see what the voltage is, it is a leisure battery but it is an old one so I might well need to get a new one, seen them on net for about £65 for something that is similar in output so that might be my next option. Then all I need is to sort out putting something together either like the one you or Paul has, I will need some guidance though as I am not that electrically minded even though I do teach physics

[crashtestdummy]

When i get back to work into work in jist over a week i will get you a price if you like or google 5 star batteries as thats who we use

[mapstar]

Soupy I'll see if I've any components left over from my build for you, if not I'll give you the fleabay details on what I bought and sort a drawing out so you'll know how to connect it all. I have a cable with two crocodile clips and a cigarette socket on which you can have to get you by till its built,so just the battery for now and your up and running again.

[mapstar]

Crash, I've had a look for those star charts you said you'd got for sale but couldn't find them? are they in the classifieds on here?

[nicks90]

Cheers Damian, currently marking coursework so up late myself just incase we get a clear spell this weekend! I have taken battery off charge and will check it in the morning to see what the voltage is, it is a leisure battery but it is an old one so I might well need to get a new one, seen them on net for about £65 for something that is similar in output so that might be my next option. Then all I need is to sort out putting something together either like the one you or Paul has, I will need some guidance though as I am not that electrically minded even though I do teach physics

if its been run dry, then it could have sulphated the plates up and it wont hold charge well. You can try to rejuvenate it using the old fashioned method of zapping it with a welder. This literally shocks the sulphates back into suspension or as flakes to the bottom of the battery,

either way, once zapped - empty the battery out and chuck in some new 'battery salts' and deionised water - or tap up the chemistry department for the right stuff. top it up and charge it initially as fast as you can (jump leads to your car battery for 15 mins with the engine running will do, as it will get approx 60-100amp charge from your alternator),- then fully discharge it very slowly using a small 12v test lamp - then recharge it slowly over 48 hours. You may find its good as new.

the only time batteries really die is if one of the cells break, and you will know that as it wont achieve over 10v.

Nick.

ps i take no responsiilities for you blowing yourself up by zapping a plastic box full of lead and acid with a welder. If yu dont have a welder, you can hit the battery all over with a hammer to manually shake free the sulphates instead, but this isnt as effective.

if you really are a coward, drain some of the dionised water and refil it with a concentrated mix of epsom salts and then give the battey a shake and recharge it. the epsom salts can put the sulphates back in suspension, but not as effectively as the methods above.

be safe and wear hand and eye protection.

[crashtestdummy]

Mapster its a cambridge star atlas 4th edition.google it and have a look.its the same type of maps as my one i had at winscarr but not as large scale.its brilliant for the messiers and the main nebula.i had it a month and decided i wanted to do the herschel 500 so i bought the herschel version of the guide

[nicks90]

ps. i have successfully used the 'welder' method to revive the very large (and expensive) truck battery in my landrover that i boiled dry, by putting it under some extreme cycles winching vehicles around hogmoor common for 6 hours. It was literally boiling hot and bone dry and subsequently would not hold any charge for more than 1 hour before going from 14v to 2v.

worked a charm and 2 years later still starts my landrover first click of the key in the depths of winter.

[mapstar]

I'll give it a google crash and have a look.

Soupy you could attempt what nicks90 suggests and to be honest i've heard the one about the welder before and it works the same way as a battery booster jump start but it isn't something as nicks90 says to be taken lightly. So without being too technical ,batteries have a specific gravity and level for the electrolyte in the cells it needs to be pretty much spot on as zapping it with high current (i.e. welder) source you create a dead short and could make it explode if you don't know quite what to do.

Leisure batteries (deep cycle) can be drained down further than a normal car battery and recover to a fully charged state so it may come back to life if you choose to do this. A scope is not a high current draw like cranking an engine so the battery wont be getting cycled on a regular basis like in a car so it will deteriorate quickly again. Nick has the right idea about draining it with a lamp and charging it again will maintain it and give it a better life span although how often do people remember to go in the garage and discharge their power tank battery?.

A safer and more reliable way is a battery conditioner (optimate or ring smart charger) as these can bring a battery safely back to life and maintain them at a 100% charged state on standby for those oh so few clear nights when the scope can go out! but you'll be paying as much for one of those as you would for a new battery but worth it in the long run.

[Nephalem]

I may have some parts available as well soupy...I also have to tools to help as well if needed. I can give you the eBay links to the parts I used. I think I would get a new battery for peice of mind in your case soupy....then you know the battery should work and will be covered by warranty.

Mapstar regarding my mount its still not fixed and two parts have been replaced so I may ask for a new mount. Not a happy bunny :-)

[mapstar]

As with all electronics when they play up they really are a pain! It's forecasting a bit of clear sky for tomorrow night about 10pm for a few hours on met check wonder how accurate it will be?