Page 2 - Monthly Archives: February 2013

I just answered a question about a lead crystal battery at solarpaneltalk.com from Jon (aka Beanyboy57), and thought it was worth sharing.

Question:  I have just recently heard about lead crystal batteries and read the 'data' presented on some websites which seems too good to be true. Claims of 7/800 cycles to 80% DOD. Does anyone have information on this type of battery or has used them for an extensive period?

Cheers
Jon

My Thoughts:  My first guess is that the battery is too expensive to manufacture and/or is not reliable. I remember a colleague of mine sharing a story about when they bought some battery technology from DuPont that would have revolutionized the industry. It was a fine hair like substance woven into a glass-matt that would allow the material to be built into clothing, for example. It worked great in the lab, but when they attempted to commercialize it they kept running into problems and had to abandon the idea. My second guess as to why it is not used is that crystals

[caption id="attachment_1772" align="alignleft" width="150"] Solar power system[/caption]

Solar cells are almost like magic. These inert devices, with no moving parts, are able to convert simple sunshine into electrical power. Although the novelty of solar power systems makes them seem complicated, in reality they are quite simple.

Parts of a Solar Power System

A complete solar power system consists of a few parts. A simple system usually contains one or more solar panels, an inverter and a mounting system. The solar panels capture the energy of the sun and are built from a carefully engineered sandwich of semiconductors. The inverter is needed to convert the DC power of the solar panels into AC power usable by common household appliances. Some systems also include a battery bank and a charging system for the batteries; these systems are designed to be self-sufficient and may also include a small gasoline-based generator as a final back-up

Converting Solar Power Into Usable Power

When sunlight

I just answered a question about an airsoft battery at AirsoftForum.com from ShadowBandit12, and thought it was worth sharing.

Question:  My KWA G36C has not been holding the battery's charge lately. It's not every time I charge. But others, the battery doesn't even make it through the first game. I have a smart charger and a 9.6 battery for it, and I use the smart charger to charge it. I don't know if this is due to bad connections when being charged, or something wrong with my gun. Also, the charger makes a weird noise that it did not before I started having this problem. When the battery doesn't charge it almost instantly starts die, but sometimes it works fine. I have even tried getting a new 9.6v battery. but it still did the same thing. Any suggestions about what's going wrong?

My Thoughts:  I would check your charger with a voltmeter and the wire connections in the gun. Your Airsoft battery is either being shorted out in the gun, or the charger is not working and is not charging

I just answered a Tenergy Battery question at AirsoftSociety.com from ncbairsoftteam, and I thought it was worth sharing.

Question:  Is a 8.4v 1100 mAh Tenergy battery any good? I already have the 9.6v 1500  mAh, this would just be a back up.

My Thoughts:  The batteries made by Tenergy are great batteries. In your case you will notice the rate of fire compared to your 9.6V will be slower, but that is because you reduced voltage. The battery will probably seem like it is lasting about the same length of time even though it is 400mAh less capacity. This is due to the drop in voltage as well.

True or false: Lithium-air batteries will shortly revolutionize the electric and hybrid car industries.

The beliefs of naysayers to the contrary, some feel that lithium-air batteries have the potential to provide 20 times more power than the commonly used lithium-ion variety. That is, if they ever get them working.

How Does the Lithium-Air Battery Operate?

Lithium-air batteries utilize oxygen from the air around them to pull in electrons. The use of an external substance precludes the need to store all components inside, and that makes these batteries lighter and less complex. It may sound good, but it isn't all that easy.

The Trouble with External Air

In these batteries, while the anode contains lithium, the cathode contains ion-generating air. In order to produce ions inside the battery, the oxygen must get there in the first place. Once it's inside, something needs to prevent it from reacting negatively with the battery's internal components and causing premature failure.

At present,

Camping in a recreational vehicle is worlds apart from tent camping, and new RV owners are often faced with an enormous influx of information. It's easy for some important data to get lost in the shuffle, but there are a few tips that can help you avoid the most common pitfalls.

Know Your Facts and Figures

Before you hit the road for the first time, there are a few vital statistics that you should know about your new recreational vehicle. Some of the most important facts and figures include the:

• Exterior dimensions

• Amp service that the rig is wired for

• License plate number

• Tank capacities

While you might be able to get away without knowing some of that information, your trip will go a lot smoother if you're prepared. Knowing the dimensions of your RV will allow you to avoid low bridges and other tight spots, and the size of your tanks capacities will dictate how long you can dry camp.

When you arrive at your destination, knowing the amp service your RV is wired for will allow you to select