Battery Conditioners

[MJ]

I have read topics that mention battery conditioners and equalizing batteries with a black box. Can someone please explain what the conditioners do, or point me to an article that gives details? Does anyone know what is in the black box? Is there anything more specialized in there than standard electronics parts that you could buy at radioshack?

This is a great forum, thanks for all the help!

[MJ]

Are there advantages to taking the batteries out of the car during as soon as they starts to slow down and finishing the discharge on a light bar? Why do some people "cycle" batteries a couple of times before even putting them into their car?

[mexican_speed]

They cycle batteries to make sure they hold a charge and and discharge properly. It's almost like breaking them in. I've bought some new batteries one time, and they couldn't hold a charge for more than 1min. After that, I started to cycle them to make sure they are OK.

[BBalak]

The Black Box is a voltage cutoff switch. It is placed between the discharge device, such as a bulb discharger, and the battery. Most people discharge NiCads down to .9 volts per cell. That is 5.4 volts per pack. The Black Box senses when the voltage level drops below 5.4 volts, and shuts off the bulbs to prevent cell reversal. Most people discharge NiCads at 20 amps until they reach the 5.4 volt level. This is done to prevent "memory" and to keep the pack at optimal performance. If you do not fully dishcarge NiCads after using them, over time they will "remember" the charge level they are usually at when you charge them again. This makes the pack hold less electrons, and decreases run time. After the cells have been discharged, some people go even further, and use an equilization tray, like the Trinity Real Time 2 tray. This discharges the cells even further and equilizes each cell's capacity. This improves performance and is a must if you are racing. You can kill two birds with one stone by using the Indi Octane 2 discharge board. It will discharge your packs at 20 amps, and then equalize them. You can see it here:

http://www.integy.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/Research_Dept.html


You cannot use stick packs with it though. You will need to make side by side packs to use it. Some people cycle batteries to make them perform well. They will also do this when an old pack is loosing performance. It's like using the "Jedi Mind Trick" on them... "Forget that you don't hold a charge... you will learn to hold more electrons... you will drop your internal resistance... etc..."

Hope this helps, if not, use the Force!

Bryan

[MJ]

Thanks, There are links to some great, in-depth battery articles on the web page listed above, including chemistry, memory, reversal, pulse charging, and reasons that cells go bad. Not exactly light reading, but worth reading if you want to learn how it works.

[XXXER]

Actually, the indi octane is a 30A disch. board(which i plan on getting) and BBalak pretty much told you every thing you need to know, also, the Black Box is no longer available, unless your LHS has one, if they do, pick one up, and a bulb discharger(unless you want to make one yourself, see the RCCA past articles, Feb 2000) also, racers edge make one with and without a cut off switch, without is 20 bucks, with, is about 40 bucks.

Those are 20A dischargers, there are 24, 27, and 30 Amp type ones, and the 30A are the best, i forget why, but i know that they are, also, when packs are disc. at 30A alot of times, they are cut-off at a .85 Volts.

[BBalak]

Are you sure it's 30 amps? Their website says 20. Click on the link in my post.

Bryan