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Battery pack update..
#1
Battery pack update..
Time for an update on my home made battery pack..

Today I picked up a new deep cycle battery.

Now it's time for a 'real world test' of my home made power pack set up with a brand new battery larger than the old motorcycle one I first experimented with.

The new battery is slightly larger in footprint, but still fits in the lunch chiller bag I used for the original set up.
It is a deep cycle sealed AGM battery with 25 Ah capacity, this is well up from the 8.4 Ah SLA motorcycle battery, so I expect good results.

The 'old' [wouldn't start the bike consistently] battery gave me 5 hours of use with humidifier and heated hose running, so I will run this one until it goes flat in however many hours/nights it runs for a comparison... though I have upped my fixed pressure from 7 to 8 since the first test, so there will be a small increase in power consumption I would suspect.

The new battery cost me $109 - the total cost, including all the other sockets and bits would come to no more than $135 to $140 all up I don't think.

Total weight of the setup is 7.5 kg... not the lightest, but still well under the weight of most of the car battery pack combos available, and easily manageable in among my camping gear I carry on the bike.
It will also serve well for tent camping in the 4WD without having to be camped right next to the vehicle to use the on board battery.
And a backup for if the home power goes out at any time.

Close up pic so you can all read the specs for yourselves. [saves having to ask me  Grin ]
[Image: 20170520_180853_zpshm355oml.jpg]

Still fits in the original 'prototype' bag I used... but I may ultimately put it in a different type of bag or case, I just need to make sure whatever it is in doesn't wear a hole through my saddlebags on the bike. 
[Image: 20170520_180741_zpszgbwy7b5.jpg]

[Image: 20170520_180642_zps0znpbwfq.jpg]

The kinds of places I head to on the bike.  Unsure  Bigwink
[Image: 20170423_143628_zpsmkqlwalw.jpg]

An update of how many hours the new battery gives me will follow.. once it goes flat and the CPAP stops running. 


Cheers, 

Ock.  Coffee
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#2
RE: Battery pack update..
First night I used the machine for 9.4 hours with heated hose and humidifier temperatures both set on 4..

Last night [second night without recharge] I got about an hour and a quarter in to the night and had to get up for a 'wee walk'.. the machine was running ok, but I felt it was starting to drop off slightly seeing as the screen light didn't appear quite as bright, though that may have just been the dimmer working as I had no other lights on.
Seeing as I had an early alarm and didn't want to wake up again if the machine stopped in the middle of the night, I switched back over to mains power. 

So the combined time for the two nights was 10.5 hours, and it would still have gone an hour or two more I suspect. 

I bought one of those little combo USB x 3 plugs that plugs into a cig. lighter socket that also has a digital volt meter built in yesterday.. 

When I turned the machine on it showed a 0.4 of a volt drop on start up, and then stabilised to 0.2 of a volt when running... it was showing a battery level of 11.2  volts with the machine running when I turned it off and swapped back to mains power. 

I'm happy with the setup now, I just need to work out how long I will have to ride my motorcycle to recharge the battery to full capacity.
If it will charge in an hour of riding it would be great, I could squeeze in an hour of riding even if I'm camped in one location for a couple of days or more.   Bigwink
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#3
RE: Battery pack update..
Interesting stuff. Please continue to keep us posted. Thanks.
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#4
RE: Battery pack update..
Good info and best wishes on enjoying yourself. It does my heart good to read your post.

Sleep-well

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#5
RE: Battery pack update..
Have you considered adding a solar charger to the scheme?
Sleepster

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#6
RE: Battery pack update..
11.2 Volts is considered to be a dead battery. For maximum battery life it is recommended to stay above 12.2 Volts.
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#7
RE: Battery pack update..
(05-21-2017, 07:04 PM)Ockrocket Wrote: When I turned the machine on it showed a 0.4 of a volt drop on start up, and then stabilised to 0.2 of a volt when running... it was showing a battery level of 11.2  volts with the machine running when I turned it off and swapped back to mains power. 

Not sure what you're saying here. Do you mean the current draw was 0.4 Ampere on start; and 0.2 Ampere running??
Seems too low for current draw with a 12 Volt machine... Or do mean the Voltage dropped from X Volts by that much?

Getting more than one night with humidity turned on with a 25 Amp-Hour battery is doing well.

Anyway, enjoy. And watch out for tree stumps...
Admin Note:
JustMongo passed away in August 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#8
RE: Battery pack update..
(05-21-2017, 09:05 PM)bwexler Wrote: 11.2 Volts is considered to be a dead battery. For maximum battery life it is recommended to stay above 12.2 Volts.

Isn't that with no load, though?
Sleepster

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#9
RE: Battery pack update..
(05-21-2017, 09:25 PM)justMongo Wrote:
(05-21-2017, 07:04 PM)Ockrocket Wrote: When I turned the machine on it showed a 0.4 of a volt drop on start up, and then stabilised to 0.2 of a volt when running... it was showing a battery level of 11.2  volts with the machine running when I turned it off and swapped back to mains power. 

Not sure what you're saying here.  Do you mean the current draw was 0.4 Ampere on start; and 0.2 Ampere running??
Seems too low for current draw with a 12 Volt machine...  Or do mean the Voltage dropped from X Volts by that much?


I think he's saying that the battery voltage dropped by 0.4 volts when the machine was started up. When a load is applied to a battery the battery voltage drops. Then, after the machine had started up and the fan was running at a steady speed, the voltage was only 0.2 volts less than what it was when the machine was turned off.
Sleepster

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#10
RE: Battery pack update..
Do you have to use the humidifier and heated hose? I use them at home in the winter--not because of humidity problems but because of cold air. I've got my numbers down to 1 humidity and 1 heated hose now. Next month when running on my battery pack I will just use passover humidification and no heat. I left my heat off all last summer after coming back from our annual June trip in the travel trailer.
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