Continiuous charging of K2 gel cell battery (using KBT2)

[lucassi]

Hello my friends,

I'm using a K2 with KBT2 option. The gel cell battery is installed all the time. Usually I use the K2 at home with a power supply though and thus the battery switch is on "off". In the operating instructions it says the battery also gets charged in this state.

Does this make any harm to the battery if it gets charged all the time? Should I better remove the battery when it is fully charged?


73, Lucas

[Ignacy]

The float voltage for lead-acid battery is about 13.5-14.0V. No harm to battery at this voltage.
Ignacy

[Don Wilhelm-4]

Lucas,

If the power supply voltage is within the range specified in the KBT2
manual, the continuous voltage to the battery (often refered to as
'float charge') will do no harm.

Note however, that the manual states that the battery will continue to
charge even thought the *K2* power switch is off.  If you turn off the
internal battery switch on the rear panel, the battery will receive no
charge.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/7/2011 4:07 PM, lucassi wrote:

> Hello my friends,
>
> I'm using a K2 with KBT2 option. The gel cell battery is installed all the
> time. Usually I use the K2 at home with a power supply though and thus the
> battery switch is on "off". In the operating instructions it says the
> battery also gets charged in this state.
>
> Does this make any harm to the battery if it gets charged all the time?
> Should I better remove the battery when it is fully charged?
>
>
> 73, Lucas
>

______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

[lucassi]

Don and Ignacy,

thanks a lot for your replies!

I wasn't aware of the meaning of "float charge", thanks for explaining!

So it even would make sense to keep the battery switch "on" all the time, even if I don't intend to use the battery for the next two or three months.

Also thanks a lot for pointing out that I apparently did read the final part of the instructions manual too fast - it indeed says K2 power switch and not battery switch. Sorry for that one. Probably I was too eager to finally use the K2 when I finally completed work on it and so lacked some concentration when reading the very last pages! 

73,

Lucas

2011/9/7 Don Wilhelm-4 [via Elecraft] <[hidden email]>

Lucas,

If the power supply voltage is within the range specified in the KBT2
manual, the continuous voltage to the battery (often refered to as
'float charge') will do no harm.

Note however, that the manual states that the battery will continue to
charge even thought the *K2* power switch is off.  If you turn off the
internal battery switch on the rear panel, the battery will receive no
charge.

73,
Don W3FPR

On 9/7/2011 4:07 PM, lucassi wrote:

> Hello my friends,
>
> I'm using a K2 with KBT2 option. The gel cell battery is installed all the
> time. Usually I use the K2 at home with a power supply though and thus the
> battery switch is on "off". In the operating instructions it says the
> battery also gets charged in this state.
>
> Does this make any harm to the battery if it gets charged all the time?
> Should I better remove the battery when it is fully charged?
>
>
> 73, Lucas
>

______________________________________________________________

Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

---

If you reply to this email, your message will be added to the discussion below:

http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/Continiuous-charging-of-K2-gel-cell-battery-using-KBT2-tp6769344p6769418.html

To unsubscribe from Continiuous charging of K2 gel cell battery (using KBT2), click here.