Battery
The battery being tested is a Nautilus flooded Marine/RV battery.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Make | Motomaster Nautilus |
| Model | 010-2799-4 |
| Capacity | 80Ah |
| Group | 27 |
Charging Our Battery
We will charge this battery with our Suaoki ICS4 4A battery charger.
| Charging Parameters | Value |
|---|---|
| Battery Type | SLA (includes Flooded) |
| Speed | Fast (4A) |
| Max Voltage | 14.4v |
| Current | 4A |
Discharge Test
A discharge test was performed using the SkyRC Max B6 charger. In order to get the test to run to completion, we had to disable the Capacity Cut off and the Safety Timer (See appendix).
The discharge test revealed that the battery had a capacity of 6579 mAh (6.6Ah) as opposed to the expected 80Ah. We are only getting 8% of the rated capacity!
| Test | Capacity (mAh) | % of Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Test | 6579 mAh | 8% |
Next Steps
We discovered that the water levels in this battery were very low. Added distilled water about 1/4" above the plates.
(It's hard to visually see the water level. Perhaps we could use a stick or something next time to check the level.)
Test Results:
| Test | Final Voltage | Capacity (mAh) | % of Capacity | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27, 2019 | 10.16 | 13,392 | 17% | Added distilled water |
| Nov 1, 2019 | 8.69 | 22,226 | 28% | Added more distilled water |
| Nov 7, 2019 | 10.0 | 24,543 | 31% | Shook |
| Nov 12, 2019 | 10.5 | 27,291 | 34% | Shook |
| Nov 18, 2019 | 10.5 | 29,315 | 37% | Shook |
| Nov 24, 2019 | 10.5 | 30,847 | 39% | Shook |
| Nov 30, 2019 | 10.6 | 32,413 | 40.5% | Shook |
Appendix
Disabling Safety Timer and Capacity Cut Off on IMAX B6
In order to get the test to run to completion, we had to disable the Capacity Cut off and the Safety Timer.
Reference
| Reference | URL |
|---|---|
| IMAX B6 Manual | http://www.ittgroup.ee/files/IMAX_B6_manual.pdf |
| How to Check Car Battery Water Levels | https://www.wikihow.com/Check-Car-Battery-Water-Levels |
| Lead Acid Battery Comparison | https://www.wholesalesolar.com/blog/lead-acid-battery-comparison/ |