This makes sense. I always thought the hydrometer reading just showed the state of charge. So if I over-acid it does that mean it will be even more charged? Confusing. I guess I need to test that when I get it home.
"A battery hydrometer is used to test the state of charge of a battery cell. This is performed by measuring the density of the electrolyte, which is accomplished by measuring the specific gravity of the electrolyte. The greater the concentration of sulfuric acid, the more dense the electrolyte becomes. The higher the density, the higher the state of charge.
Specific gravity is the measurement of a liquid that is compared to a baseline. The baseline is water which is assigned a base number of 1.000. The concentration of sulfuric acid to water in a new golf car battery is 1.280 which means that the electrolyte weighs 1.280 times the weight of the same volume of water. A fully charged battery will test at 1.275 – 1.280 while a discharged battery will read in the 1.140 range. " As for the motor it is unregulated so at 1000 rpm it charges 1 amp and at 5000 rpm it charges at 5 amps. But I mostly start/stop all day long with the fish-finder on and my volt-meter is usually at 12 volts. WOT running it gets to 13-14 volts which is not terrible. At the dock I use a NOCO GENIUS charger that switches to "maintain" mode when the battery is fully charged. My concern is the amount of acid that exits as vapor along with the water. We have all had corrosion around the battery terminals and tray. That is NOT caused by simple water vapor. This from Steve's link: " Never add acid. This would raise the specific gravity too high and cause excessive corrosion. " Only corrosion? " Acid fumes that vaporize through the vent caps, often caused by overcharging, and insufficient battery box ventilation can allow the sulfuric acid fumes to build up and react with the exposed metals." Still confusing. Steve that link is the best I have ever read about batteries- thanks!
"A battery hydrometer is used to test the state of charge of a battery cell. This is performed by measuring the density of the electrolyte, which is accomplished by measuring the specific gravity of the electrolyte. The greater the concentration of sulfuric acid, the more dense the electrolyte becomes. The higher the density, the higher the state of charge.
Specific gravity is the measurement of a liquid that is compared to a baseline. The baseline is water which is assigned a base number of 1.000. The concentration of sulfuric acid to water in a new golf car battery is 1.280 which means that the electrolyte weighs 1.280 times the weight of the same volume of water. A fully charged battery will test at 1.275 – 1.280 while a discharged battery will read in the 1.140 range. " As for the motor it is unregulated so at 1000 rpm it charges 1 amp and at 5000 rpm it charges at 5 amps. But I mostly start/stop all day long with the fish-finder on and my volt-meter is usually at 12 volts. WOT running it gets to 13-14 volts which is not terrible. At the dock I use a NOCO GENIUS charger that switches to "maintain" mode when the battery is fully charged. My concern is the amount of acid that exits as vapor along with the water. We have all had corrosion around the battery terminals and tray. That is NOT caused by simple water vapor. This from Steve's link: " Never add acid. This would raise the specific gravity too high and cause excessive corrosion. " Only corrosion? " Acid fumes that vaporize through the vent caps, often caused by overcharging, and insufficient battery box ventilation can allow the sulfuric acid fumes to build up and react with the exposed metals." Still confusing. Steve that link is the best I have ever read about batteries- thanks!
