Warpspeed Optocoupler

Rclark · « **Reply #201 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 01:00 am »

^

Had an incident! Guys don't let your batteries drop too low! I think this is what happened to my first two batteries only I didn't have a voltmeter to check for sure.

My whole experience with rechargeable batteries has been pretty painless. You know, cellphones, laptops, etc. These things, the battery meter can go all the way down, the device can die, but you always know you can just plug it in later and be good.

Not the case with these larger SLA or AGM batteries!

I was feeling cocky and let one of my AGM's stay on for about five days, plan was to run it down and charge it back fully. It sure ran down. Now with the benefit of my voltmeter I was able to check voltage. After a few days it had dropped from 12 volts down to around 8. I felt safe. A couple days later I checked and it was down to 3

.

Note, mine are 1.3ah. Anyway, thought, hey, no sweat, put it on the charger and placed my fresh battery on the Warpspeed.

Well, I charged that battery for a full day and a half and could not get it to come up past 4 volts. The charge light was very dim. Clearly, these battery types DO NOT come back if you let them drop too low.

So I took matters into my own hands and with my remaining battery... I pulled out the ringlet/eyelet adapter for my charger and just made it work. I took wire cutters to the eyelets and snipped them in half, then crimped these now opened eyelets onto the terminals, and then attached the leads to the Warpspeed.

Should have done this in the first place but I was waiting for someone to offer a more elegant solution.

regardless, I now have a constantly charging battery permanently attached to the warpspeed, as it is with my battery powered amp. No fuss, no muss. Sitting around 13.5 volts right now and running smoothly.

wilsynet · « **Reply #202 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 02:02 am »

SLA and AGM batteries are not supposed to be run down fully. Keep them charged up.

usp1 · « **Reply #203 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 02:18 am »

Best to use a smart charger like the ctek and keep the charger constantly connected.

Rclark · « **Reply #204 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 02:26 am »

Yup, using the Ctek, and it is now constantly connected.

praedet · « **Reply #205 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 02:29 am »

For an elegant solution, make a 2 into 1 connection so that you have a harness on the battery that has 2 + and 2 - coming out of it. Put connections on the end for the warpspeed and the charger. I would just reterminate the charger with a connection that is better for your situation...

In my case I terminated the charger cord with a neutrik powercon to go to my battery box...

Rclark · « **Reply #206 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 02:34 am »

Quote from: wilsynet on 29 Nov 2011, 02:02 am

SLA and AGM batteries are not supposed to be run down fully. Keep them charged up.

I had to kill three batteries to learn this. Wish I'd known.

Early B. · « **Reply #207 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 02:37 am »

I listened to the Warpspeed briefly today, and the only complaint I have is that it's too good. If you have a mediocre recording, it may sound like crap with the Warpspeed. This statement is probably true with virtually any significant upgrade, but the Warpspeed is like a laser-precise x-ray device -- everything on the CD will be revealed. I have a favorite CD that was recorded "hot," i.e., it sounds brighter than my other CDs. The Warpspeed magnified the brightness because, well, that's what's on the recording. So if your CD collection (or whatever you've got) is replete with marginal recordings, toss them in the trash and don't blame what you hear on the Warpspeed. I thought I some of my previous preamps were very revealing, but each of them placed a tourniquet on the flow of my music.

Warpspeed CE · « **Reply #208 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 04:34 am »

Quote from: Rclark on 29 Nov 2011, 01:00 am

... I now have a constantly charging battery permanently attached to the warpspeed, as it is with my battery powered amp. No fuss, no muss. Sitting around 13.5 volts right now and running smoothly.

You are now essentially running the Warpspeed with power from the charger and not pure DC from the battery. A charger usually will not be the quietest, cleanest power source...and by the looks of the compact Ctek it's a switching power supply and not a linear old school one. High frequency noise is likely present at the output connectors now supplying your W'speed. It's still best to fullly charge your battery, disconnect charger, then connect battery to W'speed...turn OFF when not in use.

wilsynet · « **Reply #209 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 05:37 am »

Quote from: Rclark on 29 Nov 2011, 02:34 am

I had to kill three batteries to learn this. Wish I'd known.

Best practice with SLA batteries is to use them and then charge them right away. The more topped up they are, the longer they'll last. Deep discharge will ruin the battery.

If I recall, the CTek charger has an automatic mode. This would let you keep the CTek connected all the time and it would only activate when necessary. Unfortunately, given that your battery is so run down and can't be recovered, I suspect automatic mode would leave the CTek continuously charging. Continuously charging is probably not what the CTek was meant to do.

I understand that 3 battery packs have been ruined now, and I don't understand the design parameters of the CTek, but I hope the next thing isn't that the CTek starts a fire trying to charge the un-chargeable battery.

InfernoSTi · « **Reply #210 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 06:18 am »

All this talk of failed SLA batteries caused me to check my battery: 12.24 DCV after 30 days of listening sessions. I'm glad I got a large battery but will continue to check it's voltage regularly. I have already posted this before but will post again for those who are looking for batteries to purchase. I'm using a Panasonic SLA 12v 7.2aH battery:

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-LC-R127R2P1-battery-lead-acid/dp/B0002ILJX2/ref%3dsr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1318202010&sr=8-2

John

Rclark · « **Reply #211 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 09:03 am »

No you guys are not reading all of what I said.

First two batteries were sent to me charged. I didn't have a voltmeter, and didn't know you couldn't run the batteries down too far. I thought the charger was bad.

I used those batteries like any other rechargable I've ever used (cellphone, for example), run them, potentially all the way down, and at home put on the charger. But in doing that they died.

The third battery I was going to let go to six volts and then recharge (now that I had a voltmeter), but in my lack of vigilance and belief in the lifespan, it went to 3 volts and buh bye.

On just using the battery and charging it, and shutting the unit off, yeah I could do that. I would expect about a week and a half that way. I use mine a LOT. I mean I have my system playing music or even movies or games... hours and hours a day right now. I expect I will then need to get a larger than 1.3ah battery to satisfy me, a pair of those.

However I'm not noticing any degradation in quality with the charger attached.

wilsynet · « **Reply #212 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 02:00 pm »

It sounds like the battery will go all day before a charge is necessary. My recommendation is to get a new battery, have the charger connected to it simultaneously but not charging. Before going to bed at night, turn the Warpspeed off, turn the charger on. A nightly charging regiment would work well here.

Anyway, as I said, not sure the CTek was designed to provide continuos power all day in the way you're using it now. You've heard of battery chargers that overheat and catch fire, right?

Warpspeed CE · « **Reply #213 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 03:44 pm »

Quote from: Rclark on 29 Nov 2011, 09:03 am

However I'm not noticing any degradation in quality with the charger attached.

More of a concern for me -safety issues mentioned on top of course, is the WarpSquid failing because of the sudden pulsating, spiky nature of charging currents from the charger. The 'squid was designed to take in steady DC rather than AC-like input voltages/currents.

roymail · « **Reply #214 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 06:01 pm »

One of these chargers is reliable and will only charge after the unit is turned off. You leave it connected to the battery all the time, but it only activates the charger after the Warpspeed is off. A green light indicates that the charger is floating, a red light indicates that it is charging. You'd need to get a charger cord with it, only about $2 for that. Seems like a nice solution to "top off" your SLA over night.

http://www.batterymart.com/p-12v-500ma-sealed-lead-acid-battery-charger-2.html

Anything from a 1.2 Ah to a 5 Ah 12 volt SLA should work great.

Rclark · « **Reply #215 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 09:01 pm »

Oh the CTek is among the best as far as I know, people use it on their Ferrari batteries to keep them topped up (was googling them before I bought)! It's designed to be left attached permanently for months and months and months.

It's a very "smart" unit. CTEK 800.

wilsynet · « **Reply #216 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 10:02 pm »

There's no problem with keeping a charger attached. Even attached to a Ferrari's battery. But it isn't charging all the time, and it does not act as the power source for the Ferrari. In your case, I presume it's in a perpetual state of charging as the voltage of your SLA battery never reaches the threshold where the charger would turn off. Further, while the battery (not just those sold with a Ferrari) can withstand the uneven current of a charger, the Warpspeed may not be similarly robust.

It's a free country and up to you. I personally would not use the depleted battery that you're now using. I'm not an expert, but this doesn't seem like a good idea.

Rclark · « **Reply #217 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 10:52 pm »

Who's using a depleted battery? I don't wanna repeat all that over again for a third time.

.

roymail · « **Reply #218 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 11:04 pm »

Considering the small amount of DC required by the Warpspeed, and the current capacity of an SLA, it should be a simple matter to top off the battery every now and then. I refer back to InfernoSTi comment, "12.24 DCV after 30 days of listening sessions."

However often you choose to recharge, just remember that SLA's don't like to run down and be recharged. If you turn it off a night, it should run a long time that way.

I'll refer to this previous comment, "....my alkalines have been hovering at 11.55V for a month now after starting at 12.11V and almost 9 months now into use."

Rclark · « **Reply #219 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 11:36 pm »

I think thats what I'll do, since it's now permanently attached. I'll run it off charger, and simple matter to plug the charger in at night.

I will also buy a larger capacity battery as a new spare, and recycle these three dead ones.

This page will be invaluable for battery noobs. Heck, this part of the thread should be a sticky, we should have a sticky for HOW TO CARE FOR BATTERY POWERED COMPONENTS, since a lot of us are heading in this direction with our gear. It's the way to go.

Trung takes it to the ultimate: he's got it all rigged up to a solar panel!