Free AGM Batteries!

[Sean]

Now that I have your attention...

I have just replaced my bank of eight AGM batteries, and I am making the take-outs available to the bus conversion community for free.

Of course, there are some catches:  First and foremost, the batteries are in Sumner, Washington, (at Infinity Coach) and must be picked up here no later than this Wednesday morning, June 6th.  Second, I did say that these are take-outs.

Details:

These are Xantrex brand XS12-200 batteries, 215AH (@12 volts, 20hr rate), size "8D".  I put that in quotes because they are actually just a shade smaller than most 8D batteries on the market, although they are larger than 4D's.   Also, the terminals are threaded inserts, along the long dimension (most 8Ds have terminals at one end, along the short dimension).

A .PDF spec sheet on these is here:
http://www.partsonsale.com/xantrexbattery.pdf

(Caution: do NOT go to the Xantrex web site and look up the specs on the XS12-200.  Xantrex changed suppliers for these batteries, and the spec sheet on their web site today is for a different product.  The ones I had were the older models, and the spec sheet linked above is correct.)

Out of eight batteries removed, one has a warped and swollen case (you're welcome to it, but I'm guessing nobody wants it).  Of the remaining seven, four test "Good" at a setting of 1200 CCA and "Marginal" at higher settings on a load tester, and three test "Marginal" at a 1200 CCA setting (and the tester reports capacities in the range of 750-975 CCA).  Sorry -- CCA is the measurement that the tester uses -- no way to get it to read in AH.

We removed these batteries because our original bank capacity of 860 AH (at 24 volts) had dropped in usable capacity to only around 175 AH.  After drawing around 175AH, the batteries would still read mostly full at rest, but putting a load on them, such as starting the coffee maker, would bring the bank voltage down to unacceptably low levels (< 23 volts).

I would guess these batteries to be five or six years old, and they have been installed and in use continuously for the last three years.  In that time we have cycled them well over 500 times, which is their rated life.

So much for the full disclosure.  So why would anyone want these?

1) They have responded well, if only for brief periods, to equalization.  Which suggests that they may be partially recoverable by "pulse desulfation", which involves high-energy pulse charges for a period of time.  Commercial equipment is available to do this, and some folks (e.g. Jerry Liebler) have built their own.  Jerry is still  running a set of flooded L-16s I sold him four years ago that he recovered this way.

2) They work, albeit at a lower-than-rated capacity.  If you are at a stage in your project where you just need batteries to get your electrical system up and running for testing, or you'd like some house batteries to take your bus out on weekend jaunts, these would work.  That would save you from buying expensive batteries well in advance of when you really need them (when your project is mostly finished), and having their shelf life ticking away in your garage.

3) In our situation, the worst of the set were likely dragging down the performance of the whole bank.  If you need only two or four batteries, you can likely test them, pick the best of the lot, and get better performance than we did at the end.

As with many free things, these batteries are offered without warranty of any kind.  You are solely responsible for determining if they will work in your situation and you are solely responsible for anything that happens to the batteries after you pick them up, including but not limited to case rupture, out-gassing, explosion, or sudden thermonuclear detonation.

Please do not contact Infinity Coach regarding these batteries.  Direct all inquiries to me.  It is my desire that the folks at Infinity Coach not be inconvenienced in any way by my decision to offer these batteries to you.  Which is why I am adamant that you make arrangements to pick them up before I leave here mid-day Wednesday.

Ideally, someone will take all seven undamaged batteries in one fell swoop.  However, I will accommodate on a first-come, first-served basis requests for any smaller number of batteries -- I would rather see some of these used a little longer than end up in the landfill (yes, I know the lead will be recovered -- but the other parts will likely not).

Please post general questions here, but contact me off-board to schedule a pick-up.

-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com

[phil4501]

Shaun,

I really could use these, (all seven). I hate to see them go to waste. If you are heading south down the coast I could meet you, or if you could store them for 3 weeks I could head north and get them. I realize that it really doesn't pencil out for either of us. If I could combine a family bus trip and get to see your coach and get batteries to get me 1/2 way through summer, then it would be worth it for me.

Grasping at straws as usual,

Phil Zisakis

[Sean]

Phil,

One of the "facts of life" that must be dealt with by all full-timers is that there is no space aboard the rig to store any "extra" stuff.  Oh, sure, I have a handful of spare parts and maybe a few tools of questionable utility, but if I buy, say, a couple of new shirts, I have to go through my closet and pick a couple of old shirts to throw away.  Same goes for pots, pans, dishes, books, movies, etc.  -- I'm sure you get the picture.

So, bottom line, it just is not possible for us to carry these batteries with us when we leave here tomorrow -- they're huge, and they also weigh over a thousand pounds.  Likewise, we have no storage space of our own here in Washington.  They've been sitting on the floor in Infinity Coach's shop since they were pulled out last week, but Infinity is not going to store them -- when Allied Battery shows up for their weekly delivery tomorrow, they will be taking whatever batteries are left (at present, all eight of them) as cores.

I'm sorry about that.  It is really my preference, too, that someone get some more use out of these before they go off to the recycler.  But I am really limited in my ability to do anything but offer them on a right-here, right-now basis.

-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com

[phil4501]

Sean,

Thanks. I wouldn't have asked, but when nobody posted on them at all it was killing me not to at least throw it out there.

Phil Zisakis

[Lee Bradley]

Phip,
Had you posted yesterday I could have picked them up and stored them for you. Timing it's all timing.

Lee

[phil4501]

I saw Sean's message soon as he posted it. It seemed rude to jump in there when I couldn't pick them up during the alotted time as we had a cub scout campout that I had already committed too. It seems that whenever somebody offers a favor, there is always some joker that jumps in there with his requirements before he accepts. I held out till this morning, then I couldn't take it anymore. I keep spending my battery money on Diesel Fuel. My twisted reasoning was that we might as well drive the Scenic North and get these batteries. If it was any weekend but this past one I would have done it, too.

Well, to console myself maybe I will spend $600 in fuel to go pick up $150.00 in Detroit Diesel parts. I think there is something wrong with me...

Phil Zisakis