55
S
ECTION
13
Factors that affect battery autonomy are:
Temperature
Extreme temperatures (both high and low) can dramatically affect battery autonomy and charging.
High
Heat increases water usage and can result in overcharging and depletion of water, leading to damage.
Batteries naturally discharge at temperatures above 49° Celsius (120° Fahrenheit). Batteries require
less time to charge in high temperatures, which can result in rapid over-charging and damage to the
batteries.
Low
Discharging batteries at low temperatures make the batteries susceptible to freezing due to the
depletion of acid within the battery as it discharges. Batteries require a longer period of time to
charge in cold temperatures.
Batteries should be operated (discharged) in the temperature range of -29° to +49° Celsius (-20° to
+120° Fahrenheit). Batteries discharged below 0° Celsius (32° Fahrenheit) should be charged immedi-
ately, to avoid freezing.
The min and max temperatures in which charging should occur is between -18° to +49° Celsius (0°
to +120° Fahrenheit).
Over Discharge
Lead acid batteries are ‘non-memory’ and over-discharge will cause damage and premature battery
failure. To avoid over-discharge, the PTL 2.4x noti
fi
es the user of low battery voltage (23.6 Volts or less) by
emitting a continual beep and displaying the message ‘CHARGE FOR 24 to 48 HOURS’ on the screen.
Inactivity
Lead acid batteries that are not in use will slowly discharge over time, possibly leading to over-discharge
and damage to the batteries. If the batteries will be inactive for a long period of time (EXAMPLE: sitting
over the winter months), then the charger should be plugged in periodically or ensure the solar panels
have good exposure to the sun and are free of debris.
Low Battery Noti
fi
cation and Charging
The signal controller will notify the user that charging is required when the battery bank voltage reaches
23.6 Volts. The noti
fi
cation consists of continuous beeping emitted from the controller hardware and
a message on the controller of ‘CHARGE FOR 24 to 48 HOURS’. Connection to a 120 VAC source for a
minimum of 24 hours is required to bring the battery bank back to a full charge. If using a generator, refer
to S
ECTION
13.4 G
ENERATOR
U
SE
for instruction.
Note: Intermittent charging for short periods of time will not provide adequate charge to the battery
bank. A continuous charge for a minimum of 24 hours is required.
Battery Threshold states:
Low
- 23.6 Normal operation continues, but system warns user to charge the batteries for 24 to 48 hours.
Dead
- 23.0 Operation is terminated and system enter default mode behavior. Charging message
displayed on the controller.
Blackout
- 21.0 Lamp indications are terminated and go dark. Radio communications continue within the
network and controller interface remains operable.