Typical operating temperature is -22F (-30C) to +140F (+60C). They also cannot freeze and are unaffected by extreme temperatures. Aside from physically damaging the battery or willful abuse, it’s pretty hard to ruin one. Nearly indestructible: Edison batteries will easily tolerate overcharging, undercharging, deep discharge, and shorts. Also, you do not need to periodically equalize the cells.Įnvironmental impact: Edison batteries do not contain any heavy metals so their environmental impact is much less compared to conventional batteries. That’s it! There is no need to measure electrolyte density as it is not relevant to the state of charge. Low maintenance: Top off the electrolyte every few months, and completely replace the electrolyte every 3-5 years. This is comparable to modern lithium batteries and far superior to lead acid flooded batteries. If this is your mindset, nickel-iron batteries should be a very serious consideration.ĭeep discharge capability: Up to 80% discharge is not harmful to nickel-iron batteries. Therefore, what you have when SHTF is likely all you’ll ever have and procuring replacements will be difficult if not impossible. Survivalists/preppers planning for a complete societal collapse logically also believe the collapse will end commercial battery production. There are 60-plus year old units still out there chugging along! It is likely the last battery you’ll ever buy. These batteries are usually rated for a 30 year service life, but this is an understatement. You’ll probably hand them down to your children and possibly grandchildren. They can last decades with simple maintenance. Very long service life: This is probably the biggest selling point of nickel-iron batteries. More importantly, are you willing to give up the battery technology you’re currently using and replace it with something totally different? Laying out all the pros and cons may help you decide. Whether or not they are a good option for you depends on your situation, needs, and budget. There is a lot to consider before jumping into nickel-iron batteries. Photo courtesy of Are Edison batteries a good choice for the off grid ham? Edison-branded batteries ended production in 1975 while other manufacturers continued to make generic versions in limited quantities to serve the few clients who still used them.įor the purpose of this article I will use the terms “Edison” and “nickel-iron” interchangeably. For many decades after that, only niche applications used iron-nickel technology. Along comes Edison who brought his own ideas to the product, resulting in separate patents for what became the proper noun Edison battery.Įdison batteries were popular in early electric cars, then quickly faded into obscurity as gas engines took over the automotive market. He was never able to develop his nickel-iron battery into a practical technology so he abandoned the idea entirely, although he got far enough to earn a patent. The nickel-iron battery was supposed to be an improved version of the nickel-cadmium battery, which Junger also invented. That credit goes to Swedish researcher Waldemar Junger in 1899. This seems odd because Edison did not actually invent the device. A quick history lesson.Įdison batteries, also known by the common noun nickel-iron (NiFe) batteries, were patented by Thomas Edison in 1901. So what’s the deal with Edison Batteries? What makes them different than the rest? Are they for you? Here we go…. Lately though they’ve been getting more attention from the off grid community. Edisons been around for over 100 years, and while they enjoyed some early popularity, they more or less left the scene by 1910. The Graphical User Interface software is windows based and is supplied free of charge after the installation engineer has been on an Intellitec certified course. The software has been designed to be user friendly and the amount of parameters that can be programmed is almost endless.Most radio amateurs have never even heard of Edison batteries. There are also two programmable 10A outputs that can be used to switch external alarms or indeed what ever may be specified. ![]() To restart, simply press the reset switch and starting power is restored.Īutomatic reconnection is also possible in specific applications via the software.īuilt into the Battery Guard 3000 is a programmable audible alarm, this can be linked to both voltage and time. This ensures that starting power is preserved. If the battery voltage drops below a pre programmed level of both time and voltage, the system isolates all electrical loads that are connected through the battery guard relay. The Battery Guard 3000 is a fully programmable power management system.īattery Guard 3000 operates by constantly monitoring the available battery power when the engine or charging source is not active.Ĭut out voltage`s, timers & alarms are fully programmable to provide a fully flexible solution.
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