12V Dead Battery Revival – Load Tests, Lightbulbs & Ludicrous Expectations (part 4)

☀️ Field Report: Mission “Load Test” Complete
After weeks of lazy solar revival therapy, the two battered 18Ah AGM batteries were ready for their final test: holding up under fire (or at least, a 0.98A incandescent glow). And honestly? They didn’t just show up — they nearly earned medals.

💬 TL;DR:
Just a reminder, Both of these batteries measured a measly 1Ah capacity rating each, and this was the reason they were initially shelved and not used in the HA setup.

Here’s what happened:

🧪 Battery 1 – The Quiet Overachiever
Resting Voltage (post-charge): ~13.1V (Suspiciously high — good sign of a bad battery)
Initial Drop: Settled quickly to 12.44V under load, then plateaued
Load: 0.98A via 2s3p incandescent bulb bank

Performance:
• Runtime: ~11h48m (13H36 to 01H24)
• Final voltage: 11.40V (right at the edge of my personal “battery danger zone”)
• Estimated Capacity: ~11.5Ah

Conclusion: Far from dead — could handle an overnight lighting cycle with ease.

🧪 Battery 2 – The Surprise Underdog
Resting Voltage: Similar to Battery 1
Initial Drop: Settled quickly to 12.44V under load, then plateaued as with Battery 1
Load: 1.25A (extra current thanks to the previously dead globe deciding to re-join the living 😑)

Performance:
• Runtime: ~7 hours (01H24 to 08H39)
• Final Voltage: 11.37V
• Estimated Capacity: ~8.75Ah

Conclusion: Didn’t go as long, but carried more load. Likely just as useful in parallel. Also: rude surprise from the bulb.

🔗 Combined System:
~20.25Ah Total Usable Capacity
These two batteries, when paralleled, deliver more than enough to run the cottage’s emergency lighting system through the night — and then some. They'll be reassigned to active duty once I know if the Royal 105Ah batteries (currently sunbathing on the Pico Solar Rig) are going to rise from their 9V/10V graves.

🕵️‍♂️ Notes on the Royals:
Parallel connected on a 20W panel at ~1.1Ah

ETA to full charge: ~4 days 😑

Testing pending (I suspect some "Cabbage Mode" cells are in play)

🎥 What to Expect in the Upcoming Video:
• Real-world load tests (no lab coats, just wires and hope)
• The unexpected (like the “dead” lightbulb deciding it’s not done)
• Honest breakdown of capacity recovery, performance & limitations
• Strategic insight into reviving and reusing neglected batteries
• Probably a few rants about Peukert's Law and voltage anxiety

🔁 Catch Up on the Series:
• Part 1: Solar, Light Bulbs & Dumb Ideas (https://youtu.be/_T_t3MlYCr8)
• Part 2: Royals, Relays & Ridiculous Hope (https://youtu.be/cr72cr5MZLE)
• Part 3: Load Tests, Lightbulbs & Ludicrous Expectations (https://youtu.be/q80L9X7ubBY)
• Part 4: (You are here)
• Part 5: Royals, Rust & Ridiculous Load Tests (https://youtu.be/d6Xf5Qoc_TE)
• Part 6: Royal Resurrection? & Automation Mayhem (https://youtu.be/Bf1LDF7IFrQ)

⚠️ As Always:
Not a how-to. Not a professional. Just a guy with light bulbs, a multimeter, and a weird obsession with keeping dead batteries alive.
Your mileage may vary. Your batteries may explode. You have been warned.

📬 Stay tuned for the next chapter in this shockingly low-voltage saga.
Sub, comment, roast, or send a prayer to the battery gods. They’re listening. Maybe 🤔🤷.

#BatteryRevival #AGMTesting #DIYPower #OffGridLife #BatteryExperiment #SolarPowerDIY #PeukertSucks #12VBattery #12vBatteryRevival

Видео 12V Dead Battery Revival – Load Tests, Lightbulbs & Ludicrous Expectations (part 4) канала Gadget