Battery Problems !!!

Phil 10

Guest
I have a Starlet 2 Autocruise with 2 x 110 Leisure batteries and a 100w solar panel. My problem is, with the control reading 13.9 in the evening when I put the oyster satellite dish up and watch the Avtex tv for about 30 to 45 mins it switches off and the dish retracts. The reading is then about 11. 9, which obviously the battery is drained. After a few minutes the battery reading goes back to around 12.9 and we still have use of lights etc. The next day after travelling all is back to normal, until we want to watch the tv. Can anyone please help with this. I am not at all electrically minded.
 
I'm assuming reading between the lines that the dish is looking for a signal from the TV to 'lift' as you say at 11.9v the TV goes off and the dish retracts.
2 x 110 leisure batteries should run that set up for at least a long weekend with no issues at all and with the solar panel, it should never run out of power.

Question 1. Once the dish finds the satellite, will it stay in that position once the power is turned off to it?
Q 2. Will the dish stay up if the TV is turned off?

If the answer is yes to both these, then you can start to eliminate. Turn off the TV with the dish still up. Does the power still drop?
Turn off the dish, but leave the TV on. Does the power drop?
Alternatively, connect an amp meter and start turning things on and off and see what is causing the huge power drain.
 
Phil said:
It sounds like knackered batteries to me. The 13.9v is the output from your solar charger not what the batteries have stored.
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It's the comment ' all is normal until we want to watch TV' which leads me to think it's not batteries, but I do agree that 13.9v is probably the solar panel input. I'm not saying it isn't the batteries either. A few cells down will give enough power for lights, but not anything heavy like the motor to lift the dish etc.
 
The first thing you need to check are the batteries, one faulty battery will pull the other good battery down if they are wired in parallel, if you do not prove both batteries are fully charged and holding their charge you cannot prove if there is a fault further down the line always start at the power source first.
 
DTDOG said:
It's the comment ' all is normal until we want to watch TV' which leads me to think it's not batteries, but I do agree that 13.9v is probably the solar panel input. I'm not saying it isn't the batteries either. A few cells down will give enough power for lights, but not anything heavy like the motor to lift the dish etc.
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I think we were typing at the same time Dave.
 
If tbe batteries aren't that new or the same age I'd be very tempted to consider changing them.
As others have said 2 big batteries fully charged should run your satellite tv for a decent time.
 
I'm concerned that everyone seems to straight away point at the batteries for this fault when a few simple tests would decide this anyway. Ok, maybe it's me fixating on the line "The next day after travelling all is back to normal, until we want to watch the tv". If this is the case, then it's more likely to be a wiring issue. A simple Amp test would eliminate this and maybe it is the batteries at fault, but two 110amp batteries are going to set you back a couple of hundred pounds to then find the fault was within the TV or the motor for the satellite dish (which actually would be my first thing to check as it's such a heavy power drain).
 
My Avtex TV draws something like 4.5amps. Then there’s the power used by the Oyster to go and find the satellite while revolving round and round, I was very surprised how far down it manages to draw 4x90ah batteries of an evening.

Anyway, the simplest solution, in the absence of other means of checking the batteries, is to charge them up and take them into your local battery dealer and get them tested. It’s quick and easy and inexpensive for peace of mind.
 
SimonM said:
My Avtex TV draws something like 4.5amps. Then there’s the power used by the Oyster to go and find the satellite while revolving round and round, I was very surprised how far down it manages to draw 4x90ah batteries of an evening.

Anyway, the simplest solution, in the absence of other means of checking the batteries, is to charge them up and take them into your local battery dealer and get them tested. It’s quick and easy and inexpensive for peace of mind.
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Most battery dealers cannot test leisure batteries, the equipment they have only tests starter batteries. Duff leisure batteries can appear to be fine on a cold cranking amp CCA tester.
 
Ah, well my local can and does. It’s not the CCA they test, they look at the longer term use, they kept mine in overnight and have a mechanism to check.

Sorry, I see I said quick and easy checking, I’d forgotten I left them overnight.
 
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