Hawker Headlines
Spring 2023 Edition
Quick Tips!
Hawker® AGM batteries are sealed lead-acid batteries so they won’t leak electrolyte. Therefore, they can be mounted upright or on their side.
Have more questions?   We have answers…
visit hawkerbattery.com/resources/#faqs
Answer to question from last issue:
What is a parasitic load or drain?
A parasitic drain is an unintentional (and undesirable) electrical load on a battery. Often, they are low amperage loads from 10 milliamps to 3 amps.
Many wheeled or tracked tactical vehicles have comm equipment, a FBCB2/BFT, thermal and/or infrared sighting systems, etc. that…if installed improperly, is malfunctioning, or unintentionally left on…can drain a vehicle’s batteries.
Furthermore, loose wires that make intermittent contact can create an unintended electrical path that drains the battery. So, it’s important to ensure that all wiring connections are secure, properly insulated, and free from damage in order to prevent potential parasitic drains.
Parasitic drains can be especially dire when the engine is off, as these loads can completely discharge a battery pack to a level below the manufacturer’s recommended discharge (cut-off) voltage, thereby damaging the batteries or rendering them completely unserviceable.
For example, a Hawker® battery without a load (a battery at rest) should never have an open circuit voltage (OCV) measuring less than 11.5 volts DC. However, a Hawker® battery that’s under load (a battery in use) may have cut-off load voltage somewhere between 7.2 to 12.0 volts DC…it depends on the discharge rate. Generally, the quicker the discharge the lower the acceptable voltage, whereas a slower discharge requires a higher cut-off voltage.
Did you know?
Hot Cranking Amps (HCA) is a standard battery industry rating referring to the amount of cranking power that a fully-charged battery has for engine start when temperatures are hot. Specifically, it’s the amount of amps that a nominal 12-volt battery can deliver at 80oF (27oC) for 30 seconds while still maintaining at least 7.2 volts (that’s 1.2 volts per cell). For example, the Hawker® ARMASAFE™ Plus battery has a HCA rating of 1730 amps.
Training:
Ever had in-depth lead-acid (AGM & flooded) battery training?
If not, what's holding you back?   Hawker® offers no-cost Battery Maintenance & Recovery Training at your site. How do you get it? Easy peasy...just contact your Hawker® FSR!
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