# Extend your leisure battery power ;-)



## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi

Quite a while ago I found an interesting article on the web and shared it here. That was a few years ago on the old MHF website which was lost when the server crashed in 2005. I thought it would be a good idea to post about it again as there have been some new findings that some of you may not know about.

The newly published article is in the New Scientist and is about the effects of global positioning on the capacity and efficiency of batteries. The new article highlighted research work carried out by a British company AFD (Cambridge) Ltd. The discoveries centered around what is now known as the Sciocco effect which having read the full article I can only describe as very interesting for us (motorhomers :wink: ).

It seems that they have discovered that the capacity and reserves of any electrolyte battery can be enhanced by positioning the battery, as near as is possible, in line with the earth's poles. In other words if you make sure that the positive terminal of the battery is generally to the North and the negative terminal is to the South then the overall performance of the battery will be improved. It goes on further to explain that as well as the N - S orientation the actual position on the earth seems to also have some beneficial effect on the battery state.

As you may know there are energy "Lay Lines" on the surface of the Earth. That is, there are "lines" of power criss-crossing across the surface, and perhaps within, the planet Earth. AFD have discovered that a lead acid battery situated above one of these Lay Lines, when allowed to stand with little or no drain, will to some extent, self re-charge. They did not disclose any figures for this, but for those of us who camp with no hook up any added overnight charge in our battery would be useful.

So just where do these Lay lines run because now that I have a GPS positioning in my van I am sure that I could easily park up the van over a Lay Line when setting up for the night. I already make sure that the battery is positioned in the correct N-S orientation and have noted how much better it works. So now I need to know more about lay lines. Anyone got any ideas where to look ?

Mike

P.S. >Here< is a link to the web page about the Sciocco effect.


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

Good morning to you Mike. Have a nice day... until noon that is!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :roll: :wink:


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## JeanLuc (Jan 13, 2007)

What an excellent piece of research. In the hope of adding to this body of knowledge, I offer the following observations.
Based on empirical findings, I have noticed a slight, but measurable improvement in battery life if I park the motorhome facing the zenith of a full moon. (The leisure batteries in our Hymer are aligned fore and aft.) Without recourse to scientific analysis, I can only surmise at the reason for this, but I believe it may be due to a tidal effect on the electrolyte; the moon's gravitational pull causing it to swirl around the lead plates more effectively.

Perhaps the electrically, and/or scientifically competent amongst us would care to offer a more comprehensive explanation?

Philip :idea:


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Tis all witchery.


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## steco1958 (Mar 5, 2009)

I always find that 24 nubile virgins dancing naked around the motor home, just after dawn on the summer and winter solstice, reduces battery usage...



This is due to the effect of turning off the lights so your view is not impaired by the reflected light on the windows, as you are viewing this wonderful sight. 

Steve


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## cronkle (May 1, 2005)

As luck would have it our van spends most of its time parked facing west. This means that both batteries are on the recommended perfect alignment. 

This could explain why we had no problems with them during this last winter or it could be that my home office is inside the house on the other side of the wall allowing my naturally magnetic and electric personality to have a major effect on the local EM field.

Alternative and less likely explanations are that I had the van on hook-up.


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## musicbus (May 1, 2005)

*you've been charged*

just aligning the calender with todays date will generate a great deal of electrical activity in your mind LOL.


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

JeanLuc said:


> snip: but I believe it may be due to a tidal effect on the electrolyte; the moon's gravitational pull causing it to swirl around the lead plates more effectively.
> 
> Perhaps the electrically, and/or scientifically competent amongst us would care to offer a more comprehensive explanation?
> 
> Philip :idea:


Hi Philip

I think you may be onto something with that swirl effect of the electrolyte around the plates .. during the last year there were a couple of occasions when I noticed in the morning that the batteries had self re-charged a little more than usual. The first occasion was when we were parked up on a cliff top in quite a gale and the van had been rocking all night...the other time was on my birthday which coincided with a full moon :wink:

Mike


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

spykal said:


> . . . and the van had been rocking all night.
> Mike


I think you are onto a winner here Mike . . . with our younger members anyway!! :wink: 8O :lol: :lol: :lol:

Dave :lol:


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

As well as trying to get more out of your leisure battery by careful alignment turning it through 90 degrees will have the opposite effect thus when storing you should always park on an East West axis minimising the amount that can leak to canbus reversing cameras etc etc


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## JeanLuc (Jan 13, 2007)

spykal said:


> JeanLuc said:
> 
> 
> > snip: but I believe it may be due to a tidal effect on the electrolyte; the moon's gravitational pull causing it to swirl around the lead plates more effectively.
> ...


Ah Mike, now you have introduced another variable. We can posit the theory that the effects of a gale or full moon are similar: namely causing agitation of the electrolyte. However on the other occasion you cite, there are two simultaneous events: the full moon AND your birthday. Now I have no idea of your age, but it occurs to me that at after "a certain point in a man's life", his birthday may be a special occasion for, how shall I put it, alternative agitation, possibly caused by a form of simple harmonic motion.
If this were the case, we are faced with a dilemma; knowing that gravity is a weak force of nature, whilst simple harmonic motion can be a very powerful force. To which should we attribute the beneficial effects on the leisure batteries?
It seems to me that you may have stumbled on a valuable, and potentially unlimited (I hesitate to say inexhaustible) source of energy with which to recharge a motorhome's batteries. If this can be substantiated, the entire male motorhome community will owe you its eternal gratitude, and the likes of Efoy, Kipor, Kyocera et al will become names of the past.
There is of course a potential risk to life and limb from the small, but probably growing band of single lady motorhomers amongst us, who may be denied this valuable source of free energy - something like a "Lynx Effect" might be seen on campsites of the future!

Philip :!:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Some years ago the then editor of the American Motorhome Club magazine put in the April issue that a device was being marketed to get 27.3 mpg from the 7.4L Chevy engine. Highly technical and plausible article.

He then put the club secretary's phone number for enquiries..!! It never stopped ringing, so much so he had to take it off the 'hook'.

Ray.


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## badger (May 9, 2005)

"I always find that 24 nubile virgins dancing naked around the motor home, just after dawn on the summer and winter solstice, reduces battery usage... "

Would you mind very much if I quoted this information to my wife, in case she wakes up early...... :roll: :wink:


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

Some very good ideas here and I'll try them when we go away in a couple of weeks. Sadly, I'm having trouble finding the 24 virgins at the moment, so can anyone suggest an alternative. Sensible suggestions only please, this is a serious business.

Just a word of warning though. A compass bearing can be affected by magnetic fields within and around your van, so it is important you move away from the vehicle when obtaining your "fix" on North. It is recommended that you move away from the van, or any other vehicles in the area, for at least half a mile. Obviously you will probably be out of site of your van so a good idea is to buy one of those 14 million candle power rechargable lights from B&Q, then when it goes dark, get your travelling partner to shine it into the sky through your rooflight. That way you will always see the beam and never get lost!

Always here to help!


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

Bloody hell, roll on 12 noon. :lol: :lol: :lol: 

Paul.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Sorry you lot - big problem here.

The Earth's magnetic field is long overdue to flip again, so North with become South - as it were. 8O 8O 

This could put a serious spanner in your works methinks, so I wouldn't waste too much time on it.

Dave :lol: :lol:


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