Hi Branch,

The 3.835" spacing you calculated would be the space between centers, or between the same edge on each magnet. You need to deduct the width of the magnet from that to get the open space between facing edges. So 3.835" - .875" would give you 2.96" between magnets! And dividing 2.96" by .875" would give you 3.38 magnet widths between magnets.

I think the recommended space is 3 to 5 magnet widths apart. Looks you're good to go at 3.38 widths!

Thanks Gary! I was digging through some of your posts on the other forums...noticed at one point you were battling trying to get the 13AH batteries that JB used in the DVD charged to full. How did you end up resolving that? From what I've read recently...it seems people are tying to use a thicker power wire, and keeping the trigger wire at #26. What worked for you?

Also...from what I've read about those batteries, people are saying they are actually around 16AH. Can't find anything that is listed at 13AH for a garden tractor battery... Did you find the same thing?

I think what's kind of confusing about the DVD is that JB is using a coil that looks to have more power wires than just the simple "one trigger/one power" basic setup. Does the basic coil have enough "umph" to get it done with a garden tractor battery? Maybe with the thicker wire....?

Hi Branch,

Yeh, I gave up on charging the 13AH battery and then went to trying to charge a 7AH motorcycle battery. The only way I could get either size battery to 14.5 volts was with a 20volt power supply! Couldn't get over 13 volts on either by using the 16AH run battery!

I just finished 20 runs with a 5AH SLA battery and am able to get it to 14.5 volts and beyond using a (I assume) 16AH run battery that I recharge with an RC-10-12 Renassance charger between runs. It takes about 2.5 days to charge the SLA with the SSG at 142 ma draw, and pulls the run battery down to around 12.1 volts. The COP's are about 1.09 using Rick's kit with a 23/26 coil.

This is not satisfactory! I'm going to replace the 23/26 coil with a five-filar AWG#18 coil and replace the circuit board with a hand wired circuit. I was considering doing this even before we learned about all the problems with Rick's kits on the forum!

I have a Walmart 230 CCA (same one John calls a 13AH in his DVD) battery I was trying to charge, and the run battery is a 275 CCA Walmart that must be arround 16AH. I called the manufacturer of these batteries at one point trying to assertain their AH ratings to no avail. They refused to give me that information ..........said it was proprietary information!

I think John or someone advised that the AH rating is around the CCA/20. So a 230 CCA/20 would be 11.5 AH and a 275 CCA/20 would be 13.75 AH. But my discharge tests indicate they are really around 13AH for the 230CCA and 16AH for the 275CCA.

And I must say that the RC-10-12 is a great charger! I've been able to restore several batteries with it, and it has boosted the capacity of my run battery as well .

Branch, its easy to spacing magnet.. i use gord calclulator that used on the previous group, but i dont know how to post it here.. if you want, i can sent you email
Alfin

Hi Branch,

I think Tom C. said his 18/19 AWG bifilar charges the 13 AH batteries really well, and his 26/23 struggles with even a 7AH battery.

I'm skipping the bifilar and going for the five-filar on my next build.

Alfin,

Yeah..my e-mail is branch.gordon@gmail.com. Thanks!

Good info Gary! I'm gonna wind up an 18/19 like Tom's and see what kind of results I get from that.

Thanks!

Branch Gordon, Check your email mate.. ive sent the file, have a nice build

Alfin

alfinip2000 ... could send me the calculator too? rey@gmx.de thx
if you all get best/better results with awg18.. i will get rid of my #23/#26 coil too..
charging 7Ah takes time...

check your email mate,have fun

Gary,

I'm going to build the same coil as I've had the same trouble as many have had with slow charging of the SSG built to the previous Yahoo group specs.

How are the 5 #18 wires of the coil wired into the circuit? I'll of course have the #19 as the trigger wound in there also. Do the the 5 #18 wires get wired in parallel? That would be my guess, but I'm not sure.

Thanks,
Alex

Alex,

I would understand how the simple bifilar machine works before advancing to multi coil machines. It will save you money and time in the long run.

John K.

alfinip2000 ...
oopppps email was misspelled..
could send me the calculator to
>> rgey@gmx.de <<
thx