Dry Camping DC Configurator

[ldgregory]

Hello all,

I'm a n00b PUP owner (since March '07) and a geek. I like to learn all I can about the things I use and do. I'm primarily a dry camper and got tired of doing manual calculations to determine battery charge state when planning my outings. I decided to automate the process with a tool I wrote. This is a free tool and will remain a free tool, but what I need right now is some volunteers to test it and for comments and suggestions to make it better.

What the tool allows you to do is to add battery consuming items to a configuration list which calculates out what your remaining battery charge condition would be at the end of the trip. Currently the only items as of my writing this post are ones from my PUP. However, there is functionality available to allow you to add DC consuming items to the database that are for your particular make / models. I ask that you do not add inappropriate items, like say a 100A, ahem, personal massage device or such.

If you don't know all the correct information about an item you are adding, please preface the Manufacturer Name with the word "TEST" (minus the quotes) so that I can delete them later and that anyone using the DC Configurator prior to my deleting the item will know that it's not a valid item to use for real planning.

My hope is to find people who will add valid items to the database because it not only helps them, but me, and everyone else who uses the tool because it would take me a long time to track down every possible piece of DC consuming equipment being used in PUPs.

Some info and future plans:

1. The visual gauge on the left is only accurate to 5% increments at the moment. I will be making it more accurate later. The info to the right of the gauge is accurate however.

2. I plan on setting it up as a true planner so you can specify a date range for the trip and then enter the info and get results on a daily report as well as the overall trip report.

3. I want to bring in weather forecasts for the destinations so I can factor in temperature on the battery calculations.

4. This tool does not take into account damaged batteries such as sulfated, stratified or just flat out old ones.

5. The calculations are based on loaded testing vs. open circuit testing of the battery. I will be adding the open circuit testing later so people can choose their testing method to validate the plan against.

At any rate, I'm really hoping for some comments and good suggestions to make this a valuable (free) tool.

Here's the link:

PopUp DC Configurator

Thanks.

Leif Gregory

[fleagalbaum]

Wow, thats cool, thanks.

[ldgregory]

Wow, thats cool, thanks.

Thanks. I'm hoping it'll be useful for people. I added a bunch of stuff from Shurflo and CCI Control catalogs last night. It'll only be really useful once the database gets pretty populated.

Leif.